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Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone (a.k.a. Madonna) is born in Bay City, Michigan.
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Madonna debuts with the 12-inch single “Everybody.” Failing to make Billboard’s Hot 100, it will be her only single to suffer this fate.
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“Holiday,” from Madonna’s self-titled debut album, enters the Billboard Hot 100, where it will peak at #16.
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Madonna, the singer’s first album, enters the album chart, where it will spend more than three years and sell over 5 million.
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Madonna’s second album, Like a Virgin, begins the first week in its two-year run on Billboard’s album chart. The album will hit #1, yield four hit singles and sell 10 million copies. “Like a Virgin,” Madonna’s first #1 hit, tops the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of six weeks.
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“Lucky Star,” by Madonna, peaks at #4, kicking off a record-breaking streak (for a female artist) of 16 consecutive Top Five singles.
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Desperately Seeking Susan, starring Madonna in her first film role, makes its theatrial debut. - See more at:
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“Crazy for You” becomes Madonna’s second #1 single, displacing “We Are the World,” by USA for Africa.
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Madonna and actor Sean Penn are married. They will divorce four years later
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Madonna’s “Papa Don’t Preach,” a controversial song about an unwed teenager who decides to keep her baby, reaches the top position. -
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“Live to Tell” becomes Madonna’s third #1 single – and the first one she had a hand in writing -
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True Blue, Madonna’s third album, enters the chart, where it will peak at #1 for five weeks and generate five hits.
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The title track from Madonna’s film Who’s That Girl becomes her sixth #1 single.
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Open Your Heart” becomes the third #1 single from Madonna’s third album, True Blue. “True Blue” (#3) and “La Isla Bonita” (#4) will bring to five the number of Top Five songs from the album.
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Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” reaches #1. Its controversial video draws criticism from the Vatican and ends Madonna’s lucrative endorsement deal with Pepsi
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Like a Prayer, Madonna’s fourth album of new music is released. It will top the charts for six weeks
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“Cherish,” by Madonna, peaks at #2 for the first of two weeks. It is the singer’s 16th consecutive Top Five hit. She’s now surpassed the Beatles in that category and trails only Elvis Presley for most Top Five hits in a row.
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“Vogue,” by Madonna, reaches #1. It appears on the Dick Tracy soundtrack but not in the movie itself. - See more at:
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Madonna’s The Immaculate Collection, her first greatest-hits set, is released.