At the beginning of 1983, Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was an ambitious, transplanted Midwesterner trying to break out of the New York City dance-club scene. By the end of that year, the ex-ballet dancer had ditched everything but her first name, released her major-label debut, and kick-started a dance-pop revolution that would soon transform her into a pop-culture icon. The first vehicle of her success was a cheerful slice of synth-pop called “Holiday”, but MTV was the medium that truly made her rapid rise possible. Madonna’s thrift-store chic, her telegenic dance moves, and her gift for irresistible melodies more than made up for a singing voice that was, well, still developing at the time. Besides “Holiday”, Madonna contains two other major hits in “Borderline” and “Lucky Star”, but it also features the rawer sounds of New York’s largely gay dance-club scene, particularly in the after-hours sweat of “Physical Attraction”. 1984 would prove to be an even bigger year for Madonna, with a starring role in the movie Desperately Seeking Susan and a follow-up album Like a Virgin so massive that it added the word “super” to her star status. The succeeding two decades have seen countless changes in style and persona, but Madonna stands as the initial breakthrough in an enduring, still vibrant career.