American entertainer Madonna has appeared in 75 music videos, 11 concert tour videos, 2 documentary videos, 4 music video compilations, 2 music video box sets, 5 promotional videos, and 5 video singles. In 1982, Madonna signed a recording contract with Sire Records and released her first two singles before launching her eponymous debut album. Her first video to receive attention on MTV was "Borderline", followed by "Lucky Star" and "Like a Virgin", which popularized Madonna's image and fashion among younger generation. Her early videos were released commercially on Madonna, which became the best-selling videocassette of 1985. With the title track from her third studio albumTrue Blue, Madonna's impact on MTV and popular music was established when a contest entitled Making My Video, was held to create a music video for the song. "La Isla Bonita" and "Who's That Girl", both released in 1987, showed Madonna's fascination with Hispanic culture and religious symbolism. In 1989, the video of "Like a Prayer" portrayed her dancing in front of burning crosses, receiving stigmata, kissing a black saint and having sex with him in a church altar. It faced strong reaction from religious groups and media. "Express Yourself" released the same year was critically appreciated for its positive feminist themes. In 1990, Madonna released the video for the song "Vogue", showing the underground gay subculture dance routine called voguing, and the glamorous look of golden era Hollywood. She released her second video compilation, The Immaculate Collection to accompany the greatest hits album of the same name. She featured overtly sexual undertones with the videos of "Justify My Love" and "Erotica", which met with huge backlash. A toned down image of the singer appeared in the video for "Secret" from Bedtime Stories. "Bedtime Story", from the same album, showed a dream sequence, inspired by paintings of Frida Kahlo and Remedios Varo, while incorporating new age surrealistic images. Madonna incorporated Asian culture on the videos of "Frozen" and "Nothing Really Matters" from her 1998 album Ray of Light. The video for its title track was a high-speed one, portraying Japanese people going through their daily lives, interspersed with Madonna in black denim dancing to the music. Most of her 1990s videos were released on . Madonna reinvented her image as a cowgirl on the videos for "Music" and "Don't Tell Me" from her eighth studio album, Music. Violence and vandalism were the themes of subsequent few releases, "What It Feels Like for a Girl", "Die Another Day" and "American Life", the latter being pulled from release due to the Iraq war of 2003. "Hung Up", lead single from Confessions on a Dance Floor was a tribute to John Travolta and his movies. Madonna's recent videos for "Celebration", "Girl Gone Wild", and "Living for Love" were received favorably for paying homage to her past videos and a return to her dance roots. Madonna's music videos are considered by critics as works of art. They have depicted controversial subjects such as teen pregnancy, racism, religion, sex, and violence. In their book, The Madonna Companion, authors Allen Metz and Carol Benson explained that more than any other pop star, Madonna had used MTV and music videos to establish her popularity and to enhance her recorded work. Madonna has been honored with 20 MTV Video Music Awards—the second most for any artist—including the Video Vanguard Award in 1986. In 2003, MTV named her "The Greatest Music Video Star Ever" and said that "Madonna's innovation, creativity and contribution to the music video art form is what won her the award."
