In 2000, Madonna earned her twelfth Hot 100 No. 1 with “Music,” a forward-thinking track that blended genres and kept her competitive with a new generation. STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – NOVEMBER 16: Pop superstar Madonna attends the MTV European Music Awards at the Globen Centre in Stockholm, Sweden on November 16, 2000. The singer won awards for Best Female and Dance Act. (Photo by Jon Furniss/Getty Images)
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Fans are eagerly awaiting any new project from Madonna, and she reportedly has several in the works. The singer has been teasing a sequel to her album Confessions on a Dance Floor — for the moment titled Confessions Two — which she has reportedly played for a few famous friends. A biopic about her life (or limited series) is also in the works, though it has gone through multiple iterations, and there’s no release date yet.
It has been some time since Madonna released entirely new music, but she has delivered so many smash singles and bestselling albums throughout her years as a powerhouse that there’s always a milestone to celebrate. This week marks a quarter century since one of her most innovative and interesting No. 1s in America.
“Music” Hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 2000
On the Hot 100 dated September 16, 2000, Madonna’s song “Music” climbed to No. 1. The track became the pop singer’s twelfth leader on the list of the most-consumed songs in the United States, and further established her as one of the most successful musicians of all time when it came to rising to the top spot on the competitive tally.
Lead Single From Music
“Music” was released only about a month before it danced its way to No. 1 on the Hot 100. The track served as the lead single from her album of the same name and marked her first new era since the hugely successful Ray of Light, which completely changed the direction of her career in 1998. Expectations were high in both commercial and creative terms, and Madonna delivered with a blend of pop, electronic, and country-western influences the world hadn’t heard before.
“Music” Replaced Janet Jackson at No. 1
“Music” replaced Janet Jackson’s “Doesn’t Really Matter” atop the Hot 100. Jackson’s cut ruled for three frames, while “Music” held on for four. Another female superstar, Christina Aguilera, then took over when “Music” stepped aside. Her early-career smash “Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)” commanded the ranking for another month before relenting to another new tune.
Madonna’s Reinvention Amid a New Generation of Pop Stars
When “Music” arrived, pop was changing. A new cadre of young superstars and bands — Aguilera, Britney Spears, and *NSYNC among them — were taking over the charts. Madonna had already been one of the most famous and successful names in pop for decades, and in that era, there was often an expiration date on a pop career.
She changed that, first with Ray of Light, and again with Music, and she would continue to do so with subsequent releases. Competing with those then-current stars required reinvention, and “Music” proved she remained one of pop’s most intelligent, forward-thinking artists, unafraid to take chances and explore sounds her contemporaries weren’t even approaching.
Post-“Music” Hot 100 Results
It has been 25 years since “Music” ruled the Hot 100, and Madonna has yet to return to the summit. She has collected several top 10s since, including follow-up “Don’t Tell Me” from the same album, “Die Another Day,” and “Hung Up” from Confessions on a Dance Floor, but she hasn’t made it back to No. 1.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/09/16/its-been-a-quarter-century-since-madonna-charted-her-last-no-1-in-america/
