Madonna

Madonna's 1984 hit "Like a Virgin" was ranked #8 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80's" in 2006, while her 1990 song "Vogue" ranked #5 on the network's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90's" the following year.

Madonna was ranked #86 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Rock & Roll" in 1998.

In January 2009 Madonna was given permission to take her two children from her marriage to Guy Ritchie (David and Rocco) to live in New York with her and her daughter Lourdes. Their father remained in London.

Two of Madonna's albums were ranked in Entertainment Weekly magazine's "100 Best Albums of the Last 25 Years" - 1998's Ray of Light was ranked #59 and 1983's Madonna was ranked #5.

After Madonna performed in Chile during her 2008 world tour, the Roman Catholic Cardinal Jorge Medina Estevez accused her of "inciting impure thoughts" and of provoking a "crazy enthusiasm, an enthusiasm of lust, lustful thoughts, impure thoughts."

On November 6th, 2008, Madonna performed at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to more than 50,000 people as part of her "Sticky and Sweet" tour. During the show, Britney Spears made a surprise appearance and sang her song "Human Nature." At a separate time during the show, Justin Timberlake joined Madonna to sing their hit "4 Minutes".

In October 2008, it was officially announced that Madonna would be getting a divorce from Guy Ritchie - her husband of seven years - confirming recent rumors that had been swirling around.

Madonna was thanked by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette in the liner notes of Morissette's 1995 platinum album Jagged Little Pill.

At age 50, Madonna was still ranked #20 in Glamour's "The 50 Most Glamorous Women of '08."

Madonna ranked number 2 on "The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists" chart in July 2008. She was both the highest female and solo singer on the list.

Two Madonna concerts were broadcast by HBO live. In 1990, The Blond Ambition World Tour aired from Nice, France, and in 2001, The Drowned World Tour was broadcast live from her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Another concert aired by the channel was The Girlie Show, but this one was taped a day before its broadcast.

In March 2007, Madonna created a clothing line for the retailer H&M and also made a commercial for them. H&M saw a big increase in its sales due to the new clothing line.

In March 2008, Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, after being in the business for the required 25 years.

Madonna is the best selling female artist of all time, with total album sales of over 275 million.

Madonna has had seven #1 albums on "The Billboard 200" chart: Like A Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), Like A Prayer (1989), Music (2000), American Life (2003), Confessions On A Dance Floor (2005) and Hard Candy (2008).

In January 2008 it was revealed that Madonna only drinks specially blessed Kabbalah water, and spends $10,000 a month on it, having it shipped to her wherever she is at the time.

Madonna is good friends with Sting, the lead singer of The Police, and his wife Trudie. She was introduced to her husband, director Guy Ritchie, by Sting and his wife. Sting is also a godfather to Madonna's son Rocco.

Madonna owns a chihuahua named Chiquita.

Madonna is good friends with actress/Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow. Their friendship began in late 1999. Gwyneth was the Maid of Honor at Madonna's wedding to Guy Ritchie.

Madonna is good friends with music video/film director David Fincher. Their friendship and collaboration started in 1989. Fincher directed four of her music videos including "Express Yourself", "Vogue", "Oh Father", and "Bad Girl".

Madonna is good friends with the late fashion photographer/music video director Herb Ritts. Their friendship and collaboration started in 1984 when he shot the ad for her movie Desperately Seeking Susan. In 1986, he shot the cover photo for her album True Blue. In 1989, he directed the video of her song "Cherish".

Madonna is good friends with director Mary Lambert. Their friendship started in 1984 when Lambert directed five of her music videos: "Borderline", "Like a Virgin", "Material Girl", "La Isla Bonita", and "Like a Prayer".

Madonna is good friends with French fashion photographer/music video director Jean-Baptiste Mondino. Their friendship started in 1986 when Mondino directed Madonna's music video "Open Your Heart". Mondino also directed many more of her music videos including "Justify My Love", "Human Nature", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore", "Don't Tell Me", and "Hollywood".

Madonna was listed at #3 in Forbes magazine's "Celebrity 100 of 2007," with $72 million in earnings.

In September 2007 it was revealed that Madonna had been blacklisted by famed celebrity photographer David LaChappelle after he declared her too difficult to work with.

Madonna is the only artist who performed at the benefit concerts Live Aid (1985), Live 8 (2005), AND Live Earth (2007).

Madonna directed her first short film, "Filth and Wisdom," which is loosely based on her own life, in 2007.

Madonna recorded the song "Hey You" especially for her performance at Live Earth London on July 7th, 2007.

Madonna has stated that movie actresses including Carole Lombard, Judy Holliday, Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, Louise Brooks, Rita Hayworth, and Dita Parlo are her idols.

Madonna has stated that Blondie frontwoman Deborah Harry and The Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde were two of her main musical influences.

In April 2007, it was revealed Madonna had plans to adopt a three-year-old girl, Grace, from Malawi. The new addition would be a big sister to David Banda, the 18-month-old boy she adopted in 2006.

Madonna is good friends with Icelandic singer/songwriter and Sugarcubes frontwoman Björk.

Madonna was ranked #1 on VH1's "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era" in 2003.

Madonna was ranked #36 on Rolling Stone magazine's "The Immortals - The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2004. In the magazine, there was an article about her written by singer Britney Spears.

Madonna had four albums ranked in Rolling Stone magazine's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2004: Like A Prayer was #237, The Immaculate Collection was #278, Ray Of Light was #363, and Music was #452.

Madonna had two songs ranked in VH1's "100 Best Songs of the Past 25 Years" in 2003: "Like A Virgin" was #10 and "Ray Of Light" was #100.

Madonna had six music videos ranked on VH1's "100 Greatest Videos" in 2003: "Like A Prayer" was #2, "Justify My Love" was #7, "Ray Of Light" was #40, "Material Girl" was #54, "Like A Virgin" was #61, and "Borderline" was #84.

Madonna had three songs ranked in Rolling Stone magazine and MTV's "100 Greatest Pop Songs" in 2000: "Like A Virgin" was #4, "Vogue" was #19, and "Papa Don't Preach" was #62.

Madonna had three music videos ranked in MTV's "100 Greatest Music Videos Ever Made" in 1999: "Vogue" was #2, "Express Yourself" was #10, and "Lucky Star" was #50.

Madonna had six music videos ranked in Rolling Stone magazine's "The 100 Top Music Videos" in 1993: "Express Yourself" was #10, "Like A Prayer" was #20, "Borderline" was #24, "Vogue" was #28, "Justify My Love" was #43, and "Oh Father" was #66.

Madonna has brontophobia - a fear of thunder.

Madonna was listed in Forbes magazine as the fourth top money maker in the music industry in 2006, with $96.8 million in earnings.

Madonna was up for the role of Roberta Guaspari in the 1999 film Music of the Heart, but she dropped out two weeks before filming was set to begin.

Madonna had four music videos on VH1's "50 Sexiest Video Moments" in 2003: "Justify My Love" was #1, "Erotica" was #16, "Take a Bow" was #27, and "Open Your Heart" was #37.

Madonna is mentioned in the chorus of the band Bowling for Soup's song "1985."

Madonna was ranked #1 on the "Top Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years" chart that spanned from 1980-2004.

Madonna was considered as Prince's first choice for the role of the Kid's angelic muse Aura in his 1990 movie musical Graffiti Bridge, but she turned it down, telling him that the screenplay was awful.

Madonna's measurements are 34C-23-33.

Madonna was considered for the role of Catwoman/Selina Kyle in the 1992 film "Batman Returns," but she turned it down and the role went to Michelle Pfeiffer.

Madonna's favorite designers include Dolce & Gabbana, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Betsy Johnson, Gianni Versace, Stella McCartney, and Maripol.

Madonna was in the running for, but never got, roles in several movies including the role of Susie Diamond in The Fabulous Baker Boys, the role of Ginger McKenna/Rothstein in Casino, and the role of Cristal Conners in Showgirls.

In mid-August 2006 Madonna was threatened by Russian gangsters who said they'd kidnap Madonna, Rocco and Lourdes if she didn't cancel dates for her controversial 'Confessions' tour (which contained a crucifixion scene that many people claimed to be blasphemous) in Moscow in October 2006. These threats caused Madonna to tighten security on her and her children.

Madonna is 5 feet, 4½ inches (1.64 m) tall.

Madonna was ranked #1 on VH1's "100 Sexiest Artists" in 2002.

Madonna has insisted that British tour organizers put a bottle of vodka in her dressing room. The alcohol isn't to drink, it is used to wash her clothes. She sprays it over perspiration marks and the alcohol apparently kills the bacteria and keeps the stage clothes fresher. She picked up the tip after hearing it was often used by opera singers.

Madonna has been nominated for a record of 67 MTV Video Music Awards and has won a record of 19.

Madonna is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the most successful female solo artist.

Madonna surprisingly does not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Madonna was inducted into the UK Hall of Fame on November 11th, 2004.

Madonna wrote a series of five children's books entitled The English Roses, Mr. Peabody's Apples, Yakov and the Seven Thieves, The Adventures of Abdi, and Lotsa de Casha.

Madonna wrote a book entitled Sex, released in 1992, which sold a record-breaking 150,000 copies in the U.S. in its first day of release and reached #1 in the New York Times best seller list. The book caused controversy around the world, and went out of production less than a year after its release.

Madonna has been nominated for a total of 18 Grammys but only won 5 of them. She won: "Best Music Video, Long Form" for Madonna: Blonde Ambition World Tour Live in 1992, "Best Video from a Film" for "Beautiful Stranger" in 1999, "Best Music Video, Short-Form" and "Best Dance Recording" for "Ray Of Light" in 1999, and "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media" for "Beautiful Stranger" in 2000.

At the end of Madonna's wedding ceremony, she and her new husband Guy Ritchie were given two rolls of toilet paper by Susan Brown, the minister, as it is one of the minister's traditions. Susan says of her tradition, "Two rolls together reminding them that their marriage should be strong and long."

Madonna was paid $5 million by Pepsi to film a commercial that never even aired.

Madonna's first major film role was in Desperately Seeking Susan in 1985. The movie featured her song "Into the Groove."

In 1983, "Holiday" became Madonna's first Billboard Hot 100 single in the U.S. (peaking at #16), while "Like A Virgin" became her first #1 single in 1984.

Madonna is one of the most famous practitioners of the Kabbalah faith (an off-shoot of Judaism).

Madonna gave her 8-year old daughter a credit card, to "teach her financial responsibility." The card has a $10,000 credit line.

Madonna once again made it to the headlines when she kissed both Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears on the lips at MTV's 2003 Video Music Awards.

Madonna bought a 4-story mansion in the charming London neighborhood of Notting Hill for $10 million on November 9, 2000 in order to be closer to her then-husband Guy Ritchie.

Madonna has won 9 Razzie Awards: Worst Actress for "Shanghai Surprise" in 1987, Worst Actress for "Who's that Girl" in 1988, Worst Actress for "Body of Evidence" in 1994, Worst Supporting Actress for "Four Rooms" in 1996, Worst Actress of the Century in 2000, Worst Actress for "The Next Best Thing" in 2001, Worst Actress and Worst Screen Couple for "Swept Away" in 2003, and Worst Supporting Actress for "Die Another Day" in 2003.

Madonna has been nominated for 6 Golden Globes. Her only win was her 1997 nomination for "Best Actress in a Leading Role - Musical or Comedy" (for her role in Evita). Her other five nominations were for "Best Original Song - Motion Picture." Those nominations include "Who's That girl" from the movie "Who's That Girl" in 1988, "This Used To Be My Playground" from the movie "A League of Their Own" in 1993, "I'll Remember" from the movie "With Honors" in 1995, "Beautiful Stranger" from the movie "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" in 2000, and "Die Another Day" from the movie "Die Another Day" in 2003.