The Queen of Pop Still Rules
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Photo courtesy of Julien's Auctions.
Nicknamed the “Queen of Pop” Madonna defies expectation and survives and thrives in a music industry that disdains female aging.
“Madonna has taught young women to be fully female and sexual while still exercising total control over their lives. She shows girls how to be attractive, sensual, energetic, ambitious, aggressive, and funny—all at the same time,” social critic Camille Paglia wrote in a 1990 New York Times op-ed.
“Don’t tell me I can’t be sexual and intelligent at the same time.”
The pop icon once explained to Dick Clark on American Bandstand that her intention was “to rule the world.” She redefined what a mainstream female pop star could say, do and get away with in public.
Unconventional and unpredictable her audiences can’t get enough.
“Don’t tell me I can’t be sexual and intelligent at the same time,” she once told People Magazine.
The American singer, songwriter and actress came to New York at 19 in 1978 from Michigan looking to make it as a dancer. She had 35$ in her pocket and worked odd jobs to sustain herself. She started in the industry as a backup dancer for performers and recorded records so she could have something to dance to. She never planned on being a singer.
“The first year, I was held up at gunpoint. Raped on the roof of a building I was dragged up to with a knife in my back, and had my apartment broken into three times. I don't know why; I had nothing of value after they took my radio the first time," Madonna said.
Things began to change for Madonna when she hired her first manager Camille Barbone. That was the beginning of her rise to stardom. Camille helped Madonna establish herself as a pop artist, and guided her through the problems of being a woman in the 80s' music industry heavily dominated by men.
Madonna recorded "Material Girl” for her second studio album “Like a Virgin” in 1984. She often says she regrets recording "Material Girl" because its title became a nickname for her in the media. Madonna added that the idea for the song was indicative of her life at that time, and she liked it because it felt provocative.
It was during her Blonde Ambition World Tour in 1990, where she won her first Grammy Award for “Best Long Form Music Video.” By the end of the 1980s she was named the “Artist of the Decade” by MTV, Billboard and Musician magazine. Her most recent album, “Madame X” was released in June 2019
For over three decades Madonna has crushed boundaries and remained ever-present in the pop world. From starving waitress in a teeny New York apartment to world-renowned performer Madonna defies explanation.
“I think the ultimate challenge is to have some kind of style and grace, even though you haven’t got money, or standing in society, or formal education,” she said. “I had a very middle, lower-middle class sort of upbringing, but I identify with people who’ve had, at some point in their lives to struggle to survive. It adds another color to your character.”
Today as a global icon she has sold an estimated 300 million albums worldwide.
On May 20 and 22, 2022, Julien’s Auctions featured its Music Icons sale.
Here are some current values for Madonna items sold in the auction.
Madonna
Original Promotional Poster; Who’s That Girl; 1987; 20 inches by 30 inches; $320.
Adidas Jersey; tour worn; The Girlie Show; 1993; $21,875.
Coat Dress; Instagram worn Yves Saint Laurent for Christian Dior; 2021; $21,875.
Vintage Gown; W Magazine worn; for fashion spread; 2009; $28,125.
Video-Worn Gown; Material Girl; stole, gloves and bracelets, with DVD; 1985; $287,500.
