On December 26 1998, the fourth single from Madonna’s Ray of Light album, The Power of Good-Bye, peaked at #2 on the United World Chart.
Billboard’s Larry Flick had this to say about the single release of The Power of Good-Bye in the September 12, 1998 issue of the magazine:
Next to the title track to Madonna’s glorious Ray of Light opus, this is the tune that radio programmers and diehard fans have long been clamoring to be released as a single. With a little help from co-producers William Orbit and Patrick Leonard, the diva brilliantly nestles a dewy love ballad within a cutting-edge electronic pop framework. You can listen to this track a dozen times and still pluck something new from the richly layered arrangement, which is anchored by a crisp shuffle beat and sweetened by occasional orchestral string flourishes and contrasting acoustic guitar strumming. All the while, Madonna performs with a confidence that allows her to flawlessly merge a widened vocal range with a considerable dose of raw emotion and soul. Although this gem would find instant success on its own, look for The Power of Good-Bye to be bolstered by its prominent play during the hotly anticipated new WB TV series Felicity.
The Power of Goodbye is a tragic, sad and beautiful Madonna ballad! Bessie and Billie would be proud of Madonna!
Another absolute beauty from the most consistent female pop artist of all time
Most people associate Madonna with two things, her dance music and controversy, but her ballads are just as perfect as her dance hits. Some of her best ballads are Crave, Ghosttown, Masterpiece, Crazy for You, The Look of Love, Take a Bow, You’ll See, Oh Father and Rain to name a few. The Power of Goodbye is one of the best ballads from the 90s. I was always surprised it didn’t fair better in the usa because it peaked at number 11, but i believe it’s because Warner didn’t release the single until it had peaked. They did the same with Nothing Really Matters too.