Hit Parade: The Veronica Electronica Edition
In 1998, Madonna was at a career crossroads. After dominating the \u201980s with hits like \u201cLike a Virgin\u201d and \u201cOpen Your Heart,\u201d she spent the first half of the \u201990s wavering between roles as a provocateur (Erotica, Sex) and adult-contemporary balladeer (\u201cI\u2019ll Remember,\u201d \u201cTake a Bow\u201d). That\u2019s when she took a sharp left turn, working with producers and deejays in the burgeoning electronica scene. If it even was a scene: The very term \u201celectronica\u201d was a music-business confection, and by 1997 it was more hype than hit. But the result of Madonna\u2019s experiment\u2014her acclaimed \u201998 album Ray of Light\u2014was not only one of her biggest smashes ever. It also helped turn electronic music into viable pop. Email: hitparade@slate.com\xa0 \xa0\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices