Madonna turns 62 on August 16, marking the beginning of yet another year for her in the music industry. The singer has been a staple in pop music since the 1980s, and she’s just as influential today as she was back then. Of course, with several decades of work in the business, Madonna’s look has changed quite drastically over the years, and we’re taking a look back at her transformation from the beginning of her career to now.
Quite simply, there’s absolutely no one like Madonna. Between her music, her wardrobe, and her boundary pushing music videos, the Grammy-winner, 61, has left us wanting more as the years have gone on. And she’s used her immense platform to cater to necessary causes. Most recently, the multi-talented star was spotted at a Black Lives Matter protest in London on June 5. Although she was on crutches, Madonna still stood firmly in solidarity with the vital movement.
However, it took years for Madonna to gain such star power and high-profile platform. The talented singer and actress came onto the scene in the early ’80s, with hit tunes like “Borderline,” “Holiday,” and “Everybody” playing on airwaves across the country. It wasn’t long before Madonna’s second studio album would make her one of the most talked-about artists of the time.
Madonna released her second album, Like A Virgin, in 1984, with songs like “Material Girl,” “Angel,” and “Like A Virgin” all released as singles from the hit album. Despite immense commercial success, it wasn’t until 1985 when Madonna finally earned her very first Grammy nomination for her song “Crazy For You.” Of course, that wouldn’t be her last nomination from the coveted awards body; Madonna would go on to win seven statuettes from the Recording academy!
Madonna has been nominated for an impressive 28 Grammy awards, winning major categories like Best Dance Recording and Best Pop Album — both for her 1998 album Ray Of Light. Along with her music, the visual accompaniments to her songs have really struck quite a chord with fans. Madonna’s tune “Like A Prayer” had an incredible visual story that went along with the song, and actually caused quite a stir among those who weren’t fans of the singer. The music video, which features Madonna falling in love with a young Black man, also included a lot of religious iconography, making some faith-based leaders quite upset.
But Madonna stood firmly by her art and the director, Mary Lambert. The music video also earned Madonna a MTV Video Music Award, of which she has accrued many over her career. But it’s not just her singing talent, her ageless beauty, or her fascinating fashion sense that Madonna has shown off over the years. In fact, the singer has also been featured as a leading lady in a number of productions and taken her talents behind the camera.
Madonna has won two Golden Globe awards. Her first came in 1997 with her award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Comedy or Musical for the film Evita. The second came in 2012, winning the Best Original Song category with “Masterpiece” from the film W.E. Madonna also directed the film! To this day, Madonna is still singing, acting, and making red carpet appearances while using her platform for good. To see more photos of Madonna through the years, take a look at the gallery above!
