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165-447: American pop singer Madonna has performed at the stadium four times: during her Who's That Girl Tour in 1987, her Blond Ambition Tour in 1990 (which was aired on HBO and released exclusively on LaserDisc titled " Blond Ambition World Tour Live "), her Sticky & Sweet Tour in 2008 and her MDNA Tour in 2012. Rock band U2 performed at the stadium when the first one was on August 5, 2005, during their Vertigo Tour , in front of

330-731: A Fryderyk award for Best Foreign Album from Związek Producentów Audio Video (ZPAV) in Poland, a Golden Giraffe Award for International Pop Album of the Year from Mahasz in Hungary, two Porin awards for Best International Album and Best International Video ("Frozen") in Croatia, and two Rockbjörnen awards for Best International Album and Best International Artist in Sweden. In Canada, Madonna won Best International Video for "Ray of Light" at

495-731: A Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media . Madonna starred in the 2000 comedy-drama film The Next Best Thing , directed by John Schlesinger . The film opened at number two on the US box office with $ 5.9 million grossed in its first week, but this quickly diminished. She also contributed two songs to the film's soundtrack—a cover of Don McLean 's 1971 song " American Pie " and an original song "Time Stood Still"—the former became her ninth UK number-one single. Madonna released her eighth studio album, Music , in September 2000. It featured elements from

660-612: A cameo role , described by Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian as "incredibly wooden". The song reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for both a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song . In 2003, Madonna collaborated with fashion photographer Steven Klein for an exhibition installation named X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS, which ran from March to May in New York's Deitch Projects gallery, and also travelled

825-412: A 13-track digital audio tape to Madonna. "I was a huge fan of William's earlier records, Strange Cargo 1 and 2 and all that. I also loved all the remixes he did for me and I was interested in fusing a kind of futuristic sound but also using lots of Indian and Moroccan influences and things like that, and I wanted it to sound old and new at the same time," Madonna said. "It took a long time to do

990-431: A Dance Floor (2005). She has amassed a catalog of various high-charting songs, including " Holiday ", " Like a Virgin ", " La Isla Bonita ", " Like a Prayer ", " Vogue ", " Take a Bow ", " Frozen ", " Music ", " Hung Up " and " 4 Minutes ". Madonna's popularity was enhanced by roles in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), A League of Their Own (1992) and Evita (1996). While

1155-463: A Prayer ", the lead single and title track from her fourth studio album . The music video featured Catholic symbols such as stigmata and cross burning , and a dream of making love to a saint, leading the Vatican to condemn the video. Religious groups sought to ban the commercial and boycott Pepsi products. Pepsi revoked the commercial and canceled her sponsorship contract. "Like a Prayer" topped

1320-521: A Public Service Announcement (PSA) supporting Rock the Vote 's efforts in voter registration. Madonna's first greatest-hits compilation album , The Immaculate Collection (1990), was released in November including two new songs, " Justify My Love " and " Rescue Me ". The album was certified diamond by RIAA and sold over 30 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling compilation album by

1485-428: A Virgin", during which two male dancers caressed her body before she simulated masturbation. In response, Madonna said, "The tour in no way hurts anybody's sentiments. It's for open minds and gets them to see sexuality in a different way. Their own and others". The live recording of the tour won Madonna her first Grammy Award , in the category of Best Long Form Music Video . In October 1990, Madonna lent her voice to

1650-412: A Western media trend can be traced to February 1998, when pop icon Madonna released her video 'Frozen'." They explained that "although Madonna did not initiate the fashion for Indian beauty accessories [...] she did propel it into the public eye by attracting the attention of the worldwide media." According to Taraborrelli, the album has been hailed as bold and refreshing in music of the late 1990s, which

1815-697: A career in dance. Madonna later attended Rochester Adams High School and became a straight-A student as well as a member of its cheerleading squad. After graduating in January 1976, she received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan and studied over the summer at the American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina . In 1978, Madonna dropped out of college and relocated to New York City. She said of her move to New York, "It

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1980-676: A child, both in the same year. She had reached another turning point in her career, reinventing herself and her image with the public." Her relationship with Carlos Leon ended in May 1997 and she declared that they were "better off as best friends". After Lourdes's birth, Madonna became involved in Eastern mysticism and Kabbalah , introduced to her by actress Sandra Bernhard . Her seventh studio album, Ray of Light , (1998) reflected this change in her perception and image. She collaborated with electronica producer William Orbit and wanted to create

2145-604: A confirmation name when getting confirmed in the Catholic Church in 1966. In 1966, Tony married the family's housekeeper Joan Gustafson; they remained married for 58 years until Joan's death in 2024. They had two children, Jennifer (born 1967) and Mario (born 1968). Madonna attended St. Frederick's and St. Andrew's Catholic Elementary Schools, and West Middle School. She was known for her high grade point average (GPA) and achieved notoriety for her unconventional behavior. Madonna would perform cartwheels and handstands in

2310-718: A cover of Marvin Gaye 's " I Want You ". An enthusiastic collector of modern art , Madonna sponsored the first major retrospective of Tina Modotti 's work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1995. The following year, she sponsored an exhibition of Basquiat's paintings at the Serpentine Gallery in London. The following year, she sponsored artist Cindy Sherman 's retrospective at the MoMA in New York. This

2475-472: A documentary on the problems faced by Malawians; it was directed by Nathan Rissman, who worked as Madonna's gardener. She also directed her first film, Filth and Wisdom . The plot of the film revolved around three friends and their aspirations. The Times said she had "done herself proud" while The Daily Telegraph described the film as "not an entirely unpromising first effort [but] Madonna would do well to hang on to her day job." On March 10, 2008, Madonna

2640-752: A giant wedding cake and then rolled around suggestively on the floor. MTV retrospectively considered it one of the "most iconic" pop performances of all time. The second single, " Material Girl ", reached number two on the Hot 100. While filming the single's music video, Madonna started dating actor Sean Penn . They married on her birthday in 1985. Madonna entered mainstream films in February 1985, beginning with her cameo in Vision Quest . The soundtrack contained two new singles, her US number-one single, " Crazy for You ", and another track " Gambler ". She also played

2805-541: A global audience of 1.2 million and grossed over $ 193.7 million, becoming the highest-grossing tour to that date for a female artist. Madonna used religious symbols, such as the crucifix and Crown of Thorns , in the performance of "Live to Tell". It caused the Russian Orthodox Church and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia to urge all their members to boycott her concert. At

2970-430: A kaleidoscopic rush of color, technique, style and substance. It has so many depth and layers that it's easily as self-aware and earnest as Ray of Light ." The album took the number-one position in more than 20 countries worldwide and sold four million copies in the first ten days. In the US, Music debuted at the top, and became her first number-one album in eleven years since Like a Prayer . It produced three singles:

3135-460: A long way toward liberating Madonna from a career built on scavenged images and cultivated identities. Robert Christgau was less impressed in Playboy , deeming it a "great- sounding " but average record because enlightenment themes always yield awkward results for pop entertainers. However, he praised sensual songs such as "Skin" and "Candy Perfume Girl". Upon its release, Ray of Light topped

3300-403: A lot to get off my chest. I made a lot of political statements. But now, I feel that I just want to have fun; I want to dance; I want to feel buoyant. And I want to give other people the same feeling. There's a lot of madness in the world around us, and I want people to be happy. —Madonna talking about Confessions on a Dance Floor . Her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor ,

3465-568: A meeting with Madonna and Seymour Stein , the president of Sire Records , a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records . Madonna signed a deal for a total of three singles, with an option for an album. Kamins produced her debut single, " Everybody ", which was released in October 1982. In December 1982, Madonna performed the song live for the first time at Danceteria. She made her first television appearance performing "Everybody" on Dancin' On Air in January 1983, although it had actually been filmed

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3630-608: A month prior. In February 1983, she promoted the single with nightclub performances in the United Kingdom. Her second single, the double A-side " Burning Up " / " Physical Attraction ", was released in March 1983. Both this single and "Everybody" reached number three on Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Club Songs chart. "Burning Up" / "Physical Attraction" also charted at number 13 in Australia. During this period, Madonna

3795-554: A nervous breakdown, ... Right when I think the track's done he sort of pushes us another step further and says 'Maybe you should try this' or 'I really don't wanna hear that' and then of course it creeps into my brain and later on in the day I'm thinking 'Maybe I should've done a background vocal on that.'" —Madonna on business partner Guy Oseary 's influence on the album's recording process; MTV Recording sessions commenced at Larrabee North Studio in North Hollywood in

3960-544: A new way of thinking and... just gone down a different road, period". Regarding the album's creative direction, she stated "It's been really fun, I've never had so much fun really working on... never felt so free to experiment." According to spokesperson Liz Rosenberg, Madonna considered titling the album Mantra , which she thought was a "really cool title", and she also considered calling it Veronica Electronica ; however, she discarded both of those ideas and called it Ray of Light , as her albums were always titled after one of

4125-635: A number of nude photos of Madonna, taken when she moonlighted as an art model in 1978. She had posed for the photographs because she needed money at the time, and was paid as little as $ 25 a session. The publication of the photos caused a media uproar, but Madonna remained "unapologetic and defiant". The photographs were ultimately sold for up to $ 100,000. She referred to these events at the 1985 outdoor Live Aid charity concert, saying that she would not take her jacket off because "[the media] might hold it against me ten years from now." In June 1986, Madonna released her third studio album, True Blue , which

4290-469: A period of introspection. "That was a big catalyst for me. It took me on a search for answers to questions I'd never asked myself before", she said to Q magazine, in 2002. During the same period, she embraced Kabbalah and started studying Hinduism and yoga , all of which helped her "step outside [myself] and see the world from a different perspective". Madonna felt that there was a "whole piece" of her voice left unused, which she decided to utilize for

4455-631: A place in Guinness World Records . The song contained a sample of ABBA 's " Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) ", only the second time that ABBA has allowed their work to be used. ABBA songwriter Björn Ulvaeus remarked "It is a wonderful track—100 per cent solid pop music." " Sorry ", the second single, became Madonna's twelfth number-one single in the UK. Madonna embarked on the Confessions Tour in May 2006, which had

4620-536: A production of David Rabe 's Goose and Tom-Tom ; the film and play both co-starred Penn. The next year, Madonna was featured in the film Who's That Girl . She contributed four songs to its soundtrack, including the title track and " Causing a Commotion ". Madonna embarked on the Who's That Girl World Tour in June 1987, which continued until September. It broke several attendance records, including over 130,000 people in

4785-562: A relief to say that Evita is pretty damn fine, well cast and handsomely visualized. Madonna once again confounds our expectations." For the role, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy . The Evita soundtrack , containing songs mostly performed by Madonna, was released as a double album . It included " You Must Love Me " and " Don't Cry for Me Argentina ";

4950-465: A show near Paris, which was then a record for the highest-attended female concert of all time . Later that year, she released a remix album of past hits, You Can Dance , which reached number 14 on the Billboard 200. After a tumultuous two years' marriage, Madonna filed for divorce from Penn on December 4, 1987, but withdrew the petition a few weeks later. She made her Broadway debut in

5115-464: A singer-songwriter, really. And William Orbit provided her with that." The album garnered critical acclaim, with Slant Magazine calling it "one of the great pop masterpieces of the '90s" Ray of Light was honored with four Grammy Awards —including Best Pop Album and Best Dance Recording —and was nominated for both Album of the Year and Record of the Year . Rolling Stone listed it among " The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ". Commercially,

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5280-431: A softer image to try to improve the public perception. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and generated two US top-five hits, " Secret " and " Take a Bow ", the latter topping the Hot 100 for seven weeks, the longest period of any Madonna single. Something to Remember , a collection of ballads, was released in November 1995. The album featured three new songs: " You'll See ", " One More Chance ", and

5445-416: A sold-out crowd of 51,900 people. The second one was on July 15, 2009, during their U2 360° Tour , in front of a sold-out crowd of 55,641 people. The performance of " City of Blinding Lights " from the 2009 show was recorded for the group's live album U22 . Australian rock band AC/DC played at the stadium during their Black Ice World Tour with 40,000 people on June 15 2010. Another rock band performed at

5610-467: A solo artist in history. "Justify My Love" reached number one in the US becoming her ninth number-one on the Hot 100. Her then-boyfriend model Tony Ward co-starred in the music video, which featured scenes of sadomasochism , bondage , same-sex kissing, and brief nudity. The video was deemed too sexually explicit for MTV and was banned from the network. Her first documentary film, Truth or Dare (known as In Bed with Madonna outside North America),

5775-468: A sound that could blend dance music with pop and British rock. American music critic Ann Powers explained that what Madonna searched for with Orbit "was a kind of a lushness that she wanted for this record. Techno and rave were happening in the 90s and had a lot of different forms. There was very experimental, more hard stuff like Aphex Twin . There was party stuff like Fatboy Slim . That's not what Madonna wanted for this. She wanted something more like

5940-518: A standalone single. " Nothing Really Matters " was released as the album's sixth and final single on March 2, 1999. It became a top-ten hit in Canada, Finland, Italy, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it became Madonna's lowest-charting single on the Hot 100, peaking at number 93, but was a number-one hit on its dance chart. Its music video, directed by Johan Renck ,

6105-534: A thing I cannot do for I know what I agreed with Madonna and her husband." The adoption was finalized in May 2008. Madonna released and performed the song " Hey You " at the London Live Earth concert in July 2007. She announced her departure from Warner Bros. Records, and declared a new $ 120 million, ten-year 360 deal with Live Nation . In 2008, Madonna produced and wrote I Am Because We Are ,

6270-451: A whole new audience, proving that she was a good songwriter with an intensely productive talent." Mary von Aue from Stereogum stated that " Ray of Light reestablished Madonna as a groundbreaking artist." Ray of Light has been featured on numerous critics' lists of greatest albums of all time. Rolling Stone magazine placed the album at number 367 on the list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time . In September 2020, an updated edition of

6435-429: A yearning voice over the beats of an electronic orchestra. The sixth track, " Nothing Really Matters ", is an up-tempo dance track which contains influences of techno. " Sky Fits Heaven " focuses on Madonna's spiritual studies and her daughter Lourdes. Some lyrics include: "Sky fits heaven so fly it, that's what the prophet said to me/Child fits mother so hold your baby tight, that's what my future can see". Elements of

6600-417: Is a downtempo ballad drawing influences from jungle , drum and bass and trip hop music. The title is inspired by J. G. Ballard 's post-apocalyptic science fiction novel The Drowned World (1962). "Swim", the second song, has a spiritual tone. She sings: "Swim to the ocean floor/So that we can begin again/Wash away all our sins/Crash to the other shore". "Ray of Light", the third track and second single,

6765-436: Is about a cold and emotionless man; nevertheless, subtexts have been noticed. According to Jarman-Ivens, lyrics such as "You're frozen, when your heart's not open" reflected an artistic palette, "encompassing diverse musical, textual and visual styles in its lyrics." "The Power of Good-Bye" is an emotional ballad which lyrically meditates on loss and longing. It was released as the album's fourth single. "To Have and Not to Hold"

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6930-428: Is about a distant lover and "Little Star" is about her daughter, Lourdes. Both are superficially vibrant but with underlying subtlety and restrained arrangements prevailing. "Mer Girl", the album's final track, is a surreal meditation on mortality and the death of Madonna's mother, in which she sings, "And I smelled her burning flesh/Her rotting bones, her decay/I ran and I ran/I'm still running away." "She stepped out of

7095-417: Is an electronica and techno-pop record which incorporates multiple genres, including ambient , trip hop , psychedelic music and Middle Eastern music . Mystical themes are strongly present in the music and lyrics as a result of Madonna embracing Kabbalah , her study of Hinduism and Buddhism , and her daily practice of Ashtanga yoga . After giving birth to her first child, Madonna started working on

7260-413: Is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as the " Queen of Pop ", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting and visual presentation. Madonna's works, which incorporate social, political, sexual , and religious themes, have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. A cultural icon spanning both the 20th and 21st centuries,

7425-412: Is an album that is among her most adventurous and lyrically intelligent", while also condemning it as "a lazy, half-arsed effort to sound and take her seriously." The original music video of its title track caused controversy due to its violence and anti-war imagery, and was withdrawn after the 2003 invasion of Iraq started. Madonna voluntarily censored herself for the first time in her career due to

7590-465: Is an uptempo electronic dance-pop song with strong techno and trance influences. A "sonically progressive" track, it also incorporates elements of rock, with a prominent electric guitar riff . Its sound effects include whistles and bleeps . "Candy Perfume Girl" has a grunge intro and continues to pair post-modern beeps and beats with old-fashioned electric guitar flare ups. In the next song, "Skin", Madonna sings "Do I know you from somewhere?" in

7755-447: Is as still as death itself." Ray of Light has also been influential on other artists' work. Canadian singer Nelly Furtado stated that she used it as a template for her album Loose (2006). Moreover, English singer Adele named the record as "one of the chief inspirations" for her third studio album, 25 (2015). Madonna herself has considered Ray of Light the most fulfilling evolution of her career, with her referencing it as

7920-641: Is the role I was born to play. I put everything of me into this because it was much more than a role in a movie. It was exhilarating and intimidating at the same time. And I am prouder of Evita than anything else I have done. —Madonna talking about her role in Evita In February 1996, Madonna began filming the musical Evita in Argentina. For a long time, Madonna had desired to play Argentine political leader Eva Perón and wrote to director Alan Parker to explain why she would be perfect for

8085-600: Is to be open to everything. Pay attention to what makes sense, be absorbed. For me, yoga is the closest thing to our real nature." —Madonna talking about the inspiration behind " Sky Fits Heaven " and "Shanti/Ashtangi". Ray of Light was a notable departure from Madonna's previous work, and has been described as her most "adventurous" record. An electronica , trip hop , techno-pop , and new-age album; it also contains elements of several different types of music, including house , ambient , drum and bass , rock , new wave , eastern and classical music. Vocally,

8250-538: The Billboard 200 . It yielded two top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 , " Borderline " and " Lucky Star ". In late 1983, Madonna's new manager, Freddy DeMann , secured a meeting for her with film producer Jon Peters , who asked her to play the part of a club singer in the romantic drama Vision Quest . In January 1984, Madonna gained more exposure by performing on American Bandstand and Top of

8415-477: The Billboard Hot 100 , setting a record for Madonna as the artist with most number-two hits in the chart history. The song received critical acclaim, and was labelled a masterpiece whose sound was described as "cinematic". However, the Belgian court in 2005 ruled that the opening four-bar theme to the song was plagiarized from the song "Ma vie fout le camp", composed by Salvatore Acquaviva. The ruling forbade

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8580-511: The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time , featuring an article about her written by Britney Spears. In January 2005, Madonna performed a cover version of the John Lennon song " Imagine " at Tsunami Aid . She also performed at the Live 8 benefit concert in London in July 2005. When I wrote American Life , I was very agitated by what was going on in the world around me, ... I was angry. I had

8745-510: The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater , and eventually performing with Pearl Lang Dance Theater. She also studied dance under the tutelage of the noted American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham . Madonna started to work as a backup dancer for other established artists. One night, while returning from a rehearsal, a pair of men held her at knifepoint and forced her to perform fellatio . She later found

8910-860: The Asia-Pacific region during 1998, and sold over one million copies in Asia as of June 1999. Ray of Light achieved its biggest commercial reception in European countries, where it topped the European Top 100 Albums chart and was certified seven times platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for sales of seven million copies, becoming the ninth best-selling album in Europe for

9075-472: The Billboard 200. Caryn Ganz from Rolling Stone complimented it as an "impressive taste of her upcoming tour", while BBC correspondent Mark Savage panned it as "an attempt to harness the urban market". Ray of Light Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna , released in early 1998 by Maverick Records . A major stylistic and aesthetic departure from her previous work, Bedtime Stories , Ray of Light

9240-497: The Billboard Hot 100. The 1998 edition of Guinness Book of World Records documented that "no female artist has sold more records than Madonna around the world". Madonna founded Ray of Light Foundation which focused on women, education, global development and humanitarian. She recorded the single " Beautiful Stranger " for the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me , which earned her

9405-712: The Breakfast Club , for which Madonna sang and played drums and guitar. While with the band, Madonna briefly worked as a hat-check girl at the Russian Tea Room, and she made her acting debut in the low-budget indie film A Certain Sacrifice , which was not released until 1985. In 1980, Madonna left the Breakfast Club with drummer Stephen Bray , who was her boyfriend in Michigan, and they formed

9570-662: The Drowned World Tour , her fifth concert tour, which promoted Ray of Light and its successor album . It started in June 2001 and was Madonna's first tour in eight years. The tour was to be started before the new millennium, but she had become pregnant with her son Rocco Ritchie, released Music that year, and married British film maker Guy Ritchie in December 2000. The show was divided into five sections, Cyber-Punk , Geisha , Cowgirl , Spanish and Ghetto . The Drowned World Tour received positive reviews. The tour

9735-548: The Ray of Light Foundation in 1998 and Raising Malawi in 2006, and advocates for gender equality and LGBT rights . With sales of over 300 million records worldwide, Madonna is the best-selling female recording artist of all time . She is the most successful solo artist in the history of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and has achieved 44 number-one singles in between major global music markets . She became

9900-645: The Re-Invention World Tour in the US, Canada and Europe. It became the highest-grossing tour of 2004, earning around $ 120 million and became the subject of her documentary I'm Going to Tell You a Secret . In November 2004, she was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame as one of its five founding members, along with the Beatles , Elvis Presley , Bob Marley and U2 . Rolling Stone ranked her at number 36 on its special issue of

10065-463: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame called her one of the most "well-documented figures of the modern age" in 2008. Various scholarly reviews, literature , and art works have been created about her along with an academic mini subdiscipline devoted to her called Madonna studies . Madonna moved to New York City in 1978 to pursue a career in dance. After performing as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist in

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10230-427: The electronica -inspired Ray of Light era, and like its predecessor, received acclaim from critics. Collaborating with French producer Mirwais Ahmadzaï , Madonna commented: "I love to work with the weirdos that no one knows about—the people who have raw talent and who are making music unlike anyone else out there. Music is the future of sound." Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic felt that " Music blows by in

10395-520: The greatest woman in music by VH1 , and as the greatest music video artist ever by MTV and Billboard . She was also listed among Rolling Stone ' s greatest artists and greatest songwriters of all time. Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan on August 16, 1958, to Catholic parents Madonna Louise (née Fortin) and Silvio Anthony "Tony" Ciccone. Her father's parents were Italian emigrants from Pacentro while her mother

10560-591: The 1998–2007 period. In the United Kingdom, Ray of Light debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with opening sales of nearly 139,000 copies and remained at the top spot for two weeks. It was certified six times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipment of 1.8 million copies. As of 2018, the album sold 1,730,000 units in the UK according to Official Charts Company . In France, Ray of Light entered

10725-628: The 1999 MuchMusic Video Awards and was nominated for Best Selling Album (Foreign or Domestic) at the 1999 Juno Awards . She also received Best Female and Best Album trophies at the 1998 MTV Europe Music Awards . At the 14th annual International Dance Music Awards , Madonna won Best Dance Solo Artist and Best Dance Video for "Ray of Light". Ray of Light has been credited for bringing electronica music into global pop culture. The Los Angeles Times noted that "aside from occasional breakthroughs such as Fatboy Slim , electronica wasn't totally mainstream fare when Madonna released Ray of Light ." Until

10890-1016: The BMG Music, where the album sold over 459,000 copies. In Canada, the album debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart with first-week sales of 59,900 copies. It was later certified seven-times platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for shipment of 700,000 copies. Ray of Light achieved commercial success in Latin America, being certified 3× platinum in Argentina for 180,000 copies recognized by Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (CAPIF) and platinum in Brazil for shipments of over 250,000 units certified by Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos (ABPD). In Mexico, initial shipments of

11055-519: The DVD packaging were taken by Madonna's friend Rosie O'Donnell . " Frozen " was released as the lead single from the album on February 23, 1998. It peaked inside the top five in most musical markets worldwide, while topping the singles chart in Finland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, where it became Madonna's first single to debut at number one. It became her sixth single to peak at number two on

11220-609: The Eighties." Like a Prayer peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 15 million copies worldwide. Other successful singles from the album were " Express Yourself " and " Cherish ", which both peaked at number two in the US, as well as the UK top-five " Dear Jessie " and the US top-ten " Keep It Together ". By the end of the 1980s, Madonna was named as the "Artist of the Decade" by MTV, Billboard and Musician magazine. Madonna starred as Breathless Mahoney in

11385-463: The Hot 100 chart for six consecutive weeks. It attracted the attention of conservative organizations who complained that the song and its accompanying video promoted premarital sex and undermined family values, and moralists sought to have the song and video banned. Madonna received huge media coverage for her performance of "Like a Virgin" at the first 1984 MTV Video Music Awards . Wearing a wedding dress and white gloves, Madonna appeared on stage atop

11550-473: The Hot 100 number-one " Music ", " Don't Tell Me ", and " What It Feels Like for a Girl ". The music video of "What It Feels Like for a Girl" depicted Madonna committing acts of crime and vandalism, and was banned by MTV and VH1 . Madonna met director Guy Ritchie in mid-1998, and gave birth to their son Rocco John Ritchie in Los Angeles on August 11, 2000. Rocco and Madonna suffered complications from

11715-468: The Pops . Her image, performances and music videos influenced many young girls and women. Madonna's style became one of the female fashion trends of the 1980s . Created by stylist and jewelry designer Maripol , the look consisted of lace tops, skirts over capri pants , fishnet stockings, jewelry bearing the crucifix , bracelets and bleached hair. Madonna's popularity continued to rise globally with

11880-604: The Rolling Stone list was published, showing the album rising 145 spots, at number 222. In 2001, a quarter of a million music fans on VH1 voted Ray of Light as the 10th of "100 Best Albums of All Time". In 2003, Ray of Light was allocated at number 17 on Q magazine readers' list of "100 Greatest Albums Ever". The album is also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . Mojo magazine also listed Ray of Light at number 29 on "100 Modern Classics: The Greatest Albums of Our Lifetime". In 2013,

12045-595: The UK, the film was a commercial and critical failure. In May 2002 she appeared in London in the West End play Up for Grabs at the Wyndhams Theatre (billed as 'Madonna Ritchie'), to universally bad reviews and was described as "the evening's biggest disappointment" by one. That October, she released " Die Another Day ", the title song of the James Bond film Die Another Day , in which she also had

12210-693: The United Kingdom, and charted within the top-five in most musical markets . Worldwide, Ray of Light has sold over 16 million copies and is one of the best-selling albums by women . Five singles were released from the album, including the international top five hits " Frozen " and " Ray of Light ". The album's promotion was later supported by the Drowned World Tour in 2001. Following the release of her compilation album Something to Remember (1995), Madonna started taking vocal lessons in preparation for her role in Evita (1996). She would also give birth to her daughter, Lourdes, later in 1996. These events inspired

12375-607: The Virgin Tour , with the Beastie Boys as her opening act. The tour saw the peak of Madonna wannabe phenomenon, with many female attendees dressing like her. At that time, she released two more songs, " Angel " and " Dress You Up ", making all four singles from the album peak inside the top five on the Hot 100 chart. "Angel" also topped the Australian charts. In July, Penthouse and Playboy magazines published

12540-594: The Year, and was also nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Dance Video and Breakthrough Video. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) honored Madonna two awards of Most Performed Song for "Frozen" and "Ray of Light" at the 1999 ASCAP Pop Music Awards, as well as Top Dance Song for "Ray of Light" at the 1999 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards. Ray of Light also gave Madonna several trophies from various international award shows—including two Danish Grammy Awards for Best International Album and Best International Female Vocalist from IFPI Denmark ,

12705-552: The album as "one of the great pop masterpieces of the '90s" and stated that: "Its lyrics are uncomplicated but its statement is grand" and "Madonna hasn't been this emotionally candid since Like a Prayer ". Rob Sheffield 's review for Rolling Stone called the album "brilliant", but was critical of Orbit's production, saying that he doesn't know enough tricks to produce a whole album, and so becomes repetitive. "Until Simply Red enlist John Zorn , or Mariah Carey works with Tortoise ," Stuart Maconie wrote in Q , "she remains

12870-513: The album brought the genre to the top of music charts, according to author J. Randy Taraborrelli, "techno and electronica had, for years, been the music played at so-called raves, hugely popular, illegal underground parties taking place in abandoned warehouse and deserted areas on the outskirts of town all around the world." AllMusic editor Liana Jonas stated that the album's title track has "brought mainstream attention to electronica music, which ascended from its underground status to wild popularity in

13035-522: The album has continued to receive acclaim and is considered one of the greatest pop albums of all time. Madonna has referred to it as her quintessential album. Ray of Light won four Grammy Awards from a total of six nominations. The album entered the US Billboard 200 at number two, with the biggest first-week sales by a female artist at the time. It also peaked at number one in 17 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain and

13200-408: The album peaked at number-one in numerous countries and sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. The album's lead single, " Frozen ", became Madonna's first single to debut at number one in the UK, while in the US, it became her sixth number-two single, setting another record for Madonna as the artist with the most number-two hits. The second single, " Ray of Light ", debuted at number five on

13365-455: The album was also a marked change from Madonna's previous work; as the singer underwent vocal training lessons for her 1996 film Evita , her vocals exhibited greater breadth and range, as well as a fuller timbre. In many songs, she also abandoned the vibrato which was present in her previous work. Critically, the album is said to have Madonna's most full-bodied vocals. The opening track and third single, " Drowned World/Substitute For Love ",

13530-405: The album was also included at number 241 on NME magazine's list of " The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ". Pitchfork ranked Ray of Light as the 55th best album of the 1990s, "Madonna's trying, with all her might, to evoke the blackest depths and most euphoric joys of the human heart. The album's title track sounds like it was forged inside a meteor; the surreal, pitch-black poem 'Mer Girl'

13695-497: The album were 30,000 units. The album also achieved commercial success in Oceania, debuting at number one on the albums chart in Australia and New Zealand. It was certified triple platinum by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and platinum by Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for shipments of 210,000 and 15,000 copies respectively. Ray of Light became the best-selling album from Warner Music in

13860-431: The album with producers Babyface and Patrick Leonard . Following failed sessions with them, Madonna pursued a new musical direction with English producer William Orbit , which resulted in a much more experimental sound. The recording process was the longest of Madonna's career, and she experienced problems with Orbit's hardware arrangement, which would break down and cause delays until it could be repaired. Ray of Light

14025-523: The album, months. And it wasn't like we were slacking. We actually did have to work fast, and there were many times when we had to move on. One of Madonna's favorite phrases was: 'Don't gild the lily.' In other words, keep it rough, and don't perfect it too much. It's a natural urge for computer buffs to perfect everything because they can, and we were very wary of that." —Orbit on working with Madonna; Keyboard magazine In June 1997, William Orbit met Madonna at her house in New York, and she played him

14190-490: The album. By May 1997, Madonna had started writing songs for the album. She began collaborating with Babyface , who had first worked with her on her previous album Bedtime Stories (1994). The two wrote a couple of songs together before Madonna decided the collaborations were not going in the musical direction she wanted for the album. According to Babyface, the songs "had a ' Take a Bow -ish' kind of vibe, and Madonna didn't want, or need, to repeat herself". After abandoning

14355-541: The album. Madonna then began writing songs with Leonard, who had produced many songs for Madonna in the late 1980s. Unlike her previous albums, Leonard's song writing collaborations were accompanied by very little studio input. Madonna believed that Leonard's production "would have lent the songs more of a Peter Gabriel vibe", a sound that she did not want for the album. Guy Oseary , chairman of Maverick Records, then phoned British electronic musician William Orbit , and suggested that he send some songs to Madonna. Orbit sent

14520-700: The albums chart at number two, staying there for seven weeks before descending the chart. It was certified three times platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) for shipments of 900,000 copies. In Germany, the album reached number one on the Media Control Charts and remained there for seven weeks. It remains Madonna's best-selling album in Germany with three times platinum certification from Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) for shipment of 1.5 million copies. In

14685-533: The audience. In March 1994, she appeared as a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman , using profanity that required censorship on television, and handing Letterman a pair of her panties and asking him to smell it. The releases of her sexually explicit book, album, and film, and the aggressive appearance on Letterman all made critics question Madonna as a sexual renegade. Critics and fans reacted negatively, commenting that "she had gone too far" and her career

14850-594: The author of five children's books. The first of these books, titled The English Roses , was published in September 2003. The story was about four English schoolgirls and their envy and jealousy of each other. The book debuted at the top of The New York Times Best Seller list , and became the fastest-selling children's picture book of all time. Madonna donated all of its proceeds to a children's charity. The next year Madonna and Maverick sued Warner Music Group and its former parent company Time Warner, claiming that mismanagement of resources and poor bookkeeping had cost

15015-792: The band Emmy and the Emmys. They rekindled their romance and moved into the Music Building in Manhattan. The two began writing songs together and they recorded a four-song demo tape in November 1980, but soon after, Madonna decided to promote herself as a solo artiste. In March 1981, Camille Barbone, who ran Gotham Records in the Music Building, signed Madonna to a contract with Gotham and worked as her manager until February 1982. Madonna frequented nightclubs to get disc jockeys to play her demo. DJ Mark Kamins at Danceteria took an interest in her music and they began dating. Kamins arranged

15180-454: The birth due to her experiencing placenta praevia . He was christened at Dornoch Cathedral in Dornoch , Scotland, on December 21, 2000. Madonna married Ritchie the following day at nearby Skibo Castle . After an eight-year absence from touring, Madonna started her Drowned World Tour in June 2001. The tour visited cities in the US and Europe and was the highest-grossing concert tour of

15345-559: The bulk of the album's instrumentation over a four-month period. Orbit recalls playing the guitar until his fingers bled during the long hours he spent in the studio. Orbit also recalled during an interview with Q magazine that Madonna recorded "Swim" the day her friend and fashion designer Gianni Versace was killed in Miami, Florida. He also commented that this is probably why the track has an emotional impact. After some errors in her pronunciation of Sanskrit shloka "Yoga Taravali" during

15510-418: The charts in many countries, becoming her seventh number-one on the Hot 100. Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the album Like a Prayer with Patrick Leonard , Stephen Bray , and Prince . Music critic J. D. Considine from Rolling Stone praised it "as close to art as pop music gets ... proof not only that Madonna should be taken seriously as an artist but that hers is one of the most compelling voices of

15675-504: The company millions of dollars. In return, Warner filed a countersuit alleging that Maverick had lost tens of millions of dollars on its own. The dispute was resolved when the Maverick shares, owned by Madonna and Ronnie Dashev, were purchased by Warner. Madonna and Dashev's company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warner Music, but Madonna was still signed to Warner under a separate recording contract. In mid-2004, Madonna embarked on

15840-527: The compilation The Video Collection 93:99 (1999). "Sky Fits Heaven" was released as a promotional single in the United States. It peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. To promote the album, Madonna made a number of televised appearances and live performances of the album's songs. On February 14, 1998, she debuted "Sky Fits Heaven", "Shanti/Ashtangi" and "Ray of Light" at Roxy NYC nightclub. "Frozen"

16005-562: The early 21st century." The Observer ' s writer Daryl Deino called Ray of Light "a risk-taking album that helped define mainstream electronic dance music." Elliott H. Powell in an American Studies for New York University observed that Ray of Light made South Asian culture accessible to the American public in the 1990s. Rhonda Hammer and Douglas Kellner in their book Media/cultural Studies: Critical Approaches recalled that "the phenomenon of South Asian-inspired femininity as

16170-478: The film Dangerous Game , which was released straight to video in North America. The New York Times described the film as "angry and painful, and the pain feels real." In September 1993, Madonna embarked on The Girlie Show , in which she dressed as a whip-cracking dominatrix surrounded by topless dancers. In Puerto Rico she rubbed the island's flag between her legs on stage, resulting in outrage among

16335-441: The film Dick Tracy (1990), with Warren Beatty playing the title role. The film went to number one on the US box office for two weeks and Madonna received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actress . To accompany the film, she released the soundtrack album, I'm Breathless , which included songs inspired by the film's 1930s setting. It also featured the US number-one song " Vogue " and " Sooner or Later ". While shooting

16500-469: The film, Madonna began a relationship with Beatty, which dissolved shortly after the premiere. In April 1990, Madonna began her Blond Ambition World Tour , which ended in August. Rolling Stone called it an "elaborately choreographed, sexually provocative extravaganza" and proclaimed it "the best tour of 1990". The tour generated strong negative reaction from religious groups for her performance of "Like

16665-451: The first ever woman to accumulate US$ 1 billion in concert revenue , with six of her solo headlining tours having grossed over US$ 100 million each. Forbes has named her the world's highest-paid female musician a record 11 times across four separate decades (1980s–2010s). Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, her first year of eligibility. She was ranked as

16830-465: The first museum retrospective for her former boyfriend artist Jean-Michel Basquiat at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. In October 1992, Madonna simultaneously released her fifth studio album, Erotica , and her coffee table book , Sex . Consisting of sexually provocative and explicit images, photographed by Steven Meisel , the book received strong negative reaction from

16995-682: The hallways between classes, dangle by her knees from the monkey bars during recess, and pull up her skirt during class—all so that the boys could see her underwear. She later admitted to seeing herself in her youth as a "lonely girl who was searching for something. I wasn't rebellious in a certain way. I cared about being good at something. I didn't shave my underarms or legs, and I didn't wear make-up like normal girls do. But I studied and I got good grades... I wanted to be somebody." Madonna's father put her in classical piano lessons, but she later convinced him to allow her to take ballet lessons. Christopher Flynn, her ballet teacher, persuaded her to pursue

17160-751: The incident to be "a taste of my weakness, it showed me that I still could not save myself in spite of all the strong-girl show. I could never forget it." In 1979, Madonna became romantically involved with musician Dan Gilroy . Shortly after meeting him, she successfully auditioned to perform in Paris with French disco artist Patrick Hernandez as his backup singer and dancer. During her three months with Hernandez's troupe, she also traveled to Tunisia before returning to New York in August 1979. Madonna moved into an abandoned synagogue where Gilroy lived and rehearsed in Corona, Queens . Together they formed her first band,

17325-473: The issue dated March 21, 1998. It set the record for biggest first-week sales by a female artist in Nielsen SoundScan era at that time with 371,000 copies sold. However, the album was not able to top the soundtrack album of the motion picture Titanic , becoming Madonna's fifth album to peak at the runner-up position. During the second week, the album sold 225,000 copies and was still kept off

17490-431: The lathe of cynical pop manipulation, rather it's been squished out of a lump of clay on a foot-powered wheel. Lovingly teased into life, Ray of Light is like the ugly mug that doesn't match but is all the more special because of it." Joan Anderman from The Boston Globe said Ray of Light is a remarkable album. He described it as a deeply spiritual dance record, ecstatically textured, a serious cycle of songs that goes

17655-616: The latter reached number one in countries across Europe. Madonna was presented with the Artist Achievement Award by Tony Bennett at the 1996 Billboard Music Awards . On October 14, 1996, she gave birth to Lourdes "Lola" Maria Ciccone Leon , her daughter with fitness trainer Carlos Leon. Biographer Mary Cross writes that although Madonna often worried that her pregnancy would harm Evita , she reached some important personal goals: "Now 38 years old, Madonna had at last triumphed on screen and achieved her dream of having

17820-426: The lattermost won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress , many of her other films were not as well received. As a businesswoman , she founded the company Maverick in 1992, which included Maverick Records, one of the most successful artist-run labels in history. Madonna's other ventures include fashion brands , written works , health clubs and filmmaking. She contributes to various charities , having founded

17985-502: The lyric are taken from the poem What Fits? by poet Max Blagg , the poem used for a 1993 advertisement for Gap Inc. "Shanti/Ashtangi" is a Hindu prayer and up-tempo techno song sung by Madonna in Sanskrit, over a driving dance rhythm. The techno dance track features Madonna singing the adapted version of Shankaracharya entirely in Sanskrit with lines such as "Vunde gurunam caranaravinde/Sandarsita svatma sukhavabodhe". "Frozen",

18150-461: The media and the general public, but sold 1.5 million copies at $ 50 each in a matter of days. The widespread backlash overshadowed Erotica , which ended up as her lowest selling album at the time. Despite positive reviews, it became her first studio album since her debut album not to score any chart-topper in the US. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number two. It yielded the Hot 100 top-ten hits " Erotica " and " Deeper and Deeper ". At

18315-482: The music she had already worked on with other producers, which he felt sounded "slick". Sessions with Orbit began soon afterwards at the Hit Factory , where Orbit then gave Madonna a tape of musical snippets he was working on, which were usually eight or sixteen- bar phrases and stripped-down versions of tracks that would later be heard on the album. Madonna listened to the samples, over and over again, until she

18480-399: The ninth track and album's first single, is a mid-tempo electronic ballad which has a layered sound enhanced by synthesizers and strings . The song additionally contains ambient qualities, a moderate dance rhythm during the chorus and techno-influenced beats towards the end. Madonna's vocals throughout the song lack vibrato, and have drawn comparisons to medieval music . Lyrically, the song

18645-432: The official charts of 17 countries. It broke the record as Warner Music Group 's album with most shipments before its release at 2.5 million units worldwide, excluding the U.S. The album managed to sell 3 million copies in five days. With over 16 million copies, Ray of Light is one of the best-selling albums by women . In the United States, Ray of Light debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 albums chart on

18810-462: The only pop aristocrat who's keeping her ears open." David Browne of Entertainment Weekly wrote: "For all her grapplings with self-enlightenment, Madonna seems more relaxed and less contrived than she's been in years, from her new Italian earth-mother makeover to, especially, her music. Ray of Light is truly like a prayer, and you know she'll take you there." Roni Sarig, in City Pages ,

18975-536: The other stars of the concert, including Sting , Elton John , and Billy Joel to perform " With a Little Help From My Friends " and " Twist and Shout " with them. On May 29, Madonna appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and sang "Little Star" and "Ray of Light" there. On September 10, she opened 1998 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City with the performance of "Shanti/Ashtangi" and "Ray of Light" featuring Lenny Kravitz on guitar. "The Power of Good-Bye"

19140-548: The painstaking intimacy of diary entries and wrapping them in hymn-like melodies and instrumentation swathed in lush, melancholy ambience—with forays into classic house, trance, and even guitar pop. Of course, she balances the set's serious tone with chewy pop nuggets that allow her to flex her immeasurably widened vocal range to fine effect." He finished the review by calling the album "a deliciously adventurous, ultimately victorious effort from one of pop music's most compelling performers." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine described

19305-433: The part. After securing the title role, she received vocal coaching and learned about the history of Argentina and Perón. During filming Madonna became ill several times, after finding out that she was pregnant, and from the intense emotional effort required with the scenes. Upon Evita ' s release in December 1996, Madonna's performance received praise from film critics. Zach Conner of Time magazine remarked, "It's

19470-642: The pictures yet'. She said, 'You're working for me and I say we're done'. I said, 'No, we carry on'. The picture she used on the cover came after that". "I feel that talking about it trivializes it. I've been studying the Cabala [ sic ], which is the mystical interpretation of the Torah. I've studied Buddhism and Hinduism and I've been practicing yoga and obviously I know a lot about Catholicism. There are indisputable truths that connect all of them, and I find that very comforting and kind. My spiritual journey

19635-480: The political climate of the country, saying that "there was a lynch mob mentality that was going on that wasn't pretty and I have children to protect." The song stalled at number 37 on the Hot 100, while the album became her lowest-selling album at that point with four million copies worldwide. Madonna gave another provocative performance later that year at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards , when she kissed singers Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera while singing

19800-700: The production of Speed-the-Plow at the Royale Theatre from May to August 1988. According to the Associated Press , Madonna filed an assault report against Penn after an alleged incident at their Malibu home during the New Year's weekend. Madonna filed for divorce on January 5, 1989, and the following week she reportedly asked that no criminal charges be pressed. In January 1989, Madonna signed an endorsement deal with soft-drink manufacturer Pepsi . In one Pepsi commercial, she debuted " Like

19965-642: The release of her second studio album, Like a Virgin , in November 1984. It became her first number-one album in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the UK and the US. Like a Virgin became the first album by a female to sell over five million copies in the US. It was later certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold over 21 million copies worldwide. The album's title track served as its first single, and topped

20130-443: The rest of Europe, Ray of Light topped the official charts of Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Spain and Switzerland. At the 41st Annual Grammy Awards , Ray of Light received four awards out of six nominations. The album won Best Pop Album and Best Recording Package , and was nominated for Album of the Year , while the title track won Best Dance Recording and Best Short Form Music Video , and

20295-439: The rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy & The Emmys, she rose to solo stardom with her 1983 eponymous debut studio album . Madonna followed it with a series of successful albums , including all-time bestsellers Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), and The Immaculate Collection (1990), the critically acclaimed Like a Prayer (1989), as well as Grammy Award winners Ray of Light (1998) and Confessions on

20460-543: The sale of the single and the entire Ray of Light album, as well as other compilations that included the track in Belgium. In February 2014, a Belgian court ruled that Madonna did not plagiarize Acquaviva's work for "Frozen". The court spoke of a "new capital offense" in the file: composer Edouard Scotto Di Suoccio and societies Tabata Atoll Music and Music in Paris had also filed a complaint for plagiarism. According to them, both "Ma vie fout le camp" and "Frozen" originated in

20625-463: The same shoot serve as the artworks for the "Ray of Light" and "Frozen" singles, where Madonna models items from Prada 's Spring/Summer 1998 collection. Madonna and Testino had previously collaborated for a Versace brand collection two years earlier. Madonna was impressed with the natural look Testino had captured, so she booked him again for the album's photoshoot. He recalled, "At 2pm she said, 'OK, I'm tired. We're done'. And I said, 'But I don't have

20790-1116: The same time, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) announced officially that Madonna had sold over 200 million copies of her albums alone worldwide. While on tour, Madonna founded the charitable organization Raising Malawi , and partially funded an orphanage in and traveling to that country. While there, she decided to adopt a boy named David Banda in October 2006. The adoption raised strong public reaction, because Malawian law requires would-be parents to reside in Malawi for one year before adopting, which Madonna did not do. She addressed this on The Oprah Winfrey Show , saying that there were no written adoption laws in Malawi that regulated foreign adoption. Madonna described how Banda had been suffering from pneumonia after surviving malaria and tuberculosis when they first met. Banda's biological father, Yohane, commented: "These so-called human rights activists are harassing me every day, threatening me that I am not aware of what I am doing ... They want me to support their court case,

20955-488: The song "Blood Night" which they composed in 1983. After all three tracks in the case were compared, the final ruling was that the songs were "not sufficiently 'original' to claim" that any plagiarism had taken place. This ruling ended the eight-year ban of the song that was in place in Belgium since 2005. The album's second single, " Ray of Light ", was released on April 27, 1998. It peaked at number one in Spain and attained

21120-486: The song "Shanti/Ashtangi", the BBC arranged for Madonna to take telephonic lessons to learn the basic correct pronunciation of Sanskrit words from eminent scholar Vagish Shastri . She then made the necessary pronunciation corrections on the album. In a 1997 interview with Kurt Loder for MTV , Madonna discussed the impact of giving birth to her daughter prior to the album, stating "I think probably having her's set me off on

21285-432: The songs from each album's tracklist. The artwork was taken from a November 28, 1997, photoshoot with Peruvian photographer Mario Testino . In terms of styling, Madonna and stylist Lori Goldstein opted for textures evocative of the elements water and air , which are recurrent themes on the album. For the album cover, Madonna wears a turquoise Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 1998 vinyl raincoat . Other pictures from

21450-399: The songs she had written with Babyface, Madonna turned to musician Rick Nowels , who had previously co-written songs with Stevie Nicks and Celine Dion . The collaboration produced seven songs in nine days, but those songs also did not display the album's future electronic musical direction. Three of the songs, " The Power of Good-Bye ", "To Have and Not to Hold" and "Little Star", appear on

21615-421: The stadium for their A Head Full of Dreams Tour on May 24, 2016 for a sold out crowd of 53,566. This article about a French sports venue is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article on a music performance venue is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Madonna (entertainer) Madonna Louise Ciccone ( / tʃ ɪ ˈ k oʊ n i / ; born August 16, 1958)

21780-433: The stadium was Muse for their The 2nd Law World Tour on June 26 2013. Pop superstar Michael Jackson performed at the stadium twice : during his Bad World Tour on August 14, 1988, in front of 35,000 people and during his HIStory World Tour on July 27, 1997, in front of 38,000 people. Coldplay performed a sold-out concert at the stadium as part of their Mylo Xyloto Tour on May 22, 2012. The band came back to

21945-496: The summer of 1997, where the album was predominantly recorded. For most of the recording process, only three other people were in the studio with Madonna: William Orbit, engineer Pat McCarthy, and his assistant engineer, Matt Silva. Sessions were initially plagued with machinery problems, as Orbit preferred to work with samples and synth sounds, and not with live musicians. The computers would break down, and recording would have to be delayed until they could be repaired. Orbit recorded

22110-427: The time Madonna had been dating rapper Vanilla Ice and she at one point proposed to him; they broke up following the release of Sex , with Ice claiming that he was included in the book without his consent. Madonna continued her provocative imagery in the 1993 erotic thriller , Body of Evidence , a film which contained scenes of sadomasochism and bondage . Critics poorly received the film. She also starred in

22275-414: The time, and remains Madonna's bestselling studio album, with sales of 25 million copies. True Blue was featured in the 1992 edition of Guinness World Records as the bestselling album by a woman of all time. Madonna starred in the critically panned film Shanghai Surprise in 1986, for which she received her first Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress . She made her theatrical debut in

22440-569: The title role in the 1985 comedy Desperately Seeking Susan , a film which introduced the song " Into the Groove ", her first number-one single in the UK. Her popularity caused the film to be perceived as a Madonna vehicle, despite how she was not billed as a lead actress . The New York Times film critic Vincent Canby named it one of the ten best films of 1985. Beginning in April 1985, Madonna embarked on her first concert tour in North America,

22605-530: The top five position in Canada, Finland, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. It entered the Hot 100 at number five, becoming Madonna's highest debut on the chart ever. The song was also a hit on Hot Dance Club Play chart, remaining at number one for four weeks, and became the "Top Hot Dance Club Play Single" of 1998. Critically, it also received positive reviews, being praised for its club-perfect, yet "sonically progressive" sound, as well as her powerful vocals. " Drowned World/Substitute for Love "

22770-473: The top spot by the soundtrack. On March 16, 2000, the album was certified four times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of four million units of the album. Madonna became the first female artist to have seven multi-platinum studio albums by RIAA. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Ray of Light had sold 3,900,000 copies in the United States as of February 2023. This figure does not include units sold through clubs like

22935-544: The track " Hollywood ". In October 2003, she provided guest vocals on Spears' single " Me Against the Music ". It was followed with the release of Remixed & Revisited . The EP contained remixed versions of songs from American Life and included "Your Honesty", a previously unreleased track from the Bedtime Stories recording sessions. Madonna also signed a contract with Callaway Arts & Entertainment to be

23100-453: The vocal booth," Orbit recalled of its recording, "and everybody was rooted to the spot. It was just one of those moments. Really spooky." Ray of Light was released in Japan on February 22, 1998, with an additional Japan-only bonus track "Has to Be". The album was later released in the United States on March 3, 1998. In New Zealand, a box set of Ray of Light and The Immaculate Collection

23265-412: The world in an edited form. The same year, Madonna released her ninth studio album, American Life , which was based on her observations of American society. She explained that the record was "like a trip down memory lane, looking back at everything I've accomplished and all the things I once valued and all the things that were important to me." Larry Flick from The Advocate felt that " American Life

23430-413: The year by a solo artist, earning $ 75 million from 47 sold-out shows. She also released her second greatest-hits collection, GHV2 , which compiled 15 singles during the second decade of her recording career. The album debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 and sold seven million units worldwide. Madonna starred in the film Swept Away , directed by Ritchie. Released direct-to-video in

23595-475: The year in the US. She recorded the film's theme song, " This Used to Be My Playground ", which became her tenth number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, the most by any female artist at the time. In April, Madonna founded her own entertainment company, Maverick , consisting of a record company (Maverick Records), a film production company (Maverick Films), and associated music publishing, television broadcasting, book publishing, and merchandising divisions. The deal

23760-492: Was a commercial success, grossing a total of US$ 75 million, and it was the top concert tour of a solo artist in 2001. The concert was broadcast live on HBO from The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan , on August 26, 2001. The Drowned World Tour 2001 DVD was released in all regions on November 13, 2001. Like the original airing of the show, the DVD received very good reviews. The photographs used on

23925-496: Was a joint venture with Time Warner and paid Madonna an advance of $ 60 million. It gave her 20% royalties from the music proceedings, the highest rate in the industry at the time, equaled only by Michael Jackson 's royalty rate established a year earlier with Sony . Her company later went on to become one of the most successful artist-run labels in history, producing multi-platinum artists such as Alanis Morissette and Michelle Branch . Later that year, Madonna co-sponsored

24090-439: Was dissatisfied with the completed tracks and disagreed with Lucas' production techniques, so she decided to seek additional help. She asked John "Jellybean" Benitez , the resident DJ at Fun House, to help finish the album's production and a romance ensued. Benitez remixed most of the tracks and produced " Holiday ", which was her first international top-ten song. The album was released in July 1983, and peaked at number eight on

24255-672: Was dominated by boybands and teenage artists such as the Backstreet Boys , NSYNC , Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera . Larry Flick from Billboard said that the album "not only provided the chameleon-like artist with her first universally applauded critical success, it has also proved that she remains a vital figure amongst woefully fickle young audiences." Music critic Lucy O'Brien commented: "1998's Ray of Light certainly rehabilitated Madonna's image. Up to that point she had still been written off as an average pop glamour girl who got lucky, but with this record she reached

24420-507: Was in a relationship with artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and living at his loft in SoHo . Basquiat introduced her to art curator Diego Cortez , who had managed some punk bands and co-founded the Mudd Club . Madonna invited Cortez to be her manager, but he declined. Following the success of the singles, Warner hired Reggie Lucas to produce her debut album, Madonna . However, Madonna

24585-717: Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility. She did not sing at the ceremony but asked fellow Hall of Fame inductees and Michigan natives the Stooges to perform her songs "Burning Up" and "Ray of Light". Madonna released her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy , in April 2008. Containing R&B and urban pop influences, the songs on Hard Candy were autobiographical in nature and saw Madonna collaborating with Justin Timberlake , Timbaland , Pharrell Williams and Nate "Danja" Hills . The album debuted at number one in 37 countries and on

24750-435: Was inspired by Arthur Golden 's book Memoirs of a Geisha , and featured Madonna dressed as a geisha . Ray of Light received universal acclaim from critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic called it Madonna's "most adventurous record" and "most mature and restrained album". Paul Verna of Billboard commented: "Easily her most mature and personal work to date, Ray of Light finds Madonna weaving lyrics with

24915-435: Was inspired by and dedicated to her husband Penn. Rolling Stone was impressed with the effort, writing that the album "sound[s] as if it comes from the heart". Five singles were released—" Live to Tell ", " Papa Don't Preach ", " True Blue ", " Open Your Heart ", and " La Isla Bonita "—all of which reached number one in the US or the UK. The album topped the charts in 28 countries worldwide, an unprecedented achievement at

25080-483: Was inspired to write lyrics. Once she had an idea about the lyrical direction of the song, she would take her ideas back to Orbit, and they would expand on the original music ideas. As most of the instrumental demos pre-existed, Madonna worked on the lyrics and melodies while at home or while travelling. "[Guy Oseary]'s our discerning ear, ... He's the guy that comes in and withholds all compliments. We'll play him tracks and then he says nothing and leaves and then we have

25245-451: Was met with universal acclaim upon its release and is often considered Madonna's magnum opus . Critics praised the singer's new musical direction, contemplative songwriting, and mature vocals, alongside Orbit's complex, innovative production. The album has also been credited with introducing electronica into mainstream pop culture and affirming the 39-year-old Madonna's relevance during a period of major teen-marketed artists. Retrospectively,

25410-702: Was most impressed by Madonna's vocal range, depth, and clarity and called Ray of Light "her richest, most accomplished record yet". Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "One reason why her new Ray of Light is the most satisfying album of her career is that it reflects the soul-searching of a woman who is at a point in her life where she can look at herself with surprising candor and perspective." In Melody Maker , Mark Roland drew comparisons with St Etienne and Björk 's Homogenic album, highlighting Ray of Light ' s lack of cynicism as its most positive aspect: "It's not an album turned on

25575-413: Was nominated for Record of the Year . The album gave Madonna her first musical Grammy of her career, as previously she had only won in the video category. Madonna also became the biggest winner of the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards , winning six awards from nine nominations. "Frozen" won Best Special Effects ; "Ray of Light" won Best Choreography, Best Direction, Best Editing, Best Female Video and Video of

25740-671: Was of French-Canadian descent. Tony Ciccone worked as an optics engineer for Chrysler Defense and its successor, General Dynamics Land Systems , on military projects. Since Madonna had the same name as her mother, family members called her "Little Nonnie". Her mother died of breast cancer on December 1, 1963. She was raised in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac and Avon Township (now Rochester Hills ), alongside her two older brothers—Anthony (1956–2023) and Martin (born 1957) —and three younger siblings—Paula (born 1959), Christopher (1960–2024), and Melanie (born 1962). Madonna adopted Veronica as

25905-601: Was over. Around this time, Madonna briefly dated rapper Tupac Shakur and basketball player Dennis Rodman . Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli described her ballad " I'll Remember " (1994) as an attempt to tone down her provocative image. The song was recorded for Alek Keshishian 's 1994 film With Honors . She made a subdued appearance with Letterman at an awards show and appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after realizing that she needed to change her musical direction to sustain her popularity. With her sixth studio album, Bedtime Stories (1994), Madonna employed

26070-572: Was performed on The National Lottery Show in the UK (February 21), 1998 Sanremo Music Festival in Italy (February 24), Wetten, dass..? in Germany (February 28) and the Rosie O'Donnell Show in the United States (March 13). On April 27, Madonna made an unannounced appearance at the Rock for the Rainforest benefit concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City to sing "Frozen". She also joined

26235-409: Was released in May 1991. Chronicling her Blond Ambition World Tour, it became the highest-grossing documentary of all time (surpassed eleven years later by Michael Moore 's Bowling for Columbine ). In 1992, Madonna starred in A League of Their Own as Mae Mordabito, a baseball player on an all-women's team. It reached number one on the box-office and became the tenth-highest-grossing film of

26400-503: Was released in November 2005. Musically the album was structured like a club set composed by a DJ. It was acclaimed by critics, with Keith Caulfield from Billboard commenting that the album was a "welcome return to form for the Queen of Pop." The album won a Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album . Confessions on a Dance Floor and its lead single, " Hung Up ", went on to reach number one in 40 and 41 countries respectively, earning

26565-410: Was released on August 24, 1998, as the third single outside the United States. It reached number one in Spain and the top ten in Italy and the United Kingdom. The music video , directed by Walter Stern, caused controversy due to scenes that featured Madonna being chased by paparazzi on motor-bikes, a scenario similar to Princess Diana 's death in 1997. The fourth single, " The Power of Good-Bye ",

26730-500: Was released on September 22, 1998. It reached the top-ten peaks in Austria, Canada, Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom. In the United States, the song peaked at number eleven on the Hot 100. Its music video was directed by Matthew Rolston . "The Power of Good-Bye" was released as a dual single with "Little Star" in the United Kingdom. "The Power of Good-Bye" also charted at number 91 as

26895-405: Was released to accompany the album. It reached number 12 on the albums chart and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for shipment of 7,500 copies. A promotional instore VHS compilation titled Rays of Light was released in the United Kingdom in 1999, compiling all the music videos to all five singles from the album. All five videos were later included on

27060-403: Was sung at the 1998 MTV Europe Music Awards in Italy (November 12) and Top of the Pops in the UK (November 19). On February 24, 1999, Madonna performed "Nothing Really Matters" at the 41st Grammy Awards ceremony at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Madonna performed "Drowned World/Substitute For Love", "Ray of Light", "Candy Perfume Girl", "Sky Fits Heaven", "Frozen" and "Mer Girl" on

27225-672: Was the first time I'd ever taken a plane, the first time I'd ever gotten a taxi cab. I came here with $ 35 in my pocket. It was the bravest thing I'd ever done." Madonna soon found an apartment in the Alphabet City neighborhood of the East Village and had little money while working as a hatcheck girl for the Russian Tea Room , an elevator operator at Terrace on the Park , and with modern dance troupes, taking classes at

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