I don't worship Madonna (disclaimer, she's an alum, even from North Campus) but she's a fighter, she's not naturally so pretty, her talent is limited, but still she like perhaps Cyndi Lauper to a lesser extent made it work. Desperately Seeking Susan was a good breakthrough vehicle, with one of her better songs "Into the Groove". "Like a Prayer" was also decent, as was Erotica. She helped break in MTV, and she seems quite solid on live performances, helping to establish the big dance format on large stages (at same time as Michael Jackson, etc.). She seemed to grow old gracefully, which is much tougher for a woman playing a sex symbol, especially doing dance troupe stuff. And unlike many women, she didn't have a male co-star or spouse to balance or spur on the energy. Sure, stuff like Dick Tracy was a dog, and various songs such as Like a Virgin are more agitpop than solid tunes, but she works her audience, more power to her. And how many female musicians have been successful just dropping everything and moving to New York? (I knew one who tried, great guitarist, summers dealing with heat and smell of garbage, which oddly doesn't show up in the Madonna biopic, plus my similar experience with my spouse - not just an easy skip to stardom. Madonna didn't have her Detroit parents managing her - she just moved to NYC - not California - worked shitty jobs, paid her dues, made it big. Kudos.