Happy Birthday Madonna - 57 Reasons You are the Best!

Happy Birthday to our Queen, Madonna! I like to celebrate every year for her. Some years I make a cake, other years I throw a party (last year's party was epic). This year I'm being a bit more casual, yeah there will be cake, but I wanted to celebrate a little different this year with a blog about my Queen. To celebrate her 57th birthday, I will list 57 reasons why Madonna is the best.

Fans, please share this post, and also tell me the reasons you love Madonna. These aren't in order, they are just awesome reasons why Madonna is, and will always be, the greatest star in the world!

1 - Like a Prayer

Long time readers of this blog and my friends will all know my love for this clip and song - my favourite of all time. This is perfect pop, a brilliant song that once and for all proved that Madonna is, and will always be, the Queen of Pop.

2 - "Sooner or Later" at the Oscars

This just may be the most epic Oscar performance of all time. Not only did Madonna show up with Michael Jackson as her date (a royal couple indeed), she looked STUNNING. Then the performance was brilliant and the song rightfully won an Oscar for writer Stephen Sondheim.

3 - Truth or Dare / In Bed With Madonna

Before half arsed celebrities had cameras follow them around for TV, Madonna made a fly on the wall tour doco that was nothing like anyone had ever done before. In fact, at the time it quickly became the highest grossing documentary of all time. I literally used to play this VHS every morning during my school summer holidays. I think I can still quote the whole brilliant film.

4 - Her expletive filled appearance on David Letterman

This is stuff of legend, Madonna appears on David Letterman, he pushes her buttons, so she decides to win, by swearing - a lot! It was hilarious and Madonna proved, don't fuck with her!

5 - The "Ghosttown" clip

Don't get me started on the travesty of this song not being a hit. Instead we'll focus on the brilliant clip. There has been some kind of end of world event and Madonna is all alone. She ventures out and finds Terrence Howard, they dance, find a kid and a massive dog. It's moving, brilliant and fun. Watch it!

6 - "Same Love" at the Grammys

What a beautiful moment. Macklemore performed his ode to marriage equality with a mass gay wedding performed by Queen Latifah. Just after they said "I Do", Madonna pops out to start singing "Open Your Heart". The brides and grooms cried, Mary Lambert watched Madonna with awe and we were all blown away. Makes me cry every time.

7 - Wayne's World Skit

I couldn't find the skit on line (as often is with SNL), but there is a snippet. Wayne has a dream sequence after crowning Madonna as the biggest babe of all time and then they play Truth or Dare. It's hilarious, Madonna is great and shows what a wicked sense of humour she has. Best line, Garth, "Good one Madonna".

8 - "The Girlie Show" Tour

This was the first time Madonna came to Australia and the first time I had seen her perform live. It was everything! My favourite number? "Justify My Love", so beautiful. What was yours? Can't wait until March when she returns to Oz with "Rebel Heart".

9 - Her support of gay rights

Before many artists stood up for the gay community, Madonna was a vocal supporter. In fact in 2012 she was almost arrested in Russia for promoting homosexuality. She recently said she wouldn't return to Russia due to their anti-gay stance. Thanks Madge, we love you!

10 - "American Life" album

While many aren't fans of "American Life" as an album, it's my second favourite Madonna album (after "Like a Prayer"). It is so beautiful and lyrically it is on point. These songs have always spoke to me, they are poignant and amazing!

11 - A League of their Own

This is a good film! Despite many people throwing shade at Madonna's acting, she more than holds her own here alongside Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty and Jon Lovitz. She is genuinely hilarious in a film I have seen many, many times.

12 - The Brit's Tumble

Only a true and real artist could get back up with so much class and poise after taking such a heavy tumble. Madonna proved why she had such longevity by being a consummate professional. Bravo Madonna.

13 - The "Like a Virgin" speech in Reservoir Dogs

Madonna pops up so often in popular culture, you'll often be watching a film or TV show and she is mentioned. She is a pop culture phenomenon. This is best demonstrated by the beginning of cult classic "Reservoir Dogs" by film legend Quentin Tarantino. In a hilarious speech he describes "Like a Virgin" as a song about a woman who is being fucked for the first time by a guy with a massive cock. Reportedly after the film, Madonna sent Tarantino a bunch of flowers with the note, "It's not about dicks".

14 - The "Oh Father" film clip

This is a brilliant clip for a truly beautiful song! I remember watching this as a teen and crying, it is a truly special one that is shot with such skill and beauty. And all these years later it is still a classic.

15 - Her kids

Madonna is a great Mum, but did we ever have a doubt? You can see her love for her four kids, Lourdes, Rocco, David and Mercy. She shares her good times with them on social media and they clearly dote on her. No pretentious Hollywood brats here, just well adjusted kids who's Mum just happens to be the world's biggest star!

16 - The "kiss" at the MTV awards

To show the amazing pull of Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera began the appearance as brides singing "Like a Virgin". Soon Madonna arrived dressed as the groom and kissed both - the world went crazy! Then Madonna performed "Hollywood" with the help of Missy Elliot. The woman knows how to command the MTV awards!

17 - More Billboard Number Ones than any other artist

The visual says 45, now thanks to "Bitch, I'm Madonna", it's actually 46. That's right 46 Madonna songs have hit the number one spot on the Billboard Dance Charts. That is an amazing achievement and proves Madonna's rule over any dancefloor. I can't see any artist having more hits than her!

18 - Her appearance on "Will and Grace"

Madonna was hilarious on "Will & Grace" as Karen's very short term flatmate Liz. Madonna and Megan Mullally were great together and Madonna always knows how to take the mickey out of herself. Funny stuff.

19 - The "Bad Girl" film clip

Another clip that demonstrates that Madonna is the leader in the music video medium. Co-starring Christopher Walken, Madonna is a "bad girl" going from one, one night stand to the next, being very self destructive, until she comes across a serial killer. Beautiful visuals and an amazing clip that I love to watch.

20 - Evita

Madonna is amazing in "Evita". If you don't think so, you are a liar. She deserved her Best Actress Golden Globe and was seriously snubbed not being nominated for an Oscar. Madonna always wanted to play to iconic Eva Peron, Argentina's famous first lady - and she was brilliant. I need to watch this again soon, as is, I saw it 5 times at the cinema on its initial release!

21 - Her partnership with Jean Paul Gaultier

Watch the above clip and it explains it all, the wonderful style making relationship between Madonna and Gaultier. He designed some of her most iconic outfits, including the conical bra and she gave him a platform and name. Together they have produced amazing results!

22 - "Like a Virgin" at the MTV awards

Long before the sexually aggressive acts of artists today, Madonna shocked everyone by writhing around on the floor in a wedding dress singing "Like a Virgin". Now it would be considered tame, but then she stole the show with her amazing brilliance.

23 - Maverick Records

There was a point there where every major artist was getting their own record label from their record label. Most folded very quickly, not Madonna's. Her label was massive there for a while. Her artists included herself, The Prodigy, Michelle Branch, Candlebox and a little artist you may have heard of, Alanis Morrisette. Maverick took Alanis from teen pop to grunge pop. She still has the highest selling debut album of all time, all under the watchful eye of our Queen.

24 - Her clear love of "La Isla Bonita"

Madonna clearly loves "La Isla Bonita", and who can blame her - she created an awesome song! She loves it so much that since it's release that she's performed it in 5 different world tours and it looks like it will make another appearance in the "Rebel Heart" tour. And she's done so many different and brilliant versions, as the above video shows. Can't wait to see what she does this time!

25 - Who's That Girl

I don't care what people say but I love "Who's That Girl". It is a funny, funny film where Madonna shines and the soundtrack is awesome (Who's That Girl, Causing a Commotion and Look of Love). I have watched this film so many times, can quote a lot of it. Comedic gold!

26 - The SEX Book

The fastest and biggest selling coffee table book of all time, the SEX book was all controversy. A series of erotic photos starring Madonna, boy does she know how to push the envelope. There was a lot of people with mock outrage during this time who hadn't even seen the book. Madonna used it all to sell the book and her "Erotica" album.

27 - Express Yourself

Damn YouTube, couldn't get the clip. And what a clip. At the time it was the most expensive clip of all time. It was a tribute to Fritz Lang's masterpiece, "Metropolis". but with Madonna in charge. The video is visually stunning and it matches the brilliant song perfectly. And the song speaks for itself, perfection.

28 - Dick Tracy

"Dick Tracy" won three Oscars and is a damn awesome film. Madonna is brilliant as Breathless Mahoney, she really does share all the best lines with Al Pacino. And the music is stunning, her three songs are wonderful, especially her duet with Mandy Patinkin, "What Can You Lose?". I need to revisit this amazing film.

29 - Fan Tattoos

Only the biggest stars get a massive amount of their fans inking their body to show their love, Madonna fans on mass tattoo their body with their Queen. I have a small Madonna tatt, and am planning a bigger one shortly. The phenomenon is so big, there's even an amazing Instagram account dedicated to Madonna tattoos that blows me away constantly.

30 - Superbowl Halftime Show

The biggest halftime show ever and the most watched, Madonna outrated Beyonce, Katy and anyone else you can think of. M.I.A controversy aside, what a stunning show, with amazing songs - each and every track was quite simply perfect. Watch it again to experience its brilliance.

31 - "Rebel Heart" album

The new album is amazing, her best in ages. 19 fantastic songs, more if you have the deluxe version. There's so much to get excited about, the singles of course. Then there's brilliant songs like, "Joan of Arc", "Rebel Heart", "Holy Water" and I could probably name all the rest - just love this album. Time to declare it the best album of 2015 already.

32 - Her kid's books

Madonna wrote 5 beautiful children's books, starting with "The English Roses". The book also debuted at number one on the New York Times best seller list. An amazing achievement, and the books were all kinds of awesome. I read them as an adult and loved them!

33 - Lament

Our Queen took one of the smaller and lesser known songs from "Evita" and made it one of the best moments from the "Re-Invention" tour and the "I'm Going to Tell You a Secret" concert doco. It is visually stunning and she sounds perfect. It's a small reason, but one of the many that adds up to Madonna being the Queen of Pop.

34 - "Ray of Light" album

"Ray of Light" is such an iconic Madonna album, and a favourite of so many. Her and William Orbit worked so well together on this electronic pop gem. Just look at the incredible singles, "Ray of Light", "Drowned World", "The Power of Goodbye", "Nothing Really Matters" and my favourite from the album, "Frozen". The album is so good she won a few Grammys, and they had clearly had something against her for years. The album is another classic.

35 - Her love of Instagram

Madonna loves Instagram and we love her for it. She loves to post photos that are often controversial, it stirs people up and the thing they don't realise, she loves it! She also uses Instagram to show pics of her beautiful family and also used the medium to hint at her upcoming "Rebel Heart" tour set list. Start following her if you don't, she's fascinating.

36 - Desperately Seeking Susan

Madonna's first big role was in this fun little film where she co-starred with Rosanna Arquette and Aidan Quinn. Madonna was good as Susan, so natural. And of course the soundtrack featured the excellent, "Into the Groove". The film is still gold.

37 - Hung Up

ABBA never let people sample their music, they let Madonna sample "Gimme, gimme, gimme" in "Hung Up", and what a camp classic it is. Try not to dance along when you hear it. And what a film clip, a tribute to Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever", the clip is essential viewing.

38 - Madonna is officially the highest selling female artist of all time

I don't really need to say anything more, the visual says it all, Madonna is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the most successful female recording artist of all time. That is no small feat!

39 - Burning Up

"Burning Up" was Madonna's first hit here in Australia and that should be celebrated. And also, it's a great song - my favourite from the first album. The film clip is iconic and those lyrics are amazing, "Do you wanna see me down on my knees? Bending over backwards now would you pleased?" So very good!

40 - Raising Malawi

Many people mistakenly believe Madonna just rocked up to Malawi, adopted a couple of kids, and then left. Wrong. In 2006 she co-founded a non-profit organisation, "Raising Malawi", which helps the many orphans of Malawi, especially through education. The charity has built schools and is doing amazing work on the ground.

41 - Die Another Day

Here I'm talking about her great cameo in the film, the fact she was asked to do a Bond song and she turned in the most unlikely Bond song ever, which quickly became the highest selling Bond song ever. And it's a great song. And I'm definitely talking about that amazing video where she battles herself. "Die Another Day" is brilliant!

42 - She is an amazing dancer

Let's face it, the woman can dance. Unlike other artists who let their backing dancers do all the hard work, Madonna has shown us time and time again how good of a dancer she is. She even received a scholarship to study dance at Uni. Is there nothing this woman can't do? At 57, she is a better dance than all of us!

43 - 4 Minutes

What a powerhouse collaboration, Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland all together on one kick arse track. And it has one of my favourite lines, "Sometimes I think what I need is a you intervention."

44 - "True Blue" Album

A true 80s classic with pieces of pop gold. The singles prove how good this album is, "Live To Tell", "Papa Don't Preach", "Open Your Heat", "True Blue" and "La Isla Bonita". You don't get much better than that!

45 - She doesn't care if people hate her

Most of us like to hope we don't care if someone doesn't like us, but secretly it cuts us deep. Not Madonna, she doesn't give a shit. And say something bad, and she will cut you. Like her feud with Elton, he got very flustered, she didn't care - she was just hilarious.

46 - Four Rooms

More people should see this film, what an awesome little gem it is. Four short stories brought together by four directors and Madonna playing a very sexy witch. The cast also features Antonio Banderas, Tim Roth and Bruce Willis to name a few. Check it out people. Also watch Madonna's "Dangerous Game", another great film.

47 - Secret

For my recent 40th birthday I counted down my favourite 40 songs of all time, this was number two, right after "Like A Prayer". What an amazing track that gets better with age. I could listen to this song every day, and feel like I almost do!

48 - She has an IQ of 140

Madonna's IQ is so high she could be a part of Mensa. No wonder she has been so smart at creating a career that has spanned decades and has so much longevity. The highly intelligent Madonna breaks the stereotype that pop music isn't smart.

49 - "Material Girl" Clip

In a brilliant to homage to Marilyn Monroe, the "Material Girl" clip is vibrant, lavish and brilliant. You can't watch this clip and not smile and it helps that song is so God damn catchy. The song that spawned a nickname!

50 - Fashion and Style Icon

When you think of style and fashion icons, you have to think of Madonna. She has had such a massive impact on fashion, right from the 80s until right now. When I asked my friends why Madonna was the best, so many said it was because they used to try and dress like her.

51 - Justify My Love

Damn YouTube again with no clip, cause that clip is gold. I adore this song so much and the film clip is all kinds of sexy. The beat is fantastic and the combination of singing and talking is hypnotic. A Madonna classic.

52 - She followed her dream

Madonna had a dream, she wanted to be the biggest star in the world - she did it. She didn't come from a rich family, her mother died when she was five and her family struggled with money. When she arrived in New York she was poor. She worked hard to follow her dreams, she didn't let anything get her down and she succeeded - she is a true inspiration.

53 - Vogue

Many fans consider this her best song and clip, and it is completely flawless. The song is so good it managed to bring back the dance craze of Vogueing. It will forever more be associated with Madonna. I know all the choreography, and will do it often!

54 - Classic Album Tracks

A true artist doesn't just make good singles, they have albums full of songs that could be singles. Every Madonna album has songs that very well could have made it high on the singles charts, think "Promise to Try", "Devil Wouldn't Recognise You", "Easy Ride", "Where's the Party?" and "Joan of Arc". Madonna's killer album track, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" was so popular that years later she actually released it as a single.

55 - "Rebel Heart" tour buzz

Madonna has been teasing us all with the "Rebel Heart" set list and it's fabulous. Great songs from the current album and some classics, including ones we may not expect - songs like, "Dress You Up", "True Blue" and "Who's That Girl?". And even better, for the first time since 1993, she will return to Australia. I'm seeing her in both Sydney and Melbourne and I can barely wait until March! There will be tears.

56 - Age is superfluous 

People dwell on Madonna's age (and yes I know I have made age a thing by making it a list to coincide with her age) but she doesn't. It doesn't matter her age, she is still fabulous. She's not letting it hold her back, so why should we?

57 - Bitch, she's Madonna!

It's not just a song, it's a state of mind. She knows she is an icon, a legend and the attitude matches and we love her for it. There cannot and will not be another Madonna, she is unique. She is brilliant. Happy Birthday Madonna - thanks for being our Queen!