Before she became the biggest pop star in the world, a one-word symbol of 1980s glamour and excess, Madonna was simply Madonna Louise Ciccone, a Michigan-born high schooler who dreamed of becoming a dancer. An ambitious overachiever from an early age, she secured a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan but dropped out of college two years later to move to New York. Moonlighting as a coat check girl and elevator operator, she took dance classes, worked as a back-up dancer, and formed a string of bands before eventually going solo.
Her self-titled debut album made a splash in 1983, followed by the chart-topping Like a Virgin the year after, and then 1985’s Desperately Seeking Susan took her fame to a whole new level. The unforgettable Virgin Tour came next—and there was no looking back from that point on.
Now, over four incredibly successful decades later, we take a look back at those formative early years in the legendary performer’s career via some of the best throwback photos we could find—from stunning yearbook snaps to scenes from her earliest sets.
