Since 1983, when she released her debut album, Madonna has proved over and over again that she is a force to be reckoned with. Not only did she become the most successful and best-selling female singer in the US, but she also broke the record for most #1 singles by a female singer in multiple countries. Even some of her tours are among the highest-grossing tours ever.
Today we take a look at Madonna's iconic discography (not including compilation albums) and we rank it based on sales. From Hard Candy to Like a Virgin — keep on scrolling to see which album of this pop diva is her best-selling one.
14 Madame X - 169,000
Kicking the list off is Madonna's most recent release, Madam X. The album was released in 2019 and it was inspired by time she spent in Portugal, after moving there five years ago. Madam X received mostly good reviews from critics and her fans loved it too! The album ended up selling 169,000 units in the US.
13 Rebel Heart - 238,000
Madonna's thirteenth album, Rebel Heart — which she worked on together with artists like Avicii and Kanye West — was released back in 2015 and it was inspired by Madonna's rebellious side, as the name implies. While the album reached the top of the charts in most major music markets, it peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. So far, Rebel Heart has sold 238,000 units in the United States.
12 MDNA - 539,000
Let's move on to MDNA, Madonna's pop/EDM album that she released back in 2012. Madonna released four singles — "Give Me All Your Luvin", "Girl Gone Wild", "Masterpiece" and "Turn Up the Radio" — and she performed some of them at the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming her eighth number one album on the chart.
11 American Life - 680,000
Madonna's Grammy-nominated concept album American Life was met with mixed reviews upon its release back in 2003, but it still managed to top the charts in fourteen countries, including the USA. American Life is considered to be a concept album, which explores themes of the American dream and materialism. With sales of 660,000 units, American Life is Madonna's fourth-lowest selling album.
10 Hard Candy (2008) - 751,000
Next on the list is Madonna's dance-pop album, Hard Candy, which was released by Warner Bros. back in 2008. This album — which she collaborated on with music superstars such as Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Pharrell Williams — gave us bangers like "4 Minutes" and "Give It 2 Me". With only 751,000 copies the album didn't even qualify for platinum certification.
9 Confessions On A Dance Floor (2005) - 1,734,000
Next on the list is yet another dance-pop album — we're talking about Confessions on a Dance Floor, of course. The album was released back in November 2005 and it features hit songs such as "Hung Up" and "Sorry".
This Grammy-winning album has sold 1,734,000 copies in the US, and more than 10 million copies worldwide. Critics praised the album, with many calling it one of her best ones.
8 Erotica (1992) - 1,989,000
Madonna's fifth studio album, Erotica, was released back in 1992 at the same time as her first book "Sex". Erotica was the singer's first album that failed to reach number one on Billboard 200 — it landed at number two instead. The album ended up selling 1,989,000 copies in the US and, thanks to digital streams, it eventually received a 2x Platinum certification.
7 Bedtime Stories (1994) - 2,531,000
Let's move on to Madonna's 1994 pop-R&B album, Bedtime Stories, which was released in October 1994. After her provocative Erotica era, which was met with backlash and criticism, Madonna tried to fix her public image by releasing a ballad-packed album about love, which ended up being Bedtime Stories. Bedtime Stories has sold 2,336,000 copies in the States and more than 8 million copies worldwide.
6 Music (2000) - 3,031,000
When it comes to her discography, Music is definitely one of Madonna's best pieces of work. It was released in 2000 and it was accompanied by the Drowned World Tour. The album was met with positive reviews from critics and it did well commercially, too. Music sold 3 million units in the United States and 11 million units worldwide. The album's lead single of the same name topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
5 Ray of Light (1998) - 4,350,000
In 1998, Madonna decided to try something new when it comes to her music because unpredictability and originality are pretty much what she's all about. She released an electronica/techno-pop album, Ray of Light, which had a pretty good run — it won four Grammys, debuted at number two on Billboard 200, and has sold over 4 million copies in the US and more than 16 million worldwide. Madonna released five singles from this album, with "Frozen" and "Ray of Light" being the most popular ones internationally.
4 Madonna (1983) - 5,000,000
When Madonna's eponymous disco-pop debut album was released back in 1983, it was pretty clear that Madonna is the next best thing. The album received positive reviews from critics, and with album sales of over five million units in the US and 10 more million worldwide, it became a huge commercial success as well. Not only is this the album that made Madonna a household name, but it also influenced many female artists that came after her.
3 Like A Prayer (1989) - 5,000,000
It shouldn't really come as a surprise that Madonna's fourth album, Like a Prayer, ended up on our list today. Released in March 1989, Like a Prayer received rave reviews and ended up being a commercial success — it has sold over 5 million copies in the US alone, and over 15 million copies more worldwide.
As it often happens with the Queen of Pop, this era too was marked with controversy, mostly because of the music video for the title track which included burning crosses and Madonna seducing a saint. Even the Vatican condemned the video,
2 True Blue (1986) - 7,000,000
Madonna's True Blue album, which was released over 30 years ago, is the runner-up today. With over 7 million copies sold in the United States and over 25 million worldwide, True Blue is one of the best-selling albums ever. The album was praised by critics and it established Madonna's position as the ultimate Queen of Pop. Three songs from the album — "Live to Tell", "Papa Don't Preach", and "Open Your Heart" – reached the top of the charts in the US.
1 Like A Virgin (1984) - 10,000,000
Wrapping up the list is Madonna's iconic album Like a Virgin, which was released back in 1984. The album was produced by Nile Rodgers and Madonna herself and it gave us some great songs like "Like a Virgin" and "Into the Groove". The album received mixed reviews from critics but everybody else loved it — the album ended up selling over ten million copies in the US alone.