Madonna is the debut studio album by American singer Madonna, released on July 27, 1983, by Sire Records. In the late 1970s, Madonna had established herself as a singer in downtown New York City; alongside her Michigan boyfriend Stephen Bray, she put together a demo tape with four dance tracks and began pitching it around local nightclubs. She managed to get Mark Kamins, the resident DJ at Danceteria, to play "Everybody"—one of the songs from the tape. The song drew positive reception from the crowd, and Kamins took Madonna to Sire Records, where label president Seymour Stein signed her to a deal for three twelve-inch singles. Following its release on October 6, 1982, "Everybody" found success in the dance scene, and the label approved the recording of an album.
For the album, Madonna worked with Warner Bros. producer Reggie Lucas, who had worked with artists such as Roberta Flack and Stephanie Mills. Soon, however, problems between the singer and Lucas arose, as she was not happy with his production work. Madonna then invited John "Jellybean" Benitez, her boyfriend at the time, to work on and remix the rest of the album. Madonna is mostly a dance-pop and post-disco album, and features some of the newest technology of the time, including the LinnDrum drum machine, Moog bass and Oberheim OB-X synthesizer. The songs mostly address love and partying. Five singles were released from the album: "Everybody" and "Burning Up" were released months before it was completed; neither song made a major impact on the charts. "Holiday" was Madonna's big breakout single, followed by "Lucky Star" and "Borderline".
Upon release, Madonna received generally positive reviews from critics, who highlighted its dance-oriented nature and sound. In the United States, it peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 and was certified five-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It reached the top ten of the charts in Australia, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and has sold an estimated 10 million copies worldwide. Between 1983 and 1984, Madonna promoted the album and singles through a series of live appearances in nightclubs and television programs across the United States and Europe. The singles were then performed on the Virgin Tour of 1985, Madonna's first concert tour. In retrospective reviews, Madonna has been referred to as one of the greatest debut albums of all time, and one of the best albums from the 1980s. Critics have also said that it helped to make dance music popular again and "set the standard" of dance-pop for decades afterwards; its influence can be seen in the work of female artists such as Janet Jackson, Debbie Gibson, Kylie Minogue, and Lady Gaga.
Background
thumb|left|Madonna singing "[[Everybody (Madonna song)|Everybody" on the Celebration Tour (2023–2024). Released as her debut single, the song's success led her to be signed by Sire Records and offered a record deal.]]
In 1979, Madonna was trying to establish her music career in New York City. She was the drummer of a band called Breakfast Club, which was led by the Gilroy brothers, Dan and Ed. The following year, after a dispute with Dan, Madonna left the band. She then called her former Michigan boyfriend Stephen Bray, who "readily" agreed to join her in New York.
By 1982, Madonna was living with Bray in an unused rehearsal studio. After coming to the realization that "funky dance records were in style on the radio and dance floor", they created a demo tape with four dance tracks, including "Everybody", "Burning Up", and "Ain't No Big Deal", which was described as a "bright Michael Jackson/Donna Summer confection".