It's a widely accepted fact that in the history of music or entertainment, those who have hit the pinnacle of fame and success are recognized simply by one name. In some cases, it is the surname which identifies a generation's Sinatras, McCartneys, or Plants, simply because their first name is too generic or common. But every once in a while an Elvis, Mick, or Bono appear and are overwhelmingly referred to by that single moniker.
In the last 20 years, there is no better example of this then in the case of a daring and sexy singer who has perfected the art of self-promotion by using all of her feminine charms and immense talents to achieve all of her aspirations. Madonna has proven to be the most successful female artist of all time, and has amassed a fame and fortune that was unparalleled for most women artists that preceded her, as she is accepted as the most powerful woman in the music industry today. Not bad for a performer that broke onto the New York City music scene singing cheesy little dance tunes back in the early '80's, and didn't appear destined to become the complete and influential artist she eventually became. So how did she do it?
As is typical in most cases, it's not due to any one single ingredient, but to a number of factors that when combined, propel an artist above the collective pack of entertainers and peers. One of the most profound was that Madonna was not afraid to court controversy to fulfill her career aspirations, and did so at every opportunity. She knew instinctively that to rise above her competitors, she would have to rattle cages and poke a stick into the belly of certain groups in order to garner the media coverage necessary for self promotion.
So when she appeared on the '84 MTV Video Awards to sing the song Like A Virgin, she caught EVERYBODY'S attention by coming out in a traditional white wedding dress, and then proceeded to provocatively disrobe in a striptease-like fashion, so that by the end of the song she was in a skimpy little outfit, made complete with a large belt that had "Boy Toy" emblazoned on it. This performance was single-handedly responsible for her becoming a household name across the nation, and guaranteed her a place in musical and entertainment history.
And as much as she is noted for her use of sex and controversy in promoting her career, the bottom line is that Madonna is very adept at working with top notch songwriters, musicians, and producers, so that she delivers a product that has continued to surprise many critics who initially discounted her as simply a pop princess. As hard as it was for many "serious" music fans to admit, this sexy and vivacious lady had an amazing ear for music which can only be described as pure genius.
After the phenomenal success of the Like A Virgin album which sold over 12 million copies worldwide, Madonna released a single called Crazy For You, which was on the soundtrack of a movie that she made a minor appearance in called Vision Quest. This song was a total departure from the simplistic dance/pop formula of earlier releases as it was much more mature and musically complex, and it was wholeheartedly accepted from listeners who made it her second number 1 hit.
This success was followed by an album that would place her in a category reserved only for true, veritable superstars. True Blue was a critical and commercial success that continued with the usual mix of dance/pop fusion, albeit with a harder rock edge at times, and also included the traditional bit of controversy with the lead off single Papa Don't Preach, which dealt with unwanted pregnancy. But other songs such as Live To Tell, True Blue, and Open Your Heart were all over the musical map and were proving that Madonna was going to be much more than a simple pop diva, capable of only singing simplistic dance tunes.
She would prove this beyond a doubt with her next release, and another notch in her musical belt, as both the album and song Like A Prayer would continue the long history of success, controversy, and musical evolution that was becoming the mainstay of her career. By the time this album was released, Madonna had become tabloid fodder due to her turbulent marriage to actor Sean Penn, whom she had since separated from amid rumours of physical abuse. The song Til Death Do Us Part included the sounds of breaking glass and evoked lyrical images of a violent and abusive relationship that was no doubt symbolic of what she had endured. Another song entitled Oh Father dealt with her sometimes contentious relationship with her father, which was probably the most personal song she had written to date, and reinforced the belief that Madonna should never be considered a lyrical lightweight.
Madonna's career seemed to have hit its' apex with the release and success of Like A Prayer, as although she had impressive successes with many future releases during the '90's, there was no doubt that the grunge movement was responsible for displacing artists such as Madonna as passe or irrelevant. But in an ironic twist that would prove both the extent of her personal mettle and the genius of her musical instincts, she would release the album Ray Of Light in 1998 to a response that she hadn't received since the days of Like A Prayer. Many music pundits heralded this release as one of her best to date, and the fans agreed as it sold over 14 million worldwide to become one of the biggest selling albums of the '90's.
She followed this with the release of another well-received album called Music in 2000, American Life in '03, and then later with '95's Confessions On A Dance Floor. This album sold over 3 million copies in Europe in its' first week of release and sold over 12 million worldwide to prove that Madonna continues to be one of the most popular artists even today, about 25 years after she first became a household name as the sexy and provocative blond who stripped out of a wedding dress on national television.