My parents had a Madonna tape they would play in the car often as a kid and I loved it for whatever reason, and to this day I still kind of dig those songs. Funny cause in another thread I mentioned how my parents also loved the Beatles and yet that never clicked for me, but Madonna did
Some of her hits from the 80's are a bit too bubblegum pop for me, but she actually has quite a few good songs from this century. Confessions on a Dance Floor had a handful of really good songs, and her last album, Rebel Heart, had a few really good songs (the title track, Joan of Arc, Ghosttown). On the flip side, she did that Bitch I'm Madonna song that is one of the worst things I've ever heard.
I get Prince and have no doubt about his talent, but I struggle to connect with his music. I try - I have the 3-CD greatest hits, the "black" album, and Diamonds And Pearls (and have heard Purple Rain too many times to count) - but I can't name a song by him that I just put on because it's "awesome". Everything by him is highly regarded only because of a clinical admiration for his talent.
I mostly agree. I do think Purple Rain is outstanding from start to finish, and he has a few other songs I dig, but a lot of what else I have heard I simply do not connect with. His early album Dirty Mind, which is highly-regarded, I finally checked it out recently, and it was okay, but I can't imagine going out of my way to hear it again. It's not bad, and I see the appeal for others, but it's not for me. Same with Sign o' the Times, which many ejaculate over, but aside from the title track, U Got the Look and a couple other tunes, it is a hard pass for me.