MADONNA 1986

» 1986

* Jan "Borderline" is re-released as a UK single. Madonna and Sean begin filming Shanghai Surprise in Macau, China, directed by Jim Goddard and produced by ex-Beatle George Harrison's Handmade Films company.
* (18) "Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour" hits US #1 on Top Music Videos chart.
* Feb (15) "Borderline" hits UK #2.
* (20) Madonna and Sean attend the premiere of his film At Close Range at the Berlin Film Festival, Berlin, Germany.
* (21) Madonna and Sean arrive in London, England to complete filming on Shanghai Surprise; upon their arrival at Heathrow Airport, a photographer is knocked down by their limousine and they are later nicknamed "The Poison Penns" by the British press.
* (27) Madonna wins Worst-Dressed Female Artist in Rolling Stone magazine's 10th annual Readers Poll.
* Mar (6) Madonna and George Harrison hold a press conference at Kensington Roof Gardens, London, England to discuss the filming of Shanghai Surprise; when asked by a reporter to apologize for her and Sean's behavior towards the British press, Madonna answers: "I have nothing to apologize for".
* (11) Madonna is named Favorite Female Musical Performer at the 12th annual People's Choice Awards: she accepts her award on the set of Shanghai Surprise in London, England.
* Apr "Live To Tell" single and video (theme from film At Close Range) are released.
* (16) Madonna and Sean attend the Los Angeles premiere of his film At Close Range at the Bruin Theatre.
* May (31) "Live To Tell" hits #1 for 3 weeks on US Hot Adult Contemporary singles chart.
* Jun (7) "Live To Tell" hits US #1.
* (18) "Papa Don't Preach" single is released. (The song's lyrics about a teenage pregnant girl's decision to keep her baby causes a controversy with US organization Planned Parenthood).
* (30) True Blue LP is released. "Papa Don't Preach" video premieres on MTV.
* Jul Madonna and Sean begin rehearsals for a Lincoln Centre Theatre workshop production of David Rabe's play Goose & Tom-Tom, directed by Gregory Mosher which will be performed to a non-public audience for only 4 nights.
* Aug (16) Madonna and Sean celebrate her 28th birthday and their first wedding anniversary at Gotham Bar and Grill, New York. True Blue hits US #1 for 5 weeks and "Papa Don't Preach" hits US #1 for 2 weeks.
* (28) Madonna and Sean open in Goose & Tom-Tom at Lincoln Centre's Mitzi Newhouse Theatre, New York, NY.
* (29) Shanghai Surprise premieres at 400 US theatres.
* (31) Madonna and Sean play their final performance in Goose & Tom-Tom.
* Sep (5) Madonna is honored with the Video Vanguard Award for her visionary videos at the 3rd annual MTV Video Music Awards at the Palladium, New York, NY and at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA.
* (8) True Blue is certified 2x platinum (2 million units).
* (10) "True Blue" single is released.
* (19) Shanghai Surprise is released nationwide. Madonna attends the 2nd annual Commitment To Life benefit for AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) to honor Elizabeth Taylor at the Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA.
* Oct (2) "True Blue" video (non-US version) premieres on BBC1-TV's Top Of The Pops.
* (11) Madonna makes a surprise appearance on the season premiere of NBC-TV's Saturday Night Live.
* Nov Madonna begins filming Who's That Girl, co-starring Griffin Dunne and Sir John Mills, directed by James Foley.
* (10) Madonna participates in an all-star AIDS benefit modelling fashion show at Barney's clothes store, New York, NY, which benefits the AIDS Research Clinic at St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan, NY.
* (15) "True Blue" hits US #3. (18) True Blue is certified 3x platinum (3 million units).
* Dec "Open Your Heart" single and video are released. Madonna wins a Billboard Music Award for Top Music Video ("Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour").

Madonna » 1987

* Jan (10) "Papa Don't Preach" is honored as America's Most Popular Video and World's Favorite Video at the 1st annual World Music Video Awards, produced by Canada's MuchMusic and Europe's Sky Channel.
* (26) Madonna makes a surprise appearance at the 14th annual American Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA, to accept her award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist ("Papa Don't Preach").
* Feb (3) True Blue is certified 4x platinum (4 million units).
* (7) "Open Your Heart" hits US #1.
* (26) Madonna wins Best Female Singer and Sexiest Female Artist in Rolling Stone magazine's 11th annual Readers Poll.
* Mar "La Isla Bonita" single and video are released. Madonna is voted "Favorite Artist Of Record Pirates" by Billboard magazine.
* (4) Shanghai Surprise is released on home video.
* (15) Madonna is named Favorite Female Musical Performer at the 13th annual People's Choice Awards.
* (29) Madonna wins a Razzie Award for Worst Actress in Shanghai Surprise at the 7th annual Golden Raspberry Awards at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Blossom Ballroom, Los Angeles, CA.
* (30) Madonna is a presenter at the 59th annual Academy Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA.
* Apr Madonna begins rehearsals for "Who's That Girl World Tour 1987".
* (2) Madonna wins Best Female Performance for "Papa Don't Preach" at the 5th annual American Video Awards at the Scottish Rite Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA.
* (25) Madonna becomes the only female solo artist to have 4 No. 1 singles in UK with "La Isla Bonita".
* May (2) "La Isla Bonita" hits US #4.
* (18) Madonna is honored for Best Songwriting for "Live To Tell" at the 4th annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA; the award is accepted on her behalf by brother-in-law Christopher Penn.
* Jun (9) Madonna makes her first TV talk-show appearance on NBC-TV's The Tonight Show (hosted by Johnny Carson).
* (14,15) "Who's That Girl World Tour 1987" opens at the Nishinomiya Stadium, Osaka, Japan.
* (20,21,22) Madonna performs 3 sold-out concerts at Korakuen Stadium, Tokyo, Japan. (During the Japanese leg of the tour, Madonna is honored with The Grand Prix Artist Of The Year Award by the Recording Industry Assocation of Japan).
* (27) Madonna opens the 19-city North American leg of "Who's That Girl World Tour 1987" at the Orange Bowl, Miami, FL.
* (29) Madonna performs at The Omni, Atlanta, GA.
* Jul "Who's That Girl" single and video (from Who's That Girl) are released.
* (2) Madonna performs at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, DC.
* (4) Madonna performs at CNE Stadium, Toronto, ON, Canada.
* (6,7) Madonna performs 2 sold-out concerts at The Forum, Montreal, QC, Canada.
* (9) Madonna performs at Sullivan Stadium, Foxboro, MA.
* (11) Madonna performs at the Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA.
* (13) Madonna performs an AIDS benefit concert in memory of her friend Martin Bourgoyne at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, which raises $400,000 for the American Foundation For AIDS Research (AMFAR).
* (14) Like A Virgin is certified 7x platinum (7 million units).
* (15) Madonna performs at the Kingdome, Seattle, WA.
* (18) Madonna performs at Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, CA.
* (20,21) Madonna performs 2 sold-out concerts at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA.
* (21) Who's That Girl: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack LP is released.
* (24) Madonna performs at the Astrodome, Houston, TX.
* (26) Madonna performs at Texas Stadium, Irving, TX.
* (29) Madonna performs at St. Paul Civic Centre, St. Paul, MN.
* (31) Madonna performs at Soldier Field, Chicago, IL.
* Aug (2) Madonna performs at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI.
* (4,5) Madonna performs at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH.
* (5) Madonna is interviewed by Jane Pauley on NBC-TV's Today and causes a controversy when she refers to her hometown of Bay City, MI as "a smelly little town" - a comment which enrages the citizens of Bay City.
* (6) Madonna attends the New York premiere of Who's That Girl at The National Theatre in Times Square.
* (7) Who's That Girl is released nationwide. Madonna performs at the Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, MI and apologizes to 42,000 fans for the comments she made about her hometown on NBC-TV's Today.
* (9) Madonna performs at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ. Who's That Girl grosses $2.5 million US on its opening weekend.
* (11) True Blue is certified 5x platinum (5 million units).
* (15) Madonna opens the European leg of "Who's That Girl World Tour 1987" at Roundhay Park, Leeds, England.
* (16) Madonna celebrates her 29th birthday at the Groucho Club, London, England.
* (18,19,20) Madonna performs 3 sold-out concerts at Wembley Stadium, London, England.
* (22) Madonna performs to a sold-out crowd of 250,000 at Wald Stadium, Frankfurt, Germany. "Who's That Girl" hits US #1.
* (25,26) Madonna performs at Feyenoord Stadium, Rotterdam, Holland.
* (28) Madonna arrives in Paris, France and attends a reception at City Hall to meet French prime minister Jacques Chirac and his family; she presents him with a cheque for $85,000 to benefit AIDS charities in France.
* (29) Madonna performs for 130,000 people at Parc de Sceaux, Paris, France - the highest attendance at a concert in France.
* (31) Madonna performs at Stade de l'Ouest, Nice, France.
* Sep "Causing A Commotion" single (from Who's That Girl) is released.
* (4) Madonna performs "Causing A Commotion" live by via satellite from the Stadio Communale, Turin, Italy and wins Best Female Video for "Papa Don't Preach" at the 4th annual MTV Video Music Awards at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA.
* (6) "Who's That Girl World Tour 1987" ends at the Stadio Communale, Florence, Italy.
* (12) Who's That Girl: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack hits US #7.
* (29) Who's That Girl: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is certified 1x platinum (1 million units).
* Oct (5) Madonna is named top-earning female entertainer of 1987 by Forbes magazine.
* (12) Madonna contributes "Santa Baby" (a remake of 1953 Eartha Kitt song) to Special Olympics LP A Very Special Christmas.
* (24) "Causing A Commotion" hits US #2.
* Nov (2) True Blue wins International Album Of The Year at the 17th annual Juno Awards at the O'Keefe Centre, Toronto, ON.
* (11) Who's That Girl is released on home video.
* (17) You Can Dance, a greatest dance hits remix LP, is released.
* Dec Madonna is honored in The Guinness Book Of Records 1988 as the most successful singer for selling over 11 million copies of True Blue which hit #1 in 28 countries and establishing herself as the world's highest selling solo singing artiste.
* (4) Madonna files for divorce from Sean in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Los Angeles, CA.
* (16) Madonna and Sean decide to reconcile and she withdraws divorce papers filed in Los Angeles, CA on Dec 4.
* (17) "The Look Of Love" (from Who's That Girl) is released as a UK single and hits #9.
* (24) Madonna begins filming Bloodhounds Of Broadway, starring Matt Dillon and Jennifer Grey, directed by Howard Brookner.
* (26) Madonna wins 3 Billboard Music Awards: Top Pop Singles Artist, Top Pop Singles Artist - Female and Top Dance Sales Artist.

Madonna » 1988

* Jan In Italy, Madonna is the centre of a controversy between Roman Catholic groups and the residents of Pacentro who want to honor Madonna with the unveiling of a 13-foot statue of her dressed in a bustier; the Vatican and the mayor of Pacentro are outraged and fear that a statue of Madonna as a role model might corrupt the morals of Italian youths.
* (20) You Can Dance is certified 1x platinum (1 million units).
* (23) You Can Dance hits US #14.
* Feb (23) Madonna begins rehearsals in New York, NY for David Mamet's play Speed-The-Plow, co-starring with Joe Mantegna and Ron Silver, directed by Gregory Mosher.
* Mar (10) Madonna wins Worst Female Singer, Worst-Dressed Female Artist and Sexiest Female Artist in Rolling Stone magazine's 12th annual Readers Poll.
* (23) Madonna is certified 4x platinum (4 million units).
* (29) "Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour" video is certified multi-platinum (100,000 units).
* Apr (10) Madonna wins a Razzie Award for Worst Actress in Who's That Girl at the 8th annual Golden Raspberry Awards at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Blossom Ballroom, Los Angeles, CA.
* May (3) Speed-The-Plow opens on Broadway at the Royale Theatre, New York, NY.
* (24) "Madonna - Ciao Italia: Live From Italy" is released on home video.
* Jun (5) Madonna presents a special award to the founders of the South Coast Repertory of Costa Mesa, CA at the 42nd annual Tony Awards at the Minskoff Theatre, New York, NY.
* (27) Madonna and Sean attend the Mike Tyson vs Leon Spinks heavyweight fight at Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, NJ.
* Jul (1) Madonna makes a surprise unscheduled appearance on NBC-TV's Late Night With David Letterman.
* (23) "Madonna - Ciao Italia: Live From Italy" hits US #1 on Top Music Videos chart.
* Aug (16) Madonna and Sean celebrate her 30th birthday and their 3rd wedding anniversary at a private party in New York, NY.
* Sep (4) Madonna plays her final performance in Speed-The-Plow on Broadway.
* (11) Madonna participates in "Sport Aid 88: The Race Against Time" marathon in New York, NY.
* (26) Madonna begins recording Like A Prayer LP in Los Angeles, CA with producers Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray.
* Oct (5) "Madonna - Ciao Italia: Live From Italy" video is certified 1x platinum (100,000 units).
* Nov (16) Madonna attends the opening night of HurlyBurly (starring Sean Penn) at the Westwood Playhouse, Los Angeles, CA.
* Dec (12) Madonna signs a 2-year film contract with Columbia Pictures.
* (28) Madonna files assault charges against Sean at the sheriff's office in Malibu, CA: various newspapers and tabloids will report that Sean burst into their house and tied Madonna to a chair for 9 hours - both Madonna and Sean deny the stories.
* (31) Madonna and Sean are officially separated and will begin divorce proceedings.

Madonna » 1989

* Jan (5) Madonna files for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences" in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Los Angeles, CA.
* (18) Madonna purchases a $3 million estate in the Hollywood Hills, Hollywood, CA.
* (25) Madonna signs a $5 million contract with Pepsi-Cola for a series of TV commercials and sponsorship of a world tour.
* Feb (2) Madonna begins filming Dick Tracy, starring and directed by Warren Beatty. (During the year 1989-90, Madonna and Beatty will be involved in a highly-publicized romantic affair).
* (26) Madonna participates in an AIDS Dance-A-Thon benefit at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA.
* Mar (2) The Pepsi commercial "Make A Wish" premieres on NBC-TV's The Cosby Show and is seen by 250 million viewers in 40 countries - she is the first artist to use a new song ("Like A Prayer") in a promotional campaign before its official release.
* (3) "Like A Prayer" video premieres on MTV.
* (4) In Italy, the Roman Catholic group Famiglia Domani protest against the TV broadcast of "Like A Prayer" video and threatens legal court action for blasphemy because of its controversial religious symbolisms.
* (7) "Like A Prayer" single is released.
* (21) Like A Prayer LP is released.
* (30) The Reverend Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association (AFA) threatens a 1-year boycott of all Pepsi-Cola products due to "Like A Prayer" video controversy only if the company doesn't cancel its sponsorship of Madonna.
* Apr (4) Pepsi-Cola announces it has banned all US broadcasts of Madonna's commercial, cancelled her 1-year contract and sponsorship of a world tour due to numerous complaints and boycott threats from religious groups against her video.
* (5) Pepsi-Cola Canada announces it will continue to broadcast Madonna's commercial in spite of "Like A Prayer" video controversy.
* (22) Like A Prayer hits US #1 for 6 weeks and "Like A Prayer" hits US #1 for 3 weeks.
* May (9) "Express Yourself" single is released.
* (10) "Express Yourself" video (filmed on a $5 million budget - the highest in music video history) premieres on MTV.
* (16) "Like A Prayer" single is certified 1x platinum (1 million units).
* (23) Like A Prayer is certified 2x platinum (2 million units).
* (24) Madonna participates in "Don't Bungle The Jungle" benefit concert to save the world's rain forests at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY: she performs a rendition of Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" with comic Sandra Bernhard.
* (31) Madonna wins Best Female Vocalist at the 1st annual International Rock Awards at Lexington Avenue Armory, Manhattan, NY.
* Jul (15) "Express Yourself" hits US #2.
* Aug (11) "Express Yourself" single is certified gold (500,000 units).
* (16) Madonna celebrates her 31st birthday with Warren Beatty and other friends at the club Rubber, Los Angeles, CA.
* (21) "Cherish" video premieres on MTV.
* (29) "Cherish" single is released.
* Sep (1) Madonna is named Top Female Artist Of The 80s and the Artist With The Most Consecutive Top 10 Hits In The 80s with a total of 16 on the American Top 40 Book of Records countdown of the 1980s.
* (6) Madonna performs "Express Yourself" and presents the Video Vanguard Award to George Michael at the 6th annual MTV Video Music Awards at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA; "Express Yourself" wins Best Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and "Like A Prayer" wins the Viewer's Choice Award.
* (19) Madonna and Sean's divorce is finalized.
* (21) Madonna is featured in People magazine's list of the "20 Who Defined The Decade".
* Oct (7) "Cherish" hits US #2 - Madonna overtakes The Beatles on the list of all-time consecutive top 5 singles in US (16 singles) and is also tied with Michael Jackson for the artist with the most consecutive top 10 singles in the 1980s (17 singles).
* (14) Madonna is named one of The Greatest Artists Of The Decade on NBC-TV's Friday Night Videos.
* (24) Madonna is chairperson for the AIDS benefit premiere of film It Had To Be You (starring Joe Bologna & Renee Taylor) at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre, Beverly Hills, CA.
* Nov "Oh Father" single and video are released in US. "Dear Jessie" is released as a UK single and video.
* (2) Madonna is honored as Artist Of The Decade by Musician magazine.
* (3) Bloodhounds Of Broadway is released in New York, NY.
* (16) Madonna is #50 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Albums Of The 1980s".
* Dec Madonna is voted Artist Of The Decade by her fans on MTV's Rate The 80s special.
* (23) "Dear Jessie" hits UK #5. Madonna wins a Billboard Music Award for Top Adult Contemporary Artist.
* (24) Madonna is #4 on the list of "Top 20 Pop Artists Of The 80s" voted by readers of The Los Angeles Times newspaper.
* (25) Madonna is named one of the "25 Most Intriguing People In The World For 1989" by People magazine.