‘Like A Virgin’, ‘Papa Don’t Preach’, ‘Respect’, ‘Vogue’, ‘Express Yourself’ – yes, music fans, today we’re talking about your ‘Material Girl’, the woman in a league of her own, the one and only Madonna. Controversial and ground-breaking throughout her career, Madonna remains the most successful female musician of all time. Born in Bay City, Michigan in 1958, Madonna Louise Ciccone was raised in the Detroit suburbs, and tragically lost her mother to breast cancer at a young age. Beginning her career as a dancer, Madonna relocated to New York in 1978, where she became a touring backup dancer and singer, before starting her own bands and eventually going solo. It was a wise decision, as she was signed to Sire records soon after, and her debut selt-titled album released in 1983 went top ten and achieved three top ten singles – ‘Holiday’, ‘Borderline’ and ‘Lucky Star’. She never looked back. With her mix of edgy hit songs and provocative music videos, MTV proclaimed her as ‘Artist of the Decade’. Her third album True Blue became the best-selling album by a woman of all time, and was followed by Like A Prayer, with video clips full of Catholic symbols, cross burning, and sex with saints. Appearances in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan, Who’s That Girl, Dick Tracy, A League of Their Own and Evita, solidified her as a global star, not to mention the successful and highly controversial tour documentary film In Bed With Madonna (or Truth Or Dare if in North America), which chronicled her Blonde Ambition tour. It became the highest-grossing doco of all time.Throughout her career, she has continually broken boundaries and reinvented herself, with albums Ray of Light, Music and even her recent Madame X all proving to be highly successful comebacks. From music, dance, fashion, film, and business, she has proven unstoppable with every move. Put simply, Madonna changed the game by reinventing pop-culture forever, and continues to be an influential reference for emerging artists today. She currently holds the record for the most top 10 hits of all time, and is the highest-charting female musician and highest-grossing female touring musician in history. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. She is an icon. She is… Madonna.
