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The Immaculate Collection
The Immaculate Collection
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The Immaculate Collection
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedNovember 12, 1990
Recorded1983–1990
GenrePop
Length73:32
Label
Producer
Madonna chronology
I'm Breathless
(1990)
The Immaculate Collection
(1990)
Erotica
(1992)
Singles from The Immaculate Collection
  1. "Justify My Love"
    Released: November 6, 1990
  2. "Rescue Me"
    Released: February 25, 1991

The Immaculate Collection is the first greatest hits album by American singer Madonna, released on November 12, 1990, by Sire Records. It contains fifteen of her hit singles recorded throughout the 1980s, as well as two brand new tracks, "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me". All the previously released material were reworked through the QSound audio technology, becoming the first ever album to use it. Meanwhile, the new material saw Madonna working with Lenny Kravitz and Shep Pettibone. The album's title is a pun on the Immaculate Conception, a Marian dogma of the Catholic Church.

The release of the album was accompanied by a same-titled home video release, an EP titled The Holiday Collection, and a box set titled The Royal Box. "Justify My Love" was released as the lead single from the album, with a controversial music video featuring overtly sexual imagery. After being banned by MTV, the video was released on VHS and became the best-selling video single of all time. It also became Madonna's ninth number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second single, "Rescue Me", had the highest debut on the chart since the Beatles' "Let It Be" (1970) and peaked at number nine.

The Immaculate Collection received universal acclaim from critics, who deemed it a defining retrospective of 1980s music. The album reached number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, while topping the charts in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Finland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. It was certified 11× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), making it Madonna's second diamond-certified album in the United States. The Immaculate Collection has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling compilation album by a solo artist ever and one of the best-selling albums of all time. It has been featured on all-time critic lists by several publications, including Blender which named it the greatest American album of all time.

Background and development

[edit]
Lenny Kravitz onstage in a tank top, while placing his right hand on his chest
Lenny Kravitz co-wrote and produced "Justify My Love", one of two new songs recorded for The Immaculate Collection.

By the end of the 1980s, Madonna had become the biggest female singles artist in history, with the most number-one and top-ten hit songs by a woman in both the United States and the United Kingdom.[1][2] J. Randy Taraborrelli, author of Madonna: An Intimate Biography, noted that a Madonna's greatest hits album was ready by that point, serving as "a proud landmark" of her career which had progressed upwards since she entered the music scene in 1982.[3] Following the completion of the 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour, Madonna began preparing the project aimed to be released in time for the year's Christmas season.[4] On October 13, 1990, Billboard magazine confirmed that Madonna had been working on new material for the album with Shep Pettibone and Lenny Kravitz.[5]

The Immaculate Collection contains fifteen previously released Madonna singles in chronological order, from "Holiday" (1983) to "Vogue" (1990). All of them were reworked using QSound by Pettibone, alongside Goh Hotoda and Michael Hutchinson within a month and a half.[6] It became the first album to use QSound, which then was a new technology that gives recordings three-dimensional sound on standard stereo systems.[7] Tracks have been edited down from their original lengths to decrease the overall running time.[8] Minor alterations and additions have been applied to every track; for example, "Material Girl" has a new outro in place of the original fade-out. Pettibone also remixed "Into the Groove", "Like a Prayer", and "Express Yourself", featuring different music productions from their original album versions.[9] Pettibone later commented:

Well, actually some of the songs we changed up a bit, but most of the songs we kept in their original form. Like "Holiday", "Lucky Star", et cetera, et cetera, those were all the original productions. The remix was just really to create the QSound, and make the song kind of envelop you when you listened to it in a certain sweet spot in front of the speakers [...] That wasn't easy to do. But then again, that was one of those—you know, "Hurry up, this has to be out last week". That was a rush rush job.[9]

Two new songs, "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me", were included on the album in order to generate public interest.[10] "Justify My Love" is a trip hop song, featuring Madonna's spoken word vocals over a "grinding, sparse" hip hop groove.[11][12] It was first written as a love letter by Ingrid Chavez, who was having an affair with Kravitz at the time. He invited her over a studio to record the letter and later took a master copy of the song to Virgin Records after the end of their relationship.[13] Months later, Kravitz told Chavez that the song would be released by Madonna and he asked her to sign a document saying that Chavez would receive 12.5% publishing royalties, but no writing credit. She signed the paper, and was then invited to meet Madonna in the studio while they mixed the track.[13] However, Chavez later sued Kravitz in 1992 and reached an out-of-court settlement whereby she received a co-writing credit.[14] The second new song, "Rescue Me", is a dance-pop and gospel-house track written and produced by Madonna and Pettibone.[15] Lyrically, "Rescue Me" expresses the extinguishing of deranged behavior in a relationship and features spoken word verses, like on "Justify My Love".[16]

Packaging, release, and promotion

[edit]
One of vinyl pressings of The Immaculate Collection

The album was packaged in a gatefold sleeve which did not feature Madonna's image on the cover. Instead, a short haired, brunette Madonna was featured on the two inner sleeves along with lyrics for the two previously unreleased tracks.[8] Photographer Herb Ritts shot the booklet's black-and-white images, which previously appeared in the June 1990 issue of Interview magazine.[17] Madonna continued referencing Catholicism on The Immaculate Collection, dedicating the album to "The Pope, my divine inspiration" on its booklet. This led to many believing it was dedicated to Pope John Paul II, but it was actually dedicated to her brother, Christopher Ciccone, who had spent the year on tour with Madonna on the Blond Ambition World Tour and whose nickname is "The Pope".[18] The album's title is a pun on the Immaculate Conception, a conception of the Virgin Mary without the stain of original sin.[3] In The Everything Mary Book (2006), editors explained "the album's colors of blue and gold resonate with some of the colors used in the traditional images of Virgin Mary".[19] The album was originally titled Ultra Madonna, but the plan was changed as it was too similar to the name of Ultra Naté, a then-new artist in Warner Bros.[20] However, it was marketed in Japan with the title Ultra Madonna: Greatest Hits.[21]

The Immaculate Collection was released in the United Kingdom on November 12, 1990, and in the United States on November 13, 1990, by Sire Records.[22][23] A same-titled home video was also released, containing 13 music videos, including the live performance of "Vogue" at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards.[24] A box set titled The Royal Box was issued on December 4, 1990, containing the album, VHS, a poster, and postcards.[25][26] An extended play (EP) titled The Holiday Collection was also released in Europe with the same design as The Immaculate Collection. The full-length album version of "Holiday" was included on the EP, alongside three worldwide chart hits omitted from the album: "True Blue", "Who's That Girl", and "Causing a Commotion".[27] In 1993, a "limited edition" of The Immaculate Collection was released in Australia to commemorate Madonna's visit to the country with the Girlie Show tour.[28] A Dolby Atmos mix of The Immaculate Collection was released in May 2023 via Apple Music.[29]

"Justify My Love" was released as the album's lead single on November 6, 1990.[30] It became her ninth number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top ten in many other countries.[31][32] The black-and-white music video caused controversy for its sexually explicit imagery and was banned by MTV.[33] Due to this prohibition, the music video was commercially released as a video single, and become the highest-selling in this format of all time.[34] Liz Smith from Sarasota Herald-Tribune commented that the headlines and gossip would only hype more interest in the album.[35]

Prior to its release as a single, "Rescue Me" started receiving airplay on radio as an album cut.[36] It was released commercially on February 25, 1991.[37][38] "Rescue Me" entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number fifteen—thus becoming the highest-debuting single since the Beatles' "Let It Be" (1970)—and eventually peaked at number nine.[31] The single also reached number three on the European Hot 100 Singles chart.[39]

"Crazy for You" was re-released as a single in the UK, and later peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart.[40] "Holiday" was also re-released as a UK-only single on May 27, 1991, and peaked at number five on the chart.[40]

Critical reception

[edit]
Contemporaneous reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
North County Blade-CitizenStarStarHalf star[41]
Robert ChristgauA+[42]
SelectStarStarStarStarStar[43]
Retrospective reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
BlenderStarStarStarStarStar[44]
Entertainment WeeklyA[45]
QStarStarStarStarStar[46]
Music guides
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarStar[47]
Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStarStarStar[48]
MusicHound RockStarStarStarStarStar[49]
The Rolling Stone Album GuideStarStarStarStarStar[50]
Spin Alternative Record Guide8/10[51]
Tom Hull – on the WebA+[52]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties MusicStarStarStarStarStar[53]

The Immaculate Collection received universal acclaim from music critics.[54] AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the album "remains a necessary purchase, because it captures everything Madonna is about and it proves that she was one of the finest singles artists of the '80s." However, he felt that "while all the hits are present, they're simply not in their correct versions" due to the QSound remastering and significant changes in several songs.[47] Billboard commented that the album was "irresistible holiday buying fare", and praised the QSound process for adding "unheard detail and depth to the recordings".[55] David Browne from Entertainment Weekly opined that the album was "as relentless as the woman herself", and "refocuses our attention on how brilliant her records have been over the years—and gives us a peek into the obstacles she might face as her career enters the '90s."[56] Jim Farber of the same magazine stated: "More than a mere greatest-hits set, it's hands down the catchiest collection of '80s singles."[45] Peter Buckley, author of the book The Rough Guide to Rock, wrote that the album "stakes Madonna's claim to be the best singles act of the 80s."[57]

Rolling Stone called the album the "standard bearer for Madonna compilations", summing up the first stage of Madonna's career "flawlessly" with an addition of "worthy sensual" new tracks.[50] In a review for Music & Media, Pieter de Bruyn Kops complimented the album's new material as "brilliant" and said that "Madonna proves again she is the ruling Queen of Pop."[58] Danny Eccleston from Q magazine said the album's "ambitious title" was justified by "magnificent content: 17-track best of enhanced by the hard-faced sexiness of Lenny Kravitz-aided Justify My Love (and Rescue Me)."[46] Robert Christgau called it "the greatest album of [Madonna's] mortal life" featuring "seventeen hits, more than half of them indelible classics."[42] Writing for Stereogum, Tom Breihan commented the compilation "is even more impressive when you think about what didn't make it onto the album."[59] Ross Bennett from Mojo called the album "truly the best of best of's" and stated: "This has to be right up there with ABBA Gold as a collection of singles so deeply ingrained in the collective consciousness [...] But there is no denying the pop nous behind Ms Ciccone's first 15 years of hits, here brilliantly packaged in, gasp, chronological order."[60]

J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun considered it "no mere greatest hits" and commented, "Immaculate? Impeccable is more like it."[61] Lucy O'Brien in her book Madonna: Like an Icon deemed the album a "seamless marriage of high-octane pop and dance", as well as "the ultimate party record".[62] Select's Andrew Harrison wrote: "Given that she's had the good grace to leave out second-raters [...] it's hard to fault this wonderful collection. You might find better music this Christmas but you'll never hear better pop."[43] Kevork Djansezian of Tulsa World commented that "if the controversy, the outrage, the boycotts, and the sexual revolution it created don't spark your interest, at least you can have a great time dancing and lip-synching to its acclaimed and definitely catchy pop tracks."[63] Douglas Wolk from Pitchfork stated that the album is "the kind of perfect straight-into-orbit retrospective pop artists dream of achieving."[64]

Commercial performance

[edit]
The Immaculate Collection was the highest-charting greatest hits album on the Billboard 200 in a decade since Greatest Hits (1980) by Kenny Rogers.

The Immaculate Collection has sold over 30 million copies worldwide,[65][66] making it the best-selling compilation album ever by a solo artist and one of the world's best-selling albums of all time.[67][68] In Madonna's home country, the album entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 32 on the week of December 1, 1990.[69] It jumped to number two on January 26, 1991,[70] being blocked from the top spot for two weeks by Vanilla Ice's To the Extreme.[31] Nevertheless, it became the highest-charting greatest hits album in a decade since Kenny Rogers's Greatest Hits (1980).[71] After Billboard overturned the rule preventing older albums to chart on the Billboard 200 in November 2009,[72] The Immaculate Collection has made multiple re-entries on the chart, with the latest being its 148th week on September 10, 2016.[73] The album also spent 290 weeks on the Catalog Albums chart, with a peak of number six.[74] The Immaculate Collection became Madonna's second album, after Like a Virgin (1984), to receive diamond award from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and was later certified eleven-time platinum denoting 11 million album-equivalent units.[75] After the advent of the Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold over 5,992,000 copies as of 2016.[76] In early 2025, the album debuted and peaked at number eight on the Top Dance Albums chart, making it her sixth top ten entry and ninth overall. This makes Madonna the only artist to have one album from five and consecutive decades enter the top 10.[77][78]

In Canada, The Immaculate Collection topped the RPM albums chart for six consecutive weeks.[79] It earned seven-time platinum certification from the Music Canada (MC) for shipments of 700,000 copies.[80] It became one of the all-time best-selling albums in Latin American countries such as Mexico and Brazil, with sales of over 800,000 and 500,000 copies, respectively.[81][82] In Australia, the album debuted at number one on the albums chart, remaining at the top for five weeks and the top 50 for 95 weeks.[83] It received fourteen-time platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and has sold over 980,000 copies as of July 2025,[84] making it one of the best-selling albums in Australia. In Japan, The Immaculate Collection charted for 26 weeks on the Oricon Albums Chart, with a peak of number five.[21] The Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) certified it quadruple platinum for shipment of 800,000 copies.[85]

The Immaculate Collection debuted atop the UK Albums Chart on November 24, 1990. Madonna became the first female artist to achieve four number-one albums and the first female to have a Christmas number-one album in the United Kingdom.[86] Occupying the top position for nine weeks, the album broke the record for the longest consecutive weeks at number one by a female artist, a feat that would not be matched for 20 years until the release of Adele's album 21 (2011).[87][88] It became the seventh best-selling album of the decade with 2.5 million copies.[89] The Immaculate Collection was certified thirteen-time platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).[90] It remains the best-selling solo compilation album in British music history, with sales of 3.77 million as of June 2019.[91] In France, the album reached number four on the chart and was certified diamond by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP).[92] The sales of the album stand at 1.1 million copies there.[93] The Immaculate Collection peaked at number 10 in Germany and was certified triple gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI), denoting 750,000 units shipped.[94][95] Across Europe, the album reached number one in Finland and Ireland, while peaking at number three on the pancontinental European Top 100 Albums chart.[96]

Legacy

[edit]

Nick C Levine from Dazed magazine stated that The Immaculate Collection cemented Madonna's iconic status and "distilled her early career into one era-defining pop single after another."[97] According to Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic, the album "captured the time when Madonna was the defining figure of American pop culture."[98] Mike Wass from Idolator described the album as "a time capsule of the 1980s... [showing] the Queen of Pop's progression from bubblegum-pop diva to the risk-taking, rule-breaking icon she went on to become in the 1990s."[99] James Rose from Daily Review retrospectively described The Immaculate Collection as "a story of women and pop music in the decade leading to 1990... pop music history, in itself a living timeline of an era."[100] Writing for The Guardian, Lucy O'Brien recommended The Immaculate Collection for listeners who want to discover Madonna's back catalog since her 1980s hits "are brilliantly captured" on the album.[101]

The album has been featured on a number of all-time lists by music critics. The New York Times dubbed The Immaculate Collection as one of the definitive album releases of the century.[54] Rockdelux also named it one of the greatest albums of the 20th century.[102] In 2003, the album was ranked number 278 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[103] The latest update of the Rolling Stone list was published in September 2020, showing the album rising to number 138.[104] Blender magazine placed the album at number one on their "100 Greatest American Albums of All Time" list, explaining:[105]

Just as Bob Dylan's insurgent braininess embodied the boundary-stretching '60s, Madonna epitomized the '80s, from the coy consumerism of "Material Girl" to the stylish hedonism of "Vogue". She was a change-agent of Hollywood-blockbuster proportions, embodying womanhood's power while simultaneously upending musty notions of femininity... And, since this is above all expertly built, wonderfully sung music, the songcraft lets listeners ignore all of the above and just dance. [E]ach listen shows that Madonna's unerring musical instincts—let's go ahead and call it genius—were as formidable as her more famous ambition.

Other retrospective assessments specifically praised the album as a greatest hits collection. Drew Mackie of People, called the album "the best-named greatest hits compilation ever" and "easily one of the best greatest hits albums ever."[106] In 2022, it was included in the Rolling Stone Italia list of the 10 greatest hits albums that "made history".[107] NME ranked it as the second-best greatest hits album of all time, claiming that "In her pomp, Madonna was the best pop star of her time."[108] Selena Dieringer from Houston Press listed The Immaculate Collection among the "ten really fantastic Greatest Hits albums".[109] Classic Pop named it the best compilation album of all time.[110] The Daily Telegraph ranked it as Madonna's best album, calling it "a phenomenal collection".[111] It was also included in Out's The 100 Greatest, Gayest Albums of All Time, addressing the influence of records for the gay community, with staff calling it "the definitive document of her stratospherically successful first decade".[112] Queerty editors selected The Immaculate Collection among 20 most important albums to shape LGBTQ culture, calling it "a must for any gold star gay's record collection."[113]

The Immaculate Collection also influenced the development of subsequent Madonna greatest hits albums. GHV2 (2001), an abbreviation of Greatest Hits Volume 2, was marketed as a follow-up to The Immaculate Collection, comprising Madonna's hits from 1992 to 2001.[114] The two-disc edition of Celebration (2009) includes every track from The Immaculate Collection, except "Rescue Me".[115]

Track listing

[edit]
The Immaculate Collection track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Holiday"Madonna (1983)4:06
2."Lucky Star[b]"MadonnaMadonna3:38
3."Borderline[b]"Reggie LucasMadonna4:00
4."Like a Virgin"Like a Virgin (1984)3:11
5."Material Girl"
Like a Virgin3:53
6."Crazy for You"Vision Quest (1985)3:46
7."Into the Groove"Like a Virgin (1985 reissue)4:10
8."Live to Tell"True Blue (1986)5:19
9."Papa Don't Preach"
  • Brian Elliot
  • Madonna[a]
True Blue4:09
10."Open Your Heart"
True Blue3:51
11."La Isla Bonita"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
  • Bruce Gaitsch
True Blue3:48
12."Like a Prayer"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
Like a Prayer (1989)5:52
13."Express Yourself"
  • Madonna
  • Bray
Like a Prayer4:04
14."Cherish"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
Like a Prayer3:53
15."Vogue"I'm Breathless (1990)5:19
16."Justify My Love"Previously unreleased5:01
17."Rescue Me"
  • Madonna
  • Pettibone
Previously unreleased5:32
Total length:73:32

Notes

  • ^a signifies additional lyrics by
  • ^b Digital and Dolby Atmos releases of the album use the "New Mix" version of "Lucky Star" (7:15), and the album version of "Borderline" (5:17).[116]

Personnel

[edit]

Personnel credits adapted from the liner notes of The Immaculate Collection.[8]

  • Madonna – vocals, background vocals
  • Lenny Kravitz – background vocals
  • Dian Sorel – background vocals
  • Catherine Russell – background vocals
  • Lillias White – background vocals
  • Henry Hirsch – recording
  • David Domanich – recording
  • Andy Cardenas – recording
  • Josh Cuervokas – recording
  • P. Dennis Mitchell – recording engineer
  • Curt Frasca – assistant engineer
  • Lolly Grodner – assistant engineer
  • John Partham – assistant engineer
  • Peter Schwartz – keyboards, programming
  • Joe Moskowitz – additional programming
  • Rob Mounsey – arranger
  • Shep Pettibone – mixing, album coordinator
  • Goh Hotoda – mixing
  • Michael Hutchinson – mixing
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Jane Brinton – album coordinator
  • Freddy DeMann – management
  • Herb Ritts – photography
  • Jeri Heiden – art direction, design
  • John Heiden – design
  • Andre Guedes – digital booklet
  • Gene Sculatti – liner notes
  • Mike Dean – mixing (2023 Dolby Atmos mix)[29]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Certifications and sales of The Immaculate Collection
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[181] 6× Platinum 360,000^
Australia (ARIA)[182] 14× Platinum 980,000
Austria (IFPI Austria)[183] Platinum 50,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[82] 2× Platinum 500,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[80] 7× Platinum 700,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[143] Platinum 80,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[184] Platinum 92,500[184]
France (SNEP)[92] Diamond 1,100,000[a]
Germany (BVMI)[95] 3× Gold 750,000^
Hong Kong 20,000[b]
Israel 50,000[c]
Italy (FIMI)[188] 5× Platinum 500,000[d]
Japan (RIAJ)[85] 4× Platinum 800,000^
Mexico 800,000[e]
Netherlands (NVPI)[189] 3× Platinum 300,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[190] 7× Platinum 105,000^
Singapore 103,000[f]
South Africa (RISA)[192] Platinum 50,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[193] 3× Platinum 300,000^
Sweden (GLF)[194] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[195] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[90] 13× Platinum 3,900,000
United States (RIAA)[75] 11× Platinum 11,000,000
Summaries
Worldwide 30,000,000[65]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
The Immaculate Collection is the first by American singer , released on November 13, 1990, by . It features newly remixed versions of fifteen of her top-ten singles spanning 1983 to 1990, produced primarily by , along with two new recordings: "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me." The album's tracklist, presented in chronological order, includes iconic hits such as "," "Like a Virgin," "," "," "Like a Prayer," and "Vogue," highlighting Madonna's transformation from a newcomer to a global during the . Commercially, The Immaculate Collection achieved extraordinary success, peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 chart and remaining on the chart for 141 weeks. It has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling s of all time and the highest-selling greatest hits compilation by a solo artist. In the alone, it was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2001 and later 12× Platinum for shipments exceeding 12 million units, underscoring its enduring popularity. The lead single "" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Rescue Me" peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the UK Singles Chart, further boosting the 's momentum. Critically, the album received widespread acclaim for its cohesive curation and the fresh remixes that enhanced the originals without overshadowing them. Reviewers praised how it encapsulated 's artistic evolution, from upbeat dance tracks to more introspective ballads, solidifying her status as a cultural force. The packaging, featuring a black-and-white portrait of by photographer , and the accompanying compilation of music videos, further amplified its impact, blending music with visual artistry. In terms of legacy, The Immaculate Collection remains a benchmark for greatest hits compilations, influencing subsequent releases in the pop and affirming Madonna's role in shaping and early music. Its remixes, particularly Pettibone's contributions, set a standard for updating classic material while preserving their essence, and the continues to chart periodically, as seen in its recent resurgence on charts.

Background and development

Conception and track selection

Following the success of her 1989 album Like a Prayer and its accompanying world tour, Madonna and initiated plans for a greatest hits compilation to mark the culmination of her 1980s output. This project aligned with Madonna's shift toward film endeavors, particularly her starring role in the 1990 movie , while laying groundwork for her subsequent studio work. The album served as a career , capturing her transformation from infectious anthems to more provocative and thematic explorations of identity, sexuality, and social issues. Track selection centered on fifteen singles that achieved significant commercial success on the Billboard Hot 100, spanning her self-titled debut in 1983 through Like a Prayer. Key inclusions like "Holiday" (No. 16 peak, 1984), "Like a Virgin" (No. 1, 1984), "Material Girl" (No. 2, 1985), "Papa Don't Preach" (No. 1, 1986), and "Like a Prayer" (No. 1, 1989) were chosen to reflect her artistic progression and cultural impact, emphasizing high-charting releases over lesser singles. The 1990 single "Vogue" (No. 1) was incorporated as a pivotal closer, bridging her earlier hits to emerging house-influenced sounds. To augment the retrospective, two unreleased tracks—"Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me"—were composed and included, providing fresh material amid the established catalog. The curation process prioritized thematic coherence and runtime efficiency for a single-disc format, resulting in a finalized tracklist by summer 1990 ahead of the November release.

Production and remixing

The production of The Immaculate Collection centered on remixing fifteen of Madonna's earlier hit singles in collaboration with longtime producer , who employed spatial audio technology to improve stereo imaging and create a sense of depth, resulting in a three-dimensional listening experience playable on conventional stereo equipment. To refresh her catalog for the , the album incorporated two newly recorded tracks in 1990. "," written by and with additional lyrics by , and produced by , was recorded at Waterfront Studios in and Unique Recording Studios in New York; the track originated from lyrics provided by , a protégé of Prince, which she shared with Kravitz, and adapted them, resulting in a settlement for Chavez's writing credit. It drew on trip-hop influences through its layered, atmospheric beats and minimalistic groove. "Rescue Me," written and produced by and , integrated elements with its pulsating basslines and energetic synth-driven rhythm. The remixing process occurred over several months in New York, with Pettibone coordinating alongside engineers Goh Hotoda and Michael Hutchinson to apply across the fifteen reworked tracks, optimizing the immersive "3D" effect especially for and cassette playback. A key challenge was maintaining the essence of the originals while updating them for contemporary audiences, such as selectively adding synthesizers to enhance texture and cohesion without overhauling fundamental arrangements.

Packaging and formats

Artwork and design

The cover artwork for The Immaculate Collection was designed by Jeri Heiden, who handled art direction, and John Heiden, with photography by . The cover features a minimalist with the album title and artist name against a plain black background, eschewing a direct image of the artist to emphasize mystery and symbolism. This minimalist approach contrasted with the more explicit imagery of her previous releases, allowing the focus to remain on her musical legacy. The interior includes black-and-white profile photographs of by . The album's title serves as a playful pun on the , the Catholic doctrine of the Virgin Mary's sinless conception, tying into Madonna's recurring exploration of religious motifs, as seen in her 1989 album Like a and its controversial video. Released in a sleeve for both LP and CD formats, the packaging eschewed traditional to prioritize the music itself, with the interior presenting a montage of photographic inserts depicting Madonna's evolving personas from 1983 to 1990, underscoring her career progression. A dedication to "The , my divine inspiration"—likely a nod to her brother Christopher Ciccone's nickname—appears as the sole textual element, reinforcing the thematic blend of irreverence and spirituality. The limited-edition box set, titled The Royal Box, bundled the album with its companion video compilation and incorporated a 14-page booklet containing additional photos, credits, and lyrics, offering fans a visual timeline of Madonna's early career highlights.

Release editions

The Immaculate Collection was first released on November 13, 1990, by Sire and Warner Bros. Records in multiple physical formats, including compact disc (CD), double vinyl LP, and cassette tape. All formats incorporated QSound technology for the remixed tracks, marking the first Madonna album to apply this spatial audio processing across its entire release. The standard edition featured 17 tracks, comprising 15 remixed hits from 1983 to 1990 and two new songs, "Rescue Me" and "Justify My Love." A limited holiday edition known as The Royal Box followed on December 11, 1990, bundling the or cassette version of the with the accompanying video compilation, a set of postcards, and a folded poster. The saw a reissue in 1995, maintaining the original tracklist and mixes. In 2009, a digital reissue became available, coinciding with the release of Madonna's Celebration greatest hits compilation, which drew heavily from its track selection. International releases primarily mirrored the standard U.S. edition, with variations limited to regional packaging and labeling; for instance, some European markets offered enhanced booklets or bundled promotional items, but no significant alternate tracklists were produced. In May 2023, a new spatial audio mix of the album premiered exclusively on and other streaming platforms, providing an immersive listening experience for the remixed tracks.

Promotion and media

Marketing campaigns

The release of The Immaculate Collection on November 13, 1990, was strategically timed to coincide with the holiday shopping season, capitalizing on the momentum from Madonna's recently concluded , which ended in August 1990 after 57 shows across , , and . This positioning framed the album as a celebratory capstone to her output, with Warner Bros. Records emphasizing its role as a comprehensive through print advertisements and broadcast spots that highlighted key hits like "" and "Vogue." The campaign included special gift bundles, such as the U.S.-exclusive "Royal Box" set released on December 11, 1990, which packaged the album with its companion VHS video compilation, postcards, and a poster to appeal to collectors during the rush. Marketing efforts further leveraged Madonna's concurrent film role in (released June 15, 1990), cross-promoting the soundtrack album alongside The Immaculate Collection in joint ads that underscored her multimedia dominance and 1980s nostalgia. Print media played a key role, with features in outlets like praising the album as a "definitive collection of Madonna's greatest hits," blending timeless pop, provocative anthems, and dance tracks to reinforce its status as an essential overview of her career to date. Into 1991, promotional activities extended to international appearances and performances incorporating album tracks, such as live renditions during European media events and TV spots, to sustain global buzz without a full-scale tour.

Singles and videos

The lead single from The Immaculate Collection, "", was released on November 6, 1990, and topped the chart for two weeks. Written by with and André Betts, the track blended and elements. The second new single, "Rescue Me", was released on February 25, 1991, as a dance-pop and gospel-house track. Co-written and produced by and , it peaked at number nine on the and number three on the UK Singles Chart. It incorporated and influences in its remixes, which were promoted through radio play but without an official . Although "Vogue" from the 1990 album was included on The Immaculate Collection, it was not re-released as a single, and no new videos were produced for previously released tracks. The music video for "Justify My Love", directed by , adopted a low-budget, black-and-white aesthetic inspired by 1970s New York nightlife and films like . Filmed in a single day, it featured and a diverse cast engaging in intimate, surreal scenes involving , same-sex kissing, and S&M imagery, which sparked significant . banned the video from rotation on December 3, 1990, citing its explicit content as unsuitable for broadcast, marking only the second such ban in the network's history after 's "Like a " in 1989. In response to the ban, released the "" video as the first-ever single on December 7, 1990, priced at $9.98, bypassing traditional outlets. This innovative format sold over 400,000 copies in the , earning an RIAA 4x certification for video singles, and contributed to the single's overall success, with the audio version certified for 500,000 units shipped. The releases of "" and "Rescue Me" significantly boosted The Immaculate Collection's visibility and sales momentum.

Video compilation release

The video compilation accompanying The Immaculate Collection was released on November 13, 1990, by in VHS and formats. It served as a visual retrospective, featuring 12 music videos that aligned with the album's track selection, including prominent entries like "Like a Prayer" directed by Mary Lambert and "Vogue" directed by . Other videos were helmed by a range of directors, such as James Foley for "" and for "Open Your Heart," showcasing Madonna's evolution through the . The production compiled existing footage from Madonna's prior releases without introducing any new material, resulting in an approximately 60-minute program that highlighted her most iconic visual works up to that point. This approach allowed for a cohesive of her career highlights, emphasizing her role in pioneering artistry during the era. Commercially, the release topped the Top Music Videos chart and received significant exposure through heavy rotation of its videos on , which amplified Madonna's visibility amid the album's promotional push. It was certified triple by the RIAA on September 20, 1994, for shipments exceeding 300,000 units in the United States, reflecting strong demand. Earlier, it achieved double status in 1991 for 200,000 units sold. A distinctive feature was its availability as part of the "Royal Box" set, which bundled the video with the audio album, a poster, and postcards, enhancing collectibility. In the pre-DVD era, this compilation filled a key gap in Madonna's catalog by consolidating her essential videos into a single, accessible package for fans seeking a comprehensive overview of her visual legacy.

Critical reception

Contemporary reviews

Upon its release in November 1990, The Immaculate Collection received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised its curation of 's hits as a definitive of her career to that point. Entertainment Weekly's David Browne gave it an A- rating, highlighting how the refocused attention on 's musical strengths amid her evolving image, noting that "the range of Madonna’s music-making becomes breathtakingly evident" through tracks spanning dance anthems to introspective ballads. Critics also lauded the album's sequencing and production, with of assigning it his highest A+ grade, a showcase of her reinvention featuring "seventeen hits, more than half of them indelible classics" like "" (ebullient) and "Like a Prayer" (transcendent). While predominantly positive, some reviews offered mixed assessments, particularly regarding the remixing and new tracks. Browne in acknowledged Shep Pettibone's subtle updates to older songs but critiqued the additions "Rescue Me" and "" for failing to "break new ground," viewing them as derivative of prior hits like "Vogue." The reception occurred against the backdrop of Madonna's ongoing controversies, including backlash from her Blond Ambition World Tour and the sexually provocative themes in her recent work like I'm Breathless, which influenced some reviewers to frame the collection as a welcome return to her pop essence rather than her boundary-pushing persona.

Retrospective assessments

In the years following its release, The Immaculate Collection has been reevaluated as a cornerstone of pop music, often praised for encapsulating Madonna's transformative presence in the 1980s. Blender magazine ranked it the number one greatest American album of all time in 2003, highlighting its role as an unparalleled synthesis of her early hits and cultural provocations. Similarly, AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded it five out of five stars, describing it as "the definitive Madonna album" that captures her at her peak with timeless pop anthems like "Holiday" and bold statements such as "Like a Virgin." Modern assessments continue to affirm its enduring appeal while noting contextual shifts. placed it at number 138 on its 2020 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, commending it as "a perfect Madonna CD: nothing but good songs," blending infectious dance tracks with provocative narratives and new additions like "Justify My Love." analyses emphasize how the compilation traces 's image from club provocateur to global icon, with tracks like "" and "Vogue" illustrating her command of sexuality, , and reinvention across the decade. However, some critiques point to its production as feeling dated in the streaming era, where the mid-1980s synth-heavy sound and remixes—once innovative—now evoke nostalgia rather than immediacy, reducing its necessity as a standalone amid on-demand access to originals. In a 2000 review of Madonna's album Music, Robert Christgau referred to The Immaculate Collection as "the greatest album of her mortal life." Comparisons to later compilations underscore its strengths in cohesion. Pitchfork's 2009 review of Celebration noted that while the newer set offers broader scope, it is "a less consistent listen than Immaculate," whose remixes provide a unified polish across Madonna's early catalog. The accompanying video compilation, initially released on VHS and lauded as a definitive visual retrospective of her first seven years, holds a nostalgic legacy in the digital age; its sequential narrative of Madonna's aesthetic shifts from Like a Virgin to Vogue remains influential, though the analog format has transitioned to DVD and streaming, preserving its status as a pop video milestone.

Commercial performance

Chart performance

Upon its release, The Immaculate Collection debuted at number 32 on the US chart dated December 1, 1990. It climbed to a peak position of number 2, which it held for two weeks beginning January 26, 1991, marking Madonna's seventh top-10 album on the chart. The album maintained a presence on the for an initial run of 141 weeks. In the , The Immaculate Collection debuted at number 1 on the on November 24, 1990, where it remained at the summit for nine consecutive weeks—Madonna's longest chart-topping run in that territory at the time. The compilation topped the albums charts in several international markets, including , , , , , and . The album's lead single, "Justify My Love," reached number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in early 1991. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. Follow-up single "Rescue Me" entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 15—then the highest debut by a female artist—before peaking at number 9. In the UK, it reached number 3 on the Singles Chart. The track "Vogue," originally a number 1 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1990, experienced renewed chart activity upon inclusion in the compilation. The Immaculate Collection ranked number 8 on the year-end chart for 1991. As of the chart dated November 15, 2025, the album charted at number 15 on the US Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart, having peaked at number 8 with 44 total weeks charted, driven by sustained streaming activity.

Sales and certifications

The Immaculate Collection has sold over 30 million copies worldwide as of 2025, making it one of the best-selling compilation albums by a solo artist. In the United States, the album achieved 11 million certified units, reflecting both physical shipments and streaming equivalents, with the (RIAA) awarding 11× platinum certification on May 5, 2023—an upgrade from its (10× ) status in 2001. This update incorporated post-2010 digital sales and streaming activity, which contributed an additional million units to the total. The album reached 10 million units in the alone by late , underscoring its rapid initial commercial success following its release. Upon launch, it set a milestone as the fastest-selling greatest hits compilation by a female artist, with first-week sales of 330,000 copies in the .
CountryCertificationCertified units/salesDateSource
14× Platinum980,0002025ARIA
7× Platinum700,0002003Music Canada
Diamond500,000September 27, 2005SNEP
13× Platinum3,900,000August 12, 2022BPI
11× Platinum11,000,000May 5, 2023RIAA

Legacy and influence

Cultural and musical impact

The Immaculate Collection played a pivotal role in standardizing the greatest hits format for pop artists, elevating it from a mere to a dynamic showcase of remixed tracks that refreshed older material for contemporary audiences. By incorporating state-of-the-art remixes, particularly those by , the album blended with emerging and elements, influencing the production style of subsequent pop compilations. Culturally, the album reinforced Madonna's image as a provocateur, bridging her earlier boundary-pushing work with the more explicit explorations of her 1992 projects like , while solidifying her status as a who challenged norms around sexuality and identity. The inclusion of "Vogue" was instrumental in bringing ballroom culture—a vibrant expression of and Latino LGBTQ+ communities—from underground scenes into the mainstream, introducing voguing dances and aesthetics to global audiences through its video and chart success. While it popularized voguing, the song faced criticism for cultural appropriation from elements of the ballroom community. In the digital era, the album experienced a streaming revival after 2010, amassing over 2.5 billion plays on as of November 2025, driven by renewed interest in Madonna's catalog among younger listeners via platforms and . The QSound mixing technology, originally designed to create immersive 3D audio effects, has translated variably to modern streaming and spatial audio formats like , preserving much of its spatial depth while adapting to headphone and home theater playback. Compared to Madonna's later (2001), The Immaculate Collection is often regarded as superior in cohesion, with its remixes providing a unified sonic narrative that ties together her output more seamlessly than GHV2's broader span across stylistic shifts. This approach positioned it as a precursor to more inclusive pop retrospectives that emphasize artistic over chronological listing.

Reissues, remasters, and rankings

In 2018, Warner Bros. Records reissued The Immaculate Collection on vinyl for the first time since its original 1990 pressing, featuring the album's remixed tracks in a double-LP format. A significant update came in 2023 with a new spatial audio mix, available exclusively on , which enhances the album's original technology to create an immersive, three-dimensional listening experience. Award-winning producer Mike Dean supervised the remixing process, aiming to envelop listeners in a "dome of sound" while maintaining the production's and era-specific clarity without excessive modern polishing. This version preserves the 1990s pop sheen of tracks like "Vogue" and "Like a Prayer," allowing subtle spatial elements—such as background vocals and percussion—to emerge more vividly. The album has also received notable acclaim in retrospective rankings. In Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, The Immaculate Collection ranked at number 278, recognizing its role as a definitive pop compilation. It climbed significantly in the magazine's update, placing at number 138, praised for encapsulating Madonna's transformative output. Compared to Madonna's 2009 compilation Celebration, which spans her career through the and includes nearly all tracks from The Immaculate Collection except "Rescue Me," the earlier album remains more era-specific, focusing tightly on her breakthrough hits from 1983 to 1990.

Album content

Track listing

The standard edition of The Immaculate Collection comprises 17 tracks: remixed versions of Madonna's 15 biggest singles spanning her first six studio albums, plus the two new singles "" and "Rescue Me." The remixes for tracks 1–15 were overseen by with assistance from Goh Hotoda and Michael Hutchinson, utilizing technology to create a three-dimensional audio effect. Durations listed are for the format, with a total runtime of 73:22.
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1"Holiday"Curtis Hudson, Lisa StevensJohn "Jellybean" Benitez4:05
2"Lucky Star"3:37
3"Borderline"4:00
4"Like a Virgin"Tom Kelly, 3:11
5"Material Girl"Peter Brown, Robert Rans3:53
6"Crazy for You"John Bettis, John "Jellybean" Benitez3:45
7"Into the Groove", , 4:09
8"Live to Tell", , 5:18
9"Papa Don't Preach"Brian Elliot, 4:09
10"Open Your Heart", Gardner Cole, Peter Rafelson, 3:51
11"La Isla Bonita", , , 3:47
12"Like a Prayer", , 5:51
13"Express Yourself", , 4:04
14"Cherish", , 3:52
15"Vogue", , 5:18
16"Justify My Love", , Lenny Kravitz, André Betts5:00
17"Rescue Me", , 5:32

Personnel

Madonna provided lead vocals on all tracks and served as for the compilation. was responsible for remixing the previously released tracks using technology, assisted by engineers Goh Hotoda and Michael Hutchinson; he also contributed programming and synthesizers on the new tracks, co-produced "Rescue Me" with , and handled mixing duties across the album. Lenny Kravitz produced "Justify My Love" with associate producer André Betts, performing bass and guitar parts while also providing backing vocals. Madonna contributed additional lyrics. The track was recorded by Andy Proctor and mixed by Goh Hotoda and . For "Rescue Me," produced by and with additional programming by Peter Schwartz and Joey Moskowitz, recording was handled by with assistant engineers Curt Frasca and John Partham; backing vocals were contributed by Catherine Russell, Dian Sorel, and . The remixed tracks drew from original production teams, including Nile Rodgers for "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl," John "Jellybean" Benitez for "Holiday" and "Crazy for You," Reggie Lucas for "Borderline" and "Lucky Star," Stephen Bray for "Into the Groove," "Papa Don't Preach," and "Express Yourself," and Patrick Leonard for "Live to Tell," "Open Your Heart," "La Isla Bonita," "Like a Prayer," and "Cherish." Pettibone added production to select remixes such as "Into the Groove," "Like a Prayer," and "Express Yourself." Album coordination was overseen by Jane Brinton and . Art direction and design were by Jeri Heiden, with additional design by John Heiden. No additional guest vocalists appear beyond those on the original recordings and the new tracks.

References

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