Madonna - Ray of Light

Finally we have come to the last of the 5 greatest solo artists of all time and, holy shit I can't believe it, it's Madonna. Say what you want about her but Madonna is HUGE. She has been at the forefront of the pop culture world since her debut in the early 1980's. Her millions of fans across the globe pay big bucks to see her when she sells out large stadiums and arenas worldwide (and often with multiple shows in major cities). She has changed her sound, image, and tabloid-ready relationships more times than anyone thought possible. She has also stared controversy in the face (sex, religion, violence) and come out basically unscathed, usually with more fans and record sales. Regardless of what you may think of her I can almost guarantee that she has at least one song that you like and can dance to!

Madonna is the ONLY pop star to remain at the top of the game for over 3 decades. For every massive pop artist (Bieber, Backstreet Boys, Britney, Timberlake) there is always a time when they fade away (or will) and become relegated to the nostalgia circuit. But not Madonna. She is still pumping out hit albums and singles and many of her moves are watched very closely by the media and therefore all of us. I'm basically saying that she was massively popular, still is very popular and will continue to be for as long as she can still sing and get up on stage. I dare you to find another solo artist that could replace her in this #5 slot.

"Ray of Light" is a great late 90's pop/rock song. Its fast pace and electronic backdrop makes it a great song to go crazy and dance to. The video echoes those same feelings with great sped up shots of everyday life.

Madonna - Like A Prayer

I wouldn't go so far as to say that I am a Madonna fan but I do like a solid number of her songs and highly respect her as an artist. Unfortunately I do not know her well enough to be able to choose a lesser known track. So here's my other favourite, "Like A Prayer". This song has a legendary and controversial music video that completely stunned and horrified the Catholic Church upon its release. Burning crosses and a black Jesus!?!? This song is also very epic live (basically any charity type concert: Live Aid, Live 8, Live Earth etc.) and always brings down the house.

Here's a quick recap of the top 5 greatest solo artists of all time:

1.) Elvis Presley

2.) Bob Dylan

3.) Bob Marley

4.) Michael Jackson

5.) Madonna

I personally don't see how you could replace any of these 5 with someone else and the only change would possibly be switching the order of Marley and Jackson. I am curious as to what you think though... did I miss any? Am I insane? Next week I'll go through some honourable mentions too.