Young Photos of Madonna That Will Make You Wish You Grew Up in the '80s
In honor of the Queen of Pop, we turn back in time to look at these photos of her young rise to stardom.
Renowed as the Queen of Pop, Madonna has been making strides in the music industry for women since the '80s. Known for being one of the first overly sexual performers, her music covered all sorts of topics, ranging from social and political issues to religion and sex. In addition to being one of the most iconic singers of her time, she is also a star songwriter, dancer, actress, producer, director and businesswoman - this woman can do it all. However, she wasn't always planning to venture into music.
Madonna moved to New York City at the age of 19 in 1978 to pursue modern dancing, but she dove into music when she began collaborating and performing as a drummer and vocalist in her bands, Breakfast Club and Emmy. Just five years later, she released her debut solo album, Madonna, in 1983, then Like a Virgin (1984),True Blue (1986), Like a Prayer (1989), Erotica (1992), Bedtime Stories (1994), Ray of Light (1998), Music (2000), American Life (2003), Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005), Hard Candy (2008), MDNA (2012), Rebel Heart (2015), and Madam X (2019). She's had countless number-one singles during her career and some of her most iconic songs to this day include "Like a Virgin", "Hung Up", "Vogue", "Material Girl", "Take a Bow", "Frozen" and "4 Minutes".
Next year, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Madonna's debut, she will renew her partnership with Warner Music Group, bringing the entirety of her discography to the WMG catalog. Throughout 2022, the music legend will release extended deluxe versions of her biggest albums accompanied by exciting events in tribute to her decades-long career. She will also release a biographical documentary titled Madame X on October 8th on the streaming service Paramount+.
Additionally, wore many hats throughout her career. Madonna began acting in 1985 in Desperately Seeking Susan, and she went on to star in Evita (1996), Who's That Girl (1987), Dick Tracy (1990), and several more films. Today, she remains the highest-grossing solo touring artists in the U.S. ever, and she's the best-selling female recording artist of all time, according to Guinness World Records. Here, look back on young photos of Madonna as she earned her icon status.
