Madonna Part 1 : The Beginnings - 1989

Madonna Louise Ciccone, born on 16 August 1958 in Bay City, Michigan. Her mother, Madonna Louise Fortin, was of French Canadian descent and her father, Silvio Anthony Ciccone, is a first-generation Italian American, originating from Pacentro, Italy. Because her father worked as a design engineer for Chrysler and General Motors in Detroit, Madonna and her brothers and sisters Martin, Anthony, Paula, Christopher and Melanie were raised in it's suburbs, Pontiac and Avon Township (now part of Rochester Hills). Madonna, the third of the six siblings was nicknamed 'Little Nonni' to distinguish her from her mother, who died from breast cancer at the age of 30, in 1963. The Ciccone siblings resented housekeepers and invariably rebelled against anyone brought into their home ostensibly to take the place of their beloved mother, so Madonna eventually learned to take care of herself and her siblings, and she turned to her grandmother in the hope of finding some solace and some form of her mother in her.

Terrified that her father could be taken from her as well, Madonna was often unable to sleep unless she was near him. Her father married the family's housekeeper Joan Gustafson, and they had two children: Jennifer and Mario Ciccone. At this point, Madonna began to express unresolved feelings of anger towards her father, which would last for decades, and developed a rebellious attitude. She attended St. Frederick's and St. Andrew's Elementary Schools, and then West Middle School. She was known for her high grade point average, and achieved notoriety for her unconventional behavior: doing cartwheels and handstands in the hallways between classes and pull up her skirt during class—all so that the boys could see her underwear.

Madonna later attended Rochester Adams High School, was a straight-A student and a member of the cheerleading squad. After graduating, she received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan. She convinced her father to allow her to take ballet lessons and was persuaded by Christopher Flynn, her ballet teacher, to pursue a career in dance. At the end of 1977 she dropped out of college and relocated to New York City.

She had little money and worked as a waitress at Dunkin' Donuts and with modern dance troupes. Madonna herself said of her move to New York: 'It was the first time I'd ever taken a plane, the first time I'd ever gotten a taxi cab. I came here with $35 in my pocket. It was the bravest thing I'd ever done'. She started to work as a backup dancer for other established artists. While performing as a dancer for the French disco artist Patrick Hernandez on his 1979 world tour, Madonna became romantically involved with musician Dan Gilroy. They formed her first rock band, the Breakfast Club, for which Madonna sang and played drums as well as the guitar.

Madonna at The Breakfast Club - Shine A Light (1980)

In 1980 she left Breakfast Club and, with her former boyfriend Stephen Bray as drummer, formed the band Emmy & The Emmy's. Their music impressed DJ and record producer Mark Kamins who arranged a meeting between Madonna and Sire Records founder Seymour Stein.

Madonna at Emmy & The Emmy's - Burning Up (1980)



Madonna signed a singles deal with Sire Records, a label belonging to Warner Bros. Her debut single 'Everybody' was released on 6 October 1982, and became a dance hit.

Madonna - Everybody (1982)



Madonna - Burning Up (1983)
AUS#13



She started developing her debut album Madonna, which was primarily produced by Reggie Lucas. But she wasn't happy with the completed tracks and disagreed with Lucas' production techniques, so decided to seek additional help.

Madonna moved in with boyfriend John 'Jellybean' Benitez, asking his help for finishing the album's production. He remixed most of the tracks. The overall sound of Madonna is dissonant, and is in the form of upbeat synthetic disco, utilizing some of the new technology of the time, like the usage of Linn drum machine, Moog bass and the OB-X synthesizer.
The album was released, which included 'Holiday', 'Lucky Star' and 'Borderline', which would chart worldwide and kick off her interntional career.

Madonna - Holiday (1983)
UK#2, IRL#2, AUS#4, NL#7, BE#8, DE#9, US#16, CH#18, SWE#20, IT#22, CAN#32, FR#37



Madonna - Lucky Star (1984)
US#4, CAN#8, UK#14, IRL#19, AUS#36



Madonna - Borderline
IRL#1, UK#2, NL#3, BE#4, US#10, AUS#12, CH#23, CAN#25, DE#36

Gradually, Madonna's look and manner of dressing, her performances and her music videos started influencing young girls and women. Her style became a female fashion trend of the 1980s. It was created by stylist and jewelry designer Maripol and consisted of lace tops, skirts over capri pants, fishnet stockings, jewelry bearing the crucifix, bracelets, and bleached hair.
In 1984, she achieved global recognition after the release of her second studio album: Like a Virgin.

'Like a Virgin' attracted the attention of family organizations, who complained that the song and its accompanying video promoted premarital sex and undermined family values, while moralists sought to have the song and video banned. Madonna further came under fire when she delivered what is now widely regarded as an iconic performance: at the first MTV Video Music Awards, where she appeared on stage on top of a giant wedding cake, wearing a wedding dress and bridal veil, adorned with her characteristic 'Boy Toy' belt buckle. Like a Virgin was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America and sold more than 21 million copies worldwide.

Madonna - Like A Virgin (1984)
US#1, CAN#1, AUS#1, JAP#1, NZ#2, UK#3, DE#4, IRL#4, NL#4, AT#8, FR#8, NOR#8, CH#9, SWE#15, IT#16



While filming the music video for the second single from Like a Virgin 'Material Girl' Madonna started dating actor Sean Penn and married him on her birthday in 1985.

Madonna - Material Girl (1985)
CUB#1, US#2, JAP#2, UK#3, BE#3, IRL#3, CAN#4, AUS#4, NZ#5, NL#7, AT#8, ES#10, DE#13, CH#15, IT#18, FR#47



Madonna entered mainstream films in 1985, beginning with a brief appearance as a club singer in Vision Quest, a romantic drama film. Its soundtrack contained 'Crazy for You'.

Madonna -Crazy For You (1985)
US#1, AUS#1, CAN#1, UK#2, IRL#2, NZ#2, JAP#4, NL#11, IT#12, BE#13, SWE#13, CH#16, ES#17, AT#23, DE#26, FR#47



Madonna - Angel (or this, only video montage exists)(1985)
AUS#1, ES#2, NZ#2, IRL#3, US#5, CAN#5, UK#5, JAP#5, CH#17, BE#18, DE#31



She also appeared in the comedy Desperately Seeking Susan, a film which introduced the song 'Into the Groove'. Although not the lead actress, her profile was such that the movie widely became seen (and marketed) as a Madonna vehicle. The film received a nomination for a César Award for Best Foreign Film and The New York Times film critic Vincent Canby named it one of the ten best films of 1985, but, it also appears to have kick started her reputation for being a lousy actress.

Madonna - Into The Groove (1985)
UK#1, IRL#1, IT#1, AUS#1, NZ#1, NL#1, BE#1, ES#1, JAP#1, FR#2, CH#2, DE#3, NOR#3, SWE#3, AT#6



In July 1985, Penthouse and Playboy magazines published a number of nude photos of Madonna, which were taken in New York in 1978. She had posed for the photographs as she needed money at the time, and was paid as little as $25 a session. The publication of the photos caused a media uproar, but Madonna remained defiant and unapologetic. She referred to the whole experience at the 1985 outdoor Live Aid charity concert saying that she would not take her jacket off because '[the media] might hold it against me ten years from now'.
The photographs were ultimately sold for up to $100,000.

Madonna - Dress You Up (1985)
IRL#3, BE#4, US#5, UK#5, AS#5, NZ#7, NL#7, CAN#10, ES#11, IT#16, FR#18, CH#20, DE#26



Madonna - Gambler (1985)
IRL#3, IT#3, UK#4, NL#7, NOR#9, BE#10, AUS#10, JAP#12, CH#23, DE#25, FR#33, NZ#45

True Blue, Madonna's third studio album, was released in June 1986. The album topped the charts in over 28 countries worldwide, an unprecedented achievement at the time. It boasted such classics as 'Live to Tell', 'Papa Don't Preach', 'Open Your Heart', 'True Blue' and 'La Isla Bonita'.
Madonna also continued her 'acting' career by starring in the critically panned film Shanghai Surprise, and made her theatrical debut in a production of David Rabe's 'Goose and Tom-Tom', both co-starring her then husband Sean Penn.

Madonna - Live To Tell (1986)
US#1, CAN#1, IT#1, UK#2, IRL#2, NOR#2, NL#3, CH#4, BE#4, NZ#6, FR#6, AUS#7, SWE#11, DE#12



Madonna - Papa Don't Preach (1986)
US#1, CAN#1, UK#1, IRL#1, IT#1, AUS#1, BE#1, NOR#1, DE#2, CH#2, NL#2, NZ#3, FR#3, AT#4, ES#4, SWE#6,



Madonna - True Blue (1986)
UK#1, IRL#1, CAN#1, US#3, NZ#3, BE#3, IT#4, AUS#5, DE#6, CH#6, FR#6, AT#9, ES#12, SWE#18,



Madonna - Open Your Heart (1986)
US#1, IRL#2, UK#4, BE#4, IT#6, NL#7, CAN#8, CH#11, NZ#12, AUS#16, DE#17, AT#18, FR#24



Madonna - La Isla Bonita (1987)
UK#1, DE#1, CH#1, AT#1, FR#1, CAN#1, IRL#2, NL#2, BE#3, SWE#3, US#4, NOR#5, NZ#5, AUS#6, ES#8, IT#18, FIN#18

The next year, Madonna's second film 'Who's That Girl' was released. She contributed four songs to its soundtrack, including the title track and 'Causing a Commotion' as well as embarking on a World Tour. This should be starting point of her many reinventions, for which she is so famous for inmastering them to a T.
Next to, of course, her music, perhaps her unexpected changes of style and reputation are the single most important 'secrets' of her success. Regarding Who's That Girl Tour, Madonna commented: 'I realised that I could go from being unmoulded clay, and over time and with the help of people, I could turn myself into something else. This tour is the reflection of that belief and it's as if saying to me 'Who are you girl?' Hence the name, its the new me.'

Madonna - Who's That Girl (1987)
US#1, CAN#1, UK#1, IRL#1, IT#1, NL#1, BE#1, DE#2, CH#2, FR#2, SWE#2, NOR#2, AT#4, ES#6, AUS#7



Madonna - Causing A Commotion (unofficial video) (1987)
US#2, IRL#2, BE#2, NL#3, UK#4, IT#4, NZ#6, AUS#7, CH#9, NOR#10, SWE#13, DE#14, AT#14, ES#21



Madonna - The Look of Love (unofficial video) (1987)
IRL#6, NL#8, UK#9, BE#9, CH#20, FR#23, DE#34

Later that year, she released a remix album of past hits, entitled 'You Can Dance'. 1988 Madonna took somewhat of a breather in her career and many fans and experts began believing that this was it; the end of her career. Little did they know...: Madonna and Sean Penn filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, with Madonna's lawyer pointing to Sean's drinking problem and his abusive nature. The divorce was finalized in January 1989. Of her marriage to him, Madonna later said: 'I was completely obsessed with my career and not ready to be generous in any shape or form'.

Madonna -Spotlight (1988)
JAP#3

In January 1989, Madonna signed an endorsement deal with Pepsi. She debuted her song 'Like a Prayer' in one of her TV ads for them. The music video featured many Catholic symbols such as stigmata and burning crosses, and a dream about making love to a Saint, leading the Vatican to condemn the video and religious groups seeking to ban the commercial and boycott Pepsi products. Pepsi revoked the commercial and canceled her sponsorship contract but allowed Madonna to retain her fee of $5,000,000. The song was included on Madonna's fourth studio album, Like a Prayer. The album went on to sell 13 million copies worldwide, with 4 million copies sold in the US alone.

Madonna - Like A Prayer (1989)
US#1, CAN#1, UK#1, IRL#1, IT#1, BE#1, DK#1, SWE#1, NOR#1, ES#1, JAP#1, AUS#1, NZ#1, CH#1, DE#2, AT#2, FR#2, NL#2, FIN#12



Madonna - Express Yourself (1989)
IT#1, CH#1, CAN#1, US#2, BE#2, DE#3, IRL#3, SWE#3, ES#3, NOR#4, UK#5, AT#5, NL#5, AUS#5



Madonna - Cherish (1989)
CAN#1, US#2, IRL#2, IT#3, UK#3, AUS#4, BE#7, CH#10, ES#10, NOR#10, FR#15, NL#15, DE#16, AT#16



Madonna - Oh Father (1989 & 1996)
1989 - IT#6, JAP#12, US#20, FR#26, AUS#59
1996 - FIN#6, UK#16, IRL#25



Dear Jessie was Madonna's last singles of the 1980s, released from the Like A Prayer album on 10 December 1989, only in the UK, some European countries and Australia.

Madonna - Dear Jessie (1989)
IRL#3, UK#5, RSA#9, CH#16, ES#17, DE#19, AT#21, NL#25, AUS#51