Madonna's Susan is an 'Empress of Trash'

...a libidinous but untouchable she-wolf who washes down cheese puffs with vintage wine, cadges triple tequila sunrises and steals other people's goods and services with an amiable, Pigpen-ish air. - Fred Schruders Rolling Stone May 9, 1985

Rolling Stone '89 ~ Part 2

Fabulous.

Mahalo! Madonna Does Hawaii

Over the last 28 years, she's been so many women that it's difficult to put them all together. But here, Madonna's Hussy Sex Bomb incarnation was superbly photographed by Herb Ritts in Hawaii ~ at the height of Like a Virgin's success.

Living in pop culture's Madonna Aftermath - it's hard to remember the furor she caused just wearing her innate sex. The Gloria Steinem feminists were horrified, saying she was setting women back 25 years. Seems tame now - throes of ecstasy, nipples and all - but you can still feel it.

Two of these shots were featured in Rolling Stone's Summer Style section in May 1985.

Rolling Stone - May 12, 2011 Issue

Rolling Stone - June 13, 1991 - Flesh and Fantasy - Big Time Girl Talk with Carrie Fisher

Rolling Stone - June 5, 1986 - The New Madonna

Complete fabulousness. When this came out, The World's face crack'd.

My great friend since 1985 came over the other day to bring this magazine. We bonded over the Harper's Bazaar 1984 Scavullo pics in junior high school and have been friends ever since. xo

Trivia: Where does the phrase "I Changed My Mind, Good Luck" come from?

The Boys of Summer - Rolling Stone - May 9, 1985

One of my all-time favorite photo shoots of Madonna by Herb Ritts.

Clowning Around for Matthew Rolston

Everything!

Unbelievable - 30 Years Ago - Stay '81

The other day as I was blogging the Peter Cunningham photographs of Madonna, I put 1982 in the tags. 1982 - as I've done a gazillion times before - ! - But it's 2011! Wow, in one year Madonna has professionally been with music for 30 years! Those pics are older than most of her fans! It's unbelievable. She's unbelievable.

For Madonna, she's been at it since 1980. And this gem was on the demo tape that got her signed to Sire Records in 1982. Its the early version of Stay (the Virgin version produced by Nile Rodgers is a mixture of this and Don't You Know?) and it was recorded in 1981.

It was mentioned in both Rolling Stone (Madonna Goes All the Way - November 1984) and in Michael McKenzie's Lucky Star book.

Ever since I knew there were early versions, I was dying to hear them. I didn't get to hear them until 1996 when Stephen Bray released them, but it was well worth the wait and one of my all-time favorite Madonna recordings.

Peggy Sirota's Madonna

12.23.10 Rolling Stone - Queen of Cardio

Madonna Goes All The Way

Yes, she does.

Mmm, Rolling Stone, November 1984 - her first RS cover story. This fold out was everything. Still is. xo

You Know I'll Take You There

For reasons known to the fan world, I, too, am drawn deeply into these photographs.

Rolling Stone - From The Vault - Music

Wash It All Over You

Japanese Madonna Rolling Stone Book - The Queen of Pop.

Fantastic and loyal reader Diego scanned this wonderful Japanese Rolling Stone Magazine Book devoted to Madonna.

A comprehensive look at her musical career from her start at Warner Bros. Records with the Everybody single (1982) to the punctuation mark of her departure with Celebration (2009) and everything in between. What an amazing artist, what an amazing career, what an amazing woman, what an amazing ride. Soak it in for there will NEVER be another like Madonna. Ever.

Thanks Diego! xo