50

Madonna turns 50 today. Yup. 50, as in half of a century, five freaking decades, two scores and ten years.



To commemorate, here are my 50 favorite Madonna moments, in no particular order:

1. Her 1984 debut on American Bandstand, where she proclaimed she would rule the world.
2. Her Marie-Antoinette Vogue performance on MTV VMA.
3. Truth or Dare.
4. Winning Best Actress at the Golden Globes for Evita.
5. Immaculate Collection.
6. Blonde Ambition tour.
7. Attending Re-Invention tour.
8. Live 8 performance.
9. Herb Ritts-directed Cherish music video with the mer-men.
10. Express Yourself video directed by David Fincher.
11. Vanity Fair cover - Madonna & child
12. Listening to Ray of Light cd for the very first time and realizing we've got a pop masterpiece on our hands.
13. Borderline video.
14. Like A Virgin debut performance on MTV VMA.
15. Music performance at the Grammies.
16. The Immaculate Collection Herb Ritts photoshoot.
17. Ray Of Light performance on Oprah.
18. Ray Of Light photoshoot.
19. Attending the Confessions tour.
20. Attending the Drowned World tour.
21. Rocco cracking jokes in I'm Going To Tell You A Secret.
22. Don't Tell Me music video.
23. The Music promo tour (Roseland and Brixton performances).
24. Opening the mylar-wrapped Sex book.
25. Like A Prayer the song - probably my 2nd favorite Madonna song ever.
26. Ray Of Light the song - probably my favorite Madonna song ever.
27. Like A Prayer cd - brilliant! And it's Patchouli-scented.
28. Madonna Rolling Stone cover story - "Madonna Goes All The Way."
29. Madonna on SNL Coffee Talk.
30. Madonna on SNL Wayne's World.
31. Justified My Love music video - HAWT!
32. Beautiful Stranger from Austin Powers - ear candy.
33. Take A Bow music video.
34. Bad Girl music video - might be Madonna's best acting ever.
35. Bedtime Story music video - I really miss this type of Madonna video.
36. Live To Tell - possibly best Madonna ballad?
37. Holiday on radio - I thought she was black.
38. Buying the Borderline 45 single, with the foldout poster sleeve, from Tower Records.
39. Pepsi commercial featuring Like A Prayer - that was a dang good commercial.
40. Equestrian Madonna.
41. Versace ads.
42. Human Nature video.
43. Cone bras.
44. Papa Don't Preach video.
45. Madonna Time Magazine cover - "Why She's Hot"
46. Performing Express Yourself at the MTV VMA.
47. Hung Up - her biggest hit worldwide. It took me a while to warm up to this song, but now I appreciate its pop genius.
48. Get Together from Confessions On A Dancefloor - underrated gem.
49. Geisha Madonna from Nothing Really Matters.
50. Waiting for the Sticky & Sweet Tour.