Madonna was the single most influential artist of the 1980s by the time the 1990s rolled around, she was the biggest solo artist in the world and the most controversial. By 1994, Madonna wanted to get serious and released the acclaimed record
Bedtime Stories, to prove that she wasn't just the queen of pop but could branch out into the alternative and slower tempo ranges to prove that she wasn't just someone who could release radio singles but make serious art. Linking up with producers
Dallas Austin, Babyface, Dave "Jam" Hall, and
Nellee Hooper, as well as songwriters
Bjork, Meshell Ndegeocello, and
Massive Attack, Madonna put out the intimate Bedtime Stories. She took influences from Bjork, Massive Attack, Portishead, and the trip-hop sound that was dominating London underground at the time and helped thrust it to the mainstream. The album produced four massive singles -- "Secret," "Take a Bow,""Secret," and "Bedtime Stories" and later went 3X platinum in America. As Madonna's musical cannon goes, it is the most intimate she has ever been and most inviting. There is something for everyone on this record and now, 24 years later, it still sounds as fresh today as it did then.
