Madonna through the years

Madonna has been in the music industry for nearly 40 years, known for regularly reinventing herself she's become a pretty unstoppable force with top 10 singles in each of the past four decades. We look back at how Madonna has changed throughout the years from her days of curly blonde hair with her iconic cone bra, to her 'Ray of Light' era with long dark blonde hair and flowing costumes.

See some of Madonna's most iconic looks through the years...

Where is Madonna from?

Born in Michigan, USA in 1958, Madonna Louise Ciccone rose to fame in the early 80s after moving from her home town to New York City, to pursue a career in dance. In the early 80s she signed to Sire Records and released 'Madonna' the first of many albums that would enjoy chart success for the next four decades.

Although American, Madonna has an Italian-Catholic background with both of her parents being Italian immigrants who moved from Pacentro, Italy. Madonna is one of six siblings and was often called Little Nonni by her family as she had the same name as her mother.

Her Italian-Catholic background has often inspired her as a songwriter, most famously for her 'Like a Prayer' album which was released in 1989.

Why was Madonna's song 'Like a Prayer' criticised?

The singer's video for 'Like a Prayer' was criticised when it was released in 1989 with many saying it was 'blasphemous use of Christian imagery'. The video shows a girl being attacked by a group of white supremacists while a black man is arrested for the crime. Madonna witnesses the attack and seeks refuge in a church where she hopes to gain the courage to speak out about what she has seen.

How successful is Madonna?

Madonna has consistently had top 10 albums across the world since 'Madonna' in the early 80s, right up until her most recent album 'Rebel Heart' in 2015.

It's been four years since Madonna last released new music, but that hasn't stopped the millions rolling in. In May 2017 Forbes estimated that Madonna had a net worth of $580 million, cashing in on clothing and perfume as well as from her 'Rebel Heart' tour which finished in 2016.

Is Madonna on Instagram?

Yes, Madonna is on Instagram! At the time of writing Madonna has nearly 11 million followers and has posted over 3,000 times on Instagram. The singer regularly posts on Instagram - mostly photos of herself wearing extravagant outfits, and photos of her children.

See some of the biggest celebrity transformations...

Who has Madonna dated?

Madonna has had a number of high profile partners over the years including ex-husbands Sean Penn and Guy Ritchie. Between 1995 and 1997 she was in a relationship with fitness trainer Carlos Leon who she had one child with, Lourdes, in 1996. The singer then married film director Guy Ritchie in 2000 after giving birth to their first child together, Rocco.

How many children does Madonna have?

Madonna has six children in total, Lourdes, Rocco, Mercy, David, Stelle and Estere. Four of her children are adopted from Malawi including Stelle and Estere who in 2017, became the most recent additions to Madonna's growing brood.

David is Madonna's only adopted son and was adopted in 2006 by the singer when he was just 13 months old. Despite many Internet rumours that Madonna has died, she is very much alive and regularly updates her Instagram account with photos of her children.

What is Madonna's age?

Madonna was born on the 16th August 1958 making her 60 on the 16th August 2018. In the run up to the big 6-0 the 'Like a Virgin' singer has been posting numerous photos on Instagram.

She started her countdown to the day with a photo saying, '3 more Days...........🎂🎂🎂 Let us all Eat C A K E!! 🎉🍾🌈💕🎉🍾🌈💕 #birthday #cake #fun #celebrate #blessed.'

How does Madonna stay healthy?

The superstar puts her youthful looks down to her mostly vegan diet, yoga and pilates. Madonna is a believed to be on a macrobiotic vegan diet which means she eats food which is 'whole, unprocessed grains and vegetables that are locally grown and in season' as described by the veganforward.com website.

In 2016 she told Celebrity Health Fitness website, "I started doing yoga again, which I haven’t done in years. I’m so used to exercising with music playing very loud. And when you do yoga, you’re just listening to your breath."

What is Madonna doing in 2018?

Although it's been a while since we have heard any new music from the iconic pop star, she's been very busy doing other things. After adopting two more children in 2017 and moving to Lisbon, she also set up a children's hospital in Malawi named after her daughter Mercy.

Earlier this year, Madonna announced she would be working on her 14th studio album and has posted some photos and videos teasing it.

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