Album of the Day

“I was interested in fusing a kind of futuristic sound but also using lots of Indian and Moroccan influences and things like that, and I wanted it to sound old and new at the same time,” noted Madonna of RAY OF LIGHT. Coming four years after her last proper studio album, the 1998 Maverick collection was the performer's most mature and personal to date, reflecting both her recent spiritual explorations and the vocal training she'd undergone for the role of Evita. More importantly, the set is a successful reinvention of her sound, with producer William Orbit enlisted to guide Madonna into techno/electronica territory. The set spun off five singles, with “Frozen” and the title track both reaching the U.S. Top 10 and “The Power of Good-Bye” just missing it; the album as a whole went quadruple-platinum and earned four Grammy Awards. Greeted with near-universal acclaim upon release, RAY OF LIGHT still stands as one of Madonna's shining achievements.