Madonna Net Worth 2025

Madonna
Madonna in 2023
Born	Madonna Louise Ciccone (1958-08-16) August 16, 1958 (age 67) Bay City, Michigan, US
Occupations	Singer songwriter record producer actress
Years active	1979–present
Works	Albums songs singles unreleased videos concerts films books fashion brands
Spouses	Sean Penn ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 1989)​ Guy Ritchie ​ ​ (m. 2000; div. 2008)​
Partner	Carlos Leon (1995–1997)
Children	6, including Lourdes Leon
Relatives	Christopher Ciccone (brother)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	New York City, US
Genres	Pop electronica dance
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Labels	Warner Sire Maverick Interscope
Formerly of	Breakfast Club Emmy
Musical artist
Website	madonna.com
Signature

Madonna Louise Ciccone^[a] (/tʃɪˈkoʊni/ chih-KOH-nee; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Queen of Pop", she has become a cultural icon spanning both the 20th and 21st centuries. Madonna is known for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation, with works that incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes and have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. She is often deemed one of the greatest entertainers in the history of popular music.

Madonna moved to New York City in 1978 to pursue a career in dance. After performing as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist in the rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy, she rose to solo stardom with her debut studio album, Madonna (1983). She has since earned eighteen multi-platinum albums, including Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), and The Immaculate Collection (1990)—some of the best-selling albums of all time—and Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005), her 21st-century bestseller. Like a Prayer (1989), Ray of Light (1998), and Music (2000) were ranked among Rolling Stone's greatest albums of all time. Madonna's top-charting singles include "Like a Virgin", "Material Girl", "La Isla Bonita", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Take a Bow", "Frozen", "Music", "Hung Up", and "4 Minutes".

Madonna has starred in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), A League of Their Own (1992), and Evita (1996), with the lattermost winning her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. Many of her other films were not well-received. Her business endeavors include the company Maverick (1992–2009), which included Maverick Records—one of the most successful artist-run labels. Madonna's other ventures encompass fashion brands, written works, health clubs, and filmmaking. She contributes to various charities, having founded the Ray of Light Foundation in 1998 and Raising Malawi in 2006, and advocates for gender equality and LGBT rights.

Madonna is the best-selling female music artist of all time and the first female performer to accumulate US$1 billion from her concerts. She is the most successful solo artist on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and has 44 number-one singles across major global music markets. Her accolades include seven Grammy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, 20 MTV Video Music Awards, and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Madonna was the world's highest-paid female musician for a record eleven years across four decades (1980s–2010s). She has become the subject of various scholarly, literary, and artistic works, as well as a mini-academic sub-discipline called Madonna studies.

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan, on August 16, 1958.^[2] Her father, Silvio "Tony" Ciccone, worked as an optics and military engineer and physicist for Chrysler Defense and later General Dynamics Land Systems; her mother, Madonna Louise (née Fortin), was an X-ray technician.^[3] Tony's parents were Italian emigrants from Pacentro, while her mother was of French-Canadian descent.^[4] Since Madonna shared her name with her mother, family members referred to her as "Little Nonnie".^[5] Madonna was raised in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac and Avon Township (now Rochester Hills), alongside her two older brothers, Anthony and Martin, and her three younger siblings, Paula, Christopher, and Melanie.^[6][7]

When Madonna was five years old, her mother died of breast cancer on December 1, 1963.^[8] In 1966, she adopted Veronica as a confirmation name upon receiving the sacrament in the Catholic Church.^[9] That same year, Tony married the family's housekeeper, Joan Gustafson. They were married for 58 years until Joan's death in 2024, and had three children: Joey (who died shortly after his 1967 birth from a heart defect), Jennifer, and Mario.^[10][11] Madonna attended St. Frederick's and St. Andrew's Catholic elementary schools, as well as West Middle School.^[12] She earned high grades—her father gave her a quarter for every A—and was notorious for her unconventional behavior. Madonna performed cartwheels and handstands in the hallways between classes, hung upside down from the monkey bars during recess, and lifted her skirt in class to amuse the boys.^[13]

In retrospect, Madonna described herself as a "lonely girl who was searching for something", explaining: "I wasn't rebellious in a certain way. I cared about being good at something. I didn't shave under my arms and I didn't wear makeup like normal girls do. But I studied and I got good grades [...] I wanted to be somebody."^[14] Her father initially enrolled her in classical piano lessons, but she eventually persuaded him to let her study ballet instead. Her ballet teacher, Christopher Flynn, inspired her to pursue a career in dance.^[15] While attending Rochester Adams High School, Madonna was a straight-A student and a member of the cheerleading squad.^[16] After graduating in January 1976, she received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan and spent the summer studying at the American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina.^[17]

In 1978, Madonna left college and moved to New York City.^[18] She called the decision "the bravest thing [she'd] ever done"; it was the first time she had ever flown on a plane or taken a taxi, and she arrived with "$35 in [her] pocket".^[19] She settled in the Alphabet City area of the East Village and supported herself with limited means by working various jobs—including as a hatcheck girl at the Russian Tea Room, an elevator operator at Terrace on the Park, and a member of modern dance troupes.^[20][21] She took classes at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, performed with the Pearl Lang Dance Theater, and studied under dancer and choreographer Martha Graham.^[22] One night, while returning from a rehearsal, two men held her at knifepoint and forced her to perform fellatio. She later found 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."^[23]

In 1979, Madonna entered a romantic relationship with musician Dan Gilroy.^[24] During this period, she searched for job opportunities in such publications as Variety, Backstage, and Show Business, leading to a successful audition to perform in Paris as a backup singer and dancer for French disco artist Patrick Hernandez.^[25] Madonna told a Playboy writer in 1985 that "they didn't want me for [...] Hernandez, they wanted to bring me to Paris and make me a disco star".^[26] During her little time with Hernandez's troupe, she also traveled to Tunisia and several disco-oriented European countries before returning to New York that same year.^[27] Madonna relocated to an abandoned synagogue in Corona, Queens, where Gilroy and his brother Ed resided and practiced.^[28] The group slept in the basement and used its meeting space both to rehearse and record music for their band, Breakfast Club, for which Madonna sang and played drums and guitar.^[29]

Madonna made her acting debut in the low-budget indie film A Certain Sacrifice, which was shot in two parts in 1979 and 1981. She attempted to block its release through legal action against director Stephen Jon Lewicki but was unsuccessful, and the film was released in 1985. It was primarily criticized for its explicit sexual and violent content.^[30] In 1980, after leaving the Breakfast Club and ending her relationship with Gilroy, Madonna reunited with drummer Stephen Bray, whom she had previously dated in Michigan, and together they formed the band Emmy.^[31] By 1982, she and Bray lived and rehearsed at the Music Building in Manhattan, where they wrote songs and recorded a four-track demo tape.^[32] After leaving Emmy, Camille Barbone, who ran Gotham Records in the Music Building, signed Madonna to a contract with the label in March 1981, working as her manager until February 1982.^[33] Her creative partnership with Bray continued for many years.^[34]

In 1982, Madonna visited nightclubs to persuade disc jockeys (DJs) to play her demo, leading DJ Mark Kamins at Danceteria to take an interest in her music and begin a romance with her.^[35] He arranged a meeting with Seymour Stein, president of Sire Records—a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records—after which she signed a two-single deal.^[36] Kamins produced her debut single, "Everybody", which was released in October 1982 and promoted with television and nightclub performances.^[37][38] Her second single, the double A-side "Burning Up" / "Physical Attraction", was released in March 1983. Both "Everybody" and "Burning Up" / "Physical Attraction" reached number three on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart;^[39] the latter reached number thirteen in Australia. During this period, Madonna was in a relationship with artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and living in his SoHo loft.^[40] Basquiat introduced her to art curator Diego Cortez, who had managed several punk bands. Cortez declined to manage Madonna when she requested for him to do so.^[41]

Warner hired Reggie Lucas to produce her debut studio album, Madonna.^[42] Madonna was dissatisfied with many of the tracks, prompting her to seek additional support. She enlisted DJ John "Jellybean" Benitez to help complete the album, and the two began a brief romantic relationship.^[43] Benitez remixed most of the songs and produced "Holiday", her breakthrough song.^[44] Madonna was released on July 27, 1983, to critical acclaim, and peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200.^[45][46] The album generated two US Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles: "Borderline" and "Lucky Star". In late 1983, Madonna's new manager, Freddy DeMann, arranged a meeting with film producer Jon Peters, who offered her the role of a club singer in the romantic drama Vision Quest (1985).^[47]

In January 1984, Madonna gained further exposure with performances on American Bandstand and Top of the Pops.^[48] Wanting the material on her second studio album, Like a Virgin, to be "stronger" than that of her debut, she selected all of the songs herself, five of which she wrote or co-wrote.^[49] A dance and synth-pop record, Like a Virgin was released on November 12, 1984,^[50] and became her first number-one album in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the UK and the US.^[51] Within the lattermost nation, the album remained atop the Billboard 200 for three weeks and is the first album by a woman to sell over five million copies.^[52][53] Like a Virgin has sold over 21 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.^[54][55]

The album's title track, "Like a Virgin", was selected as its lead single.^[56] It was her first number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, topping the chart for six consecutive weeks.^[57][58] "Like a Virgin" attracted the attention of conservative organizations, who complained that the song and its accompanying video promoted premarital sex and undermined family values; moralists sought to have the song and video banned.^[59] Madonna then attracted significant media attention for her performance of the song at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. Dressed in a wedding gown and white gloves, she appeared atop a large wedding cake before moving across the stage in a provocative manner.^[60] MTV News later described the performance as one of the most iconic in pop music history.^[61] Like a Virgin's next single, "Material Girl", peaked at number two in the US.^[62]

Madonna began a relationship with actor Sean Penn while filming the music video for "Material Girl" and the two married on her twenty-seventh birthday in 1985.^[63][64] The soundtrack of Vision Quest (1985) included "Crazy for You"—her second Billboard Hot 100 number-one single.^[65] That same year, she starred as titlular character in the comedy Desperately Seeking Susan, depicting a free-spirited bohemian drifter whose path intersects with a bored housewife through personal ads.^[66] The film introduced "Into the Groove", her first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart.^[67] Desperately Seeking Susan was named one of the ten best films of 1985 by Vincent Canby, a The New York Times film critic.^[68] In April 1985, Madonna began her first North American concert series, the Virgin Tour.^[69] The tour coincided with the height of the Madonna wannabe phenomenon, as many of her young female fans adopted her fashion style.^[70] Styled by Maripol, her look—which included lace tops, skirts over capri pants, fishnet stockings, crucifix jewelry, stacked bracelets, and bleached hair—became widely associated with 1980s female fashion trends.^[71][72]

Around this time, Madonna released two additional singles, "Angel" and "Dress You Up", both of which reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100.^[73] "Angel" also charted at number one within Australia.^[74] In July 1985, Penthouse and Playboy published nude photographs of Madonna taken in 1978, when she worked as an art model.^[75] She had posed for the images for modest pay, reportedly $25 per session; the photographs were later sold for up to $100,000.^[76] The publication caused significant media attention, though Madonna remained unapologetic.^[77] At the 1985 Live Aid concert, she referenced the controversy, remarking that she would not remove her jacket when believing that the media "might hold it against me ten years from now".^[78] For her third studio album, True Blue, Madonna co-wrote and co-produced every track on the record.^[79]

True Blue, inspired by and dedicated to her husband Penn, was released on June 30, 1986, to critical acclaim.^[80] It topped the charts in an unprecedented 28 countries worldwide, including the US, where it remained at number one on the Billboard 200 for five weeks.^[81][82] True Blue made Madonna the second female artist—following Whitney Houston—to score three US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles from one album: "Live to Tell", "Papa Don't Preach", and "Open Your Heart".^[83] Its two other singles, "True Blue" and "La Isla Bonita", peaked within the top five.^[84] True Blue was the best-selling album of 1986, the best-selling of the 1980s by a female artist, and one of the best-selling albums of all time, with 25 million copies sold globally.^[85][86]

Madonna appeared in the film Shanghai Surprise (1986) alongside Penn, which was critically unsuccessful and earned her the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress.^[87][88] She made her stage debut the same year in David Rabe's Goose and Tom-Tom, which also co-starred Penn.^[89] In 1987, she starred in the film Who's That Girl and contributed four songs to its soundtrack, including "Who's That Girl" and "Causing a Commotion", which peaked at numbers one and two on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.^[90] In June, she embarked on the Who's That Girl World Tour, which broke several attendance records, including a performance near Paris attended by over 130,000 people—the highest for a female artist at the time.^[91][92] In 1987, she released You Can Dance, a remix album with reworked versions of songs from her earlier releases.^[93] After a turbulent two-year marriage, Madonna filed for divorce from Penn on December 4, 1987, though she later withdrew the petition.^[94]

Madonna made her Broadway theatre debut in the play Speed-the-Plow at the Royale Theatre, running from May to August 1988.^[95] According to the Associated Press, she filed an assault report against Penn following an alleged incident at their Malibu residence over the New Year's weekend.^[96] Madonna filed for divorce on January 5, 1989, and reportedly requested the following week that no criminal charges be pursued.^[97] That month, Madonna signed an endorsement agreement with soft-drink company Pepsi.^[98] In a commercial for the company, she premiered "Like a Prayer", whose accompanying music video featured Catholic imagery such as stigmata and cross burning, as well as a dream sequence depicting intimacy with a saint, prompting condemnation from the Vatican.^[99][100] Religious organizations called for a boycott of Pepsi products, leading the company to withdraw the commercial and terminate her sponsorship deal.^[101]

"Like a Prayer" was released as the lead single from her fourth studio album, also titled Like a Prayer. It became her seventh number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent three weeks atop the chart.^[102] Madonna drew inspiration from her turbulent relationship and divorce from Penn to create the album, co-writing and co-producing the album alongside Patrick Leonard, Stephen Bray, and Prince.^[103] In the US, Like a Prayer was released on March 21, 1989, to universal acclaim from critics. Rolling Stone's J. D. Considine described it as "proof not only that Madonna should be taken seriously as an artist but that hers is one of the most compelling voices of the Eighties".^[104] Like a Prayer spent six weeks atop the Billboard 200—the longest of any of her albums—and eventually sold 15 million copies worldwide.^[105][106] The singles "Express Yourself" and "Cherish" both peaked at number two in the US, while "Keep It Together" peaked within the top ten.^[105] By the end of the 1980s, Billboard and Musician had named her "Artist of the Decade".^[107][108]

In April 1990, Madonna launched the Blond Ambition World Tour.^[109] Described by Rolling Stone as an "elaborately choreographed, sexually provocative extravaganza", the tour was named the best of 1990 by the magazine.^[110] It drew criticism from religious organizations, particularly for her performance of "Like a Virgin", in which she simulated masturbation while being caressed by two male dancers.^[91] Madonna defended the show, stating that it was intended for "open minds" and encouraged audiences to view sexuality differently.^[111] The live recording of the tour earned Madonna the Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video.^[112] Her first documentary film, Truth or Dare (titled In Bed with Madonna outside North America), was released in May 1991.^[113][114] Chronicling her Blond Ambition World Tour, it became the highest-grossing documentary ever at the time, a record it held until it was surpassed eleven years later by Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine.^[115]

Madonna portrayed Breathless Mahoney in the film Dick Tracy (1990), directed by and starring Warren Beatty in the title role. The film topped the US box office for two consecutive weeks, and Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly praised Madonna's performance, saying that he wished she had been given more screen time.^[116][117] To accompany the film, she released the soundtrack album I'm Breathless, with songs largely inspired by 1930s music.^[118] It spawned the single "Vogue", which topped the charts in more than 30 countries, including the US, where it peaked at number one on the Hot 100 for three weeks.^[119][120] During production, Madonna and Beatty began a relationship that ended shortly after the film's premiere.^[121] In October 1990, she recorded a Public Service Announcement supporting Rock the Vote's voter registration campaign.^[122]

Madonna's first greatest-hits compilation album, The Immaculate Collection, was released in November 1990.^[123] The album has sold 30 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling compilation album by a solo artist and one of the best-selling albums of all time.^[124][125] The set included two new songs, "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me".^[126] Model Tony Ward, Madonna's then-boyfriend, co-starred in the music video for "Justify My Love", which included imagery of sadomasochism, bondage, same-sex intimacy, and brief nudity.^[127][128] Considered too sexually explicit, the video was banned by MTV.^[129] The resulting controversy contributed to the song reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her ninth chart-topping single.^[126]

In 1992, Madonna appeared in the film A League of Their Own as Mae Mordabito, a member of an all-women's baseball team.^[130] The film reached number one at the US box office in its second weekend of release.^[131] Madonna also recorded its theme song, "This Used to Be My Playground", which became her tenth Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, the most of any woman at the time.^[132][133] In April 1992, Madonna established the entertainment company Maverick, which included a record label, film production unit, and divisions for music publishing, television, book publishing, and merchandising. The venture was a joint partnership with Time Warner and provided her with a $60 million advance and a 20 percent royalty rate—the highest in the industry at the time.^[134]

Maverick went on to become one of the most successful artist-run labels in history, signing multi-platinum acts such as Alanis Morissette and Michelle Branch.^[135] Later in 1992, Madonna co-sponsored the first museum retrospective of her former partner, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.^[136] She released her fifth studio album, Erotica, on October 20, 1992, in the US, and published her coffee table book Sex a day later.^[137][138] Sex featured sexually provocative and explicit images photographed by Steven Meisel and drew strong negative reactions from both the media and the general public; initial interest propelled the book to the top of The New York Times Best Seller list.^[139] A Washington Post writer described it as an "oversized, overpriced, [and boring] coffee table book of hardcore sexual fantasies".^[140]

The widespread backlash overshadowed Erotica, which became her lowest-selling album at the time.^[141] It debuted and peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200, and received favorable reviews from critics.^[137] Two of its singles—"Erotica" and "Deeper and Deeper"—reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.^[142] During this period, Madonna was in a relationship with rapper Vanilla Ice, to whom she proposed.^[143] The pair separated following the release of Sex, with Vanilla Ice claiming he had been included in the book without his consent.^[144] Madonna extended her provocative themes in the 1993 erotic thriller Body of Evidence, which featured scenes of sadomasochism and bondage and was poorly received by critics.^[145]

In September 1993, Madonna played an abused wife in a troubled marriage to a filmmaker in Dangerous Game, though her performance in the film was met with negative reception.^[146][147] She launched the Girlie Show that month, during which she appeared as a whip-cracking dominatrix and performed alongside topless dancers.^[91] She made a highly publicized appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman in March 1994, using profanity that required broadcast censorship and handing Letterman a pair of her underwear while urging him to smell it. The sexually explicit releases of Sex and Erotica, along with her film roles and controversial Letterman appearance, prompted commentators to question her dependence on provocative imagery.^[148] Madonna briefly dated rapper Tupac Shakur and basketball player Dennis Rodman around this time.^[149]

Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli viewed Madonna's ballad "I'll Remember"—recorded for the film With Honors (1994)—as an effort to soften her provocative image.^[150] With her sixth studio album, Bedtime Stories, Madonna embraced a gentler sound and image to regain public favor.^[151] Released in the US on October 25, 1994, the album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and produced two top-three US singles: "Secret and "Take a Bow", the latter spending seven weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100—her longest-running number one.^[152] Madonna sponsored the first major retrospective of Tina Modotti's work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1995,^[153] and later supported exhibitions of Basquiat's paintings at London's Serpentine Gallery and Cindy Sherman at New York's Museum of Modern Art.^[154][155]

In February 1996, Madonna began filming the musical Evita in Argentina.^[157] Having long aspired to portray Argentine political leader Eva Perón, she wrote to director Alan Parker to express her interest in the role. After being cast, she undertook vocal training and studied Argentina's history of and Perón's life. During production, Madonna experienced several bouts of illness related to pregnancy and the emotional demands of the film.^[158] Upon its release in December 1996, her performance was met with positive reviews from critics.^{[159][160][161]} Richard Corliss, writing for Time, described the film as well cast and visually impressive and lauded Madonna's ability to exceed expectations.^[162] Her portrayal earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.^[163]

The Evita soundtrack, which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, contained songs primarily performed by Madonna. These included "You Must Love Me" and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", the latter of which topped the European singles chart.^[164][165] At the 1996 Billboard Music Awards, Madonna was presented with the Artist Achievement Award.^[166] On October 14, 1996, she gave birth to her daughter, Lourdes "Lola" Maria Ciccone Leon, with fitness trainer Carlos Leon.^[167] According to biographer Mary Cross, Madonna—who had expressed concern that her pregnancy might jeopardize Evita—fulfilled significant personal goals: "Madonna had at last triumphed on screen and achieved her dream of having a child, both in the same year [...] reinventing herself and her image with the public".^[168] Her relationship with Carlos ended in May 1997, and she stated that they were "better off as best friends".^[169]

After the birth of Lourdes, Madonna developed an interest in Eastern mysticism and Kabbalah, introduced to her by actress Sandra Bernhard.^[170] Her seventh studio album, Ray of Light, reflected this change in her perception and image.^[171] She collaborated with electronic music producer William Orbit to create a fusion of dance, pop, and British rock styles.^[172][173] Music critic Ann Powers said Madonna sought "a kind of lushness" for the album rather than the party-oriented sounds of 1990s techno and rave genres, opting instead for a more singer-songwriter approach that Orbit helped her achieve.^[173] Ray of Light was released on February 22, 1998,^[174] to acclaim from critics.^[175] Slant deemed it "one of the great pop masterpieces of the '90s",^[176] and Los Angeles Times's Robert Hilburn called it her most satisfying record.^[177] Ray of Light debuted at number one in 17 countries.^[178] In the US, it opened at number two on the Billboard 200 and yielded the highest first-week sales for an album by a woman at the time.^[179]

The album's two highest-charting singles, "Frozen" and "Ray of Light", peaked at numbers two and five on the US Billboard Hot 100, with the former becoming her first song to debut at number one in the UK.^[180][181] At the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, Madonna won four awards, including Best Pop Album for Ray of Light, and Best Dance Recording and Best Short Form Music Video for the title track.^[182] In 1998, Madonna established the Ray of Light Foundation, a non-profit for women, education, global development, and humanitarian aid.^[183] She recorded the single "Beautiful Stranger" for the film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), which earned her a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.^[184] She starred as a yoga teacher in the comedy-drama The Next Best Thing (2000), which received negative reviews and opened at number two at the US box office.^[185] For the soundtrack, she recorded a cover of Don McLean's "American Pie", her ninth UK number-one single.^[186]

On September 18, 2000, Madonna released her eighth studio album, Music, to critical acclaim.^[187][188] She collaborated with French producer Mirwais Ahmadzaï, saying that she preferred working with unconventional, lesser-known artists who "have raw talent and who are making music unlike anyone else out there", describing Music as "the future of sound".^[189][190] The album reached number one in over 20 countries and sold four million copies within its first ten days of release.^[191] In the US, Music debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming her first number-one album in eleven years since Like a Prayer.^[192] The record spawned the top-five singles "Music" and "Don't Tell Me", the first of which became her twelfth number-one on the Billboard Hot 100.^[58][193] The music video for "What It Feels Like for a Girl" portrayed Madonna engaging in acts of crime and vandalism, leading to its ban from MTV and VH1.^[194]

Madonna met director Guy Ritchie in mid-1998 and gave birth to their son, Rocco John Ritchie, in Los Angeles on August 11, 2000.^[195] Both experienced complications during the birth due to Madonna's placenta praevia.^[196] Rocco was christened at Dornoch Cathedral in Scotland on December 21, 2000, and Madonna married Ritchie the following day at nearby Skibo Castle.^[197] After an eight-year hiatus from touring, she launched the Drowned World Tour in June 2001, which visited cities across the US and Europe, becoming the highest-grossing tour of the year by a solo artist with $75 million in revenue.^[198][199] That same year, she released her second greatest-hits album, GHV2, featuring a selection of her successful songs from the 1990s onward. It debuted at number seven in the US and sold seven million copies worldwide.^[200][201]

In 2002, Madonna starred in Ritchie's Swept Away, a remake of Lina Wertmüller's 1974 film.^[202] The film was commercially unsuccessful and universally panned,^[203][204] with A. O. Scott, writing for The New York Times, stating that "a role like this one requires the surrender of emotional control, something Madonna seems constitutionally unable to achieve".^[205] In May 2002, she appeared in the West End play Up for Grabs at the Wyndhams Theatre, which was poorly received by critics.^{[206][207][208]} Later that year, Madonna released "Die Another Day", the theme song for the James Bond film of the same name, in which she also had a cameo role that Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described as "incredibly wooden".^[209][210] The song reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100,^[58] and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and two Grammy Awards.^[211]

In 2003, Madonna worked with fashion photographer Steven Klein on an exhibition installation titled X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS. The project was presented from March to May at New York's Deitch Projects gallery and was later shown internationally in a revised version.^[212] She reunited with Ahmadzaï to produce her ninth studio album, American Life—a reflection of her views on American society. The record, released on April 21, 2003, was met with mixed reception and debuted atop the US Billboard 200.^{[213][214][215]} By 2005, it had become her lowest-selling release, with worldwide sales of four million copies.^[216] Its title track was the only song to enter the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 37.^[214]

The original music video of "American Life" caused controversy due to its violence and anti-war imagery, and was withdrawn after the 2003 invasion of Iraq started. Madonna voluntarily censored herself due to the political climate of the country.^[217] At the MTV Video Music Awards that year, she kissed singers Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera while performing "Hollywood", which was highly publicized.^[218][219] She then released Remixed & Revisited, an extended play featuring new remixes of songs from American Life and the unreleased "Your Honesty".^[220] Madonna signed a contract with Callaway Arts & Entertainment to write five children's books. The first, titled The English Roses, was published in September 2003 and tells the story of four English schoolgirls struggling with envy and jealousy. The book became the fastest-selling children's picture book at the time, with all proceeds donated to a children's charity.^[221][222]

In March 2004, Madonna and Maverick filed a lawsuit against Warner Music Group and its former parent company, Time Warner, alleging financial mismanagement and poor accounting practices that resulted in significant losses. Warner countersued, claiming Maverick had incurred substantial losses independently. The dispute was settled when Warner acquired the Maverick shares held by Madonna and Ronnie Dashev, making the company a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music. Madonna remained signed to Warner under a separate recording contract.^[223][224] She launched the Re-Invention World Tour in May, performing across North America and Europe.^[225][226] The tour became 2004's highest-grossing, earning over $120 million, and was later chronicled in her documentary I'm Going to Tell You a Secret (2005).^[227] In November 2004, she was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame as one of its five founding members.^[228]

In January 2005, Madonna performed John Lennon's "Imagine" at Tsunami Aid and later appeared at the Live 8 benefit concert in London six months later.^[229][230] She initially worked with Ahmadzaï to produce her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor, but later turned to Stuart Price to attain the sound she was seeking.^[231] Structured like a continuous DJ-mixed club set, the album was released in the US on November 15, 2005, to critical acclaim.^[231] Keith Caulfield, writing in Billboard, heralded the album as a "welcome return to form for the Queen of Pop".^[232] Confessions on a Dance Floor topped the charts in a record-breaking 40 countries, won Madonna the Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, and sold over 10 million copies worldwide.^{[233][234][235]}

The lead single, "Hung Up", reached number one in a record-breaking 41 countries. It sampled ABBA's "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)", marking the second time the band permitted such use. ABBA songwriter Björn Ulvaeus called it "a wonderful track—100 per cent solid pop music".^[236][237] The album's second single, "Sorry", became Madonna's twelfth number-one single in the UK.^[67] Madonna launched the Confessions Tour in May 2006, which grossed more than $193.7 million, making it the highest-grossing tour by a woman at the time.^[238] During the performance of "Live to Tell", she used religious imagery, including a crucifix and a crown of thorns, prompting the Russian Orthodox Church and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia to call for a boycott.^[239]

While touring, Madonna founded the charitable organization Raising Malawi and helped fund an orphanage in the country.^[240] There, she decided to adopt a boy named David Banda in 2006. The adoption provoked public debate, as Malawian law required prospective parents to reside in the country for one year before adopting, a condition Madonna did not meet.^[241][242] Malawi's Minister of Women and Child Development, Kate Kainja, had also blocked officials from traveling to meet Madonna and Ritchie as potential adopters.^[243] Speaking on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Madonna explained that Malawi had no formal adoption laws for foreigners and described how Banda had been suffering from pneumonia after surviving malaria and tuberculosis.^[244] Banda's father, Yohane, defended the adoption, saying he understood and supported the arrangement. The adoption was finalized in May 2008.^[245][246]

In July 2007, Madonna released and performed the song "Hey You" at the London Live Earth concert.^[247] She subsequently announced her departure from Warner Bros. Records and signed a ten-year, $120 million 360 deal with Live Nation.^[248] She produced and wrote I Am Because We Are (2008), a documentary directed by Nathan Rissman that addressed social issues in Malawi.^[249] That same year, she directed her first feature film, Filth and Wisdom, which follows three friends pursuing their ambitions.^[250] Reviews were largely negative,^[251] with The Times describing it as a commendable debut and The Daily Telegraph calling it a promising but imperfect first effort.^[252][253] On March 10, 2008, Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during her first year of eligibility.^[254] She did not perform at the ceremony but invited the Stooges to perform her songs "Burning Up" and "Ray of Light".^[255]

Madonna worked with Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Pharrell Williams to produce her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy.^[256] Released on April 29, 2008,^[257] Hard Candy debuted atop the charts of 37 countries, including the US Billboard 200.^[258][259] The lead single, "4 Minutes", peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her thirty-seventh top-ten entry in the US and surpassing Elvis Presley's record for the most top-ten songs.^[260] In the UK, "4 Minutes" extended her record as the female artist with the most number-one singles.^[261] Rolling Stone's Caryn Ganz described Hard Candy as "an impressive preview of her upcoming tour",^[262] while BBC correspondent Mark Savage criticized it as "an attempt to capture the urban market".^[263] She launched the Sticky & Sweet Tour in August 2008, her first major venture with Live Nation. Grossing over $408 million, it became the second highest-grossing tour of all time and the highest-grossing tour by a solo artist.^[264][265]

In July 2008, Madonna's brother Christopher published the book Life with My Sister Madonna, which created a rift between the two due to its unauthorized release.^[266] In October, Madonna filed for divorce from Ritchie, citing irreconcilable differences.^[267] Two months later, her spokesperson confirmed that a settlement had been reached, granting Ritchie between £50–60 million ($68.49–82.19 million), including the couple's London pub, residence, and Wiltshire estate.^[268] The marriage was formally dissolved through a decree nisi at the Principal Registry of the Family Division in High Holborn, London. Custody of their sons, Rocco and David, then aged eight and three, was shared between Ritchie's London home and Madonna's residence in New York, where they lived alongside Lourdes.^[269][270] In May 2009, Madonna applied to adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James from Malawi, but the country's High Court denied the request on the grounds that she was not a resident.^[271] She appealed the decision, and in June, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling and granted her permission to adopt her.^[272]

Madonna concluded her contract with Warner Records with the release of her third greatest-hits album, Celebration, in September 2009. The compilation included two new tracks, along with thirty-four songs spanning her career with the label.^[273] The album reached number one in multiple countries, including Canada, Germany, Italy, and the UK.^[274] She appeared at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards to deliver a tribute to the deceased pop artist Michael Jackson.^[275] By the end of the decade, Madonna was recognized as the best-selling solo artist of the 2000s in the US and the most-played artist of the decade in the UK.^[276][277] Billboard ranked her as the third highest-grossing touring artist of the 2000s, with earnings exceeding $801 million, over 6.3 million attendees, and 244 sold-out performances out of 248 shows.^[278] In January 2010, Madonna performed at Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief concert.^[279]

Madonna's third live album, Sticky & Sweet Tour, was released in April 2010, debuting at number ten in the US.^[280] That year, she authorized the television series Glee to feature her entire music catalog, leading to an episode composed exclusively of her songs.^[281] She also collaborated with her daughter Lourdes to launch the Material Girl clothing line, inspired by her 1980s punk-inspired fashion.^[282] In October 2010, she founded the global fitness chain Hard Candy Fitness, and in November 2011 introduced a second lifestyle brand, Truth or Dare, offering footwear, fragrances, lingerie, and accessories.^[283][284] Her second directorial feature was W.E. (2011), a biographical drama about the relationship between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.^[285] The film received unfavorable critical and commercial response.^[286] Its soundtrack included the ballad "Masterpiece", which earned Madonna a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.^[287]

In February 2012, Madonna headlined the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.^[288] Produced in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil and choreographer Jamie King, the performance featured guest appearances by LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A. and CeeLo Green. The broadcast drew 114 million viewers, making it the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show at the time, surpassing the viewership of the game itself.^[289] Madonna primarily produced her twelfth studio album, MDNA, with Orbit and Martin Solveig.^[290] It was released on March 26, 2012, to generally favorable critical reception.^[291][292] MDNA was Madonna's first release under a three-album agreement with Interscope Records, signed as part of her 360 deal with Live Nation, which could not distribute recorded music.^[293][294]

MDNA became her fifth consecutive studio album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200.^[295] "Give Me All Your Luvin'" was released as album's lead single, and became her record-extending thirty-eighth top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100.^[296] She promoted the album with the MDNA Tour, which began in May 2012 and addressed themes such as violence, human rights, and politics. Grossing over $305 million from 88 sold-out shows, it was the highest-earning tour of 2012 and ranked among the ten most profitable concert tours of all time.^{[297][298][299]} Madonna collaborated with Steven Klein and directed a seventeen-minute film, secretprojectrevolution, which was released on BitTorrent in September 2013.^[300] With the film, she launched the Art for Freedom initiative, which promotes art and free speech to combat global persecution and injustice. The project's website garnered over 3,000 submissions by January 2014, with Madonna frequently overseeing it and recruiting guest curators like David Blaine and Katy Perry.^[301]

By 2013, Madonna's Raising Malawi had built ten schools educating 4,000 children in Malawi at a value of $400,000.^[302] During her April visit, president Joyce Banda accused her of exaggerating contributions, prompting Madonna's saddened rebuttal that she would not be distracted by the "ridiculous allegations", later revealed to be unapproved by Banda herself.​^[303][304] In May 2014, she donated to her bankrupt hometown of Detroit, and that year launched her MDNA Skin care line in Tokyo.​^[305][306] Madonna released her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart, was released on March 10, 2015, three months after thirteen demos leaked online.^[307] She collaborated with a large range of producers, including Avicii, Diplo, and Kanye West.^[308][309] Introspection was listed as one of the foundational themes prevalent on the record, along with "genuine statements of personal and careerist reflection".^[310]

Madonna explained to Jon Pareles of The New York Times that, although she has never looked back at her past endeavors, revisiting it felt appropriate for Rebel Heart.^[311] Music critics responded positively towards the album, calling it her best effort in a decade.^[312] Madonna began her Rebel Heart Tour in September 2015, which visited North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and grossed $169.8 million from the 82 shows.^{[313][314][315]} While touring, Madonna became involved in a legal dispute with Ritchie regarding custody of their son Rocco. The conflict arose when Rocco chose to remain in England with Ritchie rather than continue traveling with Madonna. Court proceedings were held in both New York and London, but after several hearings, Madonna withdrew her custody application and opted to settle the matter privately.^[316]

In October 2016, Billboard named Madonna its Woman of the Year. Her candid and outspoken speech addressing ageism and sexism garnered extensive media attention.^[317][318] The following month, she performed an impromptu acoustic concert at Washington Square Park in support of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.^[319] After Donald Trump's election victory, Madonna delivered a speech at the Women's March on Washington, where a remark about "blowing up the White House" drew controversy.^[320][321] She later clarified that her comments had been taken out of context and emphasized that she was not advocating violence.^[322]

In February 2017, Madonna adopted four-year-old twin sisters, Estere and Stella, from Malawi, and relocated to Lisbon, Portugal, later that year with her children.^[323][324] In July, she inaugurated the Mercy James Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care in Malawi, a hospital established by her Raising Malawi foundation.^[325] Her live album Rebel Heart Tour was released in September 2017 and won Best Music Video for Western Artists at the 32nd Japan Gold Disc Awards.^[326][327] That same month, she launched her skincare brand MDNA Skin in selected U.S. stores.^[328] Earlier in the year, the auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll attempted to sell Madonna's personal items, including letters from Tupac Shakur and other belongings. Although she sought legal action to halt the sale, the court ruled in favor of art dealer Darlene Lutz, citing a 2004 agreement authorizing the sale of the items.^[329]

While residing in Lisbon, Madonna met Portuguese musician Dino D'Santiago, who introduced her to local artists performing fado, morna, and samba music. She frequently attended their informal "living room sessions", which inspired her fourteenth studio album, Madame X.^[330] The album was released on June 14, 2019, and Madonna produced the album with various musicians, primarily her longtime collaborator Mirwais and Mike Dean.^[331][332] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, her ninth to do so.^[333] Its four singles—"Medellín", "Crave", "I Rise" and "I Don't Search I Find"—each reached number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, further extending her record for the most chart-topping entries.^[334] A month prior, Madonna appeared as the interval act at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 and performed "Like a Prayer", and then "Future" with rapper Quavo.^[335]

Madonna's Madame X Tour, an all-theater concert series held in select cities across North America and Europe, began in September 2019 and grossed over $51.4 million in revenue.^[336][337] That December, Madonna began a relationship with dancer Ahlamalik Williams, who had previously joined her Rebel Heart Tour in 2015.^[338] The tour later faced multiple cancellations due to Madonna's recurring knee injury and concluded prematurely on March 8, 2020, after the French government prohibited large gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[339][340] That same month, she drew criticism for posting a now-deleted video on Instagram and Twitter that was regarded as insensitive.^[341][342] In April 2020, Madonna announced financial contributions to the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, led by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, and Mastercard, and donated an additional $1 million to vaccine research.^[343][344]

In May 2020, Madonna revealed she had tested positive for coronavirus antibodies.^[345] She and Missy Elliott contributed guest vocals to Dua Lipa's single "Levitating", featured on Lipa's 2020 remix album Club Future Nostalgia.^[346] Madonna then began developing a biographical film about her life, which she planned to direct.^[347] Screenwriters Erin Cressida Wilson and Diablo Cody worked on the script at different stages, and actress Julia Garner was cast in the lead role before the project was postponed.^{[347][348][349]} In October 2021, Madonna released Madame X, a documentary film about her concert tour of the same name, through Paramount+.^[350]

On Madonna's 63rd birthday, she officially announced her return to Warner Records, the rebranded name of her original label Warner Bros. Records, in a global partnership which granted the label rights to her entire recorded music catalog, including the last three albums released under Interscope. Under the contract, Madonna launched a series of catalog reissues beginning in 2022, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of her recording career. A remix album titled Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones was released on August 19, with a 16-track abridged edition being available for streaming since June 24.^[351] Consisting of her 50 number-one songs on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart, the remix album highlighted "how meaningful dance music has always been" to Madonna's career, and became her 23rd top-ten album on the Billboard 200.^[352][353]

Throughout 2022 to 2023, Madonna released a number of stand-alone tracks, including "Hung Up on Tokischa" (a remix of "Hung Up", featuring rapper Tokischa)^[354][355] and a 2015 demo recorded during the Rebel Heart sessions called "Back That Up to the Beat" to all digital outlets.^[356] She also collaborated on three songs on Christine and the Queens album Paranoïa, Angels, True Love (2023)^[357] and with The Weeknd and Playboi Carti on the single "Popular", which was taken from the soundtrack to the drama series The Idol.^[358][359]

In January 2023, Madonna announced the Celebration Tour, her first greatest hits concert tour, which was set to run from July 2023 to January 2024.^[360] As part of the announcement, she removed all of her Instagram posts on January 16.^[361] However, on June 24, 2023, the singer was hospitalized after being found unresponsive in her New York City apartment.^[362][363] She was admitted for five days and received treatment in the intensive care unit under intubation.^[362] Madonna later stated that she had been in a medically induced coma for 48 hours during her hospitalization^[364] for a "serious bacterial infection" following a low-grade fever. As a result, the initial North American leg of the tour was postponed.^{[365][366][367]}

The Celebration Tour finally began in October 2023, at the O₂ Arena in London and garnered critical acclaim.^{[368][369][370][371]} It ended the following May with a free concert at Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro which was attended by 1.6 million people, setting the record for the biggest standalone concert of all time and the most attended concert by a female artist.^[372][373] The Celebration Tour grossed $225.4 million from 80 shows, making Madonna the first female artist to gross over $100 million with six different concert tours.^[374]

During these years, Madonna lost multiple family members, starting with her eldest brother Anthony dying in February 2023 at age 66.^[375] Her younger brother Christopher also died the following year on October 4, 2024, in Petoskey, Michigan at age 63 from pancreatic cancer, according to a statement from his family. He died just two weeks after the death of their stepmother Joan.^[376] Madonna dedicated a lengthy Instagram post to him saying, "I admired him [...] We found our way back to each other. I did my best to keep him alive as long as possible. He was in so much pain towards the end [...] There will never be anyone like him".^[377]

Following the Celebration Tour, Madonna restarted work on her biographical film^[378] and later complained of producers wanting her to "downsize-down scale-think smaller" with regard to the project. She considered reworking it into a television series as a result.^[379] Madonna shifted her focus towards conceiving new music with Stuart Price, writing in December 2024 that "these past few months has been medicine for my soul. Songwriting and making music is the one area where I don't need to ask anyone for their permission. I'm so excited to share it with you".^[380] In February 2025, the singer revealed she was working on a "sequel" to 2005's Confessions on a Dance Floor, which Price also produced.^[381] It is set for release in 2026, via Warner.^[382] That May, Deadline Hollywood reported Madonna had partnered with video streaming service Netflix to produce a series about her life with Shawn Levy. The show is not related to the film in the works.^[383]

On June 5, 2025, Madonna released a remix of "Skin" as a promotional single of Veronica Electronica, an album of remixes originally intended to be released after Ray of Light, including original versions of songs previously unreleased officially.^[384] "Gone Gone Gone", an original demo for Ray of Light, was released as the second promotional single from the album on July 11, 2025.^[385] Veronica Electronica was released on July 25, 2025.^[386][387]

Madonna was later interviewed by Jay Shetty in an episode of On Purpose with Jay Shetty on September 29, 2025. In her first-ever podcast interview, Madonna discussed her "spiritual journey" and past activism. She was later joined by Eitan Yardeni, her Kabbalah teacher, with whom she has written a course titled The Mystical Studies of the Zohar. During the interview, Madonna discussed her health problems from 2023 and strained relationship with her brother Christopher Ciccone, saying that "It was him being ill and reaching out to me and saying, 'I need your help,' and me having that moment like, 'Am I going to help my enemy?' And I just did. And I felt so relieved. And it was such a load off my back, such a weight that was removed, baggage that I could put down, to finally be able to be in a room with him and holding his hand even if he was dying and saying, 'I love you and I forgive you.' That was really important."^[388] Furthermore, Madonna revealed new details about her upcoming album scheduled for release in 2026.^[389][390] In this conversation, Madonna revealed the names of two songs and their lyrical contents: "Fragile"^[391] and "Forgive Yourself", which both discuss the conflict in their relationship. About the latter song, Madonna said "We have to forgive others but we also have to forgive ourselves and stop beating up on ourselves about things, choices we've made in the past that haven't worked out for ourselves or other people." and further revealed that the chorus of the song would contain the lyric "if you can't forgive me forgive yourself", noting that "[this] is something we all have to do."^[388][391]

On October 9, 2025, Madonna released a preview of her upcoming EP, Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter, with the Dallas Austin produced demo "Right on Time". The release commemorates the 30th anniversary of her sixth studio album, Bedtime Stories (1994). The EP, containing demos, alternative versions, and rarities from the original album sessions, was released on November 28, 2025, along with reissues of the original studio album on CD and LP.^[392] On November 7, 2025, Madonna released Confessions on a Dance Floor (Twenty Years Edition), a digital and streaming-only anniversary version.^[393]

From left to right: Madonna has been inspired by movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe (pictured in 1953), artists such as Frida Kahlo (1926), and musicians like David Bowie (1990).

Madonna has called Nancy Sinatra one of her idols. She said Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" made a major impression on her.^[394] As a young woman, she attempted to broaden her taste in literature, art, and music, and during this time became interested in classical music. She noted that her favorite style was baroque, and loved Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Frédéric Chopin because she liked their "feminine quality".^[395] Madonna's major influences include Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde, Patti Smith, Karen Carpenter, the Supremes, Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin and Led Zeppelin, as well as dancers Martha Graham and Rudolf Nureyev.^[b] She also grew up listening to David Bowie, whose show was the first rock concert she ever attended.^[402] Another inspiration is American writer James Baldwin, whose quote "artists are here to disturb the peace" is frequently used by Madonna.^[403][404]

During her childhood, Madonna was inspired by actors, later saying, "I loved Carole Lombard and Judy Holliday and Marilyn Monroe. They were all incredibly funny, and they were silly and sweet and they were girls and they were feminine and sexy. I just saw myself in them, my funniness and my need to boss people around and at the same time be taken care of. My girlishness. My knowingness and my innocence. Both."^[394] Her "Material Girl" music video recreated Monroe's look in the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). She studied the screwball comedies of the 1930s, particularly those of Lombard, in preparation for the film Who's That Girl. The video for "Express Yourself" (1989) was inspired by Fritz Lang's silent film Metropolis (1927). The video for "Vogue" recreated the style of Hollywood glamour photographs, in particular those by Horst P. Horst, and imitated the poses of Marlene Dietrich, Carole Lombard, and Rita Hayworth, while the lyrics referred to many of the stars who had inspired her, including Bette Davis, described by Madonna as an idol.^[111][406]

Influences also came to her from the art world, such as through the works of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.^[407] The music video of the song "Bedtime Story" featured images inspired by the paintings of Kahlo and Remedios Varo.^[408] Madonna is also a collector of Tamara de Lempicka's Art Deco paintings and has included them in her music videos and tours.^[409] Her video for "Hollywood" (2003) was an homage to the work of photographer Guy Bourdin; Bourdin's son subsequently filed a lawsuit for unauthorized use of his father's work.^[410] Pop artist Andy Warhol's use of sadomasochistic imagery in his underground films were reflected in the music videos for "Erotica" and "Deeper and Deeper".^[411]

Madonna's Catholic background has been reflected throughout her career, from her fashion use of rosary to her musical outputs, including on Like a Prayer (1989).^[412][413] Her album MDNA (2012) has also drawn many influences from her Catholic upbringing, and since 2011 she has been attending meetings and services at an Opus Dei center, a Catholic institution that encourages spirituality through everyday life.^[414] In a 2016 interview, she commented: "I always feel some kind of inexplicable connection with Catholicism. It kind of shows up in all of my work, as you may have noticed."^[415] Her study of the Kabbalah was also observed in Madonna's music, especially albums like Ray of Light and Music.^[416] Speaking of religion in a 2019 interview with Harry Smith of Today Madonna stated, "The God that I believe in, created the world ... He/Her/They [sic] isn't a God to fear, it's a God to give thanks to." In an appearance on Andrew Denton's Interview she added, "The idea that in any church you go, you see a man on a cross and everyone genuflects and prays to him ... in a way it's paganism/idolatry because people are worshipping a thing."^[417][418]

Madonna's music has been the subject of much analysis and scrutiny. Robert M. Grant, author of Contemporary Strategy Analysis (2005), commented that Madonna's musical career has been a continuous experimentation with new musical ideas and new images and a constant quest for new heights of fame and acclaim.^[420] Thomas Harrison in the book Pop Goes the Decade: The Eighties deemed Madonna "an artist who pushed the boundaries" of what a female singer could do, both visually and lyrically.^[421] Professor Santiago Fouz-Hernández asserted, "While not gifted with an especially powerful or wide-ranging voice, Madonna has worked to expand her artistic palette to encompass diverse musical, textual and visual styles and various vocal guises, all with the intention of presenting herself as a mature musician."^[422] In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked her at number 36 on its special issue of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.^[423]

Madonna has remained in charge in every aspect of her career, including as a writer and producer in most of her own music.^[424][425] Her desire for control had already been seen during the making of her debut album, where she fought Reggie Lucas over his production output. However, it was not until her third album that Warner allowed Madonna to produce her own album.^[426] Stan Hawkins, author of Settling the Pop Score explained, "it is as musician and producer that Madonna is one of the few female artists to have broken into the male domain of the recording studio. Undoubtedly, Madonna is fully aware that women have been excluded from the musical workplace on most levels, and has set out to change this."^[427] Producer Stuart Price stated: "You don't produce Madonna, you collaborate with her... She has her vision and knows how to get it."^[428] Despite being labeled a "control freak", Madonna has said that she valued input from her collaborators.^[429] She further explained:

I like to have control over most of the things in my career but I'm not a tyrant. I don't have to have it on my album that it's written, arranged, produced, directed, and stars Madonna. To me, to have total control means you can lose objectivity. What I like is to be surrounded by really talented, intelligent people that you can trust. And ask them for their advice and get their input.^[430]

Madonna's early songwriting skill was developed during her time with the Breakfast Club in 1979.^[431] She subsequently became the sole writer of five songs on her debut album, including "Lucky Star" which she composed on synthesizer.^[432] As a songwriter, Madonna has registered more than 300 tracks to American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), including 18 songs written entirely by herself.^[433] Rolling Stone has named her "an exemplary songwriter with a gift for hooks and indelible lyrics."^[434] Despite having worked with producers across many genres, the magazine noted that Madonna's compositions have been "consistently stamped with her own sensibility and inflected with autobiographical detail."^[435] Patrick Leonard, who co-wrote many songs with her, called Madonna "a helluva songwriter", explaining: "Her sensibility about melodic line—from the beginning of the verse to the end of the verse and how the verse and the chorus influence each other—is very deep. Many times she's singing notes that no one would've thought of but her."^[436] Barry Walters from Spin credited her songwriting as the reason of her musical consistency.^[437] Madonna has been nominated for being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame three times.^[438] In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Madonna at number 56 on the "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time" list.^[435]

"Live to Tell" (1986)

Madonna wrote all the lyrics and partial melodies of "Live to Tell", an adult contemporary ballad, which was noted as her first musical reinvention.^[439]

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"Ray of Light" (1998)

An uptempo electronic dance song, "Ray of Light" showcases Madonna's post-Evita upper vocal register.^[440]

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Madonna's discography is generally categorized as pop, electronica, and dance.^[441][442] Nevertheless, Madonna's first foray into the music industry was dabbling in rock music with Breakfast Club and Emmy.^[443] As the frontwoman of Emmy, Madonna recorded about 12–14 songs that resemble the punk rock of that period.^[431] Madonna soon abandoned playing rock songs by the time she signed to Gotham Records, which eventually dropped her since they were unhappy with her new funk direction.^[444] According to Erlewine, Madonna began her career as a disco diva, in an era that did not have any such divas to speak of. In the beginning of the 1980s, disco was an anathema to the mainstream pop, and Madonna had a huge role in popularizing dance music as mainstream music.^[445] Arie Kaplan in the book American Pop: Hit Makers, Superstars, and Dance Revolutionaries referred to Madonna as "a pioneer" of dance-pop.^[446] According to Fouz-Hernández, "Madonna's frequent use of dance idioms and subsequent association with gay or sexually liberated audiences, is seen as somehow inferior to 'real' rock and roll. But Madonna's music refuses to be defined by narrow boundaries of gender, sexuality or anything else."^[422]

The "cold and emotional" ballad "Live to Tell", as well as its parent album True Blue (1986), is noted as Madonna's first musical reinvention.^[439] PopMatters writer Peter Piatkowski described it as a "very deliberate effort to present Madonna as a mature and serious artist."^[447] She continued producing ballads in between her upbeat material, although albums such as Madonna (1983) and Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005) consist of entirely dance tracks.^[448][449] With Ray of Light (1998), critics acknowledged Madonna for bringing electronica from its underground status into massive popularity in mainstream music scene.^[450] Her other sonically drastic ventures include the 1930s big-band jazz on I'm Breathless (1990);^[451] lush R&B on Bedtime Stories (1994);^[452] operatic show tunes on Evita (1996);^[453] guitar-driven folk music on American Life (2003);^[454] as well as multilingual world music on Madame X (2019).^[455]

Possessing a mezzo-soprano vocal range,^[457][458] Madonna has always been self-conscious about her voice.^[459] Mark Bego, author of Madonna: Blonde Ambition, called her "the perfect vocalist for lighter-than-air songs", despite not being a "heavyweight talent".^[460] According to Tony Sclafani from MSNBC, "Madonna's vocals are the key to her rock roots. Pop vocalists usually sing songs 'straight', but Madonna employs subtext, irony, aggression and all sorts of vocal idiosyncrasies in the ways John Lennon and Bob Dylan did."^[443] Madonna used a bright, girlish vocal timbre in her early albums which became passé in her later works. The change was deliberate since she was constantly reminded of how the critics had once labeled her as "Minnie Mouse on helium".^[459] During the filming of Evita (1996), Madonna had to take vocal lessons, which increased her range further. Of this experience she commented, "I studied with a vocal coach for Evita and I realized there was a whole piece of my voice I wasn't using. Before, I just believed I had a really limited range and was going to make the most of it."^[440]

Besides singing, Madonna has the ability to play several musical instruments. Piano was the first instrument taught to her as a child.^[461] In the late 1970s, she learned to play drum and guitar from her then-boyfriend Dan Gilroy, before joining the Breakfast Club lineup as the drummer.^[462] She later played guitar with the band Emmy as well as on her own demo recordings.^[463] After her career breakthrough, Madonna was absent performing with guitar for years, but she is credited for playing cowbell on Madonna (1983) and synthesizer on Like a Prayer (1989).^[425] In 1999, Madonna had studied for three months to play the violin for the role as a violin teacher in the film Music of the Heart, but she eventually left the project before filming began.^[464] Madonna decided to perform with guitar again during the promotion of Music (2000) and recruited guitarist Monte Pittman to help improve her skill.^[465] Since then, Madonna has played guitar on every tour, as well as her studio albums.^[425] She received a nomination for Les Paul Horizon Award at the 2002 Orville H. Gibson Guitar Awards.^[466]

In The Madonna Companion, biographers Allen Metz and Carol Benson noted that Madonna had used MTV and music videos to establish her popularity and enhance her recorded work more than any other recent pop artist.^[467] According to them, many of her songs have the imagery of the music video in strong context, while referring to the music. Cultural critic Mark C. Taylor in his book Nots (1993) felt that the postmodern art form par excellence is the video and the reigning "queen of video" is Madonna. He further asserted that "the most remarkable creation of MTV is Madonna. The responses to Madonna's excessively provocative videos have been predictably contradictory."^[468] The media and public reaction towards her most-discussed songs such as "Papa Don't Preach", "Like a Prayer", or "Justify My Love" had to do with the music videos created to promote the songs and their impact, rather than the songs themselves.^[467] Morton felt that "artistically, Madonna's songwriting is often overshadowed by her striking pop videos."^[469] In 2003, MTV named her "The Greatest Music Video Star Ever" and said that "Madonna's innovation, creativity, and contribution to the music video art form is what won her the award."^[470][471] In 2020, Billboard ranked her atop the 100 Greatest Music Video Artists of All Time.^[472]

Madonna's live performances vary from choreographed routines such as voguing (above) to stripped-down ones with only a ukulele (below).

Madonna's initial music videos reflected her American and Hispanic mixed street style combined with a flamboyant glamour.^[467] She was able to transmit her avant-garde Downtown Manhattan fashion sense to the American audience.^[473] The imagery and incorporation of Hispanic culture and Catholic symbolism continued with the music videos from the True Blue era.^[474] Author Douglas Kellner noted, "such 'multiculturalism' and her culturally transgressive moves turned out to be highly successful moves that endeared her to large and varied youth audiences."^[475] Madonna's Spanish look in the videos became the fashion trend of that time, in the form of boleros and layered skirts, accessorizing with rosary beads and a crucifix as in the video of "La Isla Bonita".^[476][477] Academics noted that with her videos, Madonna was subtly reversing the usual role of male as the dominant sex.^[478] This symbolism and imagery was probably the most prevalent in the music video for "Like a Prayer". The video included scenes of an African-American church choir, Madonna being attracted to a black saint statue, and singing in front of burning crosses.^[479]

Madonna's acting performances in films have frequently received poor reviews from film critics. Stephanie Zacharek stated in Time that, "[Madonna] seems wooden and unnatural as an actress, and it's tough to watch because she's clearly trying her damnedest." According to biographer Andrew Morton, "Madonna puts a brave face on the criticism, but privately she is deeply hurt."^[480] After the critically panned box-office bomb Swept Away (2002), Madonna vowed never to act again in a film.^[481] While reviewing her career retrospective titled Body of Work (2016) at New York's Metrograph hall, The Guardian's Nigel M. Smith wrote that Madonna's film career suffered mostly due to lack of proper material supplied to her, and she otherwise "could steal a scene for all the right reasons".^[482]

Metz noted that Madonna represents a paradox as she is often perceived as living her whole life as a performance. While her big-screen performances are panned, her live performances are critical successes.^[483] Madonna was the first artist to have her concert tours as reenactments of her music videos. Author Elin Diamond explained that reciprocally, the fact that images from Madonna's videos can be recreated in a live setting enhances the original videos' realism. She believed that "her live performances have become the means by which mediatized representations are naturalized".^[484] Taraborrelli said that encompassing multimedia, latest technology and sound systems, Madonna's concerts and live performances are "extravagant show piece[s], [and] walking art show[s]".^[485]

Chris Nelson from The New York Times commented that "artists like Madonna and Janet Jackson set new standards for showmanship, with concerts that included not only elaborate costumes and precision-timed pyrotechnics but also highly athletic dancing. These effects came at the expense of live singing."^[486] Thor Christensen of The Dallas Morning News commented that while Madonna earned a reputation for lip-syncing during her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour, she has subsequently reorganized her performances by "stay[ing] mostly still during her toughest singing parts and [leaves] the dance routines to her backup troupe ... [r]ather than try to croon and dance up a storm at the same time."^[487] To allow for greater movement while dancing and singing, Madonna was one of the earliest adopters of hands-free radio-frequency headset microphones, with the headset fastened over the ears or the top of the head, and the microphone capsule on a boom arm that extended to the mouth. Because of her prominent usage, the microphone design came to be known as the "Madonna mic".^[488][489]

Madonna has built a legacy that transcends music and has been studied by sociologists, historians, and other scholars, contributing to the rise of Madonna studies, a subfield of American cultural studies.^{[491][492][493]} According to Rodrigo Fresán, "saying that Madonna is just a pop star is as inappropriate as saying that Coca-Cola is just a soda. Madonna is one of the classic symbols of Made in USA."^[494] Rolling Stone Spain wrote, "She became the first master of viral pop in history, years before the internet was massively used. Madonna was everywhere; in the almighty music television channels, 'radio formulas', magazine covers and even in bookstores. A pop dialectic, never seen since the Beatles's reign, which allowed her to keep on the edge of trend and commerciality."^[495] William Langley from The Daily Telegraph felt that "Madonna has changed the world's social history, has done more things as more different people than anyone else is ever likely to."^[496] Professor Diane Pecknold noted that "nearly any poll of the biggest, greatest, or best in popular culture includes [Madonna's] name".^[493] In 2012, VH1 ranked Madonna as the greatest woman in music.^[497]

Spin writer Bianca Gracie stated that "the 'Queen of Pop' isn't enough to describe Madonna—she is Pop. [She] formulated the blueprint of what a pop star should be."^[498] Madonna became the first act to be crowned the Greatest Pop Star twice by Billboard (1985 and 1989).^[499] According to Sclafani, "It's worth noting that before Madonna, most music mega-stars were guy rockers; after her, almost all would be female singers ... When the Beatles hit America, they changed the paradigm of performer from solo act to band. Madonna changed it back—with an emphasis on the female."^[500] Howard Kramer, curatorial director of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, asserted that "Madonna and the career she carved out for herself made possible virtually every other female pop singer to follow ... She certainly raised the standards of all of them ... She redefined what the parameters were for female performers."^[501] Andy Bennett and Steve Waksman, authors of The SAGE Handbook of Popular Music (2014), noted that "almost all female pop stars of recent years—Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and others—acknowledge the important influence of Madonna on their own careers."^[441] Madonna has also influenced male artists, inspiring rock frontmen Liam Gallagher of Oasis and Chester Bennington of Linkin Park to become musicians.^[502][503]

Madonna's use of sexual imagery has benefited her career and catalyzed public discourse on sexuality and feminism.^[504] The Times wrote that she had "started a revolution amongst women in music ... Her attitudes and opinions on sex, nudity, style, and sexuality forced the public to sit up and take notice."^[505] Professor John Fiske noted that the sense of empowerment that Madonna offers is inextricably connected with the pleasure of exerting some control over the meanings of self, of sexuality, and of one's social relations.^[506] In Doing Gender in Media, Art and Culture (2009), the authors noted that Madonna, as a female celebrity, performer, and pop icon, can unsettle standing feminist reflections and debates.^[507] According to lesbian feminist Sheila Jeffreys, Madonna represents woman's occupancy of what Monique Wittig calls the category of sex, as powerful, and appears to gleefully embrace the performance of the sexual corvée allotted to women.^[508] Professor Sut Jhally has referred to her as "an almost sacred feminist icon".^[509]

Writing for The Guardian, Matt Cain stated that Madonna has "broke[n] down social barriers" and brought marginalized groups to the forefront, by frequently featuring LGBT, Latino, and black culture in her works.^[510] An author said that "by making culture generally available, Madonna becomes the culture of all social classes".^[511] Canadian professor Karlene Faith gave her point of view saying that Madonna's peculiarity is that "she has cruised so freely through so many cultural terrains" and she "has been a 'cult figure' within self-propelling subcultures just as she became a major."^[512] GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis stated that Madonna "always has and always will be the LGBTQ community's greatest ally",^[513] while The Advocate dubbed her as "the greatest gay icon".^[514] Madonna herself stated in 2024, "Aside from my birthday, New York Pride is the most important day of the year."^[515]

Madonna has received acclaim as a role model for businesswomen, "achieving the kind of financial control that women had long fought for within the industry", and generating over $1.2 billion in sales within the first decade of her career.^[516] According to Gini Gorlinski in the book The 100 Most Influential Musicians of All Time (2010), Madonna's levels of power and control were "unprecedented" for a woman in the entertainment industry.^[517] London Business School academics called her a "dynamic entrepreneur" worth copying; they identified her vision of success, her understanding of the music industry, her ability to recognize her own performance limits (and thus bring in help), her willingness to work hard and her ability to adapt as the keys to her commercial success.^[518] Morton wrote that "Madonna is opportunistic, manipulative, and ruthless—somebody who won't stop until she gets what she wants—and that's something you can get at the expense of maybe losing your close ones. But that hardly mattered to her."^[519]

Forbes estimated Madonna's net worth at $850 million as of 2025,^[521] making her one of the wealthiest musicians in the world. She became Forbes's annual highest-paid female musician 11 times across the 1980s,^[522] 1990s,^[523] 2000s,^[524] and 2010s.^[525] She is recognized as the best-selling female music artist of all time by the Guinness World Records,^[c] and has a total of 18 albums certified multi-platinum in multiple countries.^[d] According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and the third highest-certified female artist in the United States, with 65.5 million certified album-equivalent units.^[541][542] In Japan, the world's second largest market, Madonna has received 17 Gold Disc Awards from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), including the most Artist of the Year wins by a solo artist (five).^[543][544]

Madonna had generated over US$1.6 billion from ticket sales of her concert tours throughout her career,^[545] she was the highest-grossing female touring artist,^[546] before being overtaken by Taylor Swift in 2023, according to Pollstar. Her biggest solo concerts by paying attendance include her Who's That Girl World Tour's concert in Parc de Sceaux, Paris (130,000 audience) and the Girlie Show's concert in Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro (120,000 audience).^[547][548] The closing performance of the Celebration Tour, in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, on May 5, 2024, drew over 1.6 million people, setting a record for the largest audience for a stand-alone concert by any artist at the time.^[373] She has also won seven Grammy Awards and twenty MTV Video Music Awards, including the 1986 Video Vanguard Award for which she became the first female recipient.^[549][550]

From "Like a Virgin" (1984) to "Give Me All Your Luvin'" (2012), a total of 44 Madonna singles have topped the official chart in at least one of the world's top-ten music markets, including the United States (12),^[551] the United Kingdom (13),^[552] Canada (24),^[e] Australia (11),^[555] Italy (23),^[556][557] and Spain (21).^[558][559] At the 40th anniversary of the GfK Media Control Charts, Madonna was ranked as the most successful singles artist in German chart history.^[560] According to Billboard, Madonna is the most successful solo artist in the Billboard Hot 100 chart history (second overall behind the Beatles) and the most successful dance club artist of all time.^[561][562] The magazine ranked her at number 36 on its 2025 "Top 100 Women Artists of the 21st Century" list.^[563] She has achieved 38 top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100, the most by any artist in pre-streaming era.^[564] A dominant physical singles seller, she has the most number ones on the Hot 100 Singles Sales (16) and the Dance Singles Sales (33) of any artist.^[565][566] With a total of 50 Dance Club Songs chart-toppers, Madonna became the artist with the most number ones on any singular Billboard chart, pulling ahead of George Strait with 44 number-one songs on the Hot Country Songs chart.^[334]

Films starred

Films directed

• Filth and Wisdom (2008)
• W.E. (2011)
• secretprojectrevolution (2013)

• Maverick (1992–2004)
• Ray of Light Foundation (1998)
• Raising Malawi (2006)
• Hard Candy Fitness (2010–2019)
• Truth or Dare by Madonna (2011–2018)