It's almost impossible to truly capture just how far-reaching and vital Madonna is and has been to the entertainment world. One of our generation's most influential and massively successful stars, she is more than just a singer but an entertainment mogul and phenomenon. A celebrity whose own fame has, to some extent, overshadowed her music, she is one of the rare few whose constant image shifting and re-invention is undertaken so effortlessly and flawlessly. While Madonna worked with various bands in the late '70s and early '80s, it wasn't until the release of her debut self-titled solo album in 1983 that a true star was born. Quickly rocketing up the charts with songs including 'Holiday' and 'Everybody', her debut album was hotly followed by 1984's Like a Virgin with the incredibly successful title track leading the pop chart blitzkrieg. Madonna's success accelerated into the late '80s and early '90s with a string of incredibly high-selling albums - including the highly ambitious and controversial Like a Prayer - interspersed with a variety of feature film roles. Wherever Madonna went controversy seemingly followed, and a series of sexy videos coupled with an erotic book further fuelled her presence in the media. Towards the late '90s she underwent a more demure transformation, scoring a Golden Globe-winning role in Evita and releasing the electronic-fuelled Ray Of Light. As the noughties made way for family life Madonna retreated slightly from the musical spotlight until the release of 2003's American Life, a record that failed to capture much success, while 2005's Confessions on a Dance Floor saw her return to a dance-oriented sound.