Madonna's very first album dropped 40 years ago today, and she hasn't stopped making music (or headlines!) since. Celebrate the Material Girl's milestone with 40 of her most iconic life and career moments
Can you believe we’ve been living in a material world for 40 years?
Madonna dropped her very first album, aptly titled Madonna, on July 27, 1983, and the music world hasn’t been the same since.
In celebration of the 64-year-old singer’s major career milestone, take a look back on 40 iconic moments from her life and career.
Madonna
The album that started it all! According to Billboard, the 24-year-old singer’s debut album eventually made it to No. 8 on the Billboard 200, “produced three top 20 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and two No. 1 hits on the Dance Club Songs chart.”
Her 1984 American Bandstand Appearance
Madge rocked out to “Holiday” before charming host Dick Clark in the pair’s first interview. “I think I’ve always had a lot of confidence in myself,” she said, before telling Clark her professional dream was “to rule the world.”
Her First MTV VMAs
Few will forget Madonna’s first VMAs performance, during which she sang Like a Virgin in a white bridal-inspired dress and accidentally flashed her butt when grabbing her shoes. When the performance wrapped, her manager told her backstage that her “career was over with,” she recalled to Jimmy Fallon in 2022.
However, Like a Virgin became Madonna’s first of 12 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and, in 2014, 30 years after the moment, MTV called Madonna’s performance “one of the most important and most unforgettable VMA performances ever, if not one of the most iconic pop performances of all time.”
