"Queen of Pop is a term that is thrown around loosely nowadays with this latest bumper crop of female singers. The artist who first inserted that honor into the music vernacular, Madonna, undoubtedly still wears that crown proudly," wrote the UK's Examiner.
Released July 27, 1983, the self-titled "Madonna" album "debuted at No. 190 on the Billboard 200 chart dated Sept. 3, 1983, and eventually climbed all the way No. 8 the following year. The Sire/Warner Bros. Records release spent a staggering 168 weeks on the chart -- the longest run of any Madonna album," according to Billboard. "It spun off three top 20 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and four entries on Billboard's Dance/Club Play Songs tally."
"Everybody" was the first single that was released from this eight-track album, and it became an immediate sensation. "Holiday," "Burning Up," "Borderline," "Physical Attraction," "Lucky Star," the Madonna album launched many hits and turned the vocalist into a multi-media star who dominated MTV at one time, and into a savvy businesswoman and entrepreneur as well. She became an industry as well as a legend.
Madonna has also co-opted other female artists' images to suit own, most notably Debbie Harry and Cyndi Lauper. Said Ms Harry in an interview today with UK's The Sun: At one of my lowest points, Madonna started her career and everyone said she stepped into my shoes. I was kind of shocked and not very happy in the long run. But she has been complimentary over the years. That compensates."
Madonna's feuded publicly with many other divas, including Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey and Lady GaGa. Still, she was a major inspiration for many female pop artists and remains so today.
The Madonna album was produced by her then-lover at the time, Jellybean Benitez. Asked by Dick Clark, on American Bandstand, where she sang "Holiday" from the debut album, what she considered her goal to be, Madonna snapped: "To rule the world."
She's nearly succeeded.
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