Madonna

(Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone, born 1958) - American singer, entertainer, songwriter, actress, producer, director and businesswoman. She signed with Sire in 1982 and released her debut album, Madonna, in 1983. She followed it with a series of commercially successful albums. Madonna has sold more than 400 million records worldwide and is recognized as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records.

Madonna was ranked at Nr. 1 on VH1's list of 100 Greatest Women in Music, and at Nr. 2 on Billboard's list of Greatest Hot 100 Artists of All Time (behind only The Beatles), the latter making her the most successful solo artist in the history of American singles chart.

As an artist, she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting and visual presentation. Madonna's works, which incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes, have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. A cultural icon spanning both the 20th and 21st centuries, Madonna has become the subject of various scholarly, literary and artistic works, as well as a mini academic sub-discipline called Madonna studies.
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