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Madonna is a famous musician and style icon with a massive influence on modern pop culture. Since the early 1980s, she has released dozens of hit songs exploring diverse social, sexual, and religious themes. Her popularity has endured across the decades, as she reinvents her sound and inspires new listeners from all corners of the globe.
When it comes to Madonna’s influence, the numbers speak for themselves. She’s the best-selling female recording artist of all time, with over 400 million records sold. She’s also the first performer to earn US$1 billion from her concerts. Many of her biggest songs spent weeks at the top of the charts, including iconic tracks like “Vogue,” “Like a Virgin,” “Material Girl,” and “Like a Prayer.”
Let’s review 25 massive Madonna songs and look at 5 of her best underrated gems. When you see how many iconic pop songs were created by this one incredible artist, you’ll understand why Madonna is called the Queen of Pop.
The Evolution of Madonna Songs Across the Decades
For more than four decades, Madonna has shaped the sounds and styles of modern pop music. She has embraced new genres and themes in each of her albums, enjoying a long and successful career defined by the following eras:
Pop punk princess: In the early to mid ’80s, Madonna was a dance-pop pioneer with style and soul. She blended ultra-girly fashion with toy-boy vibes and sang about life and love with attitude and cheek.
Courage and controversy: During this phase, in the late ’80s and very early ’90s, Madonna started pushing buttons. She upset lots of people by singing about religion and exploring themes of sexuality and desire.
Bold style icon: During the early to mid ’90s, Madonna was a feminine style icon with attitude. Her iconic cone-shaped bra, designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier, was the perfect embodiment of this period.
Spiritual reinvention: The mid to late ’90s brought a new Madonna to the forefront. From her starring role in Evita to her embrace of electronics and spirituality, the Queen of Pop was evolving.
Futuristic dance revival: In the new millennium, Madonna fell back in love with dance music. Far from the ’80s, however, she was now experimenting with hip-hop, R&B, and rave culture.
25 of Madonna’s Most Popular Songs of All Time
From her breakout ’80s hits to her celebrated ’90s albums and noughties comeback, the Queen of Pop is an enduring star. Let’s look at 25 of the biggest Madonna songs of all time and how they helped to shape modern music:
Like a Prayer
Released in 1989 on her album of the same name, “Like a Prayer” was a massive hit and huge scandal. This was a highly personal song for the artist, who merged religion and sex with bravery and blasphemy. As the daughter of Italian immigrants, this track highlights Madonna’s complex relationship with Catholicism. “Like a Prayer” was her seventh Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, and it was also performed at the Super Bowl halftime show.
Into the Groove
This radio-friendly jam was a non-album single released in 1985. It comes from a different time in Madonna’s life, when she was squatting and dumpster diving as a young trouble-maker. You may know this song from Madonna’s movie Desperately Seeking Susan, from the scene where she hits Danceteria. “Into the Groove” became a radio favorite, and it remains popular on the airwaves to this day.
Vogue
This fabulous track was inspired by a famous dance move, which Madonna borrowed from the New York ballroom scene. Released in 1990 on the singer’s I’m Breathless album, “Vogue” was a smash hit in the biggest possible way. This song merges drum machine beats from the house scene with Hollywood glamour and grace as Madonna celebrates the power and politics of dancing.
Like a Virgin
If you were alive in the 1980s, this song is probably etched into your memory. “Like a Virgin” was the title track of Madonna’s 1984 album, and for many, it was their introduction to the Queen of Pop. This song made a memorable debut at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards, where the singer dressed in a wedding gown and brazenly humped the stage. This was Madonna’s first No. 1, and it spent six weeks at the top of the charts.
Borderline
Released very early in her career, this memorable number was Madonna’s first top 10 hit. “Borderline” comes from the singer’s debut studio album, Madonna, which set up her incredibly long and successful career. Interestingly, she wrote this track with acclaimed jazz musician Reggie Lucas while she was apartment-sitting for the visual artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Crazy for You
“Crazy for You” is a carefree pop ballad and emotionally charged torch song rolled into one. Another radio-friendly hit with sexual undertones, it was recorded by Madonna for the 1985 film Vision Quest. As her second No. 1 single, this song earned Madonna her first Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Papa Don’t Preach
This song comes from Madonna’s 1986 album, True Blue, blending elements of dance-pop with post-disco and classical music. Madonna was attacked on all sides for this song. Some people said she glamorized teenage pregnancy, and others called the song a pro-life anthem. “Papa Don’t Preach” is one of the biggest songs about forbidden love of all time.
Material Girl
In many ways, the wonderful “Material Girl” is peak Madonna. Released on the Like a Virgin album in 1984, it presents the singer as a luxury-loving girl who won’t accept compromises. This song is made in a post-disco style, with lush synth arrangements and a robotic voice chant. This is a great karaoke song; it almost made our easy karaoke songs for women list.
Take a Bow
In many ways, the wonderful “Material Girl” is peak Madonna. Released on the Like a Virgin album in 1984, it presents the singer as a luxury-loving girl who won’t accept compromises. This song is made in a post-disco style, with lush synth arrangements and a robotic voice chant. This is a great karaoke song; it almost made our easy karaoke songs for women list.
Express Yourself
This fun-filled track comes from Madonna’s 1989 studio album, Like a Prayer. It’s a tribute to the American band Sly and the Family Stone, who were responsible for some of the best funk and soul music of all time. “Express Yourself” delivers a message of gender equality and personal freedom against a musical backdrop of hand claps and horns.
Justify My Love
This intense song wasn’t on any of Madonna’s studio albums, although it was the lead on her greatest hits record, The Immaculate Collection. While this track screams Madonna, “Justify My Love” was actually written by Lenny Kravitz and Ingrid Chavez. With the singer’s sexual fantasies brought to the surface through a sensual trip-hop groove, this track launched Madonna into the ’90s.
Live to Tell
“Live to Tell” comes from Madonna’s triumphant 1986 album, True Blue. It also featured in the film At Close Range, which starred Madonna’s then-husband Sean Penn. This track is a dark and moody pop ballad, with the singer delivering a “throaty” vocal performance and the lyrics full of doom and deceit.
True Blue
This is the title track from Madonna’s 1986 studio album, her third release and most ambitious long-player to date. While it didn’t reach the top of the charts, critics mostly loved it, and Madonna’s fans certainly did. “True Blue” is bubblegum pop with ’60s girl-group sounds and ’80s dance-pop vibes.
Who’s That Girl
This is the title track from Madonna’s 1986 studio album, her third release and most ambitious long-player to date. While it didn’t reach the top of the charts, critics mostly loved it, and Madonna’s fans certainly did. “True Blue” is bubblegum pop with ’60s girl-group sounds and ’80s dance-pop vibes.
Dress You Up
This 1985 single by Madonna comes from her second studio album, Like a Virgin. It was produced by the iconic Nile Rogers, who also played guitar on the track. Like many Madonna songs, “Dress You Up” is full of cheeky sexual innuendo. It was one of the 15 songs deemed “filthy” by the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) and was given an “S” rating for “sex and obscenity.”
Hanky Panky
This 1985 single by Madonna comes from her second studio album, Like a Virgin. It was produced by the iconic Nile Rogers, who also played guitar on the track. Like many Madonna songs, “Dress You Up” is full of cheeky sexual innuendo. It was one of the 15 songs deemed “filthy” by the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) and was given an “S” rating for “sex and obscenity.”
Causing a Commotion
This 1985 single by Madonna comes from her second studio album, Like a Virgin. It was produced by the iconic Nile Rogers, who also played guitar on the track. Like many Madonna songs, “Dress You Up” is full of cheeky sexual innuendo. It was one of the 15 songs deemed “filthy” by the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) and was given an “S” rating for “sex and obscenity.”
La Isla Bonita
This is one of the few Madonna songs where she sings in Spanish. “La Isla Bonita” was the fifth and final single from her True Blue album, which was released in 1986. The title translates to “The Beautiful Island” in English, and Madonna sings about an imaginary island named San Pedro.
Open Your Heart
This Madonna hit comes from her True Blue album of 1986. Interestingly, “Open Your Heart” was originally written as an upbeat rock song for ’80s icon Cyndi Lauper. It was offered to Madonna first, however, and the Queen of Pop fell in love with the tune and transformed it into a dance-pop number.
Burning Up
This pop music single comes very early in Madonna’s career as a double-sided single with “Physical Attraction.” Madonna wasn’t even famous at the time, and this song was central to her rise. Together with “Everybody” and “Ain’t No Big Deal,” “Burning Up” served as a demo for the famous singer before she got signed.
Don’t Cry for Me Argentina
“Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” comes from 1997, which was a new chapter in Madonna’s long career. It was released for the film Evita as the soundtrack’s biggest and boldest number. While this song wasn’t perfect for radio initially, some great uptempo dance remixes helped it to rise in popularity.
Holiday
The fabulous “Holiday” was one of the biggest Madonna hits of the 1980s. Released in 1983 on her self-titled debut, it was released as a double A-side with “Lucky Star.” “Holiday” is pure ’80s joy, with rock guitars blending perfectly with electronic claps, synth strings, and even some cowbell.
Oh Father
“Oh Father” is a baroque pop music ballad from the 1989 album Like a Prayer. It features fairly traditional instrumentation, with strings and piano laying down thick emotions while bass and drums drive the music forward. Lyrically, this song is about the death of Madonna’s mother and how it impacted her relationship with her father.
Erotica
In a career defined by sexy music, this track is probably Madonna’s most sensual. It’s the self-titled opener on her 1992 studio album, which was released simultaneously with Madonna’s first book, Sex. This coffee table book was full of explicit yet artistic photos of the singer, and this song was the perfect soundtrack.
Lucky Star
“Lucky Star” is another fun-filled track from Madonna’s self-titled 1983 debut. It’s a dance song with a pop spirit and nursery rhyme refrain. As Madonna sings “Starlight, star bright,” you can’t help but smile. The video for this song, with its over-the-top accessories and lace gloves, helped to cement Madonna as a pop icon in the making.
5 Underrated Madonna Songs You Should Hear
The most popular Madonna tracks are not always the best. In a career stretching four decades, 14 studio albums, and hundreds of songs, lots of amazing tracks have fallen through the cracks. Let’s look at five fantastic Madonna songs that don’t get the attention they deserve:
Promise to Try
This beautiful piano ballad, from 1989’s Like a Prayer album, is loved by fans and critics alike. It features a lush string backdrop, and the lyrics are full of sadness and pain. Madonna’s mother, Madonna Louise Fortin Ciccone, died of breast cancer in 1963 when the star-to-be was just five years old. This song is about processing the feelings surrounding her death, and it’s one of Madonna’s most emotional songs.
“Little girl don’t you forget her face / Laughing away your tears / When she was the one who felt all the pain”
Inside of Me
This track comes from Madonna’s 1994 studio album, Bedtime Stories. This album presents a softer side of the singer, who was criticized by many for her over-the-top sexualization on Erotica. “Inside of Me” features soft, sweet vocals delivered with power and emotion. There are lots of other underappreciated tracks on this album, including “Forbidden Love,” “Sanctuary,” and “Bedtime Stories.”
“When my world / Seems to crumble / All around / And foolish people try to bring me down / I just think of your smiling face”
Secret Garden
The track “Secret Garden” comes from Madonna’s 1992 album, Erotica. This playful number is an ode to the singer’s body, with the lyrics conjuring up images of flowers, thorns, and rainbows. “Secret Garden” is loved by Madonna’s fan base, and it also received lots of positive attention from critics at the time.
“A petal that isn’t torn / A heart that will not harden / A place that I can be born / In my secret garden”
Love Song
This 1989 track comes from Madonna’s iconic Like a Prayer album, and it features the one and only Prince. With two of the biggest names in pop working together, it’s amazing how this song is rarely talked about. There’s a reason for its anonymity, however, with “Love Song” delivering a weird collage of sounds and vocals without standard chords.
“Say what you mean, mean what you say / Don’t go and throw our love away / God, strike me dead if I did you wrong / This is not a love song”
Skin
“Skin” comes from the album Ray of Light, which was a massive stylistic departure for the Queen of Pop in 1998. This track didn’t get lots of attention at the time, with its introspective lyrics and experimental nature challenging many listeners. Madonna is very honest in this song, delivering heartfelt lyrics of vulnerability and self-discovery.
“Kiss me, I’m dying / Put your hand on my skin / I close my eyes / I need to have your protection”
Explore Madonna Songs and Find Your Favorites
Madonna is one of the most popular and influential pop music artists of all time. She embodied the sound and style of the ’80s, forged brave new paths in the ’90s, and kept moving forward in the new millennium. If you want to learn more about this iconic singer, songwriter, and cultural icon, the songs on this list are among the best in the entire Madonna discography.
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