Her Madge releases a live album, The Confessions Tour, on January 29. Where to next for the queen of controversy and reinvention? It’s anyone’s guess. As this top 10 demonstrates, she has covered a lot of bases, but key principles remain at the core of her work: attitude, danceability, savvy, elusiveness — and tunes to die for.

1 Cherish Quite simply one of the greatest pop songs ever. “Romeo and Juliet, they never felt this way, I bet”, indeed.

2 Papa Don’t Preach Her best vocal, and the most musically rewarding of her early songs.

3 Material Girl The defining anthem of the greed-is-good decade?

4 Vogue Did anyone ever master the dance steps? Maybe not, but we sang along all the same.

5 Into the Groove The moment when, with the Desperately Seeking Susan tie-in, she went stratospheric.

6 Like a Prayer The video was condemned as blasphemous, overshadowing this hair-raisingly good song.

7 Ray of Light Always at her best when written off, Madonna discovered rave here, and blazed back into contention.

8 Borderline Impossibly addictive 1980s electro, back when she pretty much owned the genre.

9 Music A return to her dancefloor roots — reductive, in your face, unmistakable.

10 Like a Virgin A helium-voiced come-on, touching the world for the very first time.

To listen to and buy as an exclusive Culture iMix, visit www.timesonline.co.uk/music

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