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Madonna Blocked From A New No. 1 Album — What Keeps Her From The Top?

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Whenever Madonna releases something new — either an album of completely original material or, as has been the case recently, a retrospective collection — her massive following turns it into a bestseller. The pop icon has proved multiple times throughout only the past year or so that she can mine her catalog and dig into the vault to turn largely forgotten mixes and demos into chart gold.

Madonna recently delivered an EP titled Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter, which is centered around her Bedtime Stories era. The short project, as well as the original Bedtime Stories, reaches multiple charts in the United Kingdom, and the EP almost nets her a new champion, but it is blocked by a seasonal favorite.

Madonna’s Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter Launches at No. 2

Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter debuts at No. 2 on the Official Album Downloads chart, which lists the bestselling full-lengths and EPs on platforms like iTunes and Amazon throughout the U.K. Madonna claims an eleventh top 10 hit on the format-specific list, and Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter becomes her twenty-third total appearance on the ranking.

Which Album Blocks Madonna From a New No. 1 Album?

Madonna is blocked from running the show on the Official Album Downloads chart by the compilation Now That’s What I Call Christmas, which was released in 2024. That effort rises from No. 8 back to the summit, earning a fifth stint as the most downloaded release in the U.K.

Now That’s What I Call Christmas debuted on the Official Album Downloads roster in November 2024 and spent eight consecutive stints inside the top 10 — four of which were at No. 1 — before quickly dropping away in January 2025 when the holiday season was over. The compilation returned as one of the 100 most downloaded releases in the country in early November and only needed six weeks to find its way back to the throne.

Several Madonna Albums Have Peaked at No. 2

Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter is the fourth release by Madonna to miss out on ruling the Official Album Downloads chart by just one space. The EP is now on the same level as Confessions on a Dance Floor, Madame X, and Finally Enough Love, which all peaked at No. 2.

Madonna has now seen a pair of projects fail to rule the Official Album Downloads chart by a single rung in just the past month. Confessions on a Dance Floor hit a new all-time high of No. 2 after the singer-songwriter re-released it as a twentieth-anniversary edition. Confessions on a Dance Floor arrived on the Official Album Downloads tally in mid-2006 and had not been seen on the ranking since September 2009, but the special edition turned it into a bigger seller than ever.

How Many No. 1 Albums Has Madonna Scored?

While Madonna has frustratingly seen several collections stall at No. 2 on the Official Album Downloads chart, she has also managed to dominate with multiple collections. Madonna has ruled the downloads list with all of the following full-lengths:

  • Hard Candy
  • MDNA
  • Rebel Heart

Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter Debuts on Several Charts in Lofty Spots

Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter earns its loftiest start on the Official Album Downloads chart as the look-back at her Bedtime Stories chapter debuts on five tallies this frame. The project also manages to launch inside the highest tier on the Official Vinyl Albums ranking, beginning its time at No. 9.

At the same time, the original Bedtime Stories appears on four rosters, hitting the top 10 on two — including, on the Official Album Sales chart, for the very first time.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/12/09/madonna-blocked-from-a-new-no-1-album—what-keeps-her-from-the-top/