10 best Madonna songs of all time

Madonna Luisa Ciccone (born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen of Pop", Madonna is widely recognized for her relentless creative pursuits, the diversity of her music, and her original visual presentation.

Singer's Room writes: "She pushes the boundaries of artistic expression in mainstream music while maintaining control over every aspect of her career. Her work, which incorporates social, political, sexual and religious themes, has drawn both controversy and critical acclaim."

A prominent cultural figure of the 20th and 21st centuries, Madonna remains one of the most "documented personalities of the modern era". Many scholarly reviews, literary and artistic works have been written about her, and there is even an academic mini-discipline called Madonna studies.

Here are the 10 best Madonna songs, according to Singer's Room.

Like a Prayer

"Like a Prayer" is a song from Madonna's 1989 fourth studio album of the same name. Sire Records released it as the album's lead single on March 3, 1989. The song was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard. It marked a new artistic and personal approach to track writing for the singer, who believed that she needed to target a more adult audience.

Thematically, "Like a Prayer" tells the story of a passionate girl in love with God, who becomes the only man in her life.

Vogue

"Vogue" is a song from the second soundtrack album I'm Breathless (1990). It was released as the first single from the album on March 27, 1990, via Sire Records. Madonna was inspired by the vogue dancers and choreographers from the Harlem "House Ball" community, which is at the origin of this dance form.

Vogue is a house track that set trends in dance music in the 1990s. It also has a spoken word part in which Madonna names various Hollywood stars of the "golden age". Lyrically, the song is about having fun on the dance floor and contains a theme of escapism.

In remixed form, "Vogue" was included in three collections of Madonna's greatest hits: The Immaculate Collection (1990), Celebration (2009) and Finally Enough Love (2022).

Material Girl

"Material Girl" is a song recorded by Madonna for her second studio album Like a Virgin (1984). It was released on January 23, 1985 as the second single from Like a Virgin, and was also released with a small remix on the 1990 greatest hits collection The Immaculate Collection, in its original form on the 2009 greatest hits collection Celebration and the Final En En 50 Number Ones (2022). The song was written by Peter Brown and Robert Rance and produced by Nile Rodgers.

Madonna explained that the concept of "Material Girl" reflects her life at the time, and she likes it because it seems provocative.

Like a Virgin

"Like a Virgin" was written and composed by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg and released as the album's lead single on October 31, 1984. It's a dance song with Madonna singing in a high register while a continuous synthesizer arrangement plays along the bass line.

The lyrics are ambiguous, consisting of hidden hints and allowing for different interpretations.

After its release, "Like a Virgin" received positive reviews from music critics who noted Madonna's excellent vocals. The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, topped the charts in Australia and Canada, and entered the top ten in other countries.

"Like a Virgin" has sold over six million copies worldwide.

Mary Lambert directed the music video for the song. In the video, Madonna rides a gondola through the canals of Venice and wanders around the castle in a white wedding dress.

La Isla Bonita

"La Isla Bonita" is a song by Madonna from her third studio album True Blue (1986), written and produced by the singer herself and Patrick Leonard.

Leonard first presented the track as an instrumental demo to Michael Jackson, who rejected it. Then the composer played it to Madonna, and she liked it, after which the singer wrote the lyrics to the melody.

"La Isla Bonita" became Madonna's first Latin-themed song. It features Cuban drums, Spanish guitar arrangements, maracas and harmonicas. The lyrics mention the island of San Pedro. According to Madonna, this music is a tribute to the beauty of Latin Americans.

Papa Don't Preach

"Papa Don't Preach" was recorded by Madonna for her third studio album True Blue (1986). The song was written by Brian Elliott with additional lyrics by Madonna and produced by Stephen Bray. This composition was included in the compilation albums The Immaculate Collection (1990) and Celebration (2009).

Musically, the song "Papa Don't Preach" combines pop and classical styles, and its lyrics tell the story of teenage pregnancy and the choices it entails. Elliott was inspired to create the song by teenage gossip he heard outside the recording studio.

Express Yourself

"Express Yourself" is a track from the fourth studio album Like a Prayer (1989). It was released as the second single from the album on May 9, 1989 via Sire Records.

"Express Yourself" was included in the greatest hits collections The Immaculate Collection (1990), Celebration (2009) and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022). This song was the first composition on which Madonna and her co-producer Stephen Bray collaborated for the album Like a Prayer.

The composition they created was a tribute to the American funk and soul band Sly and the Family Stone. The main idea of "Express Yourself" is to empower women, to encourage them to never accept second roles and to encourage men to be more open and honest in their relationships.

Crazy for You

"Crazy for You" is a song recorded by Madonna for the movie Vision Quest (1985). It was released on March 2, 1985 (Geffen Records) as the lead single from the film's soundtrack album. Vision Quest producers John Peters and Peter Huber, as well as music director Phil Ramone, asked Madonna to perform it after listening to her previous recordings.

Into the Groove

"Into the Groove" was first performed in the 1985 movie Desperately Seeking Susan. The main source of inspiration for writing and producing the song for Madonna and Stephen Bray was the dance floor. The singer wrote it while watching a Latin American man she liked.

The song features synthesizers and drum machines, and Madonna's dual voice sounds in the chorus. There are sexual hints and subtexts in the lyrics, written as an invitation to dance with the singer. Initially, the song was intended for Madonna's friend Mark Cummins, but later the singer decided to use it in the movie, as one of the scenes required dance chalk.

Later, "Into the Groove" was added to the international reissue of Like a Virgin (1984), and remixed for You Can Dance (1987) and The Immaculate Collection (1990) and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022).

Music

"Music" is the lead track of Madonna's eighth studio album. It was released as the lead single from the album to radio on August 1, 2000, by Maverick and Warner Bros. Records.

"Music" was inspired by a Sting concert that Madonna once attended and was produced by her and Mirwaiz Ahmadzai. It is a disco, electro-funk and dance-pop song. Madonna's vocals are electronically manipulated, and the lyrics have political and social overtones.