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Madonna is the Queen of Pop, but she could also be called the Chameleon of Pop. This legendary artist made a name for herself by breaking boundaries, writing about controversial themes, and performing with unconventional, even scandalous imagery and religious iconography.

But she wasn’t always a singer. In fact, Madonna started out as the complete opposite: a dancer.

From Dancer To Singing Star

Born to Catholic parents in 1958, Madonna Louise Ciccone grew up as a rebellious young girl who wanted something more out of life than mediocrity. She loved to dance; she took ballet lessons, received a dance scholarship at the University of Michigan, and attended the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC.

In 1978, Madonna moved to New York City and made her way working at Dunkin’ Donuts and performing in modern dance troupes, all while taking dance classes.

Her focus on dancing shifted to singing beginning in 1979, when she fell in love with Dan Gilroy. Gilroy was a musician, and together they formed the Breakfast Club Band in which Madonna sang. She also played the drums and the guitar. Later, she formed a new band with drummer Stephen Bray called Emmy and the Emmys.

Soon, though, Madonna decided to become a solo artist. She recorded a demo and promoted it to various DJs. One of them liked her work and introduced her to the president of Sire Records, where she signed on for three singles and an album option. Her singles “Everybody” and “Burning Up” turned into hits, and Madonna was able to release her self-titled debut album.

Becoming An Icon 

Madonna’s debut album rose to number 8 on the Billboard 200 for 1983. Following this success, she gained even more exposure by performing on American Bandstand and Top of the Pops. In the process, she became a fashion and cultural icon for young women and girls. They emulated her signature fishnet stockings, capris, and crucifix jewelry.

Madonna released her second album, Like a Virgin, in 1984, and it was even more popular than the first. It became the first album released by a female artist to sell 5 million copies in the United States. Overall, it sold 21 million copies globally.

Breaking All The Rules

Madonna was a rule-breaker. After the release of her third album, True Blue, which featured 5 number one hit singles, she decided to make controversy with her fourth venture, Like a Prayer. The album featured a title track which she debuted during a Pepsi commercial. It showed scandalous themes like making love to a saint and cross burning. The Vatican condemned it, but the non-religious public loved it.

From then on, Madonna morphed into a symbol of bold, sexual artistry. She titled her fifth album Erotica and released a book at the same time called Sex, which contained graphic sexual imagery. This new provocative image, which was made even more scandalous with sexually suggestive stage performances, was not as well received by the public. Nevertheless, it served as a reminder that Madonna was her own person, her own artist, and she would not be held back by popular conventions.

“She Is Pop”

Throughout the 2000s, Madonna continued making music as well as writing and directing films. She broke records with her Re-Invention and Confessions tours, all the while rustling up controversy with sexual and religious imagery. She performed during the MTV Music Awards, at Super Bowl Halftime Shows, and around the world. She’s still making music and taking names today, at the age of 63.

In the words of Bianca Gracie, writer for Spin, Madonna is not just the Queen of Pop: “she is Pop.” She defined the sound and look of the genre for women for all time.

You can request to hear your favorite Madonna hits here at Retro Radio Australia’s extensive music library.

There are many rock and roll royals, but only Elvis Presley is the king. This crooner is so beloved by fans of all ages, even several decades after his untimely death at age 42, that many of them believe he is still secretly alive. To these and many more rock and roll listeners, Presley is not just a king: he’s a god.

Like many of the mythical gods of old, however, Presley started out like any of us: a mere mortal with a dream of stardom.

Once Upon A Time In Memphis

Presley’s musical career began in 1954 when he was nineteen years old, in Memphis, TN. Together with a trio of other musicians, Presley brought the sound of rockabilly to the public ear and became the white representative of African American music. But he wouldn’t become a solo star in his own right until 1956, when he released his first hit single, “Heartbreak Hotel.”

From that point, Presley began a successful career of playing and promoting his music on television networks and the talk shows of the era. He appeared on the Milton Berle Show, the Steve Allen Show, and the Ed Sullivan Show, where he played his hit songs including “Hound Dog” and “Love Me Tender.”

In The Movies

In the 1960s, following an honorable discharge from the military after being drafted, Presley switched his focus from music only to movies. While the 27 movies Presley starred in during this period were popular among fans, they were not critically acclaimed by any means. Presley was not a naturally gifted actor, and the plots of his films tended to run the same gamut: romantic comedy.

Rocking The World

In 1968, Presley finally found his footing in music again. He donned tight leather pants and sang newly recorded songs in an NBC television special in December 1968. This special, performed in front of a small audience, marked the first time Presley performed live since 1961. The show was a hit; 42 percent of NBC’s viewership tuned in.

During this era, Presley rocked the world once more with hits like “If I Can Dream,” “Suspicious Minds,” “Don’t Cry Daddy,” and “Kentucky Rain.” He became the star attraction at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, where he performed at least twice annually for the next five years.

In the 70s, Presley’s fame didn’t falter or waver. He continued to tour, met President Richard Nixon, and performed in a live special in Hawaii that was aired all over the globe. It broke viewership records in Japan, and the album he released for the special became the number one selling pop album in the US at the time.

Royal For All Time

Sadly, Presley’s success was overshadowed by the final months leading up to his sudden death in 1977. His divorce from his wife Priscilla hit him hard, and over time he grew increasingly depressed. In response to that depression, he took barbiturates and even overdosed on them more than once.

Meanwhile, his public image was no longer as glittery and bright. Critics and younger audiences began to see him and his leather costumes as cheap and gaudy, particularly after his weight gain.

In 1977, Presley died from cardiac arrest in his hotel room.

His tragic ending can’t make us forget the bright glow of his smooth, crooning voice, catchy rockabilly, country, gospel, and pop hits, and brilliant showmanship. For these reasons, Elvis Presley will always be rock and roll royalty.

To hear your favorite Elvis Presley hits on Retro Radio Australia, request them from our music library on our website. And don’t forget to buy your tickets to the Parkes Elvis Festival, for which Retro Radio Australia is an official broadcast partner. This rockin’ event will be held in Parkes, New South Wales on April 20-24, 2022.