Which Madonna period represents her imperial phase to you?

Jark

Jark

PLUMP and RIPE
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I don't mean commercially, but the section of her career where she was at a peak artistically or making the music most pleasing/enduring to you personally
 
for me: 92-01. that run of four studio albums (Erotica, Bedtime Stories, Ray of Light, Music) represents her four best records imo. each was totally distinct but there's such a high level of artistry, she was pushing herself, never repeating herself, had some of the best production in music then or indeed now, was playing with diverse genres and making them all sound organic to HER. one of the greatest runs in anyone's career ever.
 
Ray Of Light - Music

I knew who she was as a famous person, but became aware of her as a music listening teenager with Ray Of Light. So my view could be biased by that. Still, every release from that period felt like such an event.
 
I’ll compress the eras a bit more but musically and creatively, for me, Ray Of Light into Music. In terms of iconic videography True Blue into Like A Prayer.
 
Objectively probably True Blue to Like a Prayer, but that was before my time.

In terms of my personal experience of her career, Ray of Light through Music.
 
Like A Prayer and then ROL to Confessions I (though beyond a handful of tracks I wasn't really fussed about American Life).

LAP largely because it was the first Madonna album I purchased (on cassette).
 
I’ve said before, but I think Don’t Tell Me might be her last true imperial moment, in that it felt both effortlessly cool and cooly effortless. Hung Up/Confessions was fabulous, but you could feel the sweat behind it a little bit more.

 
Don't Tell Me is probably her "below signature hit" level single that's matured the best with time. I mean it was always a hard 10 but I feel like it gets a lot of love these days. the roar for it at Celebration tour was massive. the production still sounds so fresh and innovative, and the songwriting is genius.

I would have it in my personal M top 5
 
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Artistically, 89-98.

Culturally and commercially, very different indeed.

But yeah, you had to be there in the 84-90 period to fully comprehend what it was like. Nothing has ever compared.
 
Holiday - through to - Crazy For You as a singles run. Culturally she sort of goes from waving hello to stealing all the antiques. Musically it’s effortless and varied and fun.

And then otherwise the little island of itself which is Jump. Emotionally, sonically.
 
1990 in general.

The tail end of Like A Prayer, a decent film in Dick Tracy, Blonde Ambition her most iconic & influential tour, with the most enduring look in the pointy bra, a timeless classic & an all-timer of a video for Vogue, ending the year with another from a different & saucier angle with the pioneering Justify My Love & sealing it with one of the biggest & best compilations ever in The Immaculate Collection.

Even the much maligned Hanky Panky feels like a naughty interlude rather than a clumsy mis-step.
 
In my bubble she was at her peak with ROL/Music (I was too young for her ascent to stardom and her 80s/early 90s peak with True Blue and LAP). I remember girls and women suddenly getting mendhis and wearing those beaded bracelets, and yoga becoming a thing. And the Music cowboy hats at every hen party. She was cool again after being the butt of a joke due to Erotica/SEX/Body of Evidence.
 
I mean that early run is hard to match. Even with all the controversy she really could do no wrong until the Erotica brick wall. Massive hit after hit in the early days.
 
Frozen, Don't Tell Me and then Confessions were the imperial phases for me growing up. True Blue and Like A Prayer objectively and when I managed to do back catalogue research with the advent of mp3
 
I must have been aware of her previously but Like a Prayer into The Immaculate Collection was when I was most captured I think.
 
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