MADONNA: THE FIRST ALBUM

     On July 27, 1983 a self-titled album was released by a then-unknown singer with the unusual name of Madonna.  No one had any idea whatsoever that this was the beginning of an extra-ordinary and legendary career.  A new musical icon had arrived- one that go on to surpass Elvis, The Beatles, even Michael Jackson.  And a female icon, at that.  Rock had always had its bad boys.  Now the girls (and boys!) got Madonna.  Madonna would go on to become a brilliant visual artist, and this first album, although nowhere near the creative heights she would later achieve, still shows an extremely impressive and strong debut album.  Especially in the late 70's and early 80's- an era chock full of one-hit wonders.

      Madonna's first album offered far more than just one or two "hits".  "Holiday", "Lucky Star", "Borderline", "Burning Up", Everybody", and "Physical Attraction" are standout hits, and are what made this album so memorable and iconic in the first place.  The album went on to be certified 5x Platinum and would eventually sell over 8 million copies worldwide.  Madonna became a phenomenon and changed the female voice of music forever.  Sandwiched perfectly between the end of disco and the dawn of New Wave, she was able to find a unique voice and sound.  Filled with catchy pop hooks and shimmering synth beats,  "MADONNA" is an essential 80's album.

     Her legendary ambition shines through on this album- she makes it very clear who she is and what she's all about.  Revolutionary in that it perfectly melded the underground dance scene, New Wave, and a bit of punk all in one exciting, raw package, it's undeniably one of the greatest albums to emerge from the early 80's.  Madonna's first album brilliantly took disco (which was sadly dead at this point) and re-shaped it into cutting-edge dance pop.  Yielding 3 Top 20 hits, but a whole handful of dance anthems, Madonna's first album is a dance classic that rightfully started one of the most significant female careers in music history.  Now digitally re-mastered, "Madonna" sounds better than ever.

     These are Madonna's very first music videos. This was the first time we saw her visually- for many, seeing the "Lucky Star" and "Borderline" videos especially were life-changing moments. This was her very first initial impact- the Madonna we all fell in love with first.