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Madonna: The World's Biggest Star


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The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time

These are the voices that continue to touch, console, inspire, and empower us

http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/11/the-100-greatest-singers-of-all-time/full-post/

 

90. Madonna

Debates over whether Madonna is a great singer have floated around her for decades — her voice is too thin, her sinking into the low notes on ballads like “Live to Tell†too uncertain. But she’s undoubtedly one of the best straight-up performers that has ever graced top-40 radio, making up for any vocal deficits with the Whitneys and Mariahs of her various pop eras by putting her up-yours personality front and center while culture-vulturing her way toward the cutting edge. (The Internet appropriation machine caught up with her in the late ’00s, but she held out admirably long.) A chameleonic performer who could play the teen-on-the-verge of “Papa Don’t Preach†as effortlessly as she could portray the sternly sexual Mistress Dita on Erotica, Madonna’s ability to push pop forward through sheer force of will transformed the game. –Maura Johnston

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THE 33 MOST POPULAR ARTISTS DURING 2015 : MADONNA, KYLIE MINOGUE ,OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, PET SHOP BOYS AND DONNA SUMMER LEAD THE WAY! In News, Polls/Charts by david cocas May 18, 2016 http://www.therealmusicdivas.com/the-33-most-popular-artists-during-2015-madonna-kylie-minogue-olivia-newton-john-pet-shop-boys-and-donna-summer-lead-the-way/     Madonna is the most popular artist as far as TheRealMusicDivas readers are concerned. We decided to research the most searched artists back in 2015

groovyguy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-perezferia/madonna-the-worlds-bigges_b_5967112.html?utm_hp_ref=tw Madonna: The World's Biggest Star Is Just Hitting Her Stride Posted: 10/10/2014   After more than three decades on top, Madonna has never been more relevant, more powerful or more interesting than she is at this very moment. How in the world does she do it? I'm writing about Madonna. Again.   In one of those full circle moments Oprah tends to get very excited abou

groovyguy

For your #mondaymotivation: How @Madonna's music videos changed the face of pop culture:   http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/strike-a-pose-madonnas-20-greatest-videos-20160707 Madonna's music videos defined the MTV era 
and changed pop culture forever. Here are the stories behind the 20 greatest   Madonna's first album was released in July 1983, just two years after the birth of MTV, and no artist conquered the medium like the Queen of Pop. To salute the Material Girls' unsurpas

The Queen of Pop wins Most Influential Living #Artist Award - Long time due!

http://literatureab.blogspot.it/2016/11/most-influentialliving-artist.html?m=1

There's only one name worth the accolade...
and that's Madonna

Having suffered from media smear attacks for 13 year (or more) simply for satying it as it is, I think Madonna deserves the prize, a prize that exists in millions of people's hearts and is worth more than any (bought?) business prize.

Here are the real reasons why... (if anyone needs reminding)

Madonna gave up a cushy career because she did not want to be a manufactured artist, and fled Paris with an excuse to start it all over again in NY.

Madonna stood up for us LGBT people in the 80s... well, if you don't remember that far back (blame the History curriculum, as conditioned ans and controlled - because they want to control your mind... and, by the way, get rid of you... - as f***) it was career suicide to do so... well she did it, risked her whole carrer for us...

A bit later, when the moronic culture of the time made it acceptable to say that AIDS was a curse sent by God (talk about using God's name in vain... You'll sort it out with the Almighty, not my business, but if I were you I'd start praying now... I suggest 'Devil Pray' for a start... Guess whose side you've been on?) she stood up against this appalling insult to decency and Christian charity.

Then, she presented the first Black Jesus in 'Like a Prayer' as Black guy accused of crimes committed by a White man (how topical!), well, Pepsy (and the corporate world) did not like it, but I still do.

After that, she stood up for womanism, a form of feminism that did now bow down to that phallic idea that women should not (can anybody tell me why please? I still don't get it and the comments section is free) have a sexuality... Hear hear! men get a notch every time they shag a girl, but women become 'whores'. Well, I happen to disagree...

Later on, she awoke spiritually, long before most of us have... It was 1998 whe she told us that the Awakening was coming; most of us realised it after 2012 (anfd it's the biggest revolution in the last 12,000 years)... Never mind, she's a few step ahead of us...

She then did dared to tell us what we all know now, that the Bush War (f**k the term "Gulf War", let's name wars by who wants them, not by the people who get slaughtered) was illegal, horrible and wrong... We all know it now, but US media (well, the usual suspects who run all US media) have been attacking her since...


Years go by and Madonna is telling us that the currently acceptable form of discrimination is ageism, a form of sexism that is corrupting our minds and hearts... Well, she's right! And the media (left with nothing else to fight her with) still remind us that she has committed the incredible crime of being 58...

In the meantime, if anyone remembers what music was before Madonna, there would be no need to point out her amazing artistic achievements... But, for the record, I'll mention a few...

Let's start with the fact that her studio albums are on another level from whatever other artists produce... Not a computer generated backtrack and autotuned vocals, but a whole orchestra, a band, a real drive, and well... the vocals... just listen to them... you'd be amazed to discover the nuances and hues she puts in them (and a few tricks).

As to concerts, well, before Madonna a concert was a band and a singer (maybe a stool)... look at what she's made of concerts... Full blown theatrical and artistic performances that mix all the arts, and well, despite what that bitchy old queen says (and I can say so) they are all live and she dances while singing... No tour has ever matched one of hers.

Let's say more... Has anyone noticed the violins on her songs?

Has anyone noticed how she uses ambiguity in her lyrics to convey different meanings?

Has anyone noticed that 'La Isla Bonita' was the first Hispanic song to make the top 10 in the US?

Has anyone noticed that some of Madonna's tracks are non-songs? Check it out; it's a matter of structure.

Has anyone ever noticed that she quotes great artists in her songs? Well, let me tell you... if you had, you woulkd know that 'Live to Tell' is about WAR (a clue... Marlene Dietrich and Fabrizio de Andrè)... Has anyone noticed that 'Die Another Day' is actually a tango (and still one of the most advanced dance tracks ever)?

What else? No need to mention that since 1998, most artists have been trying (mostly dismally) to reproduce Ray of Light, arguably one of the most influential albums in history... anyone still remembers when they first heard 'Frozen'? It was like listening to music from outer space... a revolution in music... But Madonna had started with Bedtime Story, and - mark her words - "...this is the last time / That I'm using words" have opened a whole world of symbolism that few seem to understand... She's actually kept to her words... Every word in one of her sons (or prayers, if one wishes) actually is a symbol... But we'll leave that for posterity... The world seems too busy getting lobotomised by the latest videogame to see beyond the veil...We are too busy being controlled - ooops... entertained, I suppose is the doublespeak word for it - to realise that we are being driven into the abyss...

Anyway, there are many more... Of course, with her 3.2 octaves and ability to hold a note for 17 seconds, and with her eclecticity (she can can sing virtually any type of song) and with the fact that, well, she does not shout (a byword for 'singing well' nowadays), but actually puts (remember that thing?) emotions into her songs, she is actually an amazing singer who (uniquely) can actully sing (with no autotune, bugger off you lying old bitchy jealous queen! You disgrace the LGBT community with your perpetuation of stereotypes we are f***ing sick of!) and dance professionally.

Forget that she's actually sold as many records as The Beatles and is the most successful touring artist of all time; these are just minor facts... She has singlehandedly changed the lives of millions and music as we know it more than any other artist in living (well, one needs to go back to the Renaissance, and a certain Leonardo Da Vinci to find such an influential artist) memory...

Thus, yes, let's remember that date: 16th August 1958, but not as the tabloids want us to know it, as a sign of the greatest sin (Murdoch, explain how ageing is a sin to God, then I'll meet you on the other side - trust me, you know WHO is telling me this!), but as the birthday of the greatest artist in living memory!

Sister, I keep saying I'd shag you, but in reality I'd only kiss your feet.

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Madonna is the Woman with the Most Billboard Hot 100 Top 10s!

http://www.billboard.com/photos/7573477/women-with-the-most-billboard-hot-100-top-10s/2

From the Queen of Pop, Madonna, to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, along with Rihanna, Mariah, Whitney, Janet, Taylor & more, Billboard celebrates the women with the most Hot 100 top 10s all-time (from the chart’s Aug. 4, 1958, launch through the chart dated Nov. 19, 2016).

 

Here you can find all the 38 Top 10 hits with their peak positions and complete chart run (thanks to the amazing Nichu94 at UKMix.org):

Borderline (#10/30w) (10/03/1984): [bU:107]-76-62-54-50-46-40-37-35-29-25-22-18-12-11-*10*-11-12-15-19-30-52-56-61-66-83-86-88-91-94-98

Lucky Star (#4/16w) (25/08/1984): 49-40-27-24-16-13-8-5-*4*-5-6-17-30-55-86-97

Like a Virgin (#1/19w) (17/11/1984): 48-38-21-11-3-*1*-1-1-1-1-1-7-9-17-28-43-61-76-100

Material Girl (#2/17w) (09/02/1985): 43-34-24-18-5-3-*2*-2-3-5-13-23-37-50-60-91-100

Crazy For You (#1/21w) (02/03/1985): 55-42-32-20-9-4-3-2-2-2-*1*-2-6-13-22-30-46-60-76-84-91

Angel (#5/17w) (27/04/1985): 48-41-32-25-19-14-11-9-6-*5*-10-17-26-38-57-79-98

Dress You Up (#5/16w) (17/08/1985): 36-31-23-17-14-10-6-*5*-10-14-28-41-56-68-84-100

Live To Tell (#1/18w) (12/04/1986): 49-35-24-14-11-5-2-2-*1*-2-4-11-20-31-45-59-75-100

Papa Don’t Preach (#1/18w) (28/06/1986): 42-35-24-12-6-4-2-*1*-1-3-9-14-27-35-55-66-70-99

True Blue (#3/16w) (04/10/1986): 40-32-20-13-6-5-*3*-3-3-12-22-39-57-57-72-90

Open Your Heart (#1/18w) (06/12/1986): 51-38-27-22-22-15-7-4-2-*1*-2-8-19-27-40-67-80-98

La Isla Bonita (#4/17w) (21/03/1987): 49-39-25-18-12-7-*4*-4-4-9-19-25-38-56-58-77-99

Who’s That Girl (#1/16w) (11/07/1987): 43-33-26-11-7-2-*1*-2-3-9-20-34-45-67-70-89

Causing a Commotion (#2/18w) (12/09/1987): 41-33-23-14-11-5-*2*-2-2-8-20-32-47-58-73-97-97-98

Like a Prayer (#1/16w) (18/03/1989): 38-25-11-5-3-*1*-1-1-2-10-18-31-41-56-73-98

Express Yourself (#2/16w) (03/06/1989): 41-32-24-13-6-4-*2*-2-3-11-24-36-55-70-85-98

Cherish (#2/15w) (19/08/1989): 37-28-20-14-10-5-4-*2*-2-12-23-38-52-77-99

Keep It Together (#8/13w) (03/02/1990): 56-41-34-28-23-20-15-9-*8*-17-29-49-83

Vogue (#1/24w) (14/04/1990): 39-28-12-4-2-*1*-1-1-2-5-6-14-20-23-33-40-50-56-58-59-67-67-76-100

Hanky Panky (#10/11w) (30/06/1990): 40-34-25-17-*10*-13-24-43-68-83-98

Justify My Love (#1/16w) (17/11/1990): 46-36-23-10-4-2-2-*1*-1-2-6-15-26-40-68-86

Rescue Me (#9/8w) (02/03/1991): 15-14-11-*9*-16-28-59-90

This Used To Be My Playground (#1/20w) (04/07/1992): 35-17-7-2-2-*1*-3-3-4-5-11-15-22-30-42-57-59-68-73-88

Erotica (#3/18w) (17/10/1992): 13-*3*-5-5-9-13-18-25-38-48-59-57-60-61-72-86-85-97

Deeper And Deeper (#7/17w) (05/12/1992): 38-24-16-13-11-11-10-8-*7*-9-14-23-35-52-67-82-88

I’ll Remember (#2/26w) (02/04/1994): 35-20-18-15-12-7-4-3-*2*-2-2-2-5-6-7-11-13-15-16-18-22-23-31-39-45-50

Secret (#3/22w) (08/10/1994): 30-9-4-4-*3*-5-6-6-6-7-7-9-12-15-15-18-26-31-36-40-42-50

Take a Bow (#1/30w) (17/12/1994): 45-18-14-12-8-5-5-4-4-2-*1*-1-1-1-1-1-1-4-6-11-11-15-21-21-28-27-31-37-44-44

You’ll See (#6/20w) (09/12/1995): 8-*6*-9-11-12-11-10-8-11-18-19-23-27-40-49-54-57-63-64-78

Don’t Cry For Me Argentina (#8/16w) (22/02/1997): 17-*8*-9-10-13-26-31-41-53-68-73-85-91-89-93-98

Frozen (#2/20w) (21/03/1998): 8-5-*2*-3-4-4-5-9-11-14-15-16-18-22-40-40-44-54-62-56

Ray Of Light (#5/20w) (11/07/1998): *5*-7-8-9-16-21-26-32-34-39-41-40-43-52-49-56-58-59-63-71

Music (#1/24w) (12/08/2000): 41-23-18-14-2-*1*-1-1-1-2-2-2-2-2-4-8-11-16-20-25-27-27-29-44

Don’t Tell Me (#4/21w) (09/12/2000): 78-54-35-30-26-22-19-16-*4*-4-6-6-6-7-8-9-13-20-27-32-45

Die Another Day (#8/17w) (19/10/2002): [bU:111]-41-28-18-*8*-8-10-10-14-16-21-35-46-57-79-83-93-98

Hung Up (#7/20w) (05/11/2005): 20-21-27-14-*7*-7-14-19-21-23-23-30-43-45-59-64-48-48-54-74

4 Minutes [feat. Justin Timberlake] (#3/20w) (05/04/2008): 68-*3*-3-7-6-4-6-7-7-8-10-10-15-22-28-31-44-54-60-69

Give Me All Your Luvin’ [feat. Nicki Minaj & M.I.A.] (#10/6w) (18/02/2012): 13-*10*-39-58-86-0-0-0-87

 

Not only Madonna owns the record for the most top10 hits, but.

 

@Madonna also has 16 top 5 consecutive hits in a row, 17 top 10 hits in a row, 26 top 20 & an astonishing 31 top 40 in a row! @Billboard

 

Keep on ruling QUEEN!

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Greatest of All Time: Madonna Is Billboard's No. 1 Dance Club Songs Artist

12/1/2016 by Gordon Murray

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7595888/top-dance-club-songs-artists-madonna-greatest-of-all-time?utm_source=twitter

 

01-GOAT-janet-jackson-madonna-enrique-ig

 

 

The icon is the queen of the chart's first 40 years. Plus, Pet Shop Boys are the top duo/group & Enrique Iglesias is the top solo male.

 

Madonna is the No. 1 Billboard Dance Club Songs artist over the last 40 years, dating to the chart's 1976 inception. The icon reigns thanks largely to her record total of 46 No. 1s, the most of any artist on any single Billboard chart, and her consistently dazzling performance on the tally since her 1982 debut.

 

In the Dance Club Songs chart's history, in addition to her unmatched 46 No. 1s, Madonna owns the record for the most top 10s: 60. Janet Jackson follows with 33.

 

Fittingly, following Madonna on Billboard's Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Songs Artists list is Ms. Jackson at No. 2. Rihanna ranks at No. 3, followed by Beyonce (No. 4) and Pet Shop Boys (No. 5), the top duo or group; Depeche Mode (No. 10), Erasure (No. 19) and New Order (No. 25) follow in the duo/group category. Enrique Iglesias, at No. 14 overall, is the top male soloist, followed by Prince (No. 24), Michael Jackson (No. 26) and David Guetta (No. 27).

Billboard's Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists:
1. Madonna
2. Janet Jackson
3. Rihanna
4. Beyonce
5. Pet Shop Boys

The Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists ranking is based on weekly performance on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart, from its Aug. 28, 1976, inception through Aug. 27, 2016. Artists on the all-time chart are ranked based on the combined point totals of all their Dance Club Songs chart entries (with songs ranked based on an inverse point system and weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least; due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras were weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates over various periods).

Across four decades, Madonna has kept her sound fresh, current and uniquely her own, all while collaborating with a flurry of writers, producers and remixers. Whether delving into disco, house, R&B, hip-hop, dubstep or EDM, Madonna has burned up Dance Club Songs for 34 years and counting.

Madonna, who rose out of New York City nightclubs like Danceteria, debuted on Dance Club Songs (then known as the Dance/Disco Top 80) at No. 40 with "Everybody," produced by Mark Kamins, on the chart dated Nov. 6, 1982. The song reached No. 3 on Jan. 8, 1983, the first of four top five hits from her self-titled debut album. On Sept. 24, 1983, Madonna hit No. 1 for the first time with the double-sided "Holiday"/"Lucky Star," which ruled for five weeks. In 2000, "Music" (also the most recent of Madonna's 12 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s) tied "Holiday/Lucky Star" for Madonna's longest No. 1 reign.

Madonna has scored two sets of seven consecutive No. 1 Dance Club Songs singles. The first began with "Causing a Commotion" on Oct. 31, 1987, continued through three leaders from Like a Prayer, among others, and culminated with the MTV-banned, Lenny Kravitz-co-produced and William Orbit-remixed "Justify My Love" on Jan. 19, 1991. The second streak started on March 13, 1999, with Madonna's third topper from Ray of Light, "Nothing Really Matters," and lasted through her fourth No. 1 from Music, the promo-only, Peter Rauhofer-remixed "Impressive Instant" (Nov. 17, 2001).

Madonna's lone full-length remix album You Can Dance hit No. 1 on Dance Club Songs in 1988, as full-length albums (a la Michael Jackson's Thriller and many others) were allowed to chart as single entries at the time (until Feb. 23, 1991). Powered by the previously unreleased "Spotlight," produced by Stephen Bray and remixed by John "Jellybean" Benitez, along with remixes of album tracks like "Over and Over," a Nile Rodgers-produced Like a Virgin tune, and True Blue's "Where's the Party" (in addition to "Holiday," "Into the Groove" and more), Dance kept fans and DJs busy for months.

In 1990, Madonna, with Shep Pettibone, surfaced an underground dance trend while name-dropping movie stars whose careers largely predated her fans with the No. 1 "Vogue." In 1993, she transformed jazz-pop standard "Fever" (released in the U.S. as the B-side to ballad "Bad Girl") into a topper with Murk Boys mixes. In 1997, Madonna re-worked Evita classic "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," remixed by Pablo Flores and Javier Garza, into a Club leader, while, in 2000, she took Don McLean's classic rock story-song "American Pie," with its Richard "Humpty" Vission and Victor Calderone remixes, to the summit.

Madonna's record-extending 46th and most recent No. 1, the Diplo co-production "B**** I'm Madonna," featuring Nicki Minaj, topped the chart on Aug. 15, 2015. The third leader from her most recent studio effort, Rebel Heart, was remixed by Sander Kleinenberg, Sick Individuals and Fedde Le Grand, among others. On Dec. 9, fans can revel in a full broadcast of Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour on Showtime.

Next up, Madonna will be honored as Billboard's 2016 Woman of the Year. The 11th annual Women in Music event is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 9, in New York and will air on Lifetime Monday, Dec. 12.

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http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7595895/dance-charts-greatest-of-all-time-charts-highlights

 

Greatest of All Time: 40 Years, 40 Highlights from Billboard's Dance Club Songs Chart
12/1/2016 by Gordon Murray

Billboard celebrates some of the biggest moments since the survey's 1976 inception.

On Aug. 28, 1976, Billboard debuted the Dance Club Songs chart as the magazine's first survey ranking the popularity of dance music on a national level.

Forty years later, as the chart continues to reflect the hottest songs in clubs, we're looking back at 40 songs from throughout the list's run that have marked major milestones, from disco to freestyle to trap, and from the Bee Gees to Madonna to Rihanna and so much more.

Sept. 24, 1983
Madonna Shines Bright
The power-packed duo of "Holiday"/"Lucky Star" is Madonna's third chart entry and first No. 1, leading for the first of five weeks. The dance-pop combo followed first hit "Everybody" and another two-sider from the Madonna album, "Burning Up"/"Physical Attraction." "Holiday" also became Madonna's first Billboard Hot 100 hit, reaching No. 16, while "Lucky Star" marked her first top five, shooting to No. 4.

June 29, 1985
Madonna Gets 'Into the Groove'
"Angel"/"Into the Groove" is Madonna's fourth No. 1. "Groove" was commercially released in the U.S. only as the B-side to the 12-inch of "Angel," the third single from her Like a Virgin album. Because of its uniquely restricted release, "Groove" (as featured in Desperately Seeking Susan) wasn't allowed to chart on the Hot 100. Thankfully, the track had its day in the sun on our then-named Hot Dance/Disco list.

May 19, 1990
Madonna Strikes a Pose
Originally conceived as the B-side to "Keep It Together," Like a Prayer's final single and Madonna's previous No. 1, "Vogue" vaults to chart victory for two weeks. The track brilliantly elevated the dance-floor trend of vogue-ing from the underground to the mainstream, creating one of her most iconic hits (and videos). Along with "Keep" remixer and "Vogue" co-producer Shep Pettibone, Madonna would go on to score three No. 1s in 1992-93 from her controversial yet critically-acclaimed Erotica album: the title track, "Deeper and Deeper" and "Fever."

Nov. 19, 2005
Madonna's 'Dance Floor' Hits
"Hung Up," the Abba-sampling first single from Madonna's most cohesive club-ready album to date, Confessions on a Dance Floor, takes the top rung for four weeks. The Stuart Price co-production was the first of four No. 1s from the album, ahead of "Sorry," "Get Together" and "Jump." Confessions, released as one continuously mixed track in addition to its standard version, led Top Dance/Electronic Albums for 13 weeks. "Hung Up" reached No. 7 on the Hot 100 and served as the extended closing anthem on perhaps Madonna's most invigorating dance-oriented and socially-conscious global trek, her Confessions Tour.

Aug. 15, 2015
Madonna Is, Well, 'Madonna'
"B**** I'm Madonna" further cements Madonna as the top Dance Club Songs artist of all time, becoming her third leader from Rebel Heart and record 46th total. In fact, no act has scored more No. 1s on any individual Billboard songs chart. The track, co-written and produced by Diplo, caused a stir with its star-studded video sporting cameos from Beyonce, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Chris Rock, Nicki Minaj and more, all seeming to agree that they're the Queen of Pop, too.

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www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2016/11/30/the-worlds-highest-paid-musicians-of-2016/#3716b7c0f411

The World's Highest-Paid Musicians Of 2016

4. Madonna ($76.5 million) Thanks to the tail end of her Rebel Heart Tour, which grossed $170 million, and captures additional millions on perfume and clothing deals.

Our list measures pretax income from June 1, 2015, to June 1, 2016 before deducting management fees. Numbers are based on data from Pollstar, Nielsen and the RIAA, as well as interviews with managers, agents, lawyers—and some stars themselves

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The female solo artists with the most Number 1 albums

Who takes the crown when it comes to the most Number 1s on the Official Albums Chart?

http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-female-solo-artists-with-the-most-number-1-albums__16217/

 

The female solo artists with the most Number 1 albums

By Rob Copsey

March 8 marks International Women's Day, a celebration of everything awesome that womankind brings to the world. How about we look at the leading ladies on the Official Albums Chart to commemorate it?

 

That's right - today, we're going to look at the women who have scored the most chart toppers on the Official Albums Chart with a list highlighting the girls who hit the peak of the chart with three or more albums. 14 female artists have managed it, but who has the most? It's time to find out...

 

Madonna

The Queen of Pop is of course on top of our list, with a staggering 12 chart topping albums to her name. Her 12 No.1 smashes are: Like A Virgin, True Blue, Like A Prayer, The Immaculate Collection, Evita - OST, Ray of Light, Music, American Life, Confessions on a Dancefloor, Hard Candy, Celebration and MDNA. *deep breath*

 

Madonna is the only woman in double figures, joining an elite club that only includes The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Robbie Williams, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and U2.

 

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Madonna Is America’s Wealthiest Female Musician

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2017/05/17/americas-wealthiest-female-musicians-2017/?s=CelebrityMoney

 

May 17, 1:02 pm

 

1. Madonna ($580 million)

From Forbes: Her Rebel Heart tour, which ended in March 2016, grossed $170 million. She also cashes in on clothing and perfume. A savvy spender, Madonna has scooped up New York real estate and fine art--reportedly including works by Picasso and Man Ray--as well as a stake in Jay Z's Tidal streaming service.

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10 Reasons Madonna Is An Eternal Inspiration to the LGBTQ Community

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/7824546/madonna-lgbtq-inspiration-ally-moments

 

The task of defining Madonna’s impact is brutal. You could say she redefined the power of pop stardom. Or helped establish music videos as an art form. Or called her own shots in a career that amounts to living mythology. But that would still be selling Madonna short, since any rote discussion of her “great business skills†leaves out the impact of Madonna as a person -- the impish, unapologetic, philanthropic, often hilarious crusader who has been the LGBTQ community’s raddest pop heroine since she introduced her armpits to a hand dryer in Desperately Seeking Susan.

 

Madonna Delivers Her Blunt Truth During Fiery, Teary Billboard Women In Music Speech

As far as being an ally goes, she’s the Elizabeth Taylor of pop; as far as iconography goes, she’s like if Marlene Dietrich were an X-Men. That’s a whole lot of gay credibility. Pride Month is not the same without Madonna and her music, and thus we recount 10 of her great gay moments.

 

1. Those Decades of AIDS Activism

 

Back in the ‘80s, we were hard up for celebrities who spoke out against AIDS (and it didn’t help that we had a president who was, shall we say, reticent on the subject). But in 1989 Madonna and her Detroit-era dance instructor Christopher Flynn, who was then diagnosed with AIDS, fired up New York with a major benefit dance marathon. By that time, Madonna had already lost her good friend Martin Burgoyne to the epidemic. In footage from the event, she thrashes about with sweet abandon. That’s fun to watch, but it’s even cooler to see Flynn, who later died from the illness, open up about Madonna as a confidante who understood him.

 

2. The Documentary Where Madonna Is Queen, But the Gays Rule Too

 

The ‘91 documentary Truth or Dare is quite possibly the second most essential purchase for new Madonna fans after The Immaculate Collection. It gives you legendary performances (not just the masturbation-centric “Like a Virgin†but also “Oh Father,†“Vogue,†and “Keep It Togetherâ€), infamous cameos from the likes of Antonio Banderas, Kevin Costner, and then-beau Warren Beatty, plus scream-worthy interactions with her backup dancers, most of whom were gay. Truth or Dare is one of the first documentaries I ever saw that featured gay dudes hanging out. They go to a Pride parade, gossip about each other, and get an earful from Madonna when they’re mean to another dancer. “Be nice to him. He doesn’t have the thick skin that you have,†she intones like the headmistress of homosexuality. Be sure to bring a hanky when she dedicates a show to her pal Keith Haring, who died just before the tour started.

 

3. Yep: Ellen Came Out With the Help of Madonna

 

Where were you when you learned Madonna was an instrumental part of Ellen DeGeneres’ coming out? I’m still blown away. Here’s Ellen herself remembering kind words from M.

 

4. The Drag Tribute That Rocked the ‘99 VMAs

 

The 1999 MTV Video Music Awards were perfect. You had Lauryn Hill winning Video of the Year, Ricky Martin owning America, Prince introducing TLC, and an amazing tribute to Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. by their mothers, Afeni Shakur and Voletta Wallace. You also had a stunning, utterly gay moment in the form of a drag tribute to Madonna’s career. One by one, drag queens toasted her most famous looks: the “Like a Virgin†wedding dress, the “Open Your Heart†cabaret look, the goth “Frozen†gown. Finally Madonna herself came out, patrolled the phalanx of queens, and declared, “All I have to say is it takes a real man to fill my shoes.†Extra special props to the queen in the “Bedtime Story†gear who absolutely annihilated that runway.

 

5. The Pain of “In This Lifeâ€

 

One of the concluding tracks on Erotica, Madonna’s much-maligned 1992 album that has since earned a major cult following (what kind of monster can’t get into “Deeper and Deeper�), is an elegy for the singer’s friends who’ve died of AIDS. Her performance is understated and touching, which only serves to highlight what an underrated balladeer she’s always been.

 

6. “Vogue†Is a One-of-a-Kind Gay Fantasia

 

Voguing is the hallmark of black and Latin dance balls in Harlem, and there’s always been a debate as to whether Madonna’s “Vogue†fairly samples from that culture. Its legendary video served up both real voguing and stylized non-voguing, and while there are definitely black and Latin dancers performing those moves alongside Madonna, you may question the validity of a white, straight pop star acting as the dance’s unofficial figurehead. Either way, Madonna accomplished something astounding with “Vogue†-- she ushered an audacious, unapologetically queer art form into mainstream America, and that means gays everywhere got to witness (and recognize) a rare kind of performative ebullience. Plus, she got to revel in her serious love of old movie stars.

 

7. The 50 Million Times She’s Denounced Homophobia

 

Madonna performs this act just about everywhere. In Russia while Putin looms like a Crisco-drenched albatross? Check. In an English interview way back in the ‘90s? Check. One of the finest: When she donned a Boy Scout uniform at the 2013 GLAAD Awards to present Anderson Cooper with the Vito Russo Award. She mocked the Boy Scouts’ homophobic membership ideals and lamented the fact that she couldn’t get in despite her well-honed ability “to scout for boys.†A few years later on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Bob the Drag Queen would mimic this look and assure us he was the most “prepared†queen of season eight.

 

8. The Sandra Bernhard Situation

 

For the better part of 30 years, one of Madonna’s favorite hobbies was annoying David Letterman. She was propelled by his dry humor and always gunned to freak him out live on air. In her first major appearance alongside Dave, she arrived as a surprise guest while friend Sandra Bernhard lit up the stage with her usual sauciness. Everything about this pop culture moment is absurd and unforgettable: the matching jean-shorts, the cheeky implications of a love affair between Madonna and Sandra, and Dave’s befuddlement. The queer rumors would then follow the “gal pals†around for a while, and in 2010 on Wendy Williams’ show, Sandra lamented the end of their friendship. I certainly lament the era when celebrities loved being obnoxious on national television, played by their own rules, and didn’t waste our time with boring on-set anecdotes.

 

9. Her Amazing Tribute to Her Late Friend, A-list Interior Designer David Collins

 

After Madonna’s friend David Collins died in 2013, Madonna penned a letter describing his influence on her life. It’s a moving tribute, and it contains one anecdote letting you know what a rad gay pal he was: “He took to calling me Muriel after we saw Muriel’s Wedding, because he said it was sacrilegious and downright ridiculous to say my name in public or private. Did I mention his witty and irreverent sense of humor? Shame on me.†She added: “In my darkest hours (and there were plenty of those) he always managed to say something that made me laugh and stop feeling sorry for myself. He never allowed me to indulge. He would say, ‘Muriel, stop complaining, it doesn't suit you. Let's go to Ibiza!’ And he meant it. He loved going to Ibiza: yes, the gorgeous men; yes, tripping the light fantastic; yes, the occasional tab of X; but most of all he went for the music.â€

 

10. The Greatest Reddit AMA Reply of All Time.

 

I’m still reeling from Madonna’s single foray into Reddit, an AMA where she answered tons of questions. The best, though: “If you were a gay man, would you be a top or a bottom?†Madonna’s lowercase response: “i am a gay man.â€

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