Madonna Louise Verónica Ciccone (born on 16 August 1958 in Bay City, Michigan, United States), known simply as Madonna, is a recording artist, entrepreneur and occasional actress. Throughout her career, often referred to as The Queen of Pop, many of her songs have hit number one on the record charts, including Like a Virgin, Papa Don't Preach, Like a Prayer, Vogue, Frozen, Music, Hung Up, & 4 Minutes. Madonna has been praised by critics for her diverse musical productions while at the same time serving as a lightning rod for religious controversy (specifically and especially with the Catholic Church). Her career has been further enhanced by film appearances, despite mixed reviews. ...show more

Madonna Louise Verónica Ciccone (born on 16 August 1958 in Bay City, Michigan, United States), known simply as Madonna, is a recording artist, entrepreneur and occasional actress. Throughout her career, often referred to as The Queen of Pop, many of her songs have hit number one on the record charts, including Like a Virgin, Papa Don't Preach, Like a Prayer, Vogue, Frozen, Music, Hung Up, & 4 Minutes. Madonna has been praised by critics for her diverse musical productions while at the same time serving as a lightning rod for religious controversy (specifically and especially with the Catholic Church). Her career has been further enhanced by film appearances, despite mixed reviews.

She won critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her role in Evita (1996), but has received harsh feedback for other film roles. Madonna's other ventures include being a fashion designer, children's book author, film director and producer. She has been acclaimed as a businesswoman, and in 2007, she signed an unprecedented US $120 million contract with Live Nation. Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the world's top-selling female recording artist of all time by the Guinness World Records.

In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Madonna number two (after The Beatles) on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, making her the most successful solo artist in the history of the chart. Considered to be one of the "25 Most Powerful Women of the 20th Century" by Time for being an influential figure in contemporary music, Madonna is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry. She is recognized as an inspiration among numerous music artists. After signing to Sire Records in 1982, Madonna's debut single Everybody was released in October of the same year. ...show less