35. When she released her Sex book in 1992, full of explicit photos of the Material Girl, it proved to be so popular that a re-print had to be ordered within 48 hours and it topped the New York Times Best Seller list within a week.
36. When Madonna took the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2012, her headlining performance for the Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show became what was then the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show in history with 114 million viewers, more than the game itself.
37. The first song to ever make a strong impression on her was Nancy Sinatra‘s « These Boots Are Made for Walkin, » which she told Time in 1985 summed up her own « take-charge attitude. »
38. In 2004, after dedicating herself to Kabbalah, she adopted the name Esther, which means « star » in Persian.
39. With 38 entries as of 2012’s « Give Me All Your Luvin, » Madonna had the most Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart until Drake tied her in 2020.
40. Until 2011, she held the record for achieving 20 top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 in the shortest amount of time. She was usurped by Rihanna.
41. Madonna’s noted major influences include Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde, Karen Carpenter, The Supremes, and Led Zepplin.
42. She’s been nominated for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame three times, for the 2014, 2016, and 2017 ceremonies, but continues to come up short.
43. She was, however, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008—her first year of eligibility.
44. In 2005, she suffered three cracked ribs, a broken collarbone, and a broken hand following a fall from her horse outside her home in London.
45. She has directed two feature films, 2007’s Filth and Wisdom and 2011’s W.E., neither of which received the warmest of receptions from critics or audiences.
46. Of 28 Grammy nominations, Madonna’s taken home seven trophies.
47. She once dated Vanilla Ice, but found herself incredibly jealous, calling him in the middle of the night to see if he was cheating on her. The relationship only lasted eight months.
48. Other suitors of note include: Warren Beatty, Tupac, Dennis Rodman, Lenny Kravitz, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and—believe it or not—John F. Kennedy, Jr.
49. For years, the domain name Madonna.com was used by a porn company. In 2000, the singer successfully took them to court and got the web address back.
50. The Pope actually asked people not to attend her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour, due to her simulated masturbation during « Like a Virgin. »
51. In 2017, she opened the Mercy James Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care in Blantyre, Malawi. The hospital was named after her adoptive daughter.
52. Over the course of her career, Madonna has two videos banned by MTV: 1990’s « Justify My Love » and 2000’s « What It Feels Like for a Girl. »
53. Her 2005 single « Hung Up, » which featured a sample of ABBA‘s « Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight), » is only one of two instances in which the Swedish pop group have allowed their work to be used in such a capacity.
54. In 2007, after announcing her departure from Warner Bros. Records, Madonna became the first artist to sign with Live Nation in a $120 million, 10-year deal.
55. In 2017, she left New York City behind and began a new chapter in her and her family’s lives as residents of Lisbon, Portugal.
56. Madonna holds the record for most costume changes in a film with an impressive 85 in Evita.
57. She made her Broadway debut in 1998 playing Karen in David Mamet‘s play Speed-the-Plow.
58. She holds the distinction of being the world’s richest recording artist, with a net worth estimated somewhere around $800 million.
59. She also holds the title of most pre-orders in a single day on iTunes thanks to MDNA‘s placing on charts in 50 countries across the world in 2012.
60. In 2006, scientists named a species of microscopic water-dwelling organism known as the « water bear » after Madonna and there’s reason for her to be proud that it bears her name. The water bear is basically invincible, able to live upwards of 120 years without food or water while withstanding conditions that would kill most other living species. Fitting, no?
