Is 'Confessions on a Dance Floor' Madonna's Most Overrated Album?

[KillersWhoArePartying]

I'm fully prepared to be dragged for this but I think we should have this conversation. 

Confessions On A Dancefloor is an album that has aged very well, the production is amazing, and it was cool of her to release an album of this style in the middle of the 2000s.

That being said, a great portion of the songs just aren't very  good. In fact, the production might be so good that they hide the fact that many of the songs are quite weak on their own.

The album does have great songs like Hung Up, Get Together, Let It Will Be, and How High, but the rest just isn't great. Madonna herself doesn't seem to be a fan of this album either, which is why after the era was finished she stopped performing songs from it (besides hung up on the occasional tour). Confessions was the beginning of her creative decline, where she started feeling obligated to make a certain type of music after American Life (one of her best albums) flopped. Thankfully Madonna's creative spirit lives on with Madame X.

It's not that I don't like dance music, her 80s albums are great examples of dance music well done, because the songs themselves are actually good and can stand on their own if they were to be stripped down and played acoustically. Even Hard Candy and MDNA are at least good for working out to. Most of the songs on Confessions are too slow to work out to or even dance to, but too fast to just listen to while relaxing at home.

I'm always confounded to see Confessions consistently ranked in the top 3 of most Madonna fans album ranking; people really like Confessions more than masterpieces like Ray of Light, Erotica, or Like A Prayer? Really? I think fans at the time were just happy to see Madonna making music for the dance floor again, but the album really is a sad shadow of what her dance music used to be. The album definitely sounds better in the mixed version, but that just adds to my point that it's the production techniques that makes the album seem good, not the songs themselves.

Anyways, I think it's time to stop pretending like Confessions is her best/only good album of this century. Every time she releases something new, it's always compared to Confessions or called "her best work since confessions", as if nothing she does will ever measure up. I am not saying it's a bad album I just think it's overrated and honestly maybe one of the most overrated pop albums of this century (because of how incredibly highly it is regarded). 

Anyone else agree? disagree? let's discuss 

[Deyonce]

I personally agree. Confessions is one of my least favorite Madonna albums. But I still think it's an objectively good record. I just feel like it shouldn't be put in the league of Like A Prayer and Ray Of Light with songs like "I Love New York" on it's tracklist.

[Roxxy]

It is overrated and I honestly believe a lot of pop music fans are fake fans. They obviously haven't heard Madonna's entire discography if they believe Confessions is even in her trinity. 

I love Confessions and I believe it is masterfully done and it aged very, very well. But so does all the other Madonna records that came before it. It's just cool to say you love Confessions because I do believe it is her coolest and hippest album. And that is why a lot of fake fans bring it up and rave about it all the time. It's easily the safest answer to give when talking about Madonna's albums. And that's how I clock a basic bich from the true tasteful fans. I don't pay much attention to people who say it is her best album. I mean, I respect their opinion but to me that is an indicator of being basic. That's just me. 

Her true trinity: Erotica, Bedtime Stories, Ray of Light.

Maybe True Blue, Music, and American Life can be in the mix too. But there's no way Confessions is better than these six albums I mentioned. Confessions is probably #5 - AT BEST. 

[Blackout2006]

1 hour ago, Roxxy said:

It is overrated and I honestly believe a lot of pop music fans are fake fans. They obviously haven't heard Madonna's entire discography if they believe Confessions is even in her trinity. 

I love Confessions and I believe it is masterfully done and it aged very, very well. But so does all the other Madonna records that came before it. It's just cool to say you love Confessions because I do believe it is her coolest and hippest album. And that is why a lot of fake fans bring it up and rave about it all the time. It's easily the safest answer to give when talking about Madonna's albums. And that's how I clock a basic bich from the true tasteful fans. I don't pay much attention to people who say it is her best album. I mean, I respect their opinion but to me that is an indicator of being basic. That's just me. 

Her true trinity: Erotica, Bedtime Stories, Ray of Light.

Maybe True Blue, Music, and American Life can be in the mix too. But there's no way Confessions is better than these six albums I mentioned. Confessions is probably #5 - AT BEST. 

Well, I will be honest with you I have listened to MDNA, Madame X, Ray of light (I have its vinyl), and confessions on the dance floor. Soon I will be listening to true blue and like a prayer  but that’s for later.So from what I have listened my personal ranking would be-

4.)MDNA (waayyyyyyyyy overdone, overproduced, over-cooked and everything over. It wasn’t a good record, at most, it’s lukewarm)

3.)Madame x (it’s very experiment and a good record. Better than any record she released in the previous decade)

2.) Confessions on the dance floor- (I respect both of your and @huffingpuffing opinion, but I think the songs were something really different in a perspective from Madges discography)

1.) Ray of light (it’s fantastic)

Honestly, i think her holy trinity is - Like a prayer, True blue and Ray of light

Lets not totally discredit the album however, it is an influential record that helped Madonna continue her reign towards the next decade(besides her album “Music” but that was in the start of the decade and it was like 4 years after that era because I believe it was huge) after American life badly flopping,  otherwise she would have already been known as a has been by that generation of the 00s. Let’s also not forget the bop known as Slay up from this album 

[Roxxy]

3 minutes ago, Blackout2006 said:

Well, I will be honest with you I have listened to MDNA, Madame X, Ray of light (I have its vinyl), and confessions on the dance floor. Soon I will be listening to true blue and like a prayer  but that’s for later.So from what I have listened my personal ranking would be-

4.)MDNA (waayyyyyyyyy overdone, overproduced, over-cooked and everything over. It wasn’t a good record, at most, it’s lukewarm)

3.)Madame x (it’s very experiment and a good record. Better than any record she released in the previous decade)

2.) Confessions on the dance floor- (I respect both of your and @huffingpuffing opinion, but I think the songs were something really different in a perspective from Madges discography)

1.) Ray of light (it’s fantastic)

Honestly, i think her holy trinity is - Like a prayer, True blue and Ray of light

Lets not totally discredit the album however, it is an influential record that helped Madonna continue her reign towards the next decade(besides her album “Music” but that was in the start of the decade and it was like 4 years after that era because I believe it was huge) after American life badly flopping,  otherwise she would have already been known as a has been by that generation of the 00s. Let’s also not forget the bop known as Slay up from this album 

Where in my statement did I discredit the album? Please.

Also, how can you say you believe True Blue and Like a Prayer are in her trinity while also admitting to not having listened to those albums?

5 minutes ago, Blackout2006 said:

Soon I will be listening to true blue and like a prayer  but that’s for later.

 

6 minutes ago, Blackout2006 said:

Honestly, i think her holy trinity is - Like a prayer, True blue and Ray of light

See, what I mean when I say "fake fan" people?

Fake fan spotted. 

[Blackout2006]

5 minutes ago, Roxxy said:

Where in my statement did I discredit the album? Please.

Also, how can you say you believe True Blue and Like a Prayer are in her trinity while also admitting to not having listened to those albums?

 

See, what I mean when I say "fake fan" people?

Fake fan spotted. 

I said “THINK” tho. I also mentioned that very soon I will be hearing them both, but that’s my guess for her trinity

[gayreve]

Hmm I'm not sure about Confessions being the start of her creative decline. The concept is cute, but I can kinda see why some may see it as a decline. Confessions seemed less bold and kinda safe compared American Life, and also it seemed more like a damage control album since AL was so controversial. But anyways Confessions is extremely overrated and not her best work like she's made out to be (the album gave us I Love New York....), but she definitely has some bops and is an iconic pop album

[aleomg]

This is such a hard question to answer, 'cause I really love Confessions on a Dance Floor BUT I don't think it would belong to her holy trinity when she gave us Erotica, Bedtime Stories, Ray of Light, Music and American Life. 

Each album is different sonically, lyrically, spiritually, ********, all the "llys". 

If I had to choose her holy trinity:

Ray of Light.

Music.

Bedtime Stories / American Life (can't choose for this spot, love them both).

 

[RadicalOptimism]

36 minutes ago, Blackout2006 said:

I said “THINK” tho. I also mentioned that very soon I will be hearing them both, but that’s my guess for her trinity

Jayden go ask mommy what she thinks the trinity is  

[Blackout2006]

19 minutes ago, CrazyButItFeelsAllright said:

Jayden go ask mommy what she thinks the trinity is  

True actually

[Britney'sBish]

It would have been a better EP, but the songs that ARE amazing take it to great album territory.

It has some of my favorite songs and videos of her career.

 

Every single was perfection.

[Roxxy]

49 minutes ago, aleomg said:

This is such a hard question to answer, 'cause I really love Confessions on a Dance Floor BUT I don't think it would belong to her holy trinity when she gave us Erotica, Bedtime Stories, Ray of Light, Music and American Life. 

A real fan. We love to see it. Despite loving Confessions is not ignorant to put it in her trinity. A true fan. 

Welcome to Exhale @aleomg ! 🧡💛

Come to spill the real tea on Confessions On a Dance Floor, stay for the community!

[Illegally EATEN]

[Spicechinodiva]

The album needs to be heard in the non stop mix @JordanMillerknows exactly what I'm talking about. Streaming ****ed everything up. Warner had no choice but to remove the non stop mix all 12 songs in one long track. Apparently in the streaming world. Not many points are given to the version Madonna made for that album..

[Roxxy]

4 minutes ago, Spicechinodiva said:

The album needs to be heard in the non stop mix @JordanMillerknows exactly what I'm talking about. Streaming ****ed everything up. Warner had no choice but to remove the non stop mix all 12 songs in one long track. Apparently in the streaming world. Not many points are given to the version Madonna made for that album..

Do people actually listen to the version that's not non-stop? 

[Spicechinodiva]

12 minutes ago, Roxxy said:

Do people actually listen to the version that's not non-stop? 

Were forced to. It's no longer live. 

[Roxxy]

2 minutes ago, Spicechinodiva said:

Were forced to. It's no longer live. 

Do you not own a digital copy of the nonstop mix? What about a physical copy?

[KillersWhoArePartying]

3 hours ago, Roxxy said:

It's just cool to say you love Confessions because I do believe it is her coolest and hippest album. And that is why a lot of fake fans bring it up and rave about it all the time. It's easily the safest answer to give when talking about Madonna's albums. And that's how I clock a basic bich from the true tasteful fans. I don't pay much attention to people who say it is her best album. I mean, I respect their opinion but to me that is an indicator of being basic. That's just me. 

hahaha is Confessions being your favorite Madonna album something that makes you cool? I feel like if someone wanted to come off as cool or high brow they would say their favorite Madonna album is either Like A Prayer or Ray of Light.

when someone says their favorite Madonna album is Confessions I just think they're probably one of those people who only likes shallow electro dance music and would probably be better off stanning Kylie Minogue 

[KillersWhoArePartying]

Just now, Roxxy said:

Do you not own a digital copy of the nonstop mix? What about a physical copy?

 

3 minutes ago, Spicechinodiva said:

Were forced to. It's no longer live. 

I personally have the album on CD and used to listen to the non-stop version but now that my iTunes stopped working and I have to only use Apple Music I have to listen to the non stop version :/

but I just feel like the non-stop version kind of just exposes the fact that a lot of the songs on their own just aren't that good, without the gimmick of the album being played start to finish.

[Roxxy]

1 minute ago, HuffingAndPuffingOnStage said:

when someone says their favorite Madonna album is Confessions I just think they're probably one of those people who only likes shallow electro dance music and would probably be better off stanning Kylie Minogue

That's what I meant by "cool and hip" to say it's their favorite album. Cool and hip is different from "having taste". Which is why i attribute cool and hip to Confessions and taste for her other albums.