Madonna

Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958), known artistically as Madonna, is an American musician and entertainer. Raised in Detroit, Michigan, Madonna moved to New York City to pursue a career in ballet. After performing as a member of the pop musical groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she began a career as a solo recording artist with the release of her self-titled debut album in 1983. Madonna has since been regarded as "one of the greatest pop acts of all time", dubbed the "Queen of Pop" by the media.

Madonna rose to stardom, producing three consecutive number one studio albums on the Billboard 200: Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), and Like a Prayer (1989). Though the entertainer faced negative critical publicity and modest sales on subsequent albums Erotica (1992) and Bedtime Stories (1994), she garnered critical acclaim with the release of her seventh studio album Ray of Light (1998), which opened at number two. Madonna continued to remain in the forefront of pop music with four more consecutive number one studio albums; Music (2000) American Life (2003) Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005) and Hard Candy (2008).

Madonna made her acting debut with the low-budget feature film A Certain Sacrifice (1979) and went on to star in the 1985 box office hit Desperately Seeking Susan, her first starring role. She then starred in the relatively unsuccessful Shanghai Surprise (1986), Body of Evidence (1993), The Next Best Thing (2000) and Swept Away (2002)—in addition to numerous supporting roles and cameo appearances. She also starred in the box office hits Dick Tracy (1990), A League of Their Own (1992) and Evita (1996)—based on the musical of the same name, which earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

Madonna is ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America as the "Best Selling Female Rock Artist of the Twentieth Century" and the second top-selling female artist in the United States with 63 million certified albums.Guinness World Records lists her as the "World’s most successful female recording artist of all time" and the top earning female singer in the world with an estimated net worth of over $400 million, having sold over 200 million albums worldwide.On March 10, 2008, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.