Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone (born August 16, 1958) is an American pop singer, dancer, songwriter, producer, author and actress. Hits such as "Holiday", "Like a Virgin" and "Like a Prayer" catapulted her to massive success in the 1980's and further hits followed in the 1990's. She is internationally well known for releasing commercially successful albums, reinventing her image, creating innovative music videos, and the controversial nature of her work and personal life. She is commonly referred to as the "Queen of Pop".

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Madonna is the most successful female recording artist of all time as of 2000 with an estimated 120 million records sold worldwide. In a 2005 press release, her record label, Warner Bros., reported she had international sales in excess of 275 million, which would include all formats such as full length albums, CD singles, cassette singles, twelve inch recordings, and 45's. Apart from achieving twelve number one hits and 36 top ten hits on the U.S Billboard Magazine Hot 100, she has garnered numerous awards for her music, videos and acting. She is currently planning a summer concert tour in support of her 2005 release, Confessions on a Dance Floor.