If anyone knew how to provoke controversy, it was Madonna.
The Material Girl had a knack for provoking our collective anxieties surrounding sex, feminism, religion, and politics. While other artists took things much farther, Madonna knew how to shock us all while consistently staying in the news.
Sometimes, her songs did the trick. Other times, she saddled innocuous songs to inflammatory music videos. Other times, her live performances turned heads. Regardless, she remained the Queen of Pop and Controversy for decades.
Madonna's most shocking controversies
If any pop star deserves a retrospective, it's the "Like a Virgin" singer. Put those monocles on tight so they don't pop. We are counting down the five most significant Madonna controversies.
"Like a Virgin"
People forget that the "Express Yourself" singer didn't start as a provocateur. Her first album, Madonna, was a modest success and gave us cute hits such as "Borderline" and "Lucky Star." With the title track of her second album, Like a Virgin, Madonna scandalized many Christians and gained numerous young fans.
The fact that her name is one title for the Virgin Mary only made "Like a Virgin" even more of an affront.
"Like a Prayer"
How could this list be complete without "Like a Prayer?" The song's mix of Christian symbolism and thinly veiled sexuality would be potent even today. The video, where Madonna gets intimate with a saint, took things to the next level. The Vatican was furious, and Pope John Paul II encouraged the public to boycott Madonna.
"Vogue"
The lyrics of "Vogue" didn't scandalize people. Neither did its music video, though the cone bra is still iconic. To this day, people criticize "Vogue" for appropriating New York City's ballroom culture. Even some of the Material Girl's fans have mixed feelings about the track.
"Justify My Love"
If you thought the erotic blasphemy of "Like a Prayer" was as far as Madonna could go, she was determined to prove you wrong. The video for "Justify My Love" involved as many sexual subcultures as she could fit into one clip. MTV wouldn't air it. The "Justify My Love" VHS tape sold like hot cakes despite that.
"Like a Virgin" (2003)
This song should have lost some of its edge, but Madonna added something new: Britney Spears. The Queen of Pop brought the genre's princess onstage during the 2003 MTV VMAs. The two kissed. The world stopped. Pop culture was never the same.