IT WOULD BE SO NICE

Six Ways To Celebrate The 30th Anniversary Of Madonna’s Debut Album

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Turn up the music, because today marks the 30th anniversary of Madonna‘s debut, self-titled album!

Though it wasn’t widely recognized by critics until months after its release, “Madonna” officially hit store shelves on this day in 1983. In the decades since, the Queen of Pop has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and earned her title as the best-selling female recording artist of all time. Oh, she’s also a billionaire!

But what makes Madonna so great? To save ourselves a 200-page essay, we’ll just jump on the bandwagon and say it’s her “ability to reinvent herself.” We’ve all heard that before, right?

So on this historic day, let’s take a look at some ways the Queen has reinvented her debut work of art with these Six Ways To Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Madonna’s Debut Album:

1. Get drunk at a gay bar

It is a well known fact that Madonna began her career crawling around the vodka-soaked floors of New York City’s gay bars. She performed at all the great establishments of yesteryear, back when pompous gay men in the audience could still ask “Who the hell is this woman? Ugh, I’m getting another drink.” Above, watch Madonna perform the first dance hit—”Everybody”—from her debut album in her first gay club appearance ever. Ever!

2. Do some passive high kicks

Madonna sure did! In this rare official music video for “Holiday” styled by her brother, passive high kicks are pretty much the only thing she’s doing with these stylish backup dancers. Though this tune was originally offered to Mary Wilson, a former member of The Supremes, it’s been hailed as the most-performed song from Madonna’s first album.

3. Dazzle your friends with a custom cape

Maybe you don’t have an electric custom cape at home, but that’s nothing an old blanket and a big imagination can’t fix! “Lucky Star” was included on Madonna’s debut album, but she didn’t perform it live for nearly two decades until the Confessions tour in 2005. This cape was crafted from over 12,000 LED lights and cost Madonna a cool $24,000. (We made that last part up, but it’s totally believable because Madonna is almost a billionaire.)

4. Have a jam sesh with your friends

Dust off that guitar and dig up the drumsticks, because today, you will have an epic jam sesh with your closest friends. Madonna completely reinvented “Borderline”, her first song about orgasms, in 2008’s Sticky & Sweet Tour with the addition of a guitar—and if you can fake-play as well as her, you’ll look just as great! Included on Madonna’s debut album, this song was her very first Top 10 hit.

5. Appreciate Madonna’s legacy

It’s safe to say that Britney Spears is Madonna’s prodigal industry child. Britney has often cited Madonna as the force that inspired her musical dreams, and 28 years after Madonna released “Burning Up” on her debut album, Britney gave it a twist and re-sold it during the Femme Fatale Tour in 2011. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

6. VOGUE!

The song that inspired a global cultural phenomenon didn’t debut until seven years after the release of Madonna’s debut album, but how can you NOT Vogue right now?!

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