Madonna

Madonna Louise Ciccone ( chih-KOH-nee; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Queen of Pop", she is known for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation. Her works incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes and have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. Madonna has had a significant socio-cultural impact across both the 20th and 21st centuries and is often deemed one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Madonna moved to New York City in 1978 to pursue a career in dance. After performing as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist in the rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy, she rose to solo stardom with her debut studio album, Madonna (1983). She has since earned eighteen multi-platinum albums, including Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), and The Immaculate Collection (1990)—some of the best-selling albums of all time—and Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005), her 21st-century bestseller. Like a Prayer (1989), Ray of Light (1998), and Music (2000) were ranked among Rolling Stone's greatest albums of all time. Madonna's top-charting singles include "Like a Virgin", "Material Girl", "La Isla Bonita", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Take a Bow", "Frozen", "Music", "Hung Up", and "4 Minutes". Madonna has starred in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), A League of Their Own (1992), and Evita (1996), with the lattermost winning her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. Many of her other films were not well-received. Her business endeavors encompass the entertainment company Maverick (1992–2009), which included Maverick Records—one of the most successful artist-run labels. She has also pursued fashion brands, written works, health clubs, and filmmaking. Madonna contributes to various charities, having founded the Ray of Light Foundation in 1998 and Raising Malawi in 2006, and advocates for gender equality and LGBT rights. Madonna is the best-selling female music artist of all time and the first female performer to accumulate US$1 billion from her concerts. She is the most successful solo artist on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has 44 number-one singles across major global music markets. Her accolades include seven Grammy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, twenty MTV Video Music Awards, and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility. Madonna was the world's highest-paid female musician for a record eleven years across four decades (1980s–2010s). She has become the subject of various scholarly, literary, and artistic works, as well as a mini-academic sub-discipline called Madonna studies.