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The queen of pop has maintained her spot at the top in the music industry, with most of her songs being self-written from scratch. Madonna broke records as a female singer by constantly releasing top-charting albums in the late 80s and 90s. Though many new female artists have established themselves in the industry, Madonna continues to wow her fans with new releases.
The businesswoman is also a co-founder of Maverick, an entertainment company. With over 300 million records sold worldwide, the award-winning singer is the highest-grossing solo touring artist of all time. Here are the top ten of the singer and songwriter's most rewarding albums.
THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION, 1990: 30 MILLION COPIES
In 1990 Madonna released her second soundtrack album, I'm Breathless, for the film Dick Tracy in May followed by her most celebrated album. In November came the release of The Immaculate Collection comprised of remixes of 15 of her hit singles from 1983 to 1990 and two new tracks.
The compilation album, which was a special dedication to the Pope, sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it her highest-grossing album. The collection was unique for being the first to use QSound technology in its production topping the U.K. charts for the longest time; nine weeks.
TRUE BLUE, 1986: 25 MILLION COPIES
Her success in her third studio album, True Blue, earned her recognition by the Guinness World Records in 1989 as the bestselling female album. It broke records for seizing the number one slot in 28 countries with five of its tracks getting to top four in the U.S.
The collection was inspired by and dedicated to her ex-husband, Sean Penn. The album topped the European Top 100 charts for 34 consecutive weeks from its release in June 1986 to early 1989. It is estimated to have sold 25 million copies worldwide.
RAY OF LIGHT, 1998: 16 MILLION COPIES
After failed attempts to make the album with Babyface, Madonna joined hands with award-winning producer, William Orbit. The album paid off quite well despite taking an unusually long recording time due to technical hitches.
Ray of Light brought in a new unexplored genre for the pop artist with a mix of electronica, trip-hop, techno hop, and dance. The album sold 371000 copies in its first week earning Madonna four Grammys out of the six nominations. It topped at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 and sold over 16 million copies worldwide.
MUSIC, 2000: 11 MILLION
Upon its debut on September 18th, 2000, Music hit the charts at number one in over 23 countries worldwide. It was the greatest victory for the singer since 1989, with Like a Prayer debuting at the top of the Billboard 200.
Its promotional tour, The Drowned World Tour, was the highest-grossing for a solo act in 2001 grossing $75 million. The promotional single, Impressive Instant, was later released in the U.S. peaking at number one on the Dance Club Songs Charts. The album received a triple-platinum certification, with sales of 11 million copies globally.
LIKE A PRAYER, 1989: 15 MILLION COPIES
Like A Prayer, was a work of art released by Sire Records in March 1989. The pop album incorporated elements of dance, funk, gospel, and soul with live instrumentation. The album set the bar high by touching on sensitive topics like religion and sexuality. The title song sparked religious controversy for mixing profanity and spirituality in the music video.
However, the song became Madonna's seventh hit to peak at number one on the U.S. Billboard top 100. The album was a universal hit selling over 15 million copies universally. Slant Magazine listed it at number 20 among the greatest albums of the 80s.
CONFESSIONS ON A DANCE FLOOR, 2005: 12 MILLION COPIES
The album kicks off with energetic, happy songs followed by a series of heartfelt and emotional songs with an in-depth description of feelings. It is another of her albums that made it to the Guinness World Records for topping the charts at number one in 40 countries, but this time produced by Warner Records.
Confessions on a Dance Floor was a commercial success earning her a Grammy for the best electronic/dance album. It became the biggest selling album of the year, with over 12 million records sold up to date. Its promotional tour in 2006 became the highest-grossing tour for a female artist.
LIKE A VIRGIN, 1984: 21 MILLION COPIES
Like a Virgin was Madonna's second studio album produced by Sire Records with some of the songs co-written by Steve Bray. The album earned her international recognition selling over 21 million copies worldwide.
It was the first female album to sell over 5 million copies in the U.S. and her first album to top the Billboard 200. The album topped the charts in Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and New Zealand, among others. With all the criticism aimed at the record, it became Madonna's breakthrough in the music industry.
SOMETHING TO REMEMBER, 1995: 10MILLION COPIES
The compilation album that comprised of four singles came in 1995 after the release of its promotional single. It came as a surprise following speculation that the singer's career had ended. The album included a cover of I Want You by Marvin Gaye and two other new unreleased singles.
The album was certified triple platinum for shipping three million copies and sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Its release came as a distraction to divert public attention from Madonna's controversies at the time. It came in at position two on the RPM Album Charts and maintained the top ten spot for eight weeks.
GREATEST HITS - VOL 2, 2001: 7 MILLION COPIES
The compilation album came after the immense success realized with the preceding album, Music, in 2000. The songs she chose for the compilation were her favorites that she could replay five times in a row. It was criticized for not including anything new, the only original song in the album is the promotional single, a remix titled GHV2 Megamix.
During its release, Madonna was in Malta filming Swept Away. Despite her unavailability during the launch, the singer received unexpected fortune by selling over 7 million copies worldwide. It became the 14th bestselling album of the year.
EVITA – OST, 1996: 11 MILLION COPIES
Warner Productions released the soundtrack album for the Buena Vista musical drama film, Evita with Madonna on the leading role. Though Madonna retained main credits for performing 15 of the 19 tracks, other performers included Antonio Banderas, Jimmy Nail, and Jonathan Pryce.
The musical style of the soundtrack differed a lot with Madonna's style forcing her to take voice training sessions to improve her singing. Its position on the charts was greatly boosted by the film's premiere, followed by Madonna's Golden Globe Award, placing it at number two on the Billboard 200.