Talking about the importance of Madonna is a bit like grabbing at low hanging fruit. She's influenced countless acts, including Lady Gaga, Brittany Spears, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, Gwen Stefani — the list goes on and on. But back in the '80s it was just Madonna. She towered over all of her contemporaries. I mean come on now, who was going to come close? Paula Abdul? No.
By 1986 Madonna was already big. She'd found massive success with her previous two records, Madonna and Like a Virgin, the former boasting "Borderline" and the latter including hits "Material Girl" and its self-titled track, which are both still radio staples to this day.
With her third album, it was time to evolve. Later in her career she would become a master of reinvention, but True Blue marked the beginning of a new era, not by going wild, but by making subtle changes. One of those? Madonna co-wrote and co-produced all of the tracks on True Blue. Pop stars that came after would have benefitted from taking note.
When it was originally released on June 30, 1986, True Blue went #1 in 28 countries, which was a record. It went on to become the best-selling album worldwide that year. It was (and is) a pretty big deal. But what's on the album that makes it so important and a milestone in Madonna's career?
"Papa Don't Preach" started the record off strong and established that Madonna was switching up her sound. The opening strings make you feel like you're at some Victorian party at Versailles. Then the bass kicks in and immediately the 1986 vibes hit (you don't hear slap bass like that much any more; it was product of its time). Her vocals were (arguably) stronger than anything she'd recorded at the time. With this song alone Madonna was proving to doubters that she was a force to be reckoned with.
"Open Your Heart" has a similar tone to "Borderline," but sounds like Madonna's having a ton of fun, which isn't the easiest task to accomplish musically. The feeling in the track is contagious, and you can't help but hear how songs like this one are influencing acts to this day — think Ariana Grande or Sabrina Carpenter.
Then she turns experimental with "Live to Tell." The start of the track sounds like something closer to Boards of Canada or Aphex Twin (maybe they're fans??), and is further proof that Madonna was changing things up and also not messing around. To better understand what I'm talking about, put this track on and then listen to "Like a Virgin." It's impressive that it was crafted and performed by the same artist.
"Live to Tell” is arguably one of Madonna’s most important artistic turning points. It's a song that reshaped her public image, proved her emotional range and became a cultural touchstone for its themes of secrecy, trauma and survival.
If the darkwave vibes of "Live to Tell" weren't enough, Madonna then threw a huge curveball and went full-on Latin-pop on "La Isla Bonita." It's clear that this track influenced Selena and Ricky Martin — give it a listen, and you'll immediately hear it. Madonna often gets credit for being one of the first major non-Latin artists to incorporate Spanish lyrics into her songs. This is a fact that has been widely noticed by the community, and she's adored in Central and South America. In fact, she played one of the largest concerts of ALL TIME in Rio De Janeiro on Copacabana beach in 2024, where an estimated 1.6 million fans attended! Did she perform "La Isla Bonita?" you better believe she did.
True Blue is a testament to Madonna's powers as a businesswoman, an artist and is the first example of her uncanny ability to reinvent herself. It transformed her from pop star to global icon. It's a stepping stone in the world of pop music that all who hope to make it must study.
