Over the course of forty-plus years at the top of pop, Madonna has journeyed through all manner of distinctive eras. From the Like A Virgin’s faux-demure bride and the ripped aerobics instructor of Confessions on A Dancefloor to Madame X’s pantomime pirate (complete with eye patch) she’s an artist who specialises in the art of reinvention.
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It was, by any measure, an inauspicious beginning. Forty years ago this month, Madonna released her self-titled debut album. It barely made a ripple, landing at the 190th spot on the Billboard 200 chart.