[Tree-Of-Life]

Was in during the 'Sex' book? During this era also 'The Immaculate Collection' was released which would become the biggest selling greatest hits album by any solo artist of all time.

Or was it earlier, when 'Like a Prayer' was released? Regarded by many as her greatest album?

For me Madonna crossed the threshold into Legend when 'Ray of Light' was released. Few could have predicted in 1998 she would return with a completely new sound and image, pioneering electronic music for the mainstream. Even 13 years after it's release 'Ray of Light' still sounds fresh and trendy, many of it's tracks, including the title track has aged magnificently.

With 'Ray of Light' she changed the musical landscape that we hear today in virtually every popular genre, from r'n'b, dance, pop and rap music.

[Azura's Star]

Superstar or Legend?
Neither in my house.

[livia123]

Originally Posted by Tree-Of-Life

Was in during the 'Sex' book? During this era also 'The Immaculate Collection' was released which would become the biggest selling greatest hits album by any solo artist of all time.

Or was it earlier, when 'Like a Prayer' was released? Regarded by many as her greatest album?

Madonna crossed the threshold into Legend when 'Ray of Light' was released. Few could have predicted in 1998 she would return with a completely new sound and image, pioneering electronic music for the mainstream. Even 13 years after it's release 'Ray of Light' still sounds fresh and trendy, many of it's tracks, including the title track has aged magnificently.

With 'Ray of Light' she changed the musical landscape that we hear today in virtually every popular genre, from r'n'b, dance, pop and rap music.

When I read the thread title, THIS is exactly what sprung to mind. It was the big Ray of Light comeback and the fact that she was still able to make relevant modern music into her late 40s and 50s when most other superstars are just going for the greatest hits mega tours.

[boddism]

Id say the LIke a Prayer era, then Vogue propelled her from superstar to Michael Jackson/Beatles legend status.

[xe2a2]

It's more the fact she came out of the 1990s unscathed and continued to evolve. For all their talent, Michael Jackson became a paranoid recluse, Prince became an ego masturbator and everyone else from the 1980s became irrelevant.

Also probably the fact everyone since Britney Spears has attempted to emulate her career template, especially Gaga and Rihanna.

[boddism]

[quote=xe2a2;50469174]It's more the fact she came out of the 1990s unscathed and continued to evolve. For all their talent, Michael Jackson became a paranoid recluse, Prince became an ego masturbator and everyone else from the 1980s became irrelevant.

Also probably the fact everyone since Britney Spears has attempted to emulate her career template, especially Gaga and Rihanna.[/QUOTE]

This.

Gaga being the most naked in her ambition....

[Tree-Of-Life]

She's such a legend/

[rubyred25]

I remember being 15, when Madonna first sang on top of the pops, she's come a long way from that first performance. I thought after she played Evita, but its hard to say how and when really.

[maninthequeue]

Originally Posted by livia123

When I read the thread title, THIS is exactly what sprung to mind. It was the big Ray of Light comeback and the fact that she was still able to make relevant modern music into her late 40s and 50s when most other superstars are just going for the greatest hits mega tours.

I agree. To comeback great with the Ray Of Light album and then sustain it afterwards with songs like Beautiful Stranger; Music; Hung Up ... whilst Michael Jackson & Prince's stars waned was the key for me.

[Gigi4]

I'm a huge Madonna fan, but I never call her a legend. I don't like the term legend. To me it indicates someone who's best work is behind them and they are just famous for what they did in the past and they don't really do anything worthwhile anymore and just ride on their past successes.
Hopefully, Madonna will be releasing plenty of great records, doing fantastic tours and even directing movies long into the future.
Madonna has never been one to be nostalgic or look back. That annoys her fans sometimes since she doesn't put much work into doing Greatest Hits retrospectives etc. But I love that she keeps pushing forward and challenges herself. She's the first to say you're only as good as your next project and don't think you can float by on your past successes.

[cloudsailor]

Madonna is on a way different way length to many stars and I don't think any one will be able to top what she has acomplished, the fact she came from nowhere and worked herself hard to gain her fame in her late 20s is testament to her Legend Status and even with the Music album after the massive success of Ray of Light she just hit her own field. The Music album in itself was quite cinematic and like Ray of Light and it was the epitome of that time.

I'm not phased by Lady Gaga because I don't feel that she's as real as Madonna was, as emotionally connected as Madonna was. Plus she is just repeating and rehashing what Madonna did.

[TheDemiurge]

I've always found her very frustrating as an artist. She has incredible energy, drive and a willingness to push beyond boundaries others would set for her; at the same time she has always been a follower rather than a leader in terms of her music and with the exception of "Hard Candy" and "Bedtime Stories", her output is watery and overly safe.

Within the next ten years a lot of the major, profitable touring acts (such as the Stones) will retire, but Madonna will still have it in her. I hope she uses this phase of her career to really push herself musically and nothing else.

[Bathsheba]

At the time (late 80s, early 90s) there were no other female singers who came anywhere close to her level of fame and success. There hadn't been anything like Madonna before that. It's not like now where it seems that every other pop act is a solo female and many have been obviously influenced by her.

[Tree-Of-Life]

Originally Posted by Bathsheba

At the time (late 80s, early 90s) there were no other female singers who came anywhere close to her level of fame and success. There hadn't been anything like Madonna before that. It's not like now where it seems that every other pop act is a solo female and many have been obviously influenced by her.

Whitney Houston was just as big at this time, but were completely different artists.

[Holli Would]

Originally Posted by Azura's Star

Superstar or Legend?
Neither in my house.

She is both in the eyes of the music industry and the majority of the general public, however.

I'd say it was the Ray of Light era that really cemented her status as a legend. It proved more than any other era, in my opinion, her ability to successfully re-invent herself and be one step ahead of the rest.

I still remember how hyped the ROL era was at the time (though I didn't personally become a fan until the Music era shortly after that) and have seen little like it in my lifetime.

She's more than worthy of her place in the hall of fame.

[grumpyscot]

Originally Posted by Azura's Star

Superstar or Legend?
Neither in my house.

Same here. Spoilt bitch more like.

[SinSeer]

Originally Posted by Azura's Star

Superstar or Legend?
Neither in my house.

Madona is a global superstar by virtue of her record sales and tours over the past decades. She is a legend because, like her or loathe her, say Madonna and her name, like that of the biggest global brands is instantly recognisable to most people.

[Holli Would]

Originally Posted by grumpyscot

Same here. Spoilt bitch more like.

It's fine for people to dislike her, obviously, but you can't deny her place in the music industry. She completely revolutionised the pop genre and worked extremely hard to get to where she is. Unlike a lot of today's artists, it isn't as though she had her status handed to her on a plate.

[boysforpele]

According to many friends and family, the first album was huge......and everyone was copying her style too....and wanting to be her...she was a phenomenon ...an icon the 80s just like spice girls in the 90s and Lady Gaga in 00 s.....but apparently it was the true blue era..... Which then was even more successful......and then the combined sense of fashion, imagery, cultural significance and music propelled her to status of legend. So can Lady Gaga become a legend. Answer she is currently a phenomenon and if sales of btw excell fame monster legend status is inevitable.

[TheDemiurge]

Originally Posted by boysforpele

According to many friends and family, the first album was huge......and everyone was copying her style too....and wanting to be her...she was a phenomenon ...an icon the 80s just like spice girls in the 90s and Lady Gaga in 00 s.....but apparently it was the true blue era..... Which then was even more successful......and then the combined sense of fashion, imagery, cultural significance and music propelled her to status of legend. So can Lady Gaga become a legend. Answer she is currently a phenomenon and if sales of btw excell fame monster legend status is inevitable.

Haha I was there and remember it all too well!!! The "First Album" as it became to be known, was originally called "Madonna" and didn't sell too well on its first outing. "Holiday" then became quite the hit, she released a follow up album "Like A Virgin" which is when the Madonna phenomenon really began, then a couple of movie appearances. "Madonna" the album was then repackaged and resold as the "First Album".

Prince (although a much better musician) was her male chart counterpart, and overt sexuality in pop music both lyrically and visually began around this time.

I'd love to see her push herself in whatever she does next - some kitsch stadium rock, a huge vacuum in the charts at the mo - would be great.

[Tree-Of-Life]

She was referred to in the press as 'the most famous woman in the world' from around 1991 or 1992.

[Ade_Bulla]

I think the process was continuous. Certainly, by 1998, with 'Ray of Light', Madonna had achieved the immense critical acclaim most had failed to award her at the beginning of her career. Since then, she has beaten basically every all time world record in music history, only less than a handful don't beling to her, from best-selling artist, album with most nr 1s, most nr 1s on Billboard charts (153 altogether, more than The Beatles and Elvis put together), most successful touring artist of all time, etc. The fact that alongside being supersuccessful she has never stuck to a musical formula, changing music and always being ahead of her times, the fact that she has had such huge cultural influence, as shown by her most recent tour, which has caused international clashes on gay rights, freedom of speech, the rise of far right movements etc have been part of the way she has become a legend.

[Chparmar]

She didn't became famous overnight on some stupid talent show!

Nowadays someone like Madonna might as well be a true goddess.

[offtotheraces]

Around the time of Vogue, I would say.

Although I do like some of her later work, I would also say she was never better than she was then. She really did seem to rule the world.

[Ade_Bulla]

Just as a footnote, Madonna's back catalogue sells between 5 to 6 million records a year, that's more than most best selling albums nowadays. It shows that because she has kept being supersuccessful and influential, songs which would otherwise have been forgotten 30 years on are still 'alive'. She certainly has qualities that are unique: a huge iq to start with, she's a professional dancer, which means she has a super body, she plays 4 musical instruments, has a ver eclectic voice, with an extremely wide range (3.2 octaves!) which she uses only in certain songs, avoiding straining the voice, as most singers do by 'showing it off' which 'burns the voice out'; instead, she is keeping it (actually improving it, despite her age, where the voice should get lower), and allows her to be the only entertainer who can sing and dance at the same time effortlessly (true, she chooses easier songs when dancing). She is also a perfectionist, I mean, she even edits her tour dvds, let alone design. She doesn't take drugs, hardly drinks, has kept her wits on her, she has always distinguished between her work and private life; she has reached such a status that she can show in public with no make up. A final note: Madonna is the only artist to have invariably received a standing ovation since the 1980s, even from other superstars, it seems that now things have moved a step further: a couple of weeks ago, when receiving 3 Billboard prizes (!!!) everybody, superstars included, stood standing for the whole time she was on stage: this is a treatment previously reserved only for Queen Elizabeth, the US President, the Pope and the Emperor of Japan.