10 Badass Photos Of Madonna From The 80s

Madonna's second album 'Like A Virgin' was released 30 years ago today. It included hit singles 'Material Girl' and 'Into The Groove' and catapulted the Michigan-born star to major fame. Here's 10 amazing pictures of Madonna throughout her career in the 80s from a new book called Ambition. Music. Style.

Madonna - pictured here in 1983 - released her first self-titled album when she was 24. Before breaking out as a solo artist she was in the bands Breakfast Club and Emmy.

Madonna turned up to her first photo session with a few old clothes, no stylist, no hairdresser and did her own makeup. The photographer remembers her being 'nervous, polite and brilliant in front of the camera.'

Like A Virgin generated a significant amount of backlash. "I was surprised by how people reacted to 'Like a Virgin' because when I did that song, to me, I was singing about how something made me feel a certain way - brand-new and fresh- and everyone interpreted it as 'I don't want to be a virgin anymore. Fuck my brains out!' That's not what I sang at all," she responded.

In 1985 Madonna embarked on The Virgin Tour, her first concert tour in North America. Beastie Boys supported her.

The same year she starred in the film Desperately Seeking Susan with Rosanna Arquette. In a review for the New Yorker, critic Pauline Kael praised Madonna's performance as "an indolent, trampy goddess."

In 1987 Madonna starred in Who's That Girl. The rom-com bombed but her world tour of the same name went on to gross an incredible US $25 million.

Who's That Girl featured a live cougar, which escaped one day from the set before shooting started. Madonna later said she found it terrifying and it resulted in a delay in production.

Madonna would depart from her fishnet tights, bleached blonde hair and crucifix jewellery style to became a master of reinvention. In 1989 she dyed her hair brown.

Madonna pictures in a still from the 'Express Yourself' video from her 1989 album 'Like A Prayer'. "The message of the song is that people should always say what it is they want," she said. "The time I learn how not to edit myself will be the time I consider myself a complete adult."

You can see more photographs from Madonna's phenomenal career in Caroline Sullivan's new book Ambition. Music. Style