Madonna in the 80s: 24 Songs That Made Her the Queen of Pop

What were Madonna's biggest songs of the 80s?

Madonna's biggest 80s songs were "Like a Virgin", "Like a Prayer", "Material Girl", "Papa Don't Preach" and "Into the Groove". In the US she reached number one seven times in the decade, with "Like a Virgin", "Crazy for You", "Live to Tell", "Papa Don't Preach", "Open Your Heart", "Who's That Girl" and "Like a Prayer".

Madonna (1983): the debut

1. "Everybody": her first single, a hit in New York dance clubs in 1982.
2. "Burning Up": an edgy early dance track.
3. "Holiday": her first top 20 hit, still a party favorite.
4. "Borderline": a sweet, sparkling pop song.
5. "Lucky Star": a bright dance hit from the same album.

Like a Virgin (1984) and the movie songs

6. "Like a Virgin": her first number one, famously performed in a wedding dress at the first MTV Video Music Awards.
7. "Material Girl": with a video that recreates Marilyn Monroe's famous number from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
8. "Angel": a breezy pop single from 1985.
9. "Dress You Up": a fun, funky closer to the album era.
10. "Crazy for You": a slow-dance number one from the film Vision Quest.
11. "Into the Groove": the dance anthem from Desperately Seeking Susan.

True Blue (1986): the grown-up pop star

12. "Live to Tell": a haunting ballad from the film At Close Range.
13. "Papa Don't Preach": a song about a teenage pregnancy that started a national debate.
14. "True Blue": a tribute to 50s and 60s girl-group pop.
15. "Open Your Heart": a number one with a famous peep-show video.
16. "La Isla Bonita": her Latin-flavored island daydream.

Who's That Girl (1987)

17. "Who's That Girl": the title song of her 1987 comedy, another number one.
18. "Causing a Commotion": an upbeat dance single from the same soundtrack.

Like a Prayer (1989): the masterpiece

19. "Like a Prayer": a gospel-pop epic and one of the most famous videos of all time.
20. "Express Yourself": an anthem of self-respect with a video directed by David Fincher.
21. "Cherish": a sunny, carefree love song.
22. "Oh Father": a raw song about her relationship with her father.
23. "Dear Jessie": a dreamy lullaby-like single released in Europe.
24. "Keep It Together": a funky song about family ties.

Madonna's 80s songs ranked: our top 10

1. "Like a Prayer": bold, emotional and still her most powerful single.
2. "Into the Groove": the purest dance-floor joy of her early years.
3. "Like a Virgin": the song and performance that made her a superstar.
4. "Express Yourself": a confident anthem that still feels modern.
5. "Live to Tell": proof that she could sing a serious ballad.
6. "Holiday": the breezy hit that started it all.
7. "Papa Don't Preach": daring subject matter and a great hook.
8. "La Isla Bonita": a sunny escape that every fan knows.
9. "Material Girl": playful, iconic and endlessly quoted.
10. "Borderline": an underrated gem with a sweet melody.

Madonna's 80s tours and Live Aid

Madonna's first concert tour, The Virgin Tour, opened in 1985 and played to crowds of young fans dressed just like her. That summer she performed at Live Aid in Philadelphia, the global benefit concert watched by a huge television audience. In 1987 the Who's That Girl World Tour took her to stadiums in Europe, Japan and North America, with costume changes, dancers and staging that set the template for the big pop shows that followed.

Madonna's 80s style

Her early look, with lace gloves, layered crucifixes, rubber bracelets and big hair bows, was copied by teenagers everywhere, and fans who dressed like her became known as Madonna wannabes. By the time of True Blue she had a sleek platinum bob, and for Like a Prayer she returned to darker hair and a more grown-up image. Each new look matched the music, which is one reason her 80s eras are so easy to remember.

Madonna's 80s albums at a glance

Madonna released four studio albums in the 80s: Madonna in 1983, Like a Virgin in 1984, True Blue in 1986 and Like a Prayer in 1989. Each one sold millions and sounded different from the last, moving from New York club pop to polished hits, then to more personal songs about faith, family and independence. The 1987 remix album You Can Dance kept her singles on dance floors in between.

Madonna 80s songs from the movies

Several of her biggest 80s songs came from films. "Crazy for You" and "Gambler" were written for Vision Quest, "Into the Groove" played in Desperately Seeking Susan, the comedy in which she starred, and "Live to Tell" was the theme of At Close Range, which starred her then-husband Sean Penn. "Who's That Girl" came from her own 1987 movie of the same name.

How Madonna changed music videos

Madonna treated each video like a short film, and many of her 80s songs are remembered as much for the images as the music. From the gondola in "Like a Virgin" to the burning crosses of "Like a Prayer", her videos made MTV appointment viewing and showed a generation of pop stars how to reinvent themselves.

Why was Madonna so big in the 80s?

Madonna understood the power of MTV better than anyone. Every album came with a new image, from the lace and crucifixes of her debut to the platinum glamour of "Material Girl" and the dark curls of "Like a Prayer". She wrote or co-wrote many of her hits, took control of her own career and kept the public talking, which helped her become one of the best-selling artists of all time.

The story behind Like a Prayer

"Like a Prayer" was released in 1989 alongside a Pepsi commercial that used the song. When the music video premiered, its religious imagery caused an outcry, and Pepsi pulled the ad. The controversy only made the song bigger: it went to number one around the world and is still ranked among the greatest songs of the decade.

Where should a new fan start?

The easiest way into Madonna's 80s music is The Immaculate Collection, the 1990 greatest hits album that gathers most of her biggest singles from the decade. From there, Like a Prayer is the best full album to hear start to finish, and her 1983 debut shows where her dance-pop sound began.

How Madonna's 80s music shaped pop

Madonna showed that a pop star could control her own image, write her own songs and change her sound with every album. Artists from Britney Spears to Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa have pointed to her as an influence, and her mix of dance music, bold visuals and confident lyrics became the blueprint for the modern pop superstar.

Madonna 80s songs for a party

For an 80s party, start with "Holiday" and "Into the Groove", play "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl" when the dance floor fills and save "Like a Prayer" for the big sing-along. For more from the decade, see our 80s songs and 80s female singers.

Madonna songs for a wedding

For an 80s wedding, "Crazy for You" is a classic slow dance and "Cherish" is a cheerful choice for the cake cutting. See our 80s wedding songs for more.

Madonna songs for karaoke

For karaoke, "Like a Prayer" is the showstopper, "Material Girl" is fun for a group and "La Isla Bonita" is easy for anyone to sing.

A song in the style of the 80s

A personalized song can capture that 80s pop sound for the Madonna fan in your life: their name, their story and a chorus made for the dance floor, in a pop or electronic style. It makes a fun birthday gift.

How to create a personalized song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: pop, electronic, R&B and more.
2. Add their name.
3. Share three memories or details about them.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $35.99, or $40.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Give them a pop song of their own: create a song and hear four previews for free.