If there’s one question that is the foundation for this blog it’s this one and since 2004 I’ve been writing post after post on the topic – to the point where it’s difficult for a new reader to find a place to start.
The following list of links are my suggestions on key posts on the topic of making money from blog from my archives. I hope you find them to be useful.
Methods for Making Money from Blogging
How Bloggers Make Money from Blogs – a guide to making money from blogging that outlines 12 methods that bloggers use to make money online with links to tools and programs you can use to get started.
How I Make Money Online – My Top Earners – a breakdown of the methods that I use to make money from blogging
Making Money from Your Blog – Direct Methods – 8 methods of making money directly from your blog
Making Money Because of Your Blog – Indirect Methods – methods bloggers use to make money as a result of their blog through the profile that it brings them
How to Make Money Blogging – a post looking back on what we wish we knew about making money from blogs
Advertising
Advertising Optimization – A series of posts on how to optimize advertising on your blog including posts on Traffic, Ad Positioning, Ad Design, Ad Relevancy and High Paying Ads.
AdSense Tips for Bloggers – an 8 part series of posts that walk bloggers new to Google’s AdSense (the way I make much of my income) through how to use it effectively to make money on their blogs.
Positioning Your AdSense Ads - a 3 part series on how I literally doubled my AdSense earnings overnight by repositioning my ads
How to Guarantee that You’ll Never Make More than 0.14 cents per month from AdSense – 10 points to help you earn more money from AdSense
How Quickly After Starting a Blog Should I put Ads on it? – one of the most common questions I am asked
10 Ways to Make Your Blog More Attractive to Advertisers – an Ad Guy tells all
Affiliate Programs
10 Tips for Using Affiliate Programs on Your Blog – these tips helped me grow my affiliate earnings many times over
The Power of Getting Readers in the Door at Amazon - a case study on how linking to Amazon can lead to some surprising results
9 Reasons Why I am an Amazon Affiliate – Amazon is one of my bigger earners
dinsdag 9 november 2010
How to blog Blogging Tips for Beginners
Welcome to my How to Blog – Blogging Tips for Beginners Guide.
On the page below you’ll find links to a series of how to blog tips that I’ve written with blogging for beginners (and ‘Pre’ Bloggers) in mind. It unpacks the basics of blogging and a lot of the decisions and strategies that you’ll want to consider when setting up and starting a blog.
How to Blog – My Ultimate Guide to Blogging for Beginners
Since developing this series I’ve produced a book specifically for beginner bloggers. You can learn more about it on our ProBlogger the Book page. The book is filled with up to date blogging tips for beginners – you can get it on Amazon here.
3 More Excellent Resources on How to Start Blogging for Beginners
Also – if you are looking for some more personalized help in starting and running a blog I highly recommend that you check out these resources by a blogger that I respect – Yaro Starak:
Blog Mastermind Blog Mentoring Program – one of the best coaching and training course going around on blogging.
Become a Blogger Videos – a free series of videos that talks new bloggers through how to set up a blog. Easy to understand and best of all, free.
Blog Profits Blueprint – a free report on how to build profitable blogs.
Lastly- if you enjoy these posts and want to keep in touch with ProBlogger – subscribe via our RSS feed.
Blogging Tips for Beginners
Introductory Posts
What is a Blog?
23 Questions for Prospective Bloggers – Is a Blog Right for You?
How to Choose a Niche Topic for Your Blog
Choosing a Blog Platform
Choosing a Domain Name for your Blog
Blog Tools
Blog Design Tips
Blog Design for Beginners Part 1
Blog Design for Beginners Part 2
Tips for Writing Content for Blogs
Useful and Unique Content
Post Length
Granular (One Topic) Posts
Using Titles Effectively on Blogs
Scannable Content
Basic HTML Tags
More on Writing Content for your Blog
Tips on Making Money from Blogs
Introduction to Making Money from Blogs
Should I blog for Money?
Making Money From Your Blog – Direct Methods
Making Money Because of your Blog – Indirect Methods
How Much Money Can a Blog Earn?
Introduction to Advertising Optimization – Traffic
Introduction to Advertising Optimization – Ad Position
Introduction to Advertising Optimization – Ad Design
Introduction to Advertising – Ad Relevancy
Introduction to Advertising – High Paying Ads
Blog Networks
Introduction to Blog Networks
Why Should you join a blog network?
Why you shouldn’t join a blog network
Other Beginner Blogging Tips
An Introduction to Using Images on Blogs
How to Start a Blog Partnership
Kick Your RSS – Jumping on the Syndication Bandwagon
Introduction to Trackbacks
Tag You’re It – Leveraging Tagging for your Blog
10 Techniques for Finding Blog Readers
19 More Strategies for Finding Readers
Want more Blogging Tips for Beginners?
If you want more blogging tips I can recommend two things.
1. Subscribe to ProBlogger – This blog is updated daily with news and tips relevant to bloggers wanting to improve their blogs. You can subscribe via our RSS feed or via email by adding your email address to the field below:
Enter your email address:
2. Check out the archives of ProBlogger – Over the last few years I’ve published over 3000 posts and blogging tips to ProBlogger. The links above just scratch the surface. One way to get into our archives is through our Archives Page which highlights the different categories of the blog and suggests some of the more popular posts from DEHE. Alternatively use the search feature at the top of the blog to hunt down the topics you want to know more about.
3. Get into these resources
ProBlogger the Book – where I and Chris Garrett sum up all of the basic tips about starting up a blog in the one volume.
Blog Mastermind Blog Mentoring Program – one of the best coaching and training course going around on blogging.
Become a Blogger Videos – a free series of videos that talks new bloggers through how to set up a blog. Easy to understand and best of all, free.
Blog Profits Blueprint – a free report on how to build profitable blogs
On the page below you’ll find links to a series of how to blog tips that I’ve written with blogging for beginners (and ‘Pre’ Bloggers) in mind. It unpacks the basics of blogging and a lot of the decisions and strategies that you’ll want to consider when setting up and starting a blog.
How to Blog – My Ultimate Guide to Blogging for Beginners
Since developing this series I’ve produced a book specifically for beginner bloggers. You can learn more about it on our ProBlogger the Book page. The book is filled with up to date blogging tips for beginners – you can get it on Amazon here.
3 More Excellent Resources on How to Start Blogging for Beginners
Also – if you are looking for some more personalized help in starting and running a blog I highly recommend that you check out these resources by a blogger that I respect – Yaro Starak:
Blog Mastermind Blog Mentoring Program – one of the best coaching and training course going around on blogging.
Become a Blogger Videos – a free series of videos that talks new bloggers through how to set up a blog. Easy to understand and best of all, free.
Blog Profits Blueprint – a free report on how to build profitable blogs.
Lastly- if you enjoy these posts and want to keep in touch with ProBlogger – subscribe via our RSS feed.
Blogging Tips for Beginners
Introductory Posts
What is a Blog?
23 Questions for Prospective Bloggers – Is a Blog Right for You?
How to Choose a Niche Topic for Your Blog
Choosing a Blog Platform
Choosing a Domain Name for your Blog
Blog Tools
Blog Design Tips
Blog Design for Beginners Part 1
Blog Design for Beginners Part 2
Tips for Writing Content for Blogs
Useful and Unique Content
Post Length
Granular (One Topic) Posts
Using Titles Effectively on Blogs
Scannable Content
Basic HTML Tags
More on Writing Content for your Blog
Tips on Making Money from Blogs
Introduction to Making Money from Blogs
Should I blog for Money?
Making Money From Your Blog – Direct Methods
Making Money Because of your Blog – Indirect Methods
How Much Money Can a Blog Earn?
Introduction to Advertising Optimization – Traffic
Introduction to Advertising Optimization – Ad Position
Introduction to Advertising Optimization – Ad Design
Introduction to Advertising – Ad Relevancy
Introduction to Advertising – High Paying Ads
Blog Networks
Introduction to Blog Networks
Why Should you join a blog network?
Why you shouldn’t join a blog network
Other Beginner Blogging Tips
An Introduction to Using Images on Blogs
How to Start a Blog Partnership
Kick Your RSS – Jumping on the Syndication Bandwagon
Introduction to Trackbacks
Tag You’re It – Leveraging Tagging for your Blog
10 Techniques for Finding Blog Readers
19 More Strategies for Finding Readers
Want more Blogging Tips for Beginners?
If you want more blogging tips I can recommend two things.
1. Subscribe to ProBlogger – This blog is updated daily with news and tips relevant to bloggers wanting to improve their blogs. You can subscribe via our RSS feed or via email by adding your email address to the field below:
Enter your email address:
2. Check out the archives of ProBlogger – Over the last few years I’ve published over 3000 posts and blogging tips to ProBlogger. The links above just scratch the surface. One way to get into our archives is through our Archives Page which highlights the different categories of the blog and suggests some of the more popular posts from DEHE. Alternatively use the search feature at the top of the blog to hunt down the topics you want to know more about.
3. Get into these resources
ProBlogger the Book – where I and Chris Garrett sum up all of the basic tips about starting up a blog in the one volume.
Blog Mastermind Blog Mentoring Program – one of the best coaching and training course going around on blogging.
Become a Blogger Videos – a free series of videos that talks new bloggers through how to set up a blog. Easy to understand and best of all, free.
Blog Profits Blueprint – a free report on how to build profitable blogs
Jay-Z a great rapper
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969),[1] better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper and businessman. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America[2] having had a net worth of over $150 million in 2009.[3] He has sold approximately 50 million albums worldwide,[4] while receiving ten Grammy Awards for his musical work, and numerous additional nominations.[5]
Jay-Z co-owns The 40/40 Club, is part-owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets and is also the creator of the clothing line Rocawear. He is the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings,[6] one of the three founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, and the founder of Roc Nation. As an artist, he holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200.[7] Jay-Z also has had four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, one as lead artist.
Along with his financial and musical success, Jay-Z is known for quarreling with other artists in the rap industry, the most famous feud being between him and fellow New York rapper Nas, which was eventually settled in 2005.[8] He married American R&B superstar Beyoncé Knowles on April 4, 2008.[9] On December 11, 2009, Jay-Z was ranked as the 10th most successful artist of the 2000–2009 decade by Billboard Magazine and ranking as the 5th top solo male artist and as the 4th top rapper behind Eminem, Nelly, and 50 Cent.[10]
Contents [hide]
1 Early years
2 Musical career
2.1 1996–97: Reasonable Doubt and In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
2.2 1998–2000: Vol. 2... Criminal charges and mainstream success
2.3 2001–02: Feud with Nas, The Blueprint and The Blueprint2
2.4 2003–05: The Black Album and Collision Course
2.5 2005–07: "I Declare War", Kingdom Come and American Gangster
2.6 2008-09: Glastonbury, new record deal and The Blueprint 3
2.7 2010-present: Watch the Throne
3 Musical style
3.1 Rapping technique
4 Business ventures
5 Personal life
5.1 Relationship with Beyoncé
5.2 Philanthropy
5.3 Politics
6 Discography
7 Awards and nominations
8 Filmography
9 References
10 External links
Early years
Jay-Z (top) with a friend (left) in Trenton, New Jersey, circa 1988Originally from Marcy Houses housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City,[11] Jay-Z was abandoned by his father and, at age 12, he shot his brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry.[12][13] Jay-Z attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn, along with rapper AZ, until it was closed down. After that he attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School in Downtown Brooklyn, which fellow rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes also attended, and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, but did not graduate.[14] In his music he refers to having been involved in selling crack cocaine.[13]
According to his mother, Gloria Carter, a young Jay-Z used to wake his siblings up at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. Eventually, she bought him a boom box for his birthday, sparking his interest in music. He began freestyling, writing lyrics, and followed the music of many artists popular at the time.[15] In his neighborhood, Carter was known as "Jazzy", a nickname that eventually developed into his stage name, "Jay-Z". The moniker is also an homage to his musical mentor, Jaz-O, as well as to the J/Z subway lines that have a stop at Marcy Avenue in Brooklyn.[11]
Jay-Z can briefly be heard on several of Jaz-O's early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including "The Originators" and "Hawaiian Sophie".[16] Jay-Z was also involved in and won several battles with rapper LL Cool J in the early 90's as part of a plan to get a sought-after record deal.[17] He first became known to a wide audience by being featured on the posse cut "Show and Prove" on the 1994 Big Daddy Kane album Daddy's Home. Jay-Z has been referred to as Big Daddy Kane’s hype man during this period,[18] though Kane explains that he didn’t fill the traditional hype man role, instead Jay-Z “basically made cameo appearances on stage. When I would leave the stage to go change outfits, I would bring out Jay-Z and Positive K and let them freestyle until I came back to the stage”[19][20]. He made an appearance on a popular song by Big L, "Da Graveyard", and on Mic Geronimo's "Time to Build", which also featured early appearances by DMX, and Ja Rule in 1995. His first official rap single was called "I Can't Get With That", for which he released a music video.[21]
Musical career
1996–97: Reasonable Doubt and In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
From the beginning of his professional recording career, when no major label gave him a record deal, Jay-Z, Damon Dash, and Kareem Biggs created Roc-A-Fella Records as their own independent label. After striking a deal with Priority to distribute his material, Jay-Z released his 1996 debut album Reasonable Doubt with beats from acclaimed producers such as DJ Premier and Super DJ Clark Kent and a notable appearance by The Notorious B.I.G.. Despite reaching only number 23 on the Billboard 200, the album was well-received by critics.[11] This album would later be included in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" as #248 and would later reach platinum status.[22]
After reaching a new distribution deal with Def Jam in 1997, Jay-Z released his follow-up In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. Executively produced by Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, it sold better than his previous effort. Jay-Z later explained that the album was made during one of the worst periods of his life. He was reeling from the death of his close friend The Notorious B.I.G. The album was a personal revelation for Jay-Z as he spun the tale of his hard knock upbringing.[23] The album's glossy production stood as a contrast to his first release, and some dedicated fans felt he had "sold out". However, the album did feature some beats from producers who had worked with him on Reasonable Doubt, namely DJ Premier and Ski. Like its predecessor, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 earned Platinum status in the United States.[22]
1998–2000: Vol. 2... Criminal charges and mainstream success
In 1998, Jay-Z released Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life which spawned the biggest hit of his career at the time, "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)". He relied more on flow and wordplay, and he continued with his penchant for mining beats from the popular producers of the day such as Swizz Beatz, an upstart in-house producer for Ruff Ryders, and Timbaland. Other producers include: DJ Premier, Erick Sermon, The 45 King, and Kid Capri. Charting hits from this album included "Can I Get A...", featuring Ja Rule and Amil, and "Nigga What, Nigga Who", which featured Amil too. Vol. 2 would eventually become Jay-Z's most commercially successful album; it was certified 5× Platinum in the United States and has to date sold over five million copies.[22] The album went on to win a Grammy Award, although Jay-Z boycotted the ceremony protesting DMX's failure to garner a Grammy nomination.[24] In 1999,Jay-Z duetted with Mariah Carey on Heartbreaker , a song from her seventh album,Rainbow In 1999, Jay-Z released Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter, the album proved to be successful and sold over 3 million records.[22] Vol. 3's most successful single was "Big Pimpin'", featuring UGK. Around the same time, Jay-Z was accused of stabbing record executive Lance "Un" Rivera for what Jay-Z perceived was Rivera's bootlegging of Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter. The stabbing allegedly occurred at the record release party for Q-Tip's debut solo album Amplified at the Kit Kat Klub, a now defunct night club in Times Square, New York City, on December 9. Jay-Z's associates at the party were accused of causing a commotion within the club, which Jay-Z allegedly used as cover when he supposedly stabbed Rivera in the stomach with a five-inch (127 mm) blade.[25]
Jay-Z initially denied the incident and pleaded not guilty when a grand jury returned the indictment. Jay-Z and his lawyers contended he was nowhere around Rivera during the incident and they had witnesses and videotape evidence from the club that showed Jay-Z's whereabouts during the disturbance. Nevertheless, he later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge that resulted in a sentence of three years probation.[26] In 2000, Jay-Z released The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, which was originally intended to become a compilation album for Roc-A-Fella artists but somehow turned into another Jay-Z album.[27] The album helped to introduce newcomer producers The Neptunes, Just Blaze, Kanye West and Bink!, which have all gone on to achieve notable success. This is also the first album where Jay-Z utilizes a more soulful sound than his previous albums. The Dynasty: Roc La Familia sold over two million units in the U.S. alone.[22]
2001–02: Feud with Nas, The Blueprint and The Blueprint2
In 2001, Jay-Z spoke out against Prodigy after he took an issue with a Jay-Z line from "Money, Cash, Hoes" that he felt were subliminal shots at Mobb Deep and referenced Mobb Deep's beef with Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, and Death Row Records. He later performed a song "Takeover", at Summer Jam 2001, which initially attacked Prodigy and revealed photos of Prodigy dressed like Michael Jackson.[28] A line at the end of "Takeover" referenced Nas, who criticized him on "We Will Survive".[29] Nas responded with a diss track called "Ether" and almost instantly, Jay-Z added a verse to "Takeover" which dissed Nas and would start a feud between the two rappers. Jay-Z later released his sixth studio album The Blueprint which was later considered by many to be one of hip hop's "classic" albums, receiving the coveted 5 mic review from The Source magazine. Released during the wake of September 11 attacks, the album managed to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, selling more than 427,000 units;[30] the album's success was overshadowed by the tragic event. The Blueprint has been certified 3x Platinum in the United States.[22] The Blueprint was applauded for its production and the balance of "mainstream" and "hardcore" rap, receiving recognition from both audiences. The Blueprint was written in only two days.[31] Eminem was the only guest rapper on the album, producing and rapping on the song "Renegade". Four of the thirteen tracks on the album were produced by Kanye West and represents one of West's first major breaks in the industry.The Blueprint includes the popular songs "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)", "Girls, Girls, Girls, Jigga That Nigga and Song Cry.
Jay-Z's next solo album was 2002's 3 million (U.S. only) selling[22] The Blueprint2: The Gift & the Curse, a double-album. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at number one, selling over 545,000 units and surpassing The Blueprint.[32] It was later reissued in a single-disc version, The Blueprint 2.1, which retained half of the tracks from the original. The album spawned two massive hit singles, "Excuse Me Miss" and "Bonnie & Clyde" featuring Jay-Z's girlfriend of four years Beyoncé Knowles. "Guns & Roses", a track featuring rock musician Lenny Kravitz, and "Hovi Baby" were two successful radio singles as well. The album features the tracks "A Dream", featuring Faith Evans and a recording of the late The Notorious B.I.G.; and "The Bounce", featuring Kanye West. The Blueprint 2.1 features tracks that do not appear on The Blueprint2: The Gift & the Curse, such as "Stop", "La La La (Excuse Me Again)", "What They Gonna Do, Part II" and "Beware" produced by and featuring Panjabi MC.[33]
2003–05: The Black Album and Collision Course
After returning from a trip in the south of France,[34] Jay-Z announced work on his 8th studio album The Black Album at the opening of the first 40/40 Club.[35] He worked with several producers including Just Blaze, The Neptunes, Kanye West, Timbaland, Eminem, DJ Quik, 9th Wonder and Rick Rubin. Notable songs on the album included "What More Can I Say", "Dirt Off Your Shoulder", "Change Clothes", and "99 Problems". The Black Album has sold 3 million copies in the US.[22]
On November 25, 2003, Jay-Z held a concert at Madison Square Garden, which would later be the focus of his film Fade to Black. This concert was his "retirement party". All proceeds went to charity. Other performers included collaborators like The Roots (in the form of his backing band), Missy Elliott, Memphis Bleek, Beanie Siegel, Freeway, Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé, Twista, Ghostface Killah, Foxy Brown, Pharrell and R. Kelly with special appearances by Voletta Wallace and Afeni Shakur, the mothers of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur respectively.[citation needed] While Jay-Z had attested to a retirement from making new studio albums, various side projects and appearances soon followed. Included in these were a greatest hits record, mash-up projects and concert appearances with R. Kelly and Linkin Park.
In 2004 Jay-Z collaborated with rock group Linkin Park. The project was named Collision Course, and contained a six track EP, as well as a making of DVD. Some of the mash ups tracks were entitled "Dirt Off Your Shoulder/Lying From You", "Jigga What/Faint", and "Numb/Encore". "Numb/Encore" went on to win a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and was performed with Linkin Park live at the Grammys, with a special appearance by Paul McCartney, who added verses from the song Yesterday. The EP sold over 1 million copies in the US alone.[22] Jay-Z was the executive producer of Fort Minor's debut album The Rising Tied. Mike Shinoda got together with Jay-Z and Linkin Park bandmate Brad Delson to discuss what tracks should make the album.
Later in 2004, Jay-Z was named president of Def Jam Records, which led to Jay-Z, Dash and Biggs selling their remaining interests in Roc-A-Fella Records and Jay-Z taking control of both of the companies.[36] Reportedly this major industry move was prompted by disagreements between Jay-Z and Dash as to what direction Roc-A-Fella could undertake.[37] The publicized split between Jay-Z, Dash and Biggs led to the former partners sending jabs at each other in interviews.[38]
2005–07: "I Declare War", Kingdom Come and American Gangster
Jay-Z at a concert in 2006.On October 27, 2005, Jay-Z headlined New York's Power 105.1 annual concert, Powerhouse. The concert was entitled the "I Declare War" concert leading to intense speculation in the weeks preceding the event on whom exactly Jay-Z would declare war. As he had previously "declared war" on other artists taking lyrical shots at him at other events, many believed that the Powerhouse show would represent an all-out assault by Jay-Z upon his rivals.[39] The theme of the concert was Jay-Z's position as President and CEO of Def Jam, complete with an on-stage mock-up of the Oval Office. Many artists made appearances such as the old roster of Roc-A-Fella records artists, as well as Ne-Yo, Teairra Mari, T.I., Young Jeezy, Akon, Kanye West, Paul Wall, The LOX, and Diddy.[40]
At the conclusion of the concert, Jay-Z put many arguments to rest to the surprise of hip hop fans. The most significant development in this show was closure to the infamous hip hop rivalry between Jay-Z and Nas. The two former rivals shook hands and shared the stage together to perform Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents" blended with Nas's song "The World is Yours".[8]
Jay-Z returned with his comeback album on November 21, 2006 titled Kingdom Come.[41] Jay-Z's comeback single, "Show Me What You Got", was leaked on the Internet in early October 2006, scheduled to be released later on that month, received heavy air-play after its leak, causing the FBI to step in and investigate.[42] Jay-Z worked with video director Hype Williams, and the single's video was directed by F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Italian Job). The album features producers such as Just Blaze, Pharrell, Kanye West, Dr. Dre and Coldplay's Chris Martin (single entitled "Beach Chair").[43][44] The first week saw 680,000 sales of the CD, which Entertainment Weekly said was "the highest single-week total in Jay's decade long career".[45] This album has sold 2 million copies in the U.S. alone.[22]
Jay-Z released his tenth album entitled American Gangster on November 6, 2007. After viewing the Ridley Scott film of the same name, he was heavily inspired to create a new "concept" album that depicts his experiences as a street-hustler.[46] The album is not the film's official soundtrack, although it was distributed by Def Jam.[47] Jay-Z's American Gangster depicts his life in correlation to the movie American Gangster. At the start of the album's first single, "Blue Magic", Jay-Z offers a dealer's manifesto while making references to political figures of the late 1980s with the lyric: "Blame Reagan for making me to into a monster, blame Oliver North and Iran-Contra, I ran contraband that they sponsored, before this rhymin' stuff we was in concert."[48] Also notable about the "Blue Magic" music video was Jay-Z flashing 500 euro notes, in what Harvard Business School professor Rawi Abdelal has called a "turning point in American pop culture's response to globalization." The album has sold 1 million copies in the US.[22] On December 24, 2007, Jay-Z stated that he would not remain at Def Jam as the company's President, and vacated the position effective of January 1, 2008.[49]
2008-09: Glastonbury, new record deal and The Blueprint 3
It was controversially announced on February 2, 2008 that Jay-Z would headline the 2008 Glastonbury Festival, becoming the first major hip hop artist to headline the British festival.[50][51] Tickets initially failed to sell out – with 100,000 being sold out of a possible 137,500. As the festival sold out in 2 hours the previous year critics blamed the choice of a hip hop artist as opposed to a rock band as the main problem,[52] although another possible cause is the preceding run of terrible weather and flooding that in 2007 made life at the festival very difficult.[53] Tickets eventually sold out in the final day before the festival. One of the more outspoken critics of his selection was Noel Gallagher of Oasis fame, who criticised the organizers of the festival for scheduling Jay-Z as a headliner for the traditionally guitar-driven, stating "I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music and even when they throw the odd curve ball in on a Sunday night you go 'Kylie Minogue?' I don't know about it. But I'm not having hip hop at Glastonbury. It's wrong."[54]
Controversy ensued in the months leading up to the event with artists, promoters and fans weighing in both for and against. Jay-Z responded to this saying, "We don't play guitars, Noel, but hip hop has put in its work like any other form of music. This headline show is just a natural progression. Rap music is still evolving. We have to respect each other's genre of music and move forward."[55] In response to Gallagher's criticism, Jay-Z opened his Glastonbury set with a tongue-in-cheek cover of Oasis's iconic song "Wonderwall".[56] His Glastonbury performance was heralded as a successful response to pre-festival criticism.[57]
Jay-Z during his Glastonbury performanceHe also headlined many other summer festivals in 2008, including Roskilde Festival in Denmark,[58] Hove Festival in Norway[59] and O2 Wireless Festival in London.[60] During Kanye West's August 6, 2008 concert at Madison Square Garden, Jay-Z came out to perform a new song and he and Kanye proclaimed that it was to be on The Blueprint 3.[61] On May 21, 2009, Jay-Z announced he would be parting ways with Def Jam, and had struck a multi-million dollar deal to sign with Live Nation, with whom he would start his Roc Nation imprint which would serve as a record label, talent/management agency, and music publishing company[62] and also partnered up with production team Stargate to start a record label called StarRoc.[63][64] Jay-Z's 11th studio album The Blueprint 3 was originally to be released on September 11, 2009[65] but was instead released in North America on September 8, 2009 due to increasing anticipation.[66] Its international release followed on September 14.[67] It is his 11th album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200[68] and has surpassed Elvis Presley's previous record, making him the current record holder.[7]
On October 9, 2009, Jay-Z kicked off his tour for The Blueprint 3, during which he will support his new album in North America. In a Shave Magazine review of his performance at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Jake Tomlinson expressed that "It was the type of smooth performance you would expect from the hip-hop superstar." The review gave this performance 4 stars. His North American tour is scheduled to continue until November 22, 2009.[69] At his concert on November 8, 2009 at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion, Rihanna joined him on stage and performed "Hard" for the very first time, then performed "Run This Town" with Jay. Enjoying their performances were Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, Nicole Richie and Samantha Ronson, James Blunt, and Jamie Foxx.[70] Among his success, Jay-Z has ventured into producing Broadway shows. Along with Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, Jay-Z helped produced the play Fela!, a musical celebrating the work of the late Nigerian star Fela Kuti.[71] Jay-Z said he was inspired by the power of Kuti's work and his life story, which resulted in his interest to help produce the musical.[71] Fela! is a story about an African pioneer and political activist who made his first moves on the scene during the 1970s.[71]
2010-present: Watch the Throne
Main article: Watch the Throne
On January 23, 2010, Jay-Z released a track, "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)", with Rihanna, and U2's Bono and The Edge, as well as performing it at the Hope For Haiti Now telethon.[72] In June 2010, Eminem and Jay-Z announced they would perform together in a pair of concerts in Detroit and New York. The event was dubbed The Home & Home Tour. The first two concerts rapidly sold out, prompting the scheduling of an additional show at each venue.[73] In August 2010, it was revealed that Jay-Z and Kanye West will be collaborating on a five track EP entitled, Watch the Throne. The first single released for the project is a remix to "Power", which features Swizz Beatz. The second single is titled "Monster", and features Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, and Bon Iver.[74] Jay-Z will be the support act for U2 on the Australian and New Zealand leg of their U2 360° Tour, beginning in Auckland, New Zealand in November 2010, followed by Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth in December.[75]
On September 23, 2010, Q-Tip confirmed working on Jay-Z's follow up album to The Blueprint 3, saying the album should hit stores by the upcoming spring.[76]
Musical style
Rapping technique
Royce da 5'9" and Fredro Starr of Onyx both describe Jay-Z's emphasis on flow in the book How to Rap – Starr says that Jay-Z is "a master of the flow—he can flow fast, he can flow slow"[77]. The book describes how Jay-Z uses ‘rests’ to provide structure to a verse[78] and how he uses 'partial linking' to add more rhymes to a verse.[79] Jay-Z's early style is described by Vibe as "a distinctly Das EFX-type, stiggety style" on his 12" single "Can't Get With That",[80] referring to the fast rhythms and vocal delivery of the group Das EFX. He is also known to write lyrics in his head, as described by Pusha T of Clipse in How to Rap,[81] a style popular with many MCs such as Notorious B.I.G.,[81] Everlast,[82] Bobby Creekwater[83] and Guerilla Black.[83] Shock G of Digital Underground describes Jay-Z's performance style, saying he "rarely breaks a sweat, and instead uses smoothness and clever wordplay to keep the audience interested and entertained".[84]
Business ventures
Jay-Z has also established himself as an entrepreneur like his fellow hip hop moguls and friends, Russell Simmons, Dr. Dre and Sean "Diddy" Combs, who also have business holdings such as record companies and clothing lines. In an interview, he stated that "my brands are an extension of me. They're close to me. It's not like running GM, where there's no emotional attachment."[85] He is the founder of the urban clothing brand Rocawear along with Damon Dash.[86] Rocawear has clothing lines and accessories for men, women and children. The line was taken over by Jay-Z in early 2006 following a falling out with Dash. In March 2007, Jay-Z sold the rights to the Rocawear brand to Iconix Brand Group, for $204 million. Jay-Z will retain his stake in the company and will continue to oversee the marketing, licensing and product development.[86][87] He also co-owns The 40/40 Club, an upscale sports bar that started in New York City and has since expanded to Atlantic City and Chicago. In 2008, the 40/40 club in Las Vegas was closed down and bought back by the hotel after attendance steadily declined. Future plans will see 40/40 Clubs in Tokyo and Singapore.[88] In 2005, Jay-Z became an investor in Carol's Daughter, a line of beauty products, including products for hair, skin, and hands, as well as fragrances.[89]
Jay-Z serves as co-brand director for Budweiser Select and collaborates with the company on strategic marketing programs and creative ad development. He provides direction on brand programs and ads that appear on TV, radio, print, and high-profile events.[90] He is a part-owner of the New Jersey Nets NBA team paying a reported $4.5 million for his share. He is interested in relocating the team to Brooklyn. In October 2005, he was reported in English media as considering buying a stake of Arsenal F.C., an English soccer team.[91] He has also invested in a real estate development venture called J Hotels which recently acquired a $66 million mid-block parcel in Chelsea, New York. Jay-Z and his partners are contemplating constructing a high-end hotel or an art gallery building on the newly acquired site which has the potential to go up about twelve stories.[92] Through his company Gain Global Investments Network LLC, had an interest estimated between 2 and 7% in the Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG) consortium which in January 2010 was awarded a contract to operate a 4,500 slot machine racino at the Aqueduct Race Track. Jay-Z became interested in the project after New York Governor David Paterson who awarded the contract said there had to be an affirmative action component to the ownership. Jay-Z initially approached Steve Wynn who was also bidding on the contract. On March 9, 2010, Jay-Z and Flake withdrew from the project and Paterson recused himself from further involvement.[93][94]
Personal life
Jay-Z & Beyoncé at a New York Yankees game in 2010Relationship with Beyoncé
Jay-Z's most public relationship has been with American R&B superstar Beyoncé Knowles, the former lead singer of Destiny's Child. In 2002, Jay-Z and Beyoncé collaborated for the song "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". Jay-Z also appeared on Knowles' hit single "Crazy In Love" and as well as "That's How You Like It" from her debut Dangerously in Love. On her second album, B'Day, he made appearances on the 2006 hits, "Déjà Vu" and "Upgrade U". In the video for the latter song, she comically imitates his appearance.[95] The couple generally avoid discussing their relationship. Beyoncé has stated that she believes that not publicly discussing their relationship has helped them. Jay-Z said in a People article, "We don't play with our relationship."[96] They keep a low public profile despite being photographed at New Jersey Nets home games and while on vacation in Cannes in 2007. On April 4, 2008, it was reported by People that Knowles and Jay-Z had been married at a private ceremony in New York City.[9] It became a matter of public record on April 22, 2008, [97] but Knowles did not publicly debut her $5 million Lorraine Schwartz-designed wedding ring until the Fashion Rocks concert on September 5, 2008 in New York City.[98]
Philanthropy
During his retirement, Jay-Z also became involved in philanthropic activity. On August 9, 2006, he met with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan at the organization's headquarters in New York City. The rapper pledged to use his upcoming world tour to raise awareness of and combat global water shortage. Already on the look-out for a way to, in his own words, "become helpful", he had been made aware of this issue during a visit to Africa.[99] The effort took place in partnership with the UN,[100] as well as MTV, which produced a documentary entitled Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life, first airing in November 2006.[101] Along with Sean "Diddy" Combs, Jay-Z pledged $1 million to the American Red Cross' relief effort after Hurricane Katrina.[102] Jay-Z stated his support for Kanye West after the latter's outburst against President Bush during a live Katrina charity telethon.[103] He also addressed the issue of the Katrina disaster, and the government's response, in his song "Minority Report".[104]
Politics
Jay-Z got actively involved in politics during the 2008 presidential campaign, where he supported increased voter participation and helped send voters to polling stations.[105] He was an early supporter for the candidacy of Illinois senator and subsequent US president Barack Obama, performing for free in voter-drive concerts financed by the Democrats' campaign.[106] In the process, he's become personally acquainted with Obama himself, who stated "Every time I talk to Jay-Z, who is a brilliant talent and a good guy, I enjoy how he thinks. That's somebody who is going to start branching out and can help shape attitudes in a real positive way."[107] During the 2010 mid-term elections' campaign, Jay-Z appeared, along with other artists, in an ad prepared by the HeadCount organisation, urging voters, and especially younger ones, to register and vote.[108]
Discography
Main article: Jay-Z discography
Reasonable Doubt (1996)
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997)
Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998)
Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999)
The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000)
The Blueprint (2001)
The Blueprint2: The Gift & The Curse (2002)
The Black Album (2003)
Kingdom Come (2006)
American Gangster (2007)
The Blueprint 3 (2009)
Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Jay-Z
Filmography
Wild Style (1983)
Streets Is Watching (1998)
Backstage (2000)
State Property (2002)
Paper Soldiers (2003)
Fade to Black (2004)
Jay-Z co-owns The 40/40 Club, is part-owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets and is also the creator of the clothing line Rocawear. He is the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings,[6] one of the three founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, and the founder of Roc Nation. As an artist, he holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200.[7] Jay-Z also has had four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, one as lead artist.
Along with his financial and musical success, Jay-Z is known for quarreling with other artists in the rap industry, the most famous feud being between him and fellow New York rapper Nas, which was eventually settled in 2005.[8] He married American R&B superstar Beyoncé Knowles on April 4, 2008.[9] On December 11, 2009, Jay-Z was ranked as the 10th most successful artist of the 2000–2009 decade by Billboard Magazine and ranking as the 5th top solo male artist and as the 4th top rapper behind Eminem, Nelly, and 50 Cent.[10]
Contents [hide]
1 Early years
2 Musical career
2.1 1996–97: Reasonable Doubt and In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
2.2 1998–2000: Vol. 2... Criminal charges and mainstream success
2.3 2001–02: Feud with Nas, The Blueprint and The Blueprint2
2.4 2003–05: The Black Album and Collision Course
2.5 2005–07: "I Declare War", Kingdom Come and American Gangster
2.6 2008-09: Glastonbury, new record deal and The Blueprint 3
2.7 2010-present: Watch the Throne
3 Musical style
3.1 Rapping technique
4 Business ventures
5 Personal life
5.1 Relationship with Beyoncé
5.2 Philanthropy
5.3 Politics
6 Discography
7 Awards and nominations
8 Filmography
9 References
10 External links
Early years
Jay-Z (top) with a friend (left) in Trenton, New Jersey, circa 1988Originally from Marcy Houses housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City,[11] Jay-Z was abandoned by his father and, at age 12, he shot his brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry.[12][13] Jay-Z attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn, along with rapper AZ, until it was closed down. After that he attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School in Downtown Brooklyn, which fellow rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes also attended, and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, but did not graduate.[14] In his music he refers to having been involved in selling crack cocaine.[13]
According to his mother, Gloria Carter, a young Jay-Z used to wake his siblings up at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. Eventually, she bought him a boom box for his birthday, sparking his interest in music. He began freestyling, writing lyrics, and followed the music of many artists popular at the time.[15] In his neighborhood, Carter was known as "Jazzy", a nickname that eventually developed into his stage name, "Jay-Z". The moniker is also an homage to his musical mentor, Jaz-O, as well as to the J/Z subway lines that have a stop at Marcy Avenue in Brooklyn.[11]
Jay-Z can briefly be heard on several of Jaz-O's early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including "The Originators" and "Hawaiian Sophie".[16] Jay-Z was also involved in and won several battles with rapper LL Cool J in the early 90's as part of a plan to get a sought-after record deal.[17] He first became known to a wide audience by being featured on the posse cut "Show and Prove" on the 1994 Big Daddy Kane album Daddy's Home. Jay-Z has been referred to as Big Daddy Kane’s hype man during this period,[18] though Kane explains that he didn’t fill the traditional hype man role, instead Jay-Z “basically made cameo appearances on stage. When I would leave the stage to go change outfits, I would bring out Jay-Z and Positive K and let them freestyle until I came back to the stage”[19][20]. He made an appearance on a popular song by Big L, "Da Graveyard", and on Mic Geronimo's "Time to Build", which also featured early appearances by DMX, and Ja Rule in 1995. His first official rap single was called "I Can't Get With That", for which he released a music video.[21]
Musical career
1996–97: Reasonable Doubt and In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
From the beginning of his professional recording career, when no major label gave him a record deal, Jay-Z, Damon Dash, and Kareem Biggs created Roc-A-Fella Records as their own independent label. After striking a deal with Priority to distribute his material, Jay-Z released his 1996 debut album Reasonable Doubt with beats from acclaimed producers such as DJ Premier and Super DJ Clark Kent and a notable appearance by The Notorious B.I.G.. Despite reaching only number 23 on the Billboard 200, the album was well-received by critics.[11] This album would later be included in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" as #248 and would later reach platinum status.[22]
After reaching a new distribution deal with Def Jam in 1997, Jay-Z released his follow-up In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. Executively produced by Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, it sold better than his previous effort. Jay-Z later explained that the album was made during one of the worst periods of his life. He was reeling from the death of his close friend The Notorious B.I.G. The album was a personal revelation for Jay-Z as he spun the tale of his hard knock upbringing.[23] The album's glossy production stood as a contrast to his first release, and some dedicated fans felt he had "sold out". However, the album did feature some beats from producers who had worked with him on Reasonable Doubt, namely DJ Premier and Ski. Like its predecessor, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 earned Platinum status in the United States.[22]
1998–2000: Vol. 2... Criminal charges and mainstream success
In 1998, Jay-Z released Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life which spawned the biggest hit of his career at the time, "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)". He relied more on flow and wordplay, and he continued with his penchant for mining beats from the popular producers of the day such as Swizz Beatz, an upstart in-house producer for Ruff Ryders, and Timbaland. Other producers include: DJ Premier, Erick Sermon, The 45 King, and Kid Capri. Charting hits from this album included "Can I Get A...", featuring Ja Rule and Amil, and "Nigga What, Nigga Who", which featured Amil too. Vol. 2 would eventually become Jay-Z's most commercially successful album; it was certified 5× Platinum in the United States and has to date sold over five million copies.[22] The album went on to win a Grammy Award, although Jay-Z boycotted the ceremony protesting DMX's failure to garner a Grammy nomination.[24] In 1999,Jay-Z duetted with Mariah Carey on Heartbreaker , a song from her seventh album,Rainbow In 1999, Jay-Z released Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter, the album proved to be successful and sold over 3 million records.[22] Vol. 3's most successful single was "Big Pimpin'", featuring UGK. Around the same time, Jay-Z was accused of stabbing record executive Lance "Un" Rivera for what Jay-Z perceived was Rivera's bootlegging of Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter. The stabbing allegedly occurred at the record release party for Q-Tip's debut solo album Amplified at the Kit Kat Klub, a now defunct night club in Times Square, New York City, on December 9. Jay-Z's associates at the party were accused of causing a commotion within the club, which Jay-Z allegedly used as cover when he supposedly stabbed Rivera in the stomach with a five-inch (127 mm) blade.[25]
Jay-Z initially denied the incident and pleaded not guilty when a grand jury returned the indictment. Jay-Z and his lawyers contended he was nowhere around Rivera during the incident and they had witnesses and videotape evidence from the club that showed Jay-Z's whereabouts during the disturbance. Nevertheless, he later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge that resulted in a sentence of three years probation.[26] In 2000, Jay-Z released The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, which was originally intended to become a compilation album for Roc-A-Fella artists but somehow turned into another Jay-Z album.[27] The album helped to introduce newcomer producers The Neptunes, Just Blaze, Kanye West and Bink!, which have all gone on to achieve notable success. This is also the first album where Jay-Z utilizes a more soulful sound than his previous albums. The Dynasty: Roc La Familia sold over two million units in the U.S. alone.[22]
2001–02: Feud with Nas, The Blueprint and The Blueprint2
In 2001, Jay-Z spoke out against Prodigy after he took an issue with a Jay-Z line from "Money, Cash, Hoes" that he felt were subliminal shots at Mobb Deep and referenced Mobb Deep's beef with Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, and Death Row Records. He later performed a song "Takeover", at Summer Jam 2001, which initially attacked Prodigy and revealed photos of Prodigy dressed like Michael Jackson.[28] A line at the end of "Takeover" referenced Nas, who criticized him on "We Will Survive".[29] Nas responded with a diss track called "Ether" and almost instantly, Jay-Z added a verse to "Takeover" which dissed Nas and would start a feud between the two rappers. Jay-Z later released his sixth studio album The Blueprint which was later considered by many to be one of hip hop's "classic" albums, receiving the coveted 5 mic review from The Source magazine. Released during the wake of September 11 attacks, the album managed to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, selling more than 427,000 units;[30] the album's success was overshadowed by the tragic event. The Blueprint has been certified 3x Platinum in the United States.[22] The Blueprint was applauded for its production and the balance of "mainstream" and "hardcore" rap, receiving recognition from both audiences. The Blueprint was written in only two days.[31] Eminem was the only guest rapper on the album, producing and rapping on the song "Renegade". Four of the thirteen tracks on the album were produced by Kanye West and represents one of West's first major breaks in the industry.The Blueprint includes the popular songs "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)", "Girls, Girls, Girls, Jigga That Nigga and Song Cry.
Jay-Z's next solo album was 2002's 3 million (U.S. only) selling[22] The Blueprint2: The Gift & the Curse, a double-album. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at number one, selling over 545,000 units and surpassing The Blueprint.[32] It was later reissued in a single-disc version, The Blueprint 2.1, which retained half of the tracks from the original. The album spawned two massive hit singles, "Excuse Me Miss" and "Bonnie & Clyde" featuring Jay-Z's girlfriend of four years Beyoncé Knowles. "Guns & Roses", a track featuring rock musician Lenny Kravitz, and "Hovi Baby" were two successful radio singles as well. The album features the tracks "A Dream", featuring Faith Evans and a recording of the late The Notorious B.I.G.; and "The Bounce", featuring Kanye West. The Blueprint 2.1 features tracks that do not appear on The Blueprint2: The Gift & the Curse, such as "Stop", "La La La (Excuse Me Again)", "What They Gonna Do, Part II" and "Beware" produced by and featuring Panjabi MC.[33]
2003–05: The Black Album and Collision Course
After returning from a trip in the south of France,[34] Jay-Z announced work on his 8th studio album The Black Album at the opening of the first 40/40 Club.[35] He worked with several producers including Just Blaze, The Neptunes, Kanye West, Timbaland, Eminem, DJ Quik, 9th Wonder and Rick Rubin. Notable songs on the album included "What More Can I Say", "Dirt Off Your Shoulder", "Change Clothes", and "99 Problems". The Black Album has sold 3 million copies in the US.[22]
On November 25, 2003, Jay-Z held a concert at Madison Square Garden, which would later be the focus of his film Fade to Black. This concert was his "retirement party". All proceeds went to charity. Other performers included collaborators like The Roots (in the form of his backing band), Missy Elliott, Memphis Bleek, Beanie Siegel, Freeway, Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé, Twista, Ghostface Killah, Foxy Brown, Pharrell and R. Kelly with special appearances by Voletta Wallace and Afeni Shakur, the mothers of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur respectively.[citation needed] While Jay-Z had attested to a retirement from making new studio albums, various side projects and appearances soon followed. Included in these were a greatest hits record, mash-up projects and concert appearances with R. Kelly and Linkin Park.
In 2004 Jay-Z collaborated with rock group Linkin Park. The project was named Collision Course, and contained a six track EP, as well as a making of DVD. Some of the mash ups tracks were entitled "Dirt Off Your Shoulder/Lying From You", "Jigga What/Faint", and "Numb/Encore". "Numb/Encore" went on to win a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and was performed with Linkin Park live at the Grammys, with a special appearance by Paul McCartney, who added verses from the song Yesterday. The EP sold over 1 million copies in the US alone.[22] Jay-Z was the executive producer of Fort Minor's debut album The Rising Tied. Mike Shinoda got together with Jay-Z and Linkin Park bandmate Brad Delson to discuss what tracks should make the album.
Later in 2004, Jay-Z was named president of Def Jam Records, which led to Jay-Z, Dash and Biggs selling their remaining interests in Roc-A-Fella Records and Jay-Z taking control of both of the companies.[36] Reportedly this major industry move was prompted by disagreements between Jay-Z and Dash as to what direction Roc-A-Fella could undertake.[37] The publicized split between Jay-Z, Dash and Biggs led to the former partners sending jabs at each other in interviews.[38]
2005–07: "I Declare War", Kingdom Come and American Gangster
Jay-Z at a concert in 2006.On October 27, 2005, Jay-Z headlined New York's Power 105.1 annual concert, Powerhouse. The concert was entitled the "I Declare War" concert leading to intense speculation in the weeks preceding the event on whom exactly Jay-Z would declare war. As he had previously "declared war" on other artists taking lyrical shots at him at other events, many believed that the Powerhouse show would represent an all-out assault by Jay-Z upon his rivals.[39] The theme of the concert was Jay-Z's position as President and CEO of Def Jam, complete with an on-stage mock-up of the Oval Office. Many artists made appearances such as the old roster of Roc-A-Fella records artists, as well as Ne-Yo, Teairra Mari, T.I., Young Jeezy, Akon, Kanye West, Paul Wall, The LOX, and Diddy.[40]
At the conclusion of the concert, Jay-Z put many arguments to rest to the surprise of hip hop fans. The most significant development in this show was closure to the infamous hip hop rivalry between Jay-Z and Nas. The two former rivals shook hands and shared the stage together to perform Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents" blended with Nas's song "The World is Yours".[8]
Jay-Z returned with his comeback album on November 21, 2006 titled Kingdom Come.[41] Jay-Z's comeback single, "Show Me What You Got", was leaked on the Internet in early October 2006, scheduled to be released later on that month, received heavy air-play after its leak, causing the FBI to step in and investigate.[42] Jay-Z worked with video director Hype Williams, and the single's video was directed by F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Italian Job). The album features producers such as Just Blaze, Pharrell, Kanye West, Dr. Dre and Coldplay's Chris Martin (single entitled "Beach Chair").[43][44] The first week saw 680,000 sales of the CD, which Entertainment Weekly said was "the highest single-week total in Jay's decade long career".[45] This album has sold 2 million copies in the U.S. alone.[22]
Jay-Z released his tenth album entitled American Gangster on November 6, 2007. After viewing the Ridley Scott film of the same name, he was heavily inspired to create a new "concept" album that depicts his experiences as a street-hustler.[46] The album is not the film's official soundtrack, although it was distributed by Def Jam.[47] Jay-Z's American Gangster depicts his life in correlation to the movie American Gangster. At the start of the album's first single, "Blue Magic", Jay-Z offers a dealer's manifesto while making references to political figures of the late 1980s with the lyric: "Blame Reagan for making me to into a monster, blame Oliver North and Iran-Contra, I ran contraband that they sponsored, before this rhymin' stuff we was in concert."[48] Also notable about the "Blue Magic" music video was Jay-Z flashing 500 euro notes, in what Harvard Business School professor Rawi Abdelal has called a "turning point in American pop culture's response to globalization." The album has sold 1 million copies in the US.[22] On December 24, 2007, Jay-Z stated that he would not remain at Def Jam as the company's President, and vacated the position effective of January 1, 2008.[49]
2008-09: Glastonbury, new record deal and The Blueprint 3
It was controversially announced on February 2, 2008 that Jay-Z would headline the 2008 Glastonbury Festival, becoming the first major hip hop artist to headline the British festival.[50][51] Tickets initially failed to sell out – with 100,000 being sold out of a possible 137,500. As the festival sold out in 2 hours the previous year critics blamed the choice of a hip hop artist as opposed to a rock band as the main problem,[52] although another possible cause is the preceding run of terrible weather and flooding that in 2007 made life at the festival very difficult.[53] Tickets eventually sold out in the final day before the festival. One of the more outspoken critics of his selection was Noel Gallagher of Oasis fame, who criticised the organizers of the festival for scheduling Jay-Z as a headliner for the traditionally guitar-driven, stating "I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music and even when they throw the odd curve ball in on a Sunday night you go 'Kylie Minogue?' I don't know about it. But I'm not having hip hop at Glastonbury. It's wrong."[54]
Controversy ensued in the months leading up to the event with artists, promoters and fans weighing in both for and against. Jay-Z responded to this saying, "We don't play guitars, Noel, but hip hop has put in its work like any other form of music. This headline show is just a natural progression. Rap music is still evolving. We have to respect each other's genre of music and move forward."[55] In response to Gallagher's criticism, Jay-Z opened his Glastonbury set with a tongue-in-cheek cover of Oasis's iconic song "Wonderwall".[56] His Glastonbury performance was heralded as a successful response to pre-festival criticism.[57]
Jay-Z during his Glastonbury performanceHe also headlined many other summer festivals in 2008, including Roskilde Festival in Denmark,[58] Hove Festival in Norway[59] and O2 Wireless Festival in London.[60] During Kanye West's August 6, 2008 concert at Madison Square Garden, Jay-Z came out to perform a new song and he and Kanye proclaimed that it was to be on The Blueprint 3.[61] On May 21, 2009, Jay-Z announced he would be parting ways with Def Jam, and had struck a multi-million dollar deal to sign with Live Nation, with whom he would start his Roc Nation imprint which would serve as a record label, talent/management agency, and music publishing company[62] and also partnered up with production team Stargate to start a record label called StarRoc.[63][64] Jay-Z's 11th studio album The Blueprint 3 was originally to be released on September 11, 2009[65] but was instead released in North America on September 8, 2009 due to increasing anticipation.[66] Its international release followed on September 14.[67] It is his 11th album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200[68] and has surpassed Elvis Presley's previous record, making him the current record holder.[7]
On October 9, 2009, Jay-Z kicked off his tour for The Blueprint 3, during which he will support his new album in North America. In a Shave Magazine review of his performance at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Jake Tomlinson expressed that "It was the type of smooth performance you would expect from the hip-hop superstar." The review gave this performance 4 stars. His North American tour is scheduled to continue until November 22, 2009.[69] At his concert on November 8, 2009 at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion, Rihanna joined him on stage and performed "Hard" for the very first time, then performed "Run This Town" with Jay. Enjoying their performances were Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, Nicole Richie and Samantha Ronson, James Blunt, and Jamie Foxx.[70] Among his success, Jay-Z has ventured into producing Broadway shows. Along with Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, Jay-Z helped produced the play Fela!, a musical celebrating the work of the late Nigerian star Fela Kuti.[71] Jay-Z said he was inspired by the power of Kuti's work and his life story, which resulted in his interest to help produce the musical.[71] Fela! is a story about an African pioneer and political activist who made his first moves on the scene during the 1970s.[71]
2010-present: Watch the Throne
Main article: Watch the Throne
On January 23, 2010, Jay-Z released a track, "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)", with Rihanna, and U2's Bono and The Edge, as well as performing it at the Hope For Haiti Now telethon.[72] In June 2010, Eminem and Jay-Z announced they would perform together in a pair of concerts in Detroit and New York. The event was dubbed The Home & Home Tour. The first two concerts rapidly sold out, prompting the scheduling of an additional show at each venue.[73] In August 2010, it was revealed that Jay-Z and Kanye West will be collaborating on a five track EP entitled, Watch the Throne. The first single released for the project is a remix to "Power", which features Swizz Beatz. The second single is titled "Monster", and features Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, and Bon Iver.[74] Jay-Z will be the support act for U2 on the Australian and New Zealand leg of their U2 360° Tour, beginning in Auckland, New Zealand in November 2010, followed by Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth in December.[75]
On September 23, 2010, Q-Tip confirmed working on Jay-Z's follow up album to The Blueprint 3, saying the album should hit stores by the upcoming spring.[76]
Musical style
Rapping technique
Royce da 5'9" and Fredro Starr of Onyx both describe Jay-Z's emphasis on flow in the book How to Rap – Starr says that Jay-Z is "a master of the flow—he can flow fast, he can flow slow"[77]. The book describes how Jay-Z uses ‘rests’ to provide structure to a verse[78] and how he uses 'partial linking' to add more rhymes to a verse.[79] Jay-Z's early style is described by Vibe as "a distinctly Das EFX-type, stiggety style" on his 12" single "Can't Get With That",[80] referring to the fast rhythms and vocal delivery of the group Das EFX. He is also known to write lyrics in his head, as described by Pusha T of Clipse in How to Rap,[81] a style popular with many MCs such as Notorious B.I.G.,[81] Everlast,[82] Bobby Creekwater[83] and Guerilla Black.[83] Shock G of Digital Underground describes Jay-Z's performance style, saying he "rarely breaks a sweat, and instead uses smoothness and clever wordplay to keep the audience interested and entertained".[84]
Business ventures
Jay-Z has also established himself as an entrepreneur like his fellow hip hop moguls and friends, Russell Simmons, Dr. Dre and Sean "Diddy" Combs, who also have business holdings such as record companies and clothing lines. In an interview, he stated that "my brands are an extension of me. They're close to me. It's not like running GM, where there's no emotional attachment."[85] He is the founder of the urban clothing brand Rocawear along with Damon Dash.[86] Rocawear has clothing lines and accessories for men, women and children. The line was taken over by Jay-Z in early 2006 following a falling out with Dash. In March 2007, Jay-Z sold the rights to the Rocawear brand to Iconix Brand Group, for $204 million. Jay-Z will retain his stake in the company and will continue to oversee the marketing, licensing and product development.[86][87] He also co-owns The 40/40 Club, an upscale sports bar that started in New York City and has since expanded to Atlantic City and Chicago. In 2008, the 40/40 club in Las Vegas was closed down and bought back by the hotel after attendance steadily declined. Future plans will see 40/40 Clubs in Tokyo and Singapore.[88] In 2005, Jay-Z became an investor in Carol's Daughter, a line of beauty products, including products for hair, skin, and hands, as well as fragrances.[89]
Jay-Z serves as co-brand director for Budweiser Select and collaborates with the company on strategic marketing programs and creative ad development. He provides direction on brand programs and ads that appear on TV, radio, print, and high-profile events.[90] He is a part-owner of the New Jersey Nets NBA team paying a reported $4.5 million for his share. He is interested in relocating the team to Brooklyn. In October 2005, he was reported in English media as considering buying a stake of Arsenal F.C., an English soccer team.[91] He has also invested in a real estate development venture called J Hotels which recently acquired a $66 million mid-block parcel in Chelsea, New York. Jay-Z and his partners are contemplating constructing a high-end hotel or an art gallery building on the newly acquired site which has the potential to go up about twelve stories.[92] Through his company Gain Global Investments Network LLC, had an interest estimated between 2 and 7% in the Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG) consortium which in January 2010 was awarded a contract to operate a 4,500 slot machine racino at the Aqueduct Race Track. Jay-Z became interested in the project after New York Governor David Paterson who awarded the contract said there had to be an affirmative action component to the ownership. Jay-Z initially approached Steve Wynn who was also bidding on the contract. On March 9, 2010, Jay-Z and Flake withdrew from the project and Paterson recused himself from further involvement.[93][94]
Personal life
Jay-Z & Beyoncé at a New York Yankees game in 2010Relationship with Beyoncé
Jay-Z's most public relationship has been with American R&B superstar Beyoncé Knowles, the former lead singer of Destiny's Child. In 2002, Jay-Z and Beyoncé collaborated for the song "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". Jay-Z also appeared on Knowles' hit single "Crazy In Love" and as well as "That's How You Like It" from her debut Dangerously in Love. On her second album, B'Day, he made appearances on the 2006 hits, "Déjà Vu" and "Upgrade U". In the video for the latter song, she comically imitates his appearance.[95] The couple generally avoid discussing their relationship. Beyoncé has stated that she believes that not publicly discussing their relationship has helped them. Jay-Z said in a People article, "We don't play with our relationship."[96] They keep a low public profile despite being photographed at New Jersey Nets home games and while on vacation in Cannes in 2007. On April 4, 2008, it was reported by People that Knowles and Jay-Z had been married at a private ceremony in New York City.[9] It became a matter of public record on April 22, 2008, [97] but Knowles did not publicly debut her $5 million Lorraine Schwartz-designed wedding ring until the Fashion Rocks concert on September 5, 2008 in New York City.[98]
Philanthropy
During his retirement, Jay-Z also became involved in philanthropic activity. On August 9, 2006, he met with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan at the organization's headquarters in New York City. The rapper pledged to use his upcoming world tour to raise awareness of and combat global water shortage. Already on the look-out for a way to, in his own words, "become helpful", he had been made aware of this issue during a visit to Africa.[99] The effort took place in partnership with the UN,[100] as well as MTV, which produced a documentary entitled Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life, first airing in November 2006.[101] Along with Sean "Diddy" Combs, Jay-Z pledged $1 million to the American Red Cross' relief effort after Hurricane Katrina.[102] Jay-Z stated his support for Kanye West after the latter's outburst against President Bush during a live Katrina charity telethon.[103] He also addressed the issue of the Katrina disaster, and the government's response, in his song "Minority Report".[104]
Politics
Jay-Z got actively involved in politics during the 2008 presidential campaign, where he supported increased voter participation and helped send voters to polling stations.[105] He was an early supporter for the candidacy of Illinois senator and subsequent US president Barack Obama, performing for free in voter-drive concerts financed by the Democrats' campaign.[106] In the process, he's become personally acquainted with Obama himself, who stated "Every time I talk to Jay-Z, who is a brilliant talent and a good guy, I enjoy how he thinks. That's somebody who is going to start branching out and can help shape attitudes in a real positive way."[107] During the 2010 mid-term elections' campaign, Jay-Z appeared, along with other artists, in an ad prepared by the HeadCount organisation, urging voters, and especially younger ones, to register and vote.[108]
Discography
Main article: Jay-Z discography
Reasonable Doubt (1996)
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997)
Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998)
Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999)
The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000)
The Blueprint (2001)
The Blueprint2: The Gift & The Curse (2002)
The Black Album (2003)
Kingdom Come (2006)
American Gangster (2007)
The Blueprint 3 (2009)
Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Jay-Z
Filmography
Wild Style (1983)
Streets Is Watching (1998)
Backstage (2000)
State Property (2002)
Paper Soldiers (2003)
Fade to Black (2004)
Denmark soccer team
The Denmark national football team is controlled by the Danish Football Association and has represented the country of Denmark in international football competitions since 1908. The team has been a solidly competitive side in international football since the mid-1980s, with the triumph in the 1992 European Championships (Euro 1992) tournament as its most prominent victory, beating the European champions in the semi-final, and the world champions in the final. They also won the Confederations Cup in 1995 defeating Argentina 2–0 in the final match. Their best performance in the FIFA World Cup was in 1998, when they reached the quarter-finals before losing narrowly to Brazil.
Contents [hide]
1 Teams
2 History
2.1 Amateur years
2.2 Danish Dynamite (1980-1990)
2.3 European Champions (1990-2000)
2.4 The Olsen Gang (2000-2012)
3 Supporters
4 Stadium
5 Competitive record
5.1 World Cup
5.2 Summer Olympics (unofficial)
5.3 Summer Olympics (official)
5.4 European Championship
5.5 FIFA Confederations Cup
6 Results and schedule
6.1 Standings in Group H of the Euro 2012 qualification
7 Players
7.1 Payment
7.2 Player names and numbers
7.3 Current squad
7.4 Recent callups
7.5 Best players of all time
7.6 Hall of Fame
8 Coaching staff
8.1 Former managers
9 See also
9.1 Squads and campaigns
10 References
11 Literature
12 External links
[edit] Teams
Apart from the men's senior A-level team, Denmark competes with a women's national team, and has teams at various youth levels for both men and women, most prominently the U21 national team. Historically, the A-level team competed in the Summer Olympics until and including the 1988 tournament, whereafter Olympic games count as U21 national games. In addition to the A-level team and youth teams, Denmark also have a special league national team named Ligalandsholdet, with the best Danish footballers from the Nordic leagues. Ligalandsholdet was created in 1983, and except for the two years 1989 and 2005, it has each year been playing some unofficial games for the national team, in the winter break of the Nordic leagues. Sometimes the media also refer to Ligalandsholdet as Denmark's B-team, as the best Danish footballers selected for the A-team often play in leagues outside of the Nordic countries. As such, the purpose of Ligalandsholdet's games has also often been described by the national team coach, to be a test of the new potential upcoming Danish players for the A-team.
[edit] History
[edit] Amateur years
The first three editions of the Olympic football event in 1900-1906 had an unofficial status, as the event was not yet open for national football teams to compete, and only had limited participation of three or four club teams from a few nations. Denmark had no club team invited in the 1900 Olympics and the 1904 Olympics, but then received a special invitation for the 1906 Olympics, to compete against 1 Greek club team (Athens) and 2 club teams from the Ottoman Empire (Smyrna and Thessaloniki). The team to represent Denmark was compiled of players from the Copenhagen Football Association (KBU), and they managed to win the event, and thereby an unofficial gold medal. Two years later, in the first official football tournament at the 1908 Olympics, Denmark won a silver medal. At the next 1912 Olympics the team again managed to win a silver medal, which was followed by a golden era from April 1914 until April 1920, with Denmark ranked most of the time as nr.1 in the world by the elo ranking.
Danish team at the 1912 Olympics.Although Denmark figured fairly prominently in the pre-World Cup era, international success would elude them for years from the first World Cup in 1930 and forward. Despite the country's ability to produce outstanding football talents, a bronze medal in the 1948 Olympics was the only result of note in 50 years. As football remained an amateur pastime, most of the best Danish footballers moved abroad to make a living,[2] and foreign-based professionals were barred from the national team. In the 1960s, Denmark had a revival with a third set of Olympic silver at the 1960 Olympics, though the most notable performance was fourth place in the Euro 1964. Denmark took advantage of a comparatively easy draw, as they beat Malta and Luxembourg before losing to the USSR in the semi-final and Hungary in the bronze match.
The national team rule of amateurism was abolished in 1971, which led to a vast improvement in the Danish team's performances. In 1978, professional football was introduced to the Danish leagues, which prompted the first sponsorship of the national team by Danish brewery Carlsberg, enabling the team to hire full-time coach Sepp Piontek from Germany in 1979.[2]
[edit] Danish Dynamite (1980-1990)
In the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Denmark finished with 8 points from as many games, including a 3–1 win against eventual World Cup champions Italy, but Denmark failed to qualify for the final tournament despite the impressive result. Qualification for the Euro 1984 saw the team beat England at Wembley Stadium when Allan Simonsen converted a penalty kick for a 1–0 win. Denmark qualified for their first international tournament since 1964, and the team was dubbed "Danish Dynamite" in a competition for the official Danish Euro 1984 song.[2] Denmark's participation ended in the semi-final when the team lost on penalties to Spain, most remembered for Preben Elkjær's penalty miss, his shorts torn apart. Following the strong performance at the finals, the name of "Danish Dynamite" became a mainstay for the following decade of Danish national team football under coach Piontek.
Denmark made their first World Cup appearance in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, and with the attacking duo of Michael Laudrup and Preben Elkjær the team surprised the world, sweeping the group, including a 6–1 thrashing of Uruguay. In the second round Denmark once again faced Spain, and once more Denmark lost out. The team received a trashing of their own, losing 5–1, including four goals by Emilio Butragueño. The first Spanish goal was caused by a miss-timed backpass by Jesper Olsen to Butragueño, an unfortunate action subsequently coined as "a real Jesper Olsen" (en rigtig Jesper Olsen). The phrase would live on for 13 years when an identical backpass was carried out by Jesper Grønkjær to Filippo Inzaghi in Grønkjær's 1999 debut game.[3]
After the glory days of 1986, the success of the team continued, as it first qualified for the Euro 1988 tournament, and then had a nearby qualification for the 1988 Olympics. In the qualification group for the Olympics, the job to coach Denmark in these particular games, had for the first time been given to Richard Møller Nielsen, and he proofed his skills, as Denmark initially managed to secure a spot for the final tournament -ahead of West Germany. But following the discovery that Dane Per Frimann was not eligible for the teams 2–0 win over Poland, Denmark was penalised the points of the win, and subsequently did not have enough points to qualify. After this disappointing news had arrived, Denmark had to pin all its hope and faith, for a successful performance at the Euro 1988, instead. The straight opposite however happened, as Denmarks participation ended in early defeat, after Denmark lost all the group games to Spain, Germany, and Italy. A period of transition with faltering results, had now started, and as Denmark subsequently also failed to qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Sepp Piontek decided to stop as coach for the national team in April 1990, where he was replaced by his assistant coach Richard Møller Nielsen.
[edit] European Champions (1990-2000)
Denmark's finest hour in the international competitions came in the Euro 1992. The Danes initially failed to qualify, as they trailed Yugoslavia in their qualifying group. Michael Laudrup, the star of the team, decided to quit the national team during the qualification matches, following tactical differences with Coach Nielsen. However, due to international sanctions resulting from the Yugoslav wars, Yugoslavia was barred from the tournament, and Denmark entered as the second-placed team in its group. Contrary to popular belief,[2] the team did not rally home from seaside vacations to compete in the championships. The majority of players were already assembled to play a friendly match with the CIS when Denmark officially got the spot at the tournament.[4]
Relying heavily on goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel and his defense, as well as creative spark Brian Laudrup, the Danish team created one of the biggest surprises in the event's history, as they went on to win the European Championship trophy under coach Richard Møller Nielsen's defensive playing style. Advancing from the group stage ahead of England and France, Denmark beat the Dutch defending Euro 1988 champions on penalties in the semi-final, and with the 2–0 win against reigning 1990 FIFA World Cup champions Germany in the final, Denmark had won its first trophy.
After the Euro 1992 win, Michael Laudrup revived his national team career in 1993. The following years Denmark saw mixed results as they failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, before securing a King Fahd Cup win, beating Copa América champions Argentina in 1995. As defending champions at the Euro 1996, Denmark disappointed with a lacklustre performance and got eliminated in the group stage. As controversy had occurred over the prolonging of Richard Møller Nielsen's contract in fall 1995, including a strained relationship with the press, he was let go. The new coach was the sympathetic Swede Bo "Bosse" Johansson, who gave the team a more offensive strategy, and the 1998 FIFA World Cup saw the revival of the Danish team, starring both Laudrup brothers in their last international campaign. After beating Saudi Arabia 1–0, drawing with South Africa and losing 2–1 to later champions France in mediocre games the Danish team qualified to the knockout stages as second in the group. In the next game however Denmark played some of the best football of the tournament beating Nigeria 4–1 and thus qualified to the quarterfinals against Brazil. The Danes went out with a beautiful 2–3 defeat to the later silver medalists in a very close and emotional game. Next challenge then was, to qualify the team for the Euro 2000, for the first time without the Laudrup brothers. When this goal was indeed achieved by "Bosse", he received a lot of praise. But when the team showed up for the final tournament and disappointed big time with 3 lost games in the group stage, "Bosse" was heavily criticized for having selected too many players for the squad, with injury problems and poor form. Facing the strong criticism after the teams disappointing performance in the Euro 2000 tournament, "Bosse" decided not to prolong his contract.
[edit] The Olsen Gang (2000-2012)
FIFA World Rankings evolution for Denmark national team (August 1993 – July 2009).The new coach, starting for Denmark in July 2000, turned out to be the former national team captain from the successful team of the 1980s, Morten Olsen, and the team was quickly dubbed the "Olsen Gang", a reference to the series of Danish movies based around the main character Egon Olsen and his genius (criminal) plans. The nickname was also sometimes used for the Danish team -as an alternative to the more commonly used "Danish Dynamite"-, already back in those days when Olsen played as a captain. In the era with Olsen as a coach, his great experience from among others Ajax Amsterdam was transferred to the national team, as Denmark's tactics shifted from the preferred 4-4-2 formation practised by Bo Johansson, to an even more attacking style, with an emphasis on the speedy wingers available to him at the time, namely Jesper Grønkjær and Dennis Rommedahl.[5] Based on that, the preferred starting formation with Olsen as coach, has always been either a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1.[6][7] He even poses an outspoken opposition to the 4-4-2 system, as he announced the desire to leave his position as national coach, in case he was asked to play with this system as a standard.[8] To support the development of players for the new tactical 4-3-3 system used by Olsen, all the national youth teams also changed their formation into the same 4-3-3 system.[9] Another change Olsen brought to the national team, was to stress the importance of only using fit players, who were granted regular playing time at their club team. A principle that he however later has been forced to compromise with at several times, as the player material available in such a relatively small nation, doesn't always provide many realistic substitute options.
Denmark qualified both for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the Euro 2004, but despite impressive results in the group stage in both tournaments, especially the 2–0 win against reigning World Cup winners France in 2002, Denmark didn't manage to advance any further, and in both tournaments got clearly defeated with a score of 0-3 in the first round after the group stage. At the World Cup 2002 Denmark were defeated by England at round 16, and at Euro 2004 the defeat took place in the quarterfinal against the Czech Republic. The Euro 2004 will also be remembered for an incident in the game with Italy, where Italian star Francesco Totti was caught on camera spitting on Danish player Christian Poulsen; and then subsequently the joint elimination of Italy by Denmark and Sweden in the last group stage match, when the two teams drew 2–2 following a Swedish goal in the 89th minute, making for the exact and famous result that would see the Italians eliminated.
For the 2006 World Cup qualification, Denmark was paired with, among others, 2002 World Cup bronze winners Turkey and Euro 2004 champions Greece competing for only one guaranteed spot at the final tournament. Following a poor start of the qualification, Denmark were trailing both Turkey and surprise leaders Ukraine. Denmark needed Turkey to lose points in the final games in order for Denmark to clinch the 2nd place of the group and one last chance to qualify via two play-off games. Indeed, had Turkey lost points to Albania in their last game, Denmark would have gone through, but instead they had to settle for 3rd place in the group and a longer summer break. After failing to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, coach Olsen considered leaving the job, having received several offers from club teams, but decided to stay and extended his contract until after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, spurred on by his and the team's popularity among the Danish population.[10]
When the next attempt to qualify for the Euro 2008 also failed -after among other things to have received an administrative defeat against Sweden at home turf, due to a spectator's intrusion on the field-, the team got heavily criticized, with many Danes asking for the departure of Morten Olsen as a coach. This suggestion was however refused by DBU and the majority of coaches in the Danish Superliga, who still had trust in Olsen being the best coach for Denmark.[11] In the qualification group for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the trust in Olsen was immediately paid back. Despite a difficult group with both Portugal and Sweden as higher ranked opponents, Denmark managed to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup by winning the group, after among other things, getting two victories against Sweden and one victory plus a draw against Portugal. After having celebrated the successful World Cup 2010 qualification, the contract with Morten Olsen as coach was extended for two more years, until the Euro 2012.[12]
At the 2010 World Cup, Denmark was grouped with Japan, Cameroon and the Netherlands. Denmark lost the first match 2-0 to Netherlands, but then had a vital 2-1 victory against Cameroon, which enabled further advancement in case of victory over Japan, in the last third match. The game against Japan however ended with a 3-1 defeat, and thereby Denmark didn't reach their declared goal of advancement to round 16. Apparently the biggest reason for the lack of success, was however this time, that Denmark in both the preface -and during the 3 games at the tournament- had struggled with a lot of injuries hitting their best players.
When measuring the performance of the national team by winning share and earned points, Olsen's reign of the Danish national team from July 2000 until October 2010, has so far been the second most successful in the era of full time professional coaches, which began in 1979. As of October 2010, Morten Olsen has a winning share of 51.8%, and with three points for a victory and one for a draw, Olsen has an average of 1.82 points per game.[13] In comparison, Richard Møller Nielsen still have the best record among the professional coaches of the Denmark national football team, with a 54.8% winning share and an average of 1.89 points per game.[14] This kind of statistic of course only provide an overall indication of the performance, as it doesn't take the difficulty of the opponents into account -and/or the number of "difficult games". For a more accurate evaluation of the performance of the national team under the guidance of various coaches, one should also compare the development in the teams position at the official FIFA ranking or Elo ranking, where the merits of qualification and results in the final EURO and World Cup championships tournament get the highest weight. Beside of the success of Olsen to qualify Denmark for the World Cup in 2002 and 2010, and the European Championship in 2004, he also gained several great results in the friendly games. In example, a friendly 4–1 win over England in 2005; being the worst loss for the English team since 1980, and a repetition of the friendly 3–2 win achieved by Denmark on English ground at Old Trafford in 2003.
[edit] Supporters
Main article: Roligan
Apart from the national team, Denmark is equally famous for its traveling fans, known as roligans. The movement emerged during the 1980s as the declared opposition to hooliganism. The goal of the roligan movement is calm, yet cheerful, support during the matches, as rolig means calm in the Danish language. The roligans have since developed an image of easy-going nature and rabid support, and are often considered amongst the world's best national team fans, along with the Tartan Army of Scotland. They were collectively given the FIFA FairPlay Award at the 1984 European Championships.[15] Just before the 1986 World Cup, the roligan movement was organized in order to support the national team at the tournament.
The good reputation of the Danish supporters was however sullied by the 2008 UEFA qualifier fan attack, happening in June 2007 at the Euro 2008 qualifying game against Sweden, when an enraged Danish supporter invaded the pitch and tried to attack the referee, following his decision to hand out a red card for Christian Poulsen and a penalty kick to Sweden at the last minute of the game. The attacking fan was stopped by some of the Danish football players on the field, before he reached the referee, but due to the episode the game was immediately canceled by the referee, and UEFA subsequently decided to award a 0-3 defeat for Denmark, as a punishment.
[edit] Stadium
For stadium history, see Parken Stadium.
Parken, with a capacity of 38,009 spectators, located in Copenhagen, and used as official home stadium by the Denmark national football team.First home game of the Denmark national football team, was a 2–1 friendly win over England at 25 May 1910, taking place with 12,000 spectators at the stadium "KBs baner" (located in the area "Granen", where Forum Copenhagen later was build).[16] As the facilities were considered too small, a new stadium in Copenhagen was built with the name Idrætsparken, that since its opening 25 May 1911 hosted all the home games of the football club KB and most of the home games of the national team. During the first 82 years of the national team, from October 1908 until November 1990, Denmark played a total number of 254 A-level home games, of which 232 were played in Idrætsparken. According to the official statistics, the home games at Idrætsparken result wise ended with 125 victories, 41 draws and 66 lost games; and the stadium reached a record of 51,600 spectators for the 1-2 game against Sweden in June 1957.[17] In regards of the first era from 1908–1990, only 22 home games were played at other stadiums than Idrætsparken; of which 11 took place at NRGi Park (then known as Atletion) in Århus, followed by Aalborg Stadion in Aalborg with 6 games, and the remaining 5 games hosted by four other stadiums. Whenever another stadium than Idrætsparken was used for a home game, it was however only for some of the less important friendly games or Olympic qualifiers. While only Idrætsparken was used to host the games related to big important tournaments, like the Nordic championship, European Championship and World Cup. When a major rebuilt of Idrætsparken began in December 1990, the subsequent two official Euro 1992 qualification games, were however moved to Odense Stadium in Odense.
On September 9 in 1992, the rebuilt Idrætsparken, now called Parken, became the biggest venue in Denmark with 42,358 seats, and was opened with a friendly 1-2 defeat against Germany. This first game in Parken had a visit of 40,500 spectators;[18] while the current stadium record at 42,099 spectators was reached the 8 October 2005, for a World Cup qualifying game against Greece.[19]
The capacity of the stadium was later reduced to 38,009 seats, after the upper part of the D-side was converted from 4,000 extra seats into office and VIP areas, in June 2009.[20][21] Despite this decrease in capacity, the stadium is today still the biggest venue in Denmark by far; as the next biggest venue Brøndby Stadium only has a capacity of 26,000 seats. During the time from September 1992 until May 2006, Parken was the sole stadium of all the men's senior national team matches. However, meagre spectator support at some of the friendly matches at Parken, which for the years in 2000-2005 attracted an acceptable average of 23,862 per game, but down to 9,598 for the friendly 3–1 win over Israel in April 2002;[22] caused the decision by DBU, to start moving many of the friendly matches to other stadiums around the country. These other stadiums had less spectator capacity than Parken, but just about enough, to cover the Danes somewhat lower interest for the friendly games.
At 27 May 2006, Parken's 13-year monopoly on national team matches got broken for the first time, when Denmark played a friendly game at the NRGi Park stadium in Århus, against the World Cup 2006 participants Paraguay. This particular game got outsold within a short while, with almost 19,000 of the 20,227 tickets being sold within the first hour of sale,[23] and was support-wise a big success with a total audience of 20,047 spectators.[24] When the two next friendly games were played at some other new venues, August 16 at Fionia Park in Odense with Poland as opponent, and September 1 at Brøndby Stadium with Portugal as opponent, the number of spectators however droped to a disappointing level. The match against Poland only attracted 11,088 spectators,[25] while the match against Portugal only attracted 13,186 spectators;[26] and the match against Portugal was in particular deemed as a support-wise failure, as it featured a higher ranked opponent, which spectators normally would have a high interest to watch. The main reasons why Brøndby Stadium failed to attract a high number of spectators, were generally thought to be a combination of the poor rainy weather, and the fact that this stadium is located on the outskirts of Copenhagen; and as such does not attract a new demographic audience compared to Parken, due to the travel distances being more or less the same for the majority of the population.
Currently, while most of the friendly games continue to be played at some of the smaller stadiums in Denmark, it has been decided to continue playing all of the qualifying games for the European Championships and World Cup, only at Parken Stadium.[27] Those friendly games, which are believed to create a high interest from spectators, will also continue to be played at Parken. In example, the friendly game against Germany in August 2010, took place at Parken Stadium, due to the general expectation of many spectators having a desire to watch the game. After the weak performance of Denmark at the World Cup 2010, the friendly game however only managed to draw a total number of 19,071 spectators.[28] During the last 18 years, from September 1992 until October 2010, Denmark played a total of 73 A-level games at Parken Stadium; of which 46 were won, 16 got drawed, and only 11 were lost.[29]
[edit] Competitive record
[edit] World Cup
Location and Year Round Position GP W D* L GS GA
1930 Did not enter - - - - - - -
1934 Did not enter - - - - - - -
1938 Did not enter - - - - - - -
1950 Did not enter - - - - - - -
1954 Did not enter - - - - - - -
1958 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1962 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1966 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1970 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1974 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1978 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1982 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1986 Round of 16 9 4 3 0 1 10 6
1990 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1994 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1998 Quarter-finals 8 5 2 1 2 9 7
2002 Round of 16 10 4 2 1 1 5 5
2006 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
2010 Round 1 24 3 1 0 2 3 6
2014
Total 4/19 16 8 2 6 27 24
[show]List of FIFA World Cup matches
Year Round Score Result
1986 Round 1 Denmark 1 – 0 Scotland Win
Round 1 Denmark 6 – 1 Uruguay Win
Round 1 Denmark 2 – 0 Germany Win
Round 2 Denmark 1 – 5 Spain Loss
1998 Round 1 Denmark 1 – 0 Saudi Arabia Win
Round 1 Denmark 1 – 1 South Africa Draw
Round 1 Denmark 1 – 2 France Loss
Round 2 Denmark 4 – 1 Nigeria Win
Round 3 Denmark 2 – 3 Brazil Loss
2002 Round 1 Denmark 2 – 1 Uruguay Win
Round 1 Denmark 1 – 1 Senegal Draw
Round 1 Denmark 2 – 0 France Win
Round 2 Denmark 0 – 3 England Loss
2010 Round 1 Denmark 0 – 2 Netherlands Loss
Round 1 Denmark 2 – 1 Cameroon Win
Round 1 Denmark 1 – 3 Japan Loss
[edit] Summer Olympics (unofficial)
Year Round GP W D* L GS GA
1900 Was not invited - - - - - -
1904 Was not invited - - - - - -
1906 Gold 2 2 0 0 14 1
Total 1/3 2 2 0 0 14 1
The first 3 Olympic football events were only unofficial tournaments, with a few nations represented by a club team. Starting from 1908, the Olympic football tournament became an official event, with represenation of the official national football teams.
[edit] Summer Olympics (official)
Year Round GP W D* L GS GA
1908 Silver 3 2 0 1 26 3
1912 Silver 3 2 0 1 13 5
1920 First round 1 0 0 1 0 1
1924 Did not enter - - - - - -
1928 Did not enter - - - - - -
1936 Did not enter - - - - - -
1948 Bronze 4 3 0 1 15 11
1952 Quarter-final 3 2 0 1 7 6
1956 Did not enter - - - - - -
1960 Silver 5 4 0 1 11 7
1964 Did not qualify - - - - - -
1968 Did not enter - - - - - -
1972 Second round 6 3 1 2 11 7
1976 Did not qualify - - - - - -
1980 Did not enter - - - - - -
1984 Did not qualify - - - - - -
1988 Did not qualify - - - - - -
Total 7/17 25 16 1 8 83 40
After the Olympics 1988, the football event was changed into a tournament, with participation only for the U21 national teams.
[edit] European Championship
Location and Year Round Position GP W D* L GS GA
1960 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1964 Fourth place 4 2 0 0 2 1 6
1968 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1972 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1976 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1980 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1984 Semi-finals 3 4 2 1 1 9 4
1988 Round 1 7 3 0 0 3 2 7
1992 Champions 1 5 2 2 1 6 4
1996 Round 1 9 3 1 1 1 4 4
2000 Round 1 16 3 0 0 3 0 8
2004 Quarter-finals 8 4 1 2 1 4 5
2008 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
2012
2016
Total 7/13 1 title 24 6 6 12 26 38
[edit] FIFA Confederations Cup
Location and Year Round GP W D* L GS GA
1992 Did not qualify - - - - - -
1995 Champions 3 2 1 0 5 1
1997 Did not qualify - - - - - -
1999 Did not qualify - - - - - -
2001 Did not qualify - - - - - -
2003 Did not qualify - - - - - -
2005 Did not qualify - - - - - -
2009 Did not qualify - - - - - -
2013
Total 1/8 3 2 1 0 5 1
[edit] Results and schedule
See also: List of Denmark national football team results
List of all previous games within the last 12 months, and the scheduled games for the nearest future.
Date Opponent Result Score* Venue Competition
14 Nov 2009 Korea Republic D 0–0 Blue Water Arena, Esbjerg, Denmark International Friendly
18 Nov 2009 United States W 3–1 NRGi Park, Århus, Denmark International Friendly
03 Mar 2010 Austria L 1–2 Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria International Friendly
27 May 2010 Senegal W 2–0 Aalborg Stadion, Aalborg, Denmark International Friendly
01 Jun 2010 Australia L 0–1 Ruimsig Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa International Friendly
05 Jun 2010 South Africa L 0–1 Atteridgeville Super Stadium, Atteridgeville, South Africa International Friendly
14 Jun 2010 Netherlands L 0–2 Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup
19 Jun 2010 Cameroon W 2–1 Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup
24 Jun 2010 Japan L 1–3 Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup
11 Aug 2010 Germany D 2–2 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark International Friendly
7 Sep 2010 Iceland W 1–0 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
8 Oct 2010 Portugal L 1–3 Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
12 Oct 2010 Cyprus W 2–0 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
17 Nov 2010 Czech Republic NRGi Park, Århus, Denmark International Friendly
* Denmark score always listed first
In the last year, since 15 October 2009, Denmark has never been defeated when playing at home turf.
[edit] Standings in Group H of the Euro 2012 qualification
Legend
Group winners and best runner-up among all groups directly qualify for the finals
Remaining group runners-up advance to the play-offs
Team v • d • e Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Norway 3 3 0 0 5 2 +3 9
Portugal 4 2 1 1 10 7 +3 7
Denmark 3 2 0 1 4 3 +1 6
Cyprus 3 0 1 2 5 8 −3 1
Iceland 3 0 0 3 2 6 −4 0
Cyprus — 7 Oct '11 26 Mar '11 1–2 2 Sep '11
Denmark 2–0 — 1–0 6 Sep '11 11 Oct '11
Iceland 6 Sep '11 4 Jun '11 — 1–2 1–3
Norway 11 Oct '11 26 Mar '11 2 Sep '11 — 1–0
Portugal 4–4 3–1 7 Oct '11 4 Jun '11 —
[edit] Players
See also: List of Denmark international footballers and 2009–10 in Danish football
The players are freely chosen by the national team manager. They are normally assembled, from their respective club teams, at Hotel Marienlyst in Elsinore for a week-long training camp preluding the upcoming game. Friendly games are typically played on a Wednesday evening. World Cup qualifiers are played on both Saturday and Wednesday evenings; while Euro qualifiers now take place on both a Friday and Tuesday evening when playing two games in a row, or on a Friday/Saturday/Tuesday at rounds with only one game scheduled.[30][31]
[edit] Payment
Each player in the national team receives a set amount of money per game, including bonuses for games won and qualification for the European Championship and World Cup tournaments. Through the years, these money prizes have gone from around €1,340 for a game win in 1987 and around €26,800 for the Euro 1988 participation alone, to around €67,000 for the 1998 World Cup and up to €107,000 for the 2002 World Cup participations, per player.[32] Currently, the win bonus for friendly games are €1,340 per player, with start money for an away game at €670 per player, while a home win before a sellout crowd of 42,000, can possibly wield €7,600 per player, including the win bonus, due to spectator-dependent bonuses. In the qualification matches for the international tournaments, the bonuses are increased for both home and away wins, with a bonus also being paid for away draws.[33]
[edit] Player names and numbers
Shirt numbers became quickly associated with a certain position. So to describe someone as 'Denmark's number 9' would be to describe a player as the best choice for centre forward. This terminology continues today, and the team has kept to the tradition of numbering players in the starting squad from 1 to 11 (with 12 upwards for substitutes), at all games played outside the major tournaments. For games at major tournaments, such as the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Football Championship, the team is required to play with permanent squad numbers throughout the tournament.
Numbers are traditionally associated with a certain position on the field, but there are no set rules. Furthermore, established players will tend to use the same number whenever they play. Christian Poulsen, for example, retains the Denmark number 2 no matter what position he plays in. However, when Poulsen does not play, another player will be number 2.
[edit] Current squad
The following players were selected by coach Morten Olsen for the latest friendly match, to be played November 17 against Czech Republic.[34] [35]
Caps and goals updated as October 12, 2010.
0#0 Pos. Player Date of Birth (Age) Caps Goals Club
tbd GK Thomas Sørensen 12 June 1976 (1976-06-12) (age 34) 91 0 Stoke City
tbd GK Anders Lindegaard 13 April 1984 (1984-04-13) (age 26) 3 0 Aalesund
tbd DF Lars Jacobsen (right back) 20 September 1979 (1979-09-20) (age 31) 38 0 West Ham United
tbd DF Per Krøldrup (centre back) 31 July 1979 (1979-07-31) (age 31) 33 0 Fiorentina
tbd DF Simon Kjær (centre back) 26 March 1989 (1989-03-26) (age 21) 15 0 Wolfsburg
tbd DF Patrick Mtiliga (left back) 28 January 1981 (1981-01-28) (age 29) 4 0 Málaga
tbd DF Johnny Thomsen (right back) 26 February 1982 (1982-02-26) (age 28) 2 0 SønderjyskE
tbd DF Bo Svensson (centre back) 4 August 1979 (1979-08-04) (age 31) 1 0 Mainz 05
tbd MF Martin Jørgensen (central MF) 6 October 1975 (1975-10-06) (age 35) 99 12 AGF
tbd MF Christian Poulsen (defensive MF, ) 28 February 1980 (1980-02-28) (age 30) 80 6 Liverpool
tbd MF Daniel Jensen (offensive MF) 25 June 1979 (1979-06-25) (age 31) 51 3 Werder Bremen
tbd MF Thomas Kahlenberg (central MF) 20 March 1983 (1983-03-20) (age 27) 35 4 Wolfsburg
tbd MF Christian Eriksen (offensive MF) 14 February 1992 (1992-02-14) (age 18) 9 0 Ajax
tbd MF Kasper Lorentzen (central MF) 19 November 1985 (1985-11-19) (age 24) 2 1 Randers
tbd MF Niki Zimling (central MF) 19 April 1985 (1985-04-19) (age 25) 1 0 Nijmegen
tbd MF Hans Henrik Andreasen (offensive MF) 10 January 1979 (1979-01-10) (age 31) 0 0 OB
tbd FW Dennis Rommedahl (right wing) 22 July 1978 (1978-07-22) (age 32) 103 18 Olympiacos
tbd FW Nicklas Bendtner (striker) 16 January 1988 (1988-01-16) (age 22) 35 12 Arsenal
tbd FW Michael Krohn-Dehli (left wing) 6 June 1983 (1983-06-06) (age 27) 7 0 Brøndby
tbd FW Mads Junker (striker) 21 April 1981 (1981-04-21) (age 29) 4 1 Roda
tbd FW Lasse Schøne (right wing) 27 May 1986 (1986-05-27) (age 24) 2 1 Nijmegen
[edit] Recent callups
The following list of active players, were not called up for the latest match of the national team, but were called up for an A-level match within the last 12 months, and remained available on the noted match day for a potential selection to the final squad.
Pos. Player Date of Birth (Age) Caps Goals Club Latest Callup
GK Jesper Christiansen 20 April 1978 (1978-04-20) (age 32) 11 0 Elfsborg 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
GK Jonas Lössl 1 February 1989 (1989-02-01) (age 21) 0 0 FC Midtjylland 8 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
GK Kim Christensen 16 July 1979 (1979-07-16) (age 31) 1 0 FC København 7 Sep. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
GK Stephan Andersen 26 November 1981 (1981-11-26) (age 28) 7 0 Brøndby 11 Aug. 2010 (Friendly game)
DF Daniel Agger (centre back) 12 December 1984 (1984-12-12) (age 25) 38 0 Liverpool 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
DF Leon Jessen (left back) 11 June 1986 (1986-06-11) (age 24) 4 0 Kaiserslautern 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
DF Mathias Zanka Jørgensen (centre back) 23 April 1990 (1990-04-23) (age 20) 1 0 FC København 8 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
DF Simon Poulsen (left back) 7 October 1984 (1984-10-07) (age 26) 9 0 AZ Alkmaar 11 Aug. 2010 (Friendly game)
DF Michael Lumb (centre back) 9 January 1988 (1988-01-09) (age 22) 2 0 Zenit Saint Petersburg 3 Mar. 2010 (Friendly game)
DF Jim Larsen (centre back) 6 November 1985 (1985-11-06) (age 25) 0 0 Silkeborg 3 Mar. 2010 (Friendly game)
DF Anders Møller Christensen (centre back) 26 July 1977 (1977-07-26) (age 33) 6 0 OB 18 Nov. 2009 (Friendly game)
MF William Kvist (defensive MF) 24 February 1985 (1985-02-24) (age 25) 16 0 FC København 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
MF Michael Silberbauer (central MF) 7 July 1981 (1981-07-07) (age 29) 16 1 Utrecht 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
MF Martin Vingaard (central MF) 20 March 1985 (1985-03-20) (age 25) 8 1 FC København 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
MF Thomas Enevoldsen (offensive MF) 27 July 1987 (1987-07-27) (age 23) 8 1 Groningen 7 Sep. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
MF Mike Jensen (defensive MF) 19 February 1988 (1988-02-19) (age 22) 1 0 Brøndby 11 Aug. 2010 (Friendly game)
MF Jakob Poulsen (offensive MF) 7 July 1983 (1983-07-07) (age 27) 15 1 AGF World Cup 2010
MF Mikkel Beckmann (offensive MF) 24 October 1983 (1983-10-24) (age 27) 6 0 Randers World Cup 2010
MF Søren Rieks (offensive MF) 7 April 1987 (1987-04-07) (age 23) 3 1 Esbjerg 3 Mar. 2010 (Friendly game)
MF Peter Nymann (central MF) 22 August 1982 (1982-08-22) (age 28) 1 0 Esbjerg 3 Mar. 2010 (Friendly game)
MF Martin Ørnskov (defensive MF) 10 October 1985 (1985-10-10) (age 25) 0 0 Silkeborg 3 Mar. 2010 (Friendly game)
FW Nicklas Pedersen (striker) 10 October 1987 (1987-10-10) (age 23) 4 0 Groningen 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
FW Morten Duncan Rasmussen (striker) 31 January 1985 (1985-01-31) (age 25) 4 1 Mainz 05 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
FW Nicolai Jørgensen (right wing) 15 January 1991 (1991-01-15) (age 19) 0 0 Bayer Leverkusen 8 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
FW Peter Løvenkrands (left wing) 29 January 1980 (1980-01-29) (age 30) 22 1 Newcastle United 8 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
FW Morten Skoubo (striker) 30 June 1980 (1980-06-30) (age 30) 5 1 Roda 7 Sep. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
FW Johan Absalonsen (left wing) 16 September 1985 (1985-09-16) (age 25) 2 1 OB 11 Aug. 2010 (Friendly game)
FW Søren Larsen (striker) 6 September 1981 (1981-09-06) (age 29) 20 11 Toulouse World Cup 2010
FW Rajko Lekic (striker) 3 July 1981 (1981-07-03) (age 29) 1 0 Silkeborg 3 Mar. 2010 (Friendly game)
FW Martin Bernburg (striker) 26 December 1985 (1985-12-26) (age 24) 4 1 Brøndby 18 Nov. 2009 (Friendly game)
FW Jesper Bech (right wing) 25 May 1982 (1982-05-25) (age 28) 2 0 Silkeborg 18 Nov. 2009 (Friendly game)
[edit] Best players of all time
In November 2006, the Danish Football Association nominated eight Danish national team footballers for the "Best Danish Footballer of All Time" award. The nominated players were Morten Olsen, Henning Jensen, Allan Simonsen, Preben Elkjær, Michael Laudrup, Brian Laudrup, Peter Schmeichel, and Jon Dahl Tomasson. The winner of the award was decided by a public vote arranged by the broadcasting channel TV 2, which ended with Michael Laudrup as a clear winner, with 58% of the votes.[36]
[edit] Hall of Fame
Denmarks Hall of Fame was established in October 2008, as a special award to celebrate the best footballers, teams and coaches; throughout the history of the national team. A jury with 6 people (representing the newspapers, authors of football books, active players of the national team, TV2, DBU, and a Hall of Fame member), each year have the job to award one or two new members for the Hall of Fame. The award will be handed out at the official Danish Football Awards, which is an yearly DBU event, broadcasted by TV2 in November. Beside of receiving the award, all Hall of Fame members are also invited to leave a footprint in bronze, to decorate the entrance hall at "Fodboldens hus" -the DBU headquarters in Brøndby.[37]
Hall of Fame members:
Carl Aage Præst (1945–1949)[38]
Allan Simonsen (1972–1986)[38]
Danish Dynamite team (1980–1989): Represented with a footprint of Morten Olsen (c, 1970–1989) and Sepp Piontek (coach, 1979–1990).[39]
Euro 1992 team (June 1992): Represented with a footprint of Lars Olsen (c, 1986–1996) and Richard Møller Nielsen (coach, 1990–1996).[37]
Michael Laudrup (1982–1998)[37]
Peter Schmeichel (1987–2001)[40]
[edit] Coaching staff
When the national team is assembled and train together ahead of a match, the team is coached by:
Coaching staff Name
National manager Morten Olsen
Assistent managers Peter Bonde & Torben Storm
Offense coach Ebbe Sand
Goalkeeper coach Lars Høgh
Physical coach Jens Bangsbo
[edit] Former managers
Main article: Denmark national football team statistics#Managers
The responsibility and job description for the manager of the Denmark national football team, has changed throughout the history. In the first years from 1908–1918, DBU preferred to assign a manager with the overall responsibility. But this was followed by a long era in 1919-1956, with either no manager or only a caretaker manager assigned. When DBU decided to assign Arne Sørensen (Nov.1956-Dec.1961) and Poul Petersen (Jan.1962-Dec.1966) as managers for a roling period of several years, they were granted the responsibility to coach the fysical training and decide the team tactics before and during the game, but had no influence upon the selection of players for the national team -which was a job for the special appointed selection committee: "UdtagelsesKomitéen".[41]
For the years in 1967-1969, the management of the team more or less became a sole responsibility for "UdtagelsesKomitéen", following a new approach. In this new approach, the job to select players continued to be the shared responsibility for "UdtagelsesKomitéen", but the chairman of the committee was now also appointed to be the "tactical manager" of the national team, as DBU realised the need of the tactical manager also to get some influence upon the selection of players. The appointed tactical manager, however didnt have the responsibility to train the team, as a special fysical coach was selected for that part of the job. In 1970, the approach with two managers assigned was however abandoned, when DBU realised the need to assign only one manager with the sole responsibility of the team.[41]
For the years in 1970-1979, the job to select players was however not yet a sole responsibility of the manager alone, but only a shared responsibility, as this continued to be a matter for "UdtagelsesKomitéen" to decide. When a selection of players had to be made, it was decided by a vote in the committee, with the appointed manager being granted an influnce of 3 votes, and the four members of the committee being granted 1 vote each. This special selection procedure continued until July 1979, where it was decided to hand out the sole responsibility of all manager related areas, to the manager himself, with the assignment of Sepp Piontek as the first full time professional manager of the national football team.[41]
The box below, list all assigned football managers for the national team, since the first official game in October 1908.
During the years from 1911 to 1961, a total of 169 games were played without an assigned manager.
Manager Period Games Win Draw Loss Win % Elo ranking
Charles Williams Oct.1908–Dec.1910 4 3 0 1 75.0% nr.2
no manager Jan.1911–Dec.1912 5 3 0 2 60.0% nr.2–nr.3
Axel Andersen Byrval Jan.1913–Dec.1915
Jan.1917–Dec.1918
16 14 1 1 87.5% nr.1–nr.2
nr.1–nr.2
no manager Jan.1916–Dec.1916
Jan.1919–Jul.1920
10 5 1 4 50.0% nr.1
nr.1–nr.3
caretaker manager Aug.1920 1 0 0 1 0.0% nr.4
no manager Sep.1920–Dec.1938 77 35 13 29 45.5% nr.3–nr.21
caretaker managers Jan.1939–Oct.1956 18 10 3 5 55.6% nr.16–nr.35
no manager Jul.1939–Sep.1956 74 29 11 34 39.2% nr.16–nr.35
Arne Sørensen Nov.1956–Dec.1961 41 20 8 13 48.8% nr.25–nr.46
no manager Jun.1957–Sep.1961 3 1 0 2 33.3% nr.25–nr.46
Poul Petersen Jan.1962–Dec.1966 47 17 8 22 36.2% nr.28–nr.63
Erik Hansen (tactical coach)
Ernst Netuka (training coach)
Jan.1967–Dec.1967 8 4 2 2 50.0% nr.47–nr.65
Erik Hansen (tactical coach)
Henry From (training coach)
Jan.1968–Jan.1969 11 4 1 6 36.4% nr.45–nr.56
John Hansen (tactical coach)
Henry From (training coach)
Feb.1969–Dec.1969 9 5 1 3 55.6% nr.36–nr.54
Rudi Strittich Jan.1970–Dec.1975 61 20 11 30 32.8% nr.40–nr.60
Kurt "Nikkelaj" Nielsen Jan.1976–Jun.1979 31 13 6 12 41.9% nr.40–nr.58
Sepp Piontek Jul.1979–Apr.1990 115 52 24 39 45.2% nr.2–nr.54
Richard Møller Nielsen May 1987–May 1988a
May 1990–Jun.1996 73 40 18 15 54.8% nr.6–nr.9
nr.4–nr.15
Bo Johansson Jul.1996–Jun.2000 40 17 9 14 42.5% nr.6–nr.25
Morten Olsen Jul.2000–Oct.2010b 114 59 30 25 51.8% nr.6–nr.34
Total for all games Oct.1908–Oct.2010b 758 351 147 260 46.3% nr.1–nr.65
a) Nielsen coached 8 games in the 1988 Olympics qualification, winning 6, drawing 1, and losing 1.
b) Accurate up to and including October 12, 2010.
[edit] See also
Copenhagen XI
Faroe Islands national football team
Greenland national football team
Roligan
Sports in Denmark
[edit] Squads and campaigns
Euro 1964 squad
Euro 1984 squad
World Cup 1986 squad
Euro 1988 squad
Euro 1992 winning squad
Euro 1996 squad
World Cup 1998 squad
Euro 2000 squad
World Cup 2002 squad
Euro 2004 squad
World Cup 2010 squad
Contents [hide]
1 Teams
2 History
2.1 Amateur years
2.2 Danish Dynamite (1980-1990)
2.3 European Champions (1990-2000)
2.4 The Olsen Gang (2000-2012)
3 Supporters
4 Stadium
5 Competitive record
5.1 World Cup
5.2 Summer Olympics (unofficial)
5.3 Summer Olympics (official)
5.4 European Championship
5.5 FIFA Confederations Cup
6 Results and schedule
6.1 Standings in Group H of the Euro 2012 qualification
7 Players
7.1 Payment
7.2 Player names and numbers
7.3 Current squad
7.4 Recent callups
7.5 Best players of all time
7.6 Hall of Fame
8 Coaching staff
8.1 Former managers
9 See also
9.1 Squads and campaigns
10 References
11 Literature
12 External links
[edit] Teams
Apart from the men's senior A-level team, Denmark competes with a women's national team, and has teams at various youth levels for both men and women, most prominently the U21 national team. Historically, the A-level team competed in the Summer Olympics until and including the 1988 tournament, whereafter Olympic games count as U21 national games. In addition to the A-level team and youth teams, Denmark also have a special league national team named Ligalandsholdet, with the best Danish footballers from the Nordic leagues. Ligalandsholdet was created in 1983, and except for the two years 1989 and 2005, it has each year been playing some unofficial games for the national team, in the winter break of the Nordic leagues. Sometimes the media also refer to Ligalandsholdet as Denmark's B-team, as the best Danish footballers selected for the A-team often play in leagues outside of the Nordic countries. As such, the purpose of Ligalandsholdet's games has also often been described by the national team coach, to be a test of the new potential upcoming Danish players for the A-team.
[edit] History
[edit] Amateur years
The first three editions of the Olympic football event in 1900-1906 had an unofficial status, as the event was not yet open for national football teams to compete, and only had limited participation of three or four club teams from a few nations. Denmark had no club team invited in the 1900 Olympics and the 1904 Olympics, but then received a special invitation for the 1906 Olympics, to compete against 1 Greek club team (Athens) and 2 club teams from the Ottoman Empire (Smyrna and Thessaloniki). The team to represent Denmark was compiled of players from the Copenhagen Football Association (KBU), and they managed to win the event, and thereby an unofficial gold medal. Two years later, in the first official football tournament at the 1908 Olympics, Denmark won a silver medal. At the next 1912 Olympics the team again managed to win a silver medal, which was followed by a golden era from April 1914 until April 1920, with Denmark ranked most of the time as nr.1 in the world by the elo ranking.
Danish team at the 1912 Olympics.Although Denmark figured fairly prominently in the pre-World Cup era, international success would elude them for years from the first World Cup in 1930 and forward. Despite the country's ability to produce outstanding football talents, a bronze medal in the 1948 Olympics was the only result of note in 50 years. As football remained an amateur pastime, most of the best Danish footballers moved abroad to make a living,[2] and foreign-based professionals were barred from the national team. In the 1960s, Denmark had a revival with a third set of Olympic silver at the 1960 Olympics, though the most notable performance was fourth place in the Euro 1964. Denmark took advantage of a comparatively easy draw, as they beat Malta and Luxembourg before losing to the USSR in the semi-final and Hungary in the bronze match.
The national team rule of amateurism was abolished in 1971, which led to a vast improvement in the Danish team's performances. In 1978, professional football was introduced to the Danish leagues, which prompted the first sponsorship of the national team by Danish brewery Carlsberg, enabling the team to hire full-time coach Sepp Piontek from Germany in 1979.[2]
[edit] Danish Dynamite (1980-1990)
In the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Denmark finished with 8 points from as many games, including a 3–1 win against eventual World Cup champions Italy, but Denmark failed to qualify for the final tournament despite the impressive result. Qualification for the Euro 1984 saw the team beat England at Wembley Stadium when Allan Simonsen converted a penalty kick for a 1–0 win. Denmark qualified for their first international tournament since 1964, and the team was dubbed "Danish Dynamite" in a competition for the official Danish Euro 1984 song.[2] Denmark's participation ended in the semi-final when the team lost on penalties to Spain, most remembered for Preben Elkjær's penalty miss, his shorts torn apart. Following the strong performance at the finals, the name of "Danish Dynamite" became a mainstay for the following decade of Danish national team football under coach Piontek.
Denmark made their first World Cup appearance in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, and with the attacking duo of Michael Laudrup and Preben Elkjær the team surprised the world, sweeping the group, including a 6–1 thrashing of Uruguay. In the second round Denmark once again faced Spain, and once more Denmark lost out. The team received a trashing of their own, losing 5–1, including four goals by Emilio Butragueño. The first Spanish goal was caused by a miss-timed backpass by Jesper Olsen to Butragueño, an unfortunate action subsequently coined as "a real Jesper Olsen" (en rigtig Jesper Olsen). The phrase would live on for 13 years when an identical backpass was carried out by Jesper Grønkjær to Filippo Inzaghi in Grønkjær's 1999 debut game.[3]
After the glory days of 1986, the success of the team continued, as it first qualified for the Euro 1988 tournament, and then had a nearby qualification for the 1988 Olympics. In the qualification group for the Olympics, the job to coach Denmark in these particular games, had for the first time been given to Richard Møller Nielsen, and he proofed his skills, as Denmark initially managed to secure a spot for the final tournament -ahead of West Germany. But following the discovery that Dane Per Frimann was not eligible for the teams 2–0 win over Poland, Denmark was penalised the points of the win, and subsequently did not have enough points to qualify. After this disappointing news had arrived, Denmark had to pin all its hope and faith, for a successful performance at the Euro 1988, instead. The straight opposite however happened, as Denmarks participation ended in early defeat, after Denmark lost all the group games to Spain, Germany, and Italy. A period of transition with faltering results, had now started, and as Denmark subsequently also failed to qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Sepp Piontek decided to stop as coach for the national team in April 1990, where he was replaced by his assistant coach Richard Møller Nielsen.
[edit] European Champions (1990-2000)
Denmark's finest hour in the international competitions came in the Euro 1992. The Danes initially failed to qualify, as they trailed Yugoslavia in their qualifying group. Michael Laudrup, the star of the team, decided to quit the national team during the qualification matches, following tactical differences with Coach Nielsen. However, due to international sanctions resulting from the Yugoslav wars, Yugoslavia was barred from the tournament, and Denmark entered as the second-placed team in its group. Contrary to popular belief,[2] the team did not rally home from seaside vacations to compete in the championships. The majority of players were already assembled to play a friendly match with the CIS when Denmark officially got the spot at the tournament.[4]
Relying heavily on goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel and his defense, as well as creative spark Brian Laudrup, the Danish team created one of the biggest surprises in the event's history, as they went on to win the European Championship trophy under coach Richard Møller Nielsen's defensive playing style. Advancing from the group stage ahead of England and France, Denmark beat the Dutch defending Euro 1988 champions on penalties in the semi-final, and with the 2–0 win against reigning 1990 FIFA World Cup champions Germany in the final, Denmark had won its first trophy.
After the Euro 1992 win, Michael Laudrup revived his national team career in 1993. The following years Denmark saw mixed results as they failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, before securing a King Fahd Cup win, beating Copa América champions Argentina in 1995. As defending champions at the Euro 1996, Denmark disappointed with a lacklustre performance and got eliminated in the group stage. As controversy had occurred over the prolonging of Richard Møller Nielsen's contract in fall 1995, including a strained relationship with the press, he was let go. The new coach was the sympathetic Swede Bo "Bosse" Johansson, who gave the team a more offensive strategy, and the 1998 FIFA World Cup saw the revival of the Danish team, starring both Laudrup brothers in their last international campaign. After beating Saudi Arabia 1–0, drawing with South Africa and losing 2–1 to later champions France in mediocre games the Danish team qualified to the knockout stages as second in the group. In the next game however Denmark played some of the best football of the tournament beating Nigeria 4–1 and thus qualified to the quarterfinals against Brazil. The Danes went out with a beautiful 2–3 defeat to the later silver medalists in a very close and emotional game. Next challenge then was, to qualify the team for the Euro 2000, for the first time without the Laudrup brothers. When this goal was indeed achieved by "Bosse", he received a lot of praise. But when the team showed up for the final tournament and disappointed big time with 3 lost games in the group stage, "Bosse" was heavily criticized for having selected too many players for the squad, with injury problems and poor form. Facing the strong criticism after the teams disappointing performance in the Euro 2000 tournament, "Bosse" decided not to prolong his contract.
[edit] The Olsen Gang (2000-2012)
FIFA World Rankings evolution for Denmark national team (August 1993 – July 2009).The new coach, starting for Denmark in July 2000, turned out to be the former national team captain from the successful team of the 1980s, Morten Olsen, and the team was quickly dubbed the "Olsen Gang", a reference to the series of Danish movies based around the main character Egon Olsen and his genius (criminal) plans. The nickname was also sometimes used for the Danish team -as an alternative to the more commonly used "Danish Dynamite"-, already back in those days when Olsen played as a captain. In the era with Olsen as a coach, his great experience from among others Ajax Amsterdam was transferred to the national team, as Denmark's tactics shifted from the preferred 4-4-2 formation practised by Bo Johansson, to an even more attacking style, with an emphasis on the speedy wingers available to him at the time, namely Jesper Grønkjær and Dennis Rommedahl.[5] Based on that, the preferred starting formation with Olsen as coach, has always been either a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1.[6][7] He even poses an outspoken opposition to the 4-4-2 system, as he announced the desire to leave his position as national coach, in case he was asked to play with this system as a standard.[8] To support the development of players for the new tactical 4-3-3 system used by Olsen, all the national youth teams also changed their formation into the same 4-3-3 system.[9] Another change Olsen brought to the national team, was to stress the importance of only using fit players, who were granted regular playing time at their club team. A principle that he however later has been forced to compromise with at several times, as the player material available in such a relatively small nation, doesn't always provide many realistic substitute options.
Denmark qualified both for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the Euro 2004, but despite impressive results in the group stage in both tournaments, especially the 2–0 win against reigning World Cup winners France in 2002, Denmark didn't manage to advance any further, and in both tournaments got clearly defeated with a score of 0-3 in the first round after the group stage. At the World Cup 2002 Denmark were defeated by England at round 16, and at Euro 2004 the defeat took place in the quarterfinal against the Czech Republic. The Euro 2004 will also be remembered for an incident in the game with Italy, where Italian star Francesco Totti was caught on camera spitting on Danish player Christian Poulsen; and then subsequently the joint elimination of Italy by Denmark and Sweden in the last group stage match, when the two teams drew 2–2 following a Swedish goal in the 89th minute, making for the exact and famous result that would see the Italians eliminated.
For the 2006 World Cup qualification, Denmark was paired with, among others, 2002 World Cup bronze winners Turkey and Euro 2004 champions Greece competing for only one guaranteed spot at the final tournament. Following a poor start of the qualification, Denmark were trailing both Turkey and surprise leaders Ukraine. Denmark needed Turkey to lose points in the final games in order for Denmark to clinch the 2nd place of the group and one last chance to qualify via two play-off games. Indeed, had Turkey lost points to Albania in their last game, Denmark would have gone through, but instead they had to settle for 3rd place in the group and a longer summer break. After failing to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, coach Olsen considered leaving the job, having received several offers from club teams, but decided to stay and extended his contract until after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, spurred on by his and the team's popularity among the Danish population.[10]
When the next attempt to qualify for the Euro 2008 also failed -after among other things to have received an administrative defeat against Sweden at home turf, due to a spectator's intrusion on the field-, the team got heavily criticized, with many Danes asking for the departure of Morten Olsen as a coach. This suggestion was however refused by DBU and the majority of coaches in the Danish Superliga, who still had trust in Olsen being the best coach for Denmark.[11] In the qualification group for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the trust in Olsen was immediately paid back. Despite a difficult group with both Portugal and Sweden as higher ranked opponents, Denmark managed to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup by winning the group, after among other things, getting two victories against Sweden and one victory plus a draw against Portugal. After having celebrated the successful World Cup 2010 qualification, the contract with Morten Olsen as coach was extended for two more years, until the Euro 2012.[12]
At the 2010 World Cup, Denmark was grouped with Japan, Cameroon and the Netherlands. Denmark lost the first match 2-0 to Netherlands, but then had a vital 2-1 victory against Cameroon, which enabled further advancement in case of victory over Japan, in the last third match. The game against Japan however ended with a 3-1 defeat, and thereby Denmark didn't reach their declared goal of advancement to round 16. Apparently the biggest reason for the lack of success, was however this time, that Denmark in both the preface -and during the 3 games at the tournament- had struggled with a lot of injuries hitting their best players.
When measuring the performance of the national team by winning share and earned points, Olsen's reign of the Danish national team from July 2000 until October 2010, has so far been the second most successful in the era of full time professional coaches, which began in 1979. As of October 2010, Morten Olsen has a winning share of 51.8%, and with three points for a victory and one for a draw, Olsen has an average of 1.82 points per game.[13] In comparison, Richard Møller Nielsen still have the best record among the professional coaches of the Denmark national football team, with a 54.8% winning share and an average of 1.89 points per game.[14] This kind of statistic of course only provide an overall indication of the performance, as it doesn't take the difficulty of the opponents into account -and/or the number of "difficult games". For a more accurate evaluation of the performance of the national team under the guidance of various coaches, one should also compare the development in the teams position at the official FIFA ranking or Elo ranking, where the merits of qualification and results in the final EURO and World Cup championships tournament get the highest weight. Beside of the success of Olsen to qualify Denmark for the World Cup in 2002 and 2010, and the European Championship in 2004, he also gained several great results in the friendly games. In example, a friendly 4–1 win over England in 2005; being the worst loss for the English team since 1980, and a repetition of the friendly 3–2 win achieved by Denmark on English ground at Old Trafford in 2003.
[edit] Supporters
Main article: Roligan
Apart from the national team, Denmark is equally famous for its traveling fans, known as roligans. The movement emerged during the 1980s as the declared opposition to hooliganism. The goal of the roligan movement is calm, yet cheerful, support during the matches, as rolig means calm in the Danish language. The roligans have since developed an image of easy-going nature and rabid support, and are often considered amongst the world's best national team fans, along with the Tartan Army of Scotland. They were collectively given the FIFA FairPlay Award at the 1984 European Championships.[15] Just before the 1986 World Cup, the roligan movement was organized in order to support the national team at the tournament.
The good reputation of the Danish supporters was however sullied by the 2008 UEFA qualifier fan attack, happening in June 2007 at the Euro 2008 qualifying game against Sweden, when an enraged Danish supporter invaded the pitch and tried to attack the referee, following his decision to hand out a red card for Christian Poulsen and a penalty kick to Sweden at the last minute of the game. The attacking fan was stopped by some of the Danish football players on the field, before he reached the referee, but due to the episode the game was immediately canceled by the referee, and UEFA subsequently decided to award a 0-3 defeat for Denmark, as a punishment.
[edit] Stadium
For stadium history, see Parken Stadium.
Parken, with a capacity of 38,009 spectators, located in Copenhagen, and used as official home stadium by the Denmark national football team.First home game of the Denmark national football team, was a 2–1 friendly win over England at 25 May 1910, taking place with 12,000 spectators at the stadium "KBs baner" (located in the area "Granen", where Forum Copenhagen later was build).[16] As the facilities were considered too small, a new stadium in Copenhagen was built with the name Idrætsparken, that since its opening 25 May 1911 hosted all the home games of the football club KB and most of the home games of the national team. During the first 82 years of the national team, from October 1908 until November 1990, Denmark played a total number of 254 A-level home games, of which 232 were played in Idrætsparken. According to the official statistics, the home games at Idrætsparken result wise ended with 125 victories, 41 draws and 66 lost games; and the stadium reached a record of 51,600 spectators for the 1-2 game against Sweden in June 1957.[17] In regards of the first era from 1908–1990, only 22 home games were played at other stadiums than Idrætsparken; of which 11 took place at NRGi Park (then known as Atletion) in Århus, followed by Aalborg Stadion in Aalborg with 6 games, and the remaining 5 games hosted by four other stadiums. Whenever another stadium than Idrætsparken was used for a home game, it was however only for some of the less important friendly games or Olympic qualifiers. While only Idrætsparken was used to host the games related to big important tournaments, like the Nordic championship, European Championship and World Cup. When a major rebuilt of Idrætsparken began in December 1990, the subsequent two official Euro 1992 qualification games, were however moved to Odense Stadium in Odense.
On September 9 in 1992, the rebuilt Idrætsparken, now called Parken, became the biggest venue in Denmark with 42,358 seats, and was opened with a friendly 1-2 defeat against Germany. This first game in Parken had a visit of 40,500 spectators;[18] while the current stadium record at 42,099 spectators was reached the 8 October 2005, for a World Cup qualifying game against Greece.[19]
The capacity of the stadium was later reduced to 38,009 seats, after the upper part of the D-side was converted from 4,000 extra seats into office and VIP areas, in June 2009.[20][21] Despite this decrease in capacity, the stadium is today still the biggest venue in Denmark by far; as the next biggest venue Brøndby Stadium only has a capacity of 26,000 seats. During the time from September 1992 until May 2006, Parken was the sole stadium of all the men's senior national team matches. However, meagre spectator support at some of the friendly matches at Parken, which for the years in 2000-2005 attracted an acceptable average of 23,862 per game, but down to 9,598 for the friendly 3–1 win over Israel in April 2002;[22] caused the decision by DBU, to start moving many of the friendly matches to other stadiums around the country. These other stadiums had less spectator capacity than Parken, but just about enough, to cover the Danes somewhat lower interest for the friendly games.
At 27 May 2006, Parken's 13-year monopoly on national team matches got broken for the first time, when Denmark played a friendly game at the NRGi Park stadium in Århus, against the World Cup 2006 participants Paraguay. This particular game got outsold within a short while, with almost 19,000 of the 20,227 tickets being sold within the first hour of sale,[23] and was support-wise a big success with a total audience of 20,047 spectators.[24] When the two next friendly games were played at some other new venues, August 16 at Fionia Park in Odense with Poland as opponent, and September 1 at Brøndby Stadium with Portugal as opponent, the number of spectators however droped to a disappointing level. The match against Poland only attracted 11,088 spectators,[25] while the match against Portugal only attracted 13,186 spectators;[26] and the match against Portugal was in particular deemed as a support-wise failure, as it featured a higher ranked opponent, which spectators normally would have a high interest to watch. The main reasons why Brøndby Stadium failed to attract a high number of spectators, were generally thought to be a combination of the poor rainy weather, and the fact that this stadium is located on the outskirts of Copenhagen; and as such does not attract a new demographic audience compared to Parken, due to the travel distances being more or less the same for the majority of the population.
Currently, while most of the friendly games continue to be played at some of the smaller stadiums in Denmark, it has been decided to continue playing all of the qualifying games for the European Championships and World Cup, only at Parken Stadium.[27] Those friendly games, which are believed to create a high interest from spectators, will also continue to be played at Parken. In example, the friendly game against Germany in August 2010, took place at Parken Stadium, due to the general expectation of many spectators having a desire to watch the game. After the weak performance of Denmark at the World Cup 2010, the friendly game however only managed to draw a total number of 19,071 spectators.[28] During the last 18 years, from September 1992 until October 2010, Denmark played a total of 73 A-level games at Parken Stadium; of which 46 were won, 16 got drawed, and only 11 were lost.[29]
[edit] Competitive record
[edit] World Cup
Location and Year Round Position GP W D* L GS GA
1930 Did not enter - - - - - - -
1934 Did not enter - - - - - - -
1938 Did not enter - - - - - - -
1950 Did not enter - - - - - - -
1954 Did not enter - - - - - - -
1958 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1962 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1966 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1970 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1974 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1978 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1982 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1986 Round of 16 9 4 3 0 1 10 6
1990 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1994 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1998 Quarter-finals 8 5 2 1 2 9 7
2002 Round of 16 10 4 2 1 1 5 5
2006 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
2010 Round 1 24 3 1 0 2 3 6
2014
Total 4/19 16 8 2 6 27 24
[show]List of FIFA World Cup matches
Year Round Score Result
1986 Round 1 Denmark 1 – 0 Scotland Win
Round 1 Denmark 6 – 1 Uruguay Win
Round 1 Denmark 2 – 0 Germany Win
Round 2 Denmark 1 – 5 Spain Loss
1998 Round 1 Denmark 1 – 0 Saudi Arabia Win
Round 1 Denmark 1 – 1 South Africa Draw
Round 1 Denmark 1 – 2 France Loss
Round 2 Denmark 4 – 1 Nigeria Win
Round 3 Denmark 2 – 3 Brazil Loss
2002 Round 1 Denmark 2 – 1 Uruguay Win
Round 1 Denmark 1 – 1 Senegal Draw
Round 1 Denmark 2 – 0 France Win
Round 2 Denmark 0 – 3 England Loss
2010 Round 1 Denmark 0 – 2 Netherlands Loss
Round 1 Denmark 2 – 1 Cameroon Win
Round 1 Denmark 1 – 3 Japan Loss
[edit] Summer Olympics (unofficial)
Year Round GP W D* L GS GA
1900 Was not invited - - - - - -
1904 Was not invited - - - - - -
1906 Gold 2 2 0 0 14 1
Total 1/3 2 2 0 0 14 1
The first 3 Olympic football events were only unofficial tournaments, with a few nations represented by a club team. Starting from 1908, the Olympic football tournament became an official event, with represenation of the official national football teams.
[edit] Summer Olympics (official)
Year Round GP W D* L GS GA
1908 Silver 3 2 0 1 26 3
1912 Silver 3 2 0 1 13 5
1920 First round 1 0 0 1 0 1
1924 Did not enter - - - - - -
1928 Did not enter - - - - - -
1936 Did not enter - - - - - -
1948 Bronze 4 3 0 1 15 11
1952 Quarter-final 3 2 0 1 7 6
1956 Did not enter - - - - - -
1960 Silver 5 4 0 1 11 7
1964 Did not qualify - - - - - -
1968 Did not enter - - - - - -
1972 Second round 6 3 1 2 11 7
1976 Did not qualify - - - - - -
1980 Did not enter - - - - - -
1984 Did not qualify - - - - - -
1988 Did not qualify - - - - - -
Total 7/17 25 16 1 8 83 40
After the Olympics 1988, the football event was changed into a tournament, with participation only for the U21 national teams.
[edit] European Championship
Location and Year Round Position GP W D* L GS GA
1960 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1964 Fourth place 4 2 0 0 2 1 6
1968 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1972 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1976 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1980 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1984 Semi-finals 3 4 2 1 1 9 4
1988 Round 1 7 3 0 0 3 2 7
1992 Champions 1 5 2 2 1 6 4
1996 Round 1 9 3 1 1 1 4 4
2000 Round 1 16 3 0 0 3 0 8
2004 Quarter-finals 8 4 1 2 1 4 5
2008 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
2012
2016
Total 7/13 1 title 24 6 6 12 26 38
[edit] FIFA Confederations Cup
Location and Year Round GP W D* L GS GA
1992 Did not qualify - - - - - -
1995 Champions 3 2 1 0 5 1
1997 Did not qualify - - - - - -
1999 Did not qualify - - - - - -
2001 Did not qualify - - - - - -
2003 Did not qualify - - - - - -
2005 Did not qualify - - - - - -
2009 Did not qualify - - - - - -
2013
Total 1/8 3 2 1 0 5 1
[edit] Results and schedule
See also: List of Denmark national football team results
List of all previous games within the last 12 months, and the scheduled games for the nearest future.
Date Opponent Result Score* Venue Competition
14 Nov 2009 Korea Republic D 0–0 Blue Water Arena, Esbjerg, Denmark International Friendly
18 Nov 2009 United States W 3–1 NRGi Park, Århus, Denmark International Friendly
03 Mar 2010 Austria L 1–2 Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria International Friendly
27 May 2010 Senegal W 2–0 Aalborg Stadion, Aalborg, Denmark International Friendly
01 Jun 2010 Australia L 0–1 Ruimsig Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa International Friendly
05 Jun 2010 South Africa L 0–1 Atteridgeville Super Stadium, Atteridgeville, South Africa International Friendly
14 Jun 2010 Netherlands L 0–2 Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup
19 Jun 2010 Cameroon W 2–1 Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup
24 Jun 2010 Japan L 1–3 Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup
11 Aug 2010 Germany D 2–2 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark International Friendly
7 Sep 2010 Iceland W 1–0 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
8 Oct 2010 Portugal L 1–3 Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
12 Oct 2010 Cyprus W 2–0 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
17 Nov 2010 Czech Republic NRGi Park, Århus, Denmark International Friendly
* Denmark score always listed first
In the last year, since 15 October 2009, Denmark has never been defeated when playing at home turf.
[edit] Standings in Group H of the Euro 2012 qualification
Legend
Group winners and best runner-up among all groups directly qualify for the finals
Remaining group runners-up advance to the play-offs
Team v • d • e Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Norway 3 3 0 0 5 2 +3 9
Portugal 4 2 1 1 10 7 +3 7
Denmark 3 2 0 1 4 3 +1 6
Cyprus 3 0 1 2 5 8 −3 1
Iceland 3 0 0 3 2 6 −4 0
Cyprus — 7 Oct '11 26 Mar '11 1–2 2 Sep '11
Denmark 2–0 — 1–0 6 Sep '11 11 Oct '11
Iceland 6 Sep '11 4 Jun '11 — 1–2 1–3
Norway 11 Oct '11 26 Mar '11 2 Sep '11 — 1–0
Portugal 4–4 3–1 7 Oct '11 4 Jun '11 —
[edit] Players
See also: List of Denmark international footballers and 2009–10 in Danish football
The players are freely chosen by the national team manager. They are normally assembled, from their respective club teams, at Hotel Marienlyst in Elsinore for a week-long training camp preluding the upcoming game. Friendly games are typically played on a Wednesday evening. World Cup qualifiers are played on both Saturday and Wednesday evenings; while Euro qualifiers now take place on both a Friday and Tuesday evening when playing two games in a row, or on a Friday/Saturday/Tuesday at rounds with only one game scheduled.[30][31]
[edit] Payment
Each player in the national team receives a set amount of money per game, including bonuses for games won and qualification for the European Championship and World Cup tournaments. Through the years, these money prizes have gone from around €1,340 for a game win in 1987 and around €26,800 for the Euro 1988 participation alone, to around €67,000 for the 1998 World Cup and up to €107,000 for the 2002 World Cup participations, per player.[32] Currently, the win bonus for friendly games are €1,340 per player, with start money for an away game at €670 per player, while a home win before a sellout crowd of 42,000, can possibly wield €7,600 per player, including the win bonus, due to spectator-dependent bonuses. In the qualification matches for the international tournaments, the bonuses are increased for both home and away wins, with a bonus also being paid for away draws.[33]
[edit] Player names and numbers
Shirt numbers became quickly associated with a certain position. So to describe someone as 'Denmark's number 9' would be to describe a player as the best choice for centre forward. This terminology continues today, and the team has kept to the tradition of numbering players in the starting squad from 1 to 11 (with 12 upwards for substitutes), at all games played outside the major tournaments. For games at major tournaments, such as the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Football Championship, the team is required to play with permanent squad numbers throughout the tournament.
Numbers are traditionally associated with a certain position on the field, but there are no set rules. Furthermore, established players will tend to use the same number whenever they play. Christian Poulsen, for example, retains the Denmark number 2 no matter what position he plays in. However, when Poulsen does not play, another player will be number 2.
[edit] Current squad
The following players were selected by coach Morten Olsen for the latest friendly match, to be played November 17 against Czech Republic.[34] [35]
Caps and goals updated as October 12, 2010.
0#0 Pos. Player Date of Birth (Age) Caps Goals Club
tbd GK Thomas Sørensen 12 June 1976 (1976-06-12) (age 34) 91 0 Stoke City
tbd GK Anders Lindegaard 13 April 1984 (1984-04-13) (age 26) 3 0 Aalesund
tbd DF Lars Jacobsen (right back) 20 September 1979 (1979-09-20) (age 31) 38 0 West Ham United
tbd DF Per Krøldrup (centre back) 31 July 1979 (1979-07-31) (age 31) 33 0 Fiorentina
tbd DF Simon Kjær (centre back) 26 March 1989 (1989-03-26) (age 21) 15 0 Wolfsburg
tbd DF Patrick Mtiliga (left back) 28 January 1981 (1981-01-28) (age 29) 4 0 Málaga
tbd DF Johnny Thomsen (right back) 26 February 1982 (1982-02-26) (age 28) 2 0 SønderjyskE
tbd DF Bo Svensson (centre back) 4 August 1979 (1979-08-04) (age 31) 1 0 Mainz 05
tbd MF Martin Jørgensen (central MF) 6 October 1975 (1975-10-06) (age 35) 99 12 AGF
tbd MF Christian Poulsen (defensive MF, ) 28 February 1980 (1980-02-28) (age 30) 80 6 Liverpool
tbd MF Daniel Jensen (offensive MF) 25 June 1979 (1979-06-25) (age 31) 51 3 Werder Bremen
tbd MF Thomas Kahlenberg (central MF) 20 March 1983 (1983-03-20) (age 27) 35 4 Wolfsburg
tbd MF Christian Eriksen (offensive MF) 14 February 1992 (1992-02-14) (age 18) 9 0 Ajax
tbd MF Kasper Lorentzen (central MF) 19 November 1985 (1985-11-19) (age 24) 2 1 Randers
tbd MF Niki Zimling (central MF) 19 April 1985 (1985-04-19) (age 25) 1 0 Nijmegen
tbd MF Hans Henrik Andreasen (offensive MF) 10 January 1979 (1979-01-10) (age 31) 0 0 OB
tbd FW Dennis Rommedahl (right wing) 22 July 1978 (1978-07-22) (age 32) 103 18 Olympiacos
tbd FW Nicklas Bendtner (striker) 16 January 1988 (1988-01-16) (age 22) 35 12 Arsenal
tbd FW Michael Krohn-Dehli (left wing) 6 June 1983 (1983-06-06) (age 27) 7 0 Brøndby
tbd FW Mads Junker (striker) 21 April 1981 (1981-04-21) (age 29) 4 1 Roda
tbd FW Lasse Schøne (right wing) 27 May 1986 (1986-05-27) (age 24) 2 1 Nijmegen
[edit] Recent callups
The following list of active players, were not called up for the latest match of the national team, but were called up for an A-level match within the last 12 months, and remained available on the noted match day for a potential selection to the final squad.
Pos. Player Date of Birth (Age) Caps Goals Club Latest Callup
GK Jesper Christiansen 20 April 1978 (1978-04-20) (age 32) 11 0 Elfsborg 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
GK Jonas Lössl 1 February 1989 (1989-02-01) (age 21) 0 0 FC Midtjylland 8 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
GK Kim Christensen 16 July 1979 (1979-07-16) (age 31) 1 0 FC København 7 Sep. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
GK Stephan Andersen 26 November 1981 (1981-11-26) (age 28) 7 0 Brøndby 11 Aug. 2010 (Friendly game)
DF Daniel Agger (centre back) 12 December 1984 (1984-12-12) (age 25) 38 0 Liverpool 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
DF Leon Jessen (left back) 11 June 1986 (1986-06-11) (age 24) 4 0 Kaiserslautern 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
DF Mathias Zanka Jørgensen (centre back) 23 April 1990 (1990-04-23) (age 20) 1 0 FC København 8 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
DF Simon Poulsen (left back) 7 October 1984 (1984-10-07) (age 26) 9 0 AZ Alkmaar 11 Aug. 2010 (Friendly game)
DF Michael Lumb (centre back) 9 January 1988 (1988-01-09) (age 22) 2 0 Zenit Saint Petersburg 3 Mar. 2010 (Friendly game)
DF Jim Larsen (centre back) 6 November 1985 (1985-11-06) (age 25) 0 0 Silkeborg 3 Mar. 2010 (Friendly game)
DF Anders Møller Christensen (centre back) 26 July 1977 (1977-07-26) (age 33) 6 0 OB 18 Nov. 2009 (Friendly game)
MF William Kvist (defensive MF) 24 February 1985 (1985-02-24) (age 25) 16 0 FC København 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
MF Michael Silberbauer (central MF) 7 July 1981 (1981-07-07) (age 29) 16 1 Utrecht 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
MF Martin Vingaard (central MF) 20 March 1985 (1985-03-20) (age 25) 8 1 FC København 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
MF Thomas Enevoldsen (offensive MF) 27 July 1987 (1987-07-27) (age 23) 8 1 Groningen 7 Sep. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
MF Mike Jensen (defensive MF) 19 February 1988 (1988-02-19) (age 22) 1 0 Brøndby 11 Aug. 2010 (Friendly game)
MF Jakob Poulsen (offensive MF) 7 July 1983 (1983-07-07) (age 27) 15 1 AGF World Cup 2010
MF Mikkel Beckmann (offensive MF) 24 October 1983 (1983-10-24) (age 27) 6 0 Randers World Cup 2010
MF Søren Rieks (offensive MF) 7 April 1987 (1987-04-07) (age 23) 3 1 Esbjerg 3 Mar. 2010 (Friendly game)
MF Peter Nymann (central MF) 22 August 1982 (1982-08-22) (age 28) 1 0 Esbjerg 3 Mar. 2010 (Friendly game)
MF Martin Ørnskov (defensive MF) 10 October 1985 (1985-10-10) (age 25) 0 0 Silkeborg 3 Mar. 2010 (Friendly game)
FW Nicklas Pedersen (striker) 10 October 1987 (1987-10-10) (age 23) 4 0 Groningen 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
FW Morten Duncan Rasmussen (striker) 31 January 1985 (1985-01-31) (age 25) 4 1 Mainz 05 12 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
FW Nicolai Jørgensen (right wing) 15 January 1991 (1991-01-15) (age 19) 0 0 Bayer Leverkusen 8 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
FW Peter Løvenkrands (left wing) 29 January 1980 (1980-01-29) (age 30) 22 1 Newcastle United 8 Oct. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
FW Morten Skoubo (striker) 30 June 1980 (1980-06-30) (age 30) 5 1 Roda 7 Sep. 2010 (Euro qualifier)
FW Johan Absalonsen (left wing) 16 September 1985 (1985-09-16) (age 25) 2 1 OB 11 Aug. 2010 (Friendly game)
FW Søren Larsen (striker) 6 September 1981 (1981-09-06) (age 29) 20 11 Toulouse World Cup 2010
FW Rajko Lekic (striker) 3 July 1981 (1981-07-03) (age 29) 1 0 Silkeborg 3 Mar. 2010 (Friendly game)
FW Martin Bernburg (striker) 26 December 1985 (1985-12-26) (age 24) 4 1 Brøndby 18 Nov. 2009 (Friendly game)
FW Jesper Bech (right wing) 25 May 1982 (1982-05-25) (age 28) 2 0 Silkeborg 18 Nov. 2009 (Friendly game)
[edit] Best players of all time
In November 2006, the Danish Football Association nominated eight Danish national team footballers for the "Best Danish Footballer of All Time" award. The nominated players were Morten Olsen, Henning Jensen, Allan Simonsen, Preben Elkjær, Michael Laudrup, Brian Laudrup, Peter Schmeichel, and Jon Dahl Tomasson. The winner of the award was decided by a public vote arranged by the broadcasting channel TV 2, which ended with Michael Laudrup as a clear winner, with 58% of the votes.[36]
[edit] Hall of Fame
Denmarks Hall of Fame was established in October 2008, as a special award to celebrate the best footballers, teams and coaches; throughout the history of the national team. A jury with 6 people (representing the newspapers, authors of football books, active players of the national team, TV2, DBU, and a Hall of Fame member), each year have the job to award one or two new members for the Hall of Fame. The award will be handed out at the official Danish Football Awards, which is an yearly DBU event, broadcasted by TV2 in November. Beside of receiving the award, all Hall of Fame members are also invited to leave a footprint in bronze, to decorate the entrance hall at "Fodboldens hus" -the DBU headquarters in Brøndby.[37]
Hall of Fame members:
Carl Aage Præst (1945–1949)[38]
Allan Simonsen (1972–1986)[38]
Danish Dynamite team (1980–1989): Represented with a footprint of Morten Olsen (c, 1970–1989) and Sepp Piontek (coach, 1979–1990).[39]
Euro 1992 team (June 1992): Represented with a footprint of Lars Olsen (c, 1986–1996) and Richard Møller Nielsen (coach, 1990–1996).[37]
Michael Laudrup (1982–1998)[37]
Peter Schmeichel (1987–2001)[40]
[edit] Coaching staff
When the national team is assembled and train together ahead of a match, the team is coached by:
Coaching staff Name
National manager Morten Olsen
Assistent managers Peter Bonde & Torben Storm
Offense coach Ebbe Sand
Goalkeeper coach Lars Høgh
Physical coach Jens Bangsbo
[edit] Former managers
Main article: Denmark national football team statistics#Managers
The responsibility and job description for the manager of the Denmark national football team, has changed throughout the history. In the first years from 1908–1918, DBU preferred to assign a manager with the overall responsibility. But this was followed by a long era in 1919-1956, with either no manager or only a caretaker manager assigned. When DBU decided to assign Arne Sørensen (Nov.1956-Dec.1961) and Poul Petersen (Jan.1962-Dec.1966) as managers for a roling period of several years, they were granted the responsibility to coach the fysical training and decide the team tactics before and during the game, but had no influence upon the selection of players for the national team -which was a job for the special appointed selection committee: "UdtagelsesKomitéen".[41]
For the years in 1967-1969, the management of the team more or less became a sole responsibility for "UdtagelsesKomitéen", following a new approach. In this new approach, the job to select players continued to be the shared responsibility for "UdtagelsesKomitéen", but the chairman of the committee was now also appointed to be the "tactical manager" of the national team, as DBU realised the need of the tactical manager also to get some influence upon the selection of players. The appointed tactical manager, however didnt have the responsibility to train the team, as a special fysical coach was selected for that part of the job. In 1970, the approach with two managers assigned was however abandoned, when DBU realised the need to assign only one manager with the sole responsibility of the team.[41]
For the years in 1970-1979, the job to select players was however not yet a sole responsibility of the manager alone, but only a shared responsibility, as this continued to be a matter for "UdtagelsesKomitéen" to decide. When a selection of players had to be made, it was decided by a vote in the committee, with the appointed manager being granted an influnce of 3 votes, and the four members of the committee being granted 1 vote each. This special selection procedure continued until July 1979, where it was decided to hand out the sole responsibility of all manager related areas, to the manager himself, with the assignment of Sepp Piontek as the first full time professional manager of the national football team.[41]
The box below, list all assigned football managers for the national team, since the first official game in October 1908.
During the years from 1911 to 1961, a total of 169 games were played without an assigned manager.
Manager Period Games Win Draw Loss Win % Elo ranking
Charles Williams Oct.1908–Dec.1910 4 3 0 1 75.0% nr.2
no manager Jan.1911–Dec.1912 5 3 0 2 60.0% nr.2–nr.3
Axel Andersen Byrval Jan.1913–Dec.1915
Jan.1917–Dec.1918
16 14 1 1 87.5% nr.1–nr.2
nr.1–nr.2
no manager Jan.1916–Dec.1916
Jan.1919–Jul.1920
10 5 1 4 50.0% nr.1
nr.1–nr.3
caretaker manager Aug.1920 1 0 0 1 0.0% nr.4
no manager Sep.1920–Dec.1938 77 35 13 29 45.5% nr.3–nr.21
caretaker managers Jan.1939–Oct.1956 18 10 3 5 55.6% nr.16–nr.35
no manager Jul.1939–Sep.1956 74 29 11 34 39.2% nr.16–nr.35
Arne Sørensen Nov.1956–Dec.1961 41 20 8 13 48.8% nr.25–nr.46
no manager Jun.1957–Sep.1961 3 1 0 2 33.3% nr.25–nr.46
Poul Petersen Jan.1962–Dec.1966 47 17 8 22 36.2% nr.28–nr.63
Erik Hansen (tactical coach)
Ernst Netuka (training coach)
Jan.1967–Dec.1967 8 4 2 2 50.0% nr.47–nr.65
Erik Hansen (tactical coach)
Henry From (training coach)
Jan.1968–Jan.1969 11 4 1 6 36.4% nr.45–nr.56
John Hansen (tactical coach)
Henry From (training coach)
Feb.1969–Dec.1969 9 5 1 3 55.6% nr.36–nr.54
Rudi Strittich Jan.1970–Dec.1975 61 20 11 30 32.8% nr.40–nr.60
Kurt "Nikkelaj" Nielsen Jan.1976–Jun.1979 31 13 6 12 41.9% nr.40–nr.58
Sepp Piontek Jul.1979–Apr.1990 115 52 24 39 45.2% nr.2–nr.54
Richard Møller Nielsen May 1987–May 1988a
May 1990–Jun.1996 73 40 18 15 54.8% nr.6–nr.9
nr.4–nr.15
Bo Johansson Jul.1996–Jun.2000 40 17 9 14 42.5% nr.6–nr.25
Morten Olsen Jul.2000–Oct.2010b 114 59 30 25 51.8% nr.6–nr.34
Total for all games Oct.1908–Oct.2010b 758 351 147 260 46.3% nr.1–nr.65
a) Nielsen coached 8 games in the 1988 Olympics qualification, winning 6, drawing 1, and losing 1.
b) Accurate up to and including October 12, 2010.
[edit] See also
Copenhagen XI
Faroe Islands national football team
Greenland national football team
Roligan
Sports in Denmark
[edit] Squads and campaigns
Euro 1964 squad
Euro 1984 squad
World Cup 1986 squad
Euro 1988 squad
Euro 1992 winning squad
Euro 1996 squad
World Cup 1998 squad
Euro 2000 squad
World Cup 2002 squad
Euro 2004 squad
World Cup 2010 squad
Madonna
Madonna (born Madonna Louise Ciccone; August 16, 1958) is an American recording artist, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983. She followed it with a series of albums in which she found immense popularity by pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music and imagery in her music videos, which became a fixture on MTV. Throughout her career, many of her songs have hit number one on the record charts, including "Like a Virgin", "Papa Don't Preach", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Frozen", "Music", "Hung Up", and "4 Minutes". Madonna has been praised by critics for her diverse musical productions while at the same time serving as a lightning rod for religious controversy.
Her career was further enhanced by film appearances that began in 1979, despite mixed commentary. She won critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her role in Evita (1996), but has received harsh feedback for other film roles. Madonna's other ventures include being a fashion designer, children's book author, film director and producer, and owner of her own recording company Maverick corporation, as a joint venture with Time Warner. She has been acclaimed as a businesswoman, and in 2007, she signed an unprecedented US $120 million contract with Live Nation.
Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the world's top-selling female recording artist of all time by the Guinness World Records. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and the second top-selling female artist in the United States, behind Barbra Streisand, with 64 million certified albums. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Madonna at number two, behind only The Beatles, on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, making her the most successful solo artist in the history of the Billboard chart. She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the same year. Considered to be one of the most influential figures in contemporary music, Madonna is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry. She is recognized as an inspiration among numerous music artists.
Contents [hide]
1 Life and career
1.1 1958–81: Early life and beginnings
1.2 1982–85: Madonna, Like a Virgin and marriage to Sean Penn
1.3 1986–91: True Blue, Like a Prayer and the Blond Ambition Tour
1.4 1992–96: Maverick, Sex, Erotica, Bedtime Stories and Evita
1.5 1997–2002: Ray of Light, Music and Drowned World Tour
1.6 2003–06: American Life and Confessions on a Dance Floor
1.7 2007–09: Live Nation, Hard Candy and the Sticky & Sweet Tour
1.8 2010–present: W.E. and other projects
2 Artistry
2.1 Musical style
2.2 Influences
2.3 Music videos and performances
3 Legacy
4 Discography
5 Tours
6 See also
7 Notes
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links
Life and career
1958–81: Early life and beginnings
Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan on August 16, 1958. Her mother, Madonna Louise (née Fortin), was of French Canadian descent, and her father, Silvio Anthony Ciccone, was a first-generation Italian American.[1] The Ciccone family originated from Pacentro, Italy; her father later worked as a design engineer for Chrysler and General Motors. Madonna was nicknamed "Little Nonni" to distinguish her from her mother.[2][3] The third of six children, her siblings are Martin, Anthony, Paula, Christopher, and Melanie.[4] Madonna was raised in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac and Avon Township (now part of Rochester Hills).
Her mother died of breast cancer at the age of 30 in 1963.[4] Months before her mother's death, Madonna noticed changes in her behaviour and personality from the attentive homemaker she was, although she did not understand the reason.[5] Mrs. Ciccone, at a loss to explain her dire medical condition, would often begin to cry when questioned by Madonna, at which point Madonna would respond by wrapping her arms around her mother tenderly. "I remember feeling stronger than she was," Madonna recalled, "I was so little and yet I felt like she was the child."[5] Madonna later acknowledged that she had not grasped the concept of her mother dying. "There was so much left unsaid, so many untangled and unresolved emotions, of remorse, guilt, loss, anger, confusion. [...] I saw my mother, looking very beautiful and lying as if she were asleep in an open casket. Then I noticed that my mother's mouth looked funny. It took me some time to realize that it had been sewn up. In that awful moment, I began to understand what I had lost forever. The final image of my mother, at once peaceful yet grotesque, haunts me today also."[6]
Madonna eventually learned to take care of herself and her siblings, and she turned to her grandmother in the hope of finding some solace and some form of her mother in her. The Ciccone siblings resented housekeepers and invariably rebelled against anyone brought into their home ostensibly to take the place of their beloved mother.[5] In an interview with Vanity Fair, Madonna commented that she saw herself in her youth as a "lonely girl who was searching for something. I wasn't rebellious in a certain way. I cared about being good at something. I didn't shave my underarms and I didn't wear make-up like normal girls do. But I studied and I got good grades.... I wanted to be somebody."[5] Terrified that her father could be taken from her as well, Madonna was often unable to sleep unless she was near him.[5] Her father married the family's housekeeper Joan Gustafson, and they had two children: Jennifer and Mario Ciccone.[7] At this point, Madonna began to express unresolved feelings of anger towards her father, that lasted for decades, and developed a rebellious attitude.[5] She attended St. Frederick's and St. Andrew's Elementary Schools, and then West Middle School. She was known for her high grade point average, and achieved notoriety for her unconventional behavior: she would perform cartwheels and handstands in the hallways between classes, dangle by her knees from the monkey bars during recess, and pull up her skirt during class—all so that the boys could see her underwear.[8]
Rochester Adams High School, where Madonna studied.Madonna later attended Rochester Adams High School, and was a straight-A student and a member of the cheerleading squad.[4] After graduating, she received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan.[9] She convinced her father to allow her to take ballet lessons[10] and was persuaded by Christopher Flynn, her ballet teacher, to pursue a career in dance.[11] At the end of 1977 she dropped out of college and relocated to New York City.[12][13] She had little money and worked as a waitress at Dunkin' Donuts and with modern dance troupes.[14] Madonna said of her move to New York, "It was the first time I'd ever taken a plane, the first time I'd ever gotten a taxi cab. I came here with $35 in my pocket. It was the bravest thing I'd ever done."[15] She started to work as a backup dancer for other established artists. During a late night, Madonna was returning from a rehearsal, when she was dragged up an alleyway by a pair of men and forced to perform fellatio at knifepoint. Madonna had later commented that "the episode was a taste of my weakness, it showed me that I still could not save myself in spite of all the strong-girl show. I could never forget it."[16] While performing as a dancer for the French disco artist Patrick Hernandez on his 1979 world tour,[8] Madonna became romantically involved with musician Dan Gilroy. They formed her first rock band, the Breakfast Club,[7][17] for which Madonna sang and played drums and guitar. In 1980 she left Breakfast Club and, with her former boyfriend Stephen Bray as drummer, formed the band Emmy. Their music impressed DJ and record producer Mark Kamins who arranged a meeting between Madonna and Sire Records founder Seymour Stein.[18][19]
1982–85: Madonna, Like a Virgin and marriage to Sean Penn
Madonna signed a singles deal with Sire, a label belonging to Warner Bros. Records.[20] Her debut single, "Everybody", was released on October 6, 1982, and became a dance hit.[21] She started developing her debut album Madonna, which was primarily produced by Reggie Lucas, a Warner Bros. producer. However, she was not happy with the completed tracks and disagreed with Lucas' production techniques, so decided to seek additional help. Madonna moved in with boyfriend John "Jellybean" Benitez, asking his help for finishing the album's production. Benitez remixed most of the tracks and produced "Holiday", which was her third single. The overall sound of Madonna is dissonant, and is in the form of upbeat synthetic disco, utilizing some of the new technology of the time, like the usage of Linn drum machine, Moog bass and the OB-X synthesizer.[18][22] The album peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200, and yielded the hit singles "Holiday", "Borderline" and "Lucky Star".[23][24]
"I was surprised by how people reacted to "Like a Virgin" because when I did that song, to me, I was singing about how something made me feel a certain way – brand-new and fresh – and everyone interpreted it as I don't want to be a virgin anymore. Fuck my brains out! That's not what I sang at all. 'Like a Virgin' was always absolutely ambiguous."
—Madonna on the backlash for "Like a Virgin"[25][26]Gradually, Madonna's look and manner of dressing, her performances and her music videos started influencing young girls and women. Her style became a female fashion trend of the 1980s. It was created by stylist and jewelry designer Maripol and the look consisted of lace tops, skirts over capri pants, fishnet stockings, jewelry bearing the crucifix, bracelets, and bleached hair.[27] She achieved global recognition after the release of her second studio album: Like a Virgin in 1984. It topped the charts in several countries and became her first number one album on the Billboard 200.[23][28] The title track, "Like a Virgin", topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six consecutive weeks.[24] It attracted the attention of family organizations, who complained that the song and its accompanying video promoted premarital sex and undermined family values,[29] and moralists sought to have the song and video banned.[30] Madonna further came under fire when she performed the song at the first MTV Video Music Awards where she appeared on stage atop a giant wedding cake, wearing a wedding dress and bridal veil, adorned with her characteristic "Boy Toy" belt buckle. The performance is noted by scholars and by MTV as an iconic performance in MTV history.[31] In later years, Madonna commented that she was actually terrified of the performance. She recalled, "I remember my manager Freddy shouting to me, 'Oh my God! What were you doing? You were wearing a wedding dress. Oh my God! You were rolling around on the floor!' It was the bravest, most blatant sexual thing I had ever done on television."[31][32] Like a Virgin was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America and sold more than 21 million copies worldwide.[33][34] The National Association of Recording Merchandisers and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed the album as one of the "Definitive 200 Albums of All Time" in 1998.[35]
Madonna entered mainstream films in 1985, beginning with a brief appearance as a club singer in Vision Quest, a romantic drama film. Its soundtrack contained her U.S. number one single, "Crazy for You".[36] She also appeared in the comedy Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), a film which introduced the song "Into the Groove", her first number one single in the United Kingdom.[37] Although not the lead actress for the film, her profile was such that the movie widely became seen (and marketed) as a Madonna vehicle.[38] The film received a nomination for a César Award for Best Foreign Film and The New York Times film critic Vincent Canby named it one of the ten best films of 1985.[39] While filming the music video for the second single from Like a Virgin—"Material Girl"—Madonna started dating actor Sean Penn and married him on her birthday in 1985.[40]
Beginning in April 1985, Madonna embarked on her first concert tour in North America, The Virgin Tour, with the Beastie Boys as her opening act.[41] Madonna commented: "That whole tour was crazy, because I went from playing CBGB and the Mudd Club to playing sporting arenas. I played a small theater in Seattle, and the girls had flap skirts on and the tights cut off below their knees and lace gloves and rosaries and bows in their hair and big hoop earrings. [...] After Seattle, all of the shows were moved to arenas."[42] In July, Penthouse and Playboy magazines published a number of nude photos of Madonna, taken in New York in 1978. She had posed for the photographs as she needed money at the time, and was paid as little as $25 a session.[43] The publication of the photos caused a media uproar, but Madonna remained defiant and unapologetic. The photographs were ultimately sold for up to $100,000.[43] She referred to the whole experience at the 1985 outdoor Live Aid charity concert saying that she would not take her jacket off because "[the media] might hold it against me ten years from now."[44][45]
1986–91: True Blue, Like a Prayer and the Blond Ambition Tour
Madonna during the Blond Ambition World TourTrue Blue, Madonna's third studio album, was released in June, 1986. It spawned three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100: "Live to Tell", "Papa Don't Preach" and "Open Your Heart", and two more top-five singles: "True Blue" and "La Isla Bonita".[24][36] The album topped the charts in over 28 countries worldwide, an unprecedented achievement at the time.[46] Rolling Stone magazine was generally impressed with the effort, writing that the album "sound[s] as if it comes from the heart".[47] She also starred in the critically panned film Shanghai Surprise, and made her theatrical debut in a production of David Rabe's Goose and Tom-Tom, both co-starring Penn.[48] The next year, Madonna's second feature film Who's That Girl was released. She contributed four songs to its soundtrack, including the title track and "Causing a Commotion".[24] In June 1987, she embarked on the Who's That Girl World Tour which continued until September. Regarding the tour, Madonna commented "I realised that I could go from being unmoulded clay, and over time and with the help of people, I could turn myself into something else. This tour is the reflection of that belief and it's as if saying to me 'Who are you girl?' Hence the name, its the new me."[49][50] Later that year, she released a remix album of past hits, entitled You Can Dance, which reached 14 on the Billboard 200.[51] Madonna and Penn filed for divorce in December 1987, citing irreconcilable differences, with Madonna's lawyer pointing to Penn's drinking problem and his abusive nature. The divorce was finalized in January 1989.[52] Of her marriage to Penn, Madonna later said, "I was completely obsessed with my career and not ready to be generous in any shape or form."[40]
"In Like a Prayer I've been dealing with more specific issues that mean a lot to me. They're about an assimilation of experiences I've had in my life and in relationships. They're about my mother, my father and my bonds with my family about the pain of dying, or growing up and letting go. [The album] was a real coming-of-age record for me emotionally. [...] I had to do a lot of soul-searching and I think it is a reflection of that."
—Madonna talking about the inspiration behind Like a Prayer.[53][54]In January 1989, Madonna signed an endorsement deal with soft drink manufacturer Pepsi. In one of her Pepsi commercials, she debuted her song "Like a Prayer". The corresponding music video featured many Catholic symbols such as stigmata and burning crosses, and a dream about making love to a saint, leading the Vatican to condemn the video. Religious groups sought to ban the commercial and boycott Pepsi products. Pepsi revoked the commercial and canceled her sponsorship contract. However, she was allowed to retain her fee of five million dollars.[4] The song was included on Madonna's fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, which was co-written and co-produced by Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray.[55] Rolling Stone hailed it as "...as close to art as pop music gets".[56] Like a Prayer peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 13 million copies worldwide, with 4 million copies sold in the U.S. alone.[23][57] Six singles were released from the album, including "Like a Prayer", which reached number-one, and "Express Yourself" and "Cherish", both peaking at number two.[24][36] By the end of the 1980s, Madonna had become the most successful female artist of the decade, with three number one albums and seven number one singles, surpassed only by Michael Jackson.[58]
Madonna starred as "Breathless" Mahoney in the film Dick Tracy (1990), with Warren Beatty playing the title role.[59] To accompany the film, she released the soundtrack album I'm Breathless, which included songs inspired by the film's 1930s setting. It also featured the U.S. number one hit, "Vogue",[60] and "Sooner or Later", which earned songwriter Stephen Sondheim an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1991.[61] While shooting the film, Madonna began a relationship with Beatty which dissolved by the end of 1990.[62][63] In April 1990 she began her Blond Ambition World Tour, which continued for nearly four months. Regarding the tour, Madonna commented "I know that I'm not the best singer and I know that I'm not the best dancer. But, I can fucking push people's buttons and be as provocative as I want. The tour's goal is to break useless taboos."[64] Rolling Stone called it an "elaborately choreographed, sexually provocative extravaganza" and proclaimed it "the best tour of 1990".[65] The tour was met with strong reaction from religious groups for her performance of "Like a Virgin", during which two male dancers caressed her body before she simulated masturbation.[50] The Pope asked the general public and the Christian community not to attend the concert.[66] A private association of Catholics calling themselves Famiglia Domani also boycotted the tour for its eroticism.[67] In response, Madonna said, "I am Italian American and proud of it. [...] The tour in no way hurts anybody's sentiments. It's for open minds and gets them to see sexuality in a different way. Their own and others"; she declared that the Church "completely frowns on sex ... except for procreation."[68] The Laserdisc release of the tour won Madonna a Grammy Award in 1992 for Best Long Form Music Video.[69]
The Immaculate Collection, Madonna's first greatest-hits compilation album, was released in November 1990. It included two new songs, "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me".[70] The album was certified diamond by RIAA and sold over 30 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling compilation album by a solo artist in history.[33][71] "Justify My Love" reached number one in the U.S. and top ten worldwide.[36][72] Its music video featured scenes of sadomasochism, bondage, same-sex kissing and brief nudity.[73][74] The video was deemed too sexually explicit for MTV and was banned from the network. Madonna responded to the banning: "Why is it that people are willing to go and watch a movie about someone getting blown to bits for no reason at all, and nobody wants to see two girls kissing and two men snuggling? [...] MTV has been good to me, and they know their audience. If it's too strong for them, I understand. Although, half of me thought I was going to get away with it."[73][75] The second single, "Rescue Me", became the highest-debuting single by a female artist in Hot 100 chart history at that time, entering at number 15 and peaking at number nine.[70]
In December 1990, Madonna decided to leave Jennifer Lynch's film Boxing Helena, which she had previously agreed to star in, without any explanation to the producers.[76] From late 1990 to early 1991, Madonna dated Tony Ward, a model and pornography performer who appeared in her music videos for "Cherish" and "Justify My Love". She also had an eight-month relationship with rapper Vanilla Ice.[77] Her first documentary film Truth or Dare (known as In Bed with Madonna outside North America) was released in mid-1991. The documentary chronicled her Blond Ambition World Tour and provided glimpses into her personal life.[19]
1992–96: Maverick, Sex, Erotica, Bedtime Stories and Evita
Eva Perón (pictured). Madonna's portrayal of Perón in the film Evita garnered her critical acclaim.In 1992 Madonna had a role in A League of Their Own as Mae Mordabito, a baseball player on an all-women's team. She recorded the film's theme song, "This Used to Be My Playground", which became a Hot 100 number one hit.[36] The same year she founded her own entertainment company, Maverick, consisting of a record company (Maverick Records), a film production company (Maverick Films), and associated music publishing, television broadcasting, book publishing and merchandising divisions. The deal was a joint venture with Time Warner and paid Madonna an advance of $60 million. It gave her 20% royalties from the music proceedings, one of the highest rates in the industry, equaled at that time only by Michael Jackson's royalty rate established a year earlier with Sony.[21] The first release from the venture was Madonna's book, entitled Sex. It consisted of sexually provocative and explicit images, photographed by Steven Meisel. The book caused strong negative reaction from the media and the general public, but sold 1.5 million copies at $50 each in a matter of days.[78][79] At the same time she released her fifth studio album, Erotica, which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200.[23][79] Its title track peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.[36] Erotica also produced five further singles: "Deeper and Deeper", "Bad Girl", "Fever", "Rain" and "Bye Bye Baby".[80]
The provocative imagery that was her trademark continued in the 1990s with the erotic thriller Body of Evidence, a film which contained scenes of sadomasochism and bondage. It was poorly received by critics.[81][82] She also starred in the film Dangerous Game, which was released straight to video in North America. The New York Times described the film as "angry and painful, and the pain feels real."[83] In October 1993, she embarked on The Girlie Show World Tour, in which she dressed as a whip-cracking dominatrix surrounded by topless dancers.[84] The show faced negative reaction, specifically in Puerto Rico where she rubbed the island's flag between her legs on stage.[50] The same year, she appeared as a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman, using profanity that was required to be censored on television and handing Letterman a pair of her underwear and asking him to smell it.[85] The releases of her sexually explicit films, albums and book, and the aggressive appearance on Letterman all made critics question Madonna as a sexual renegade. She faced strong negative publicity from critics and fans, who commented that "she had gone too far" and that her career was over.[86]
According to biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli, the ballad "I'll Remember" (1994), was an attempt to tone down her provocative image. The song was recorded for Alek Keshishian's film With Honors.[87] She made a subdued appearance with Letterman at an awards show and appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after realizing that she needed to change her musical direction in order to sustain her popularity.[88] With her sixth studio album, Bedtime Stories (1994), Madonna employed a softer image to reconnect with the general public.[88] The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and produced four singles, including "Secret" and "Take a Bow", the latter topping the Hot 100 for seven weeks.[36] At the same time, she became romantically involved with fitness trainer Carlos Leon.[89] Something to Remember, a collection of ballads, was released in May 1995. The album featured three new songs: "You'll See", "One More Chance", and a cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You".[90][36] In later years, Madonna commented that she was very fond of the albums between Like a Prayer and Something to Remember, "though I would agree that all of these albums were watershed moments for me".[91]
"This is the role I was born to play. I put everything of me into this because it was much more than a role in a movie. It was exhilarating and intimidating at the same time. And it was the farthest I've ever had to push myself creatively. At every level, I had a great education. And I am prouder of Evita than anything else I have done. [...] What drew me to the role from the beginning was the story of this remarkable woman, where she came from, how she came up in the world, the incredible amount of influence she had over an entire country and the impact she had on the whole world—truth really is stranger than fiction."
—Madonna talking about Evita and her role as Eva Perón.[92]The following year saw the release of Evita in which she played the title role of Eva Perón.[93][94] For a long time, Madonna had desired to play Perón and even wrote to director Alan Parker, explaining how she would be perfect for the part. After securing it, she underwent vocal training and learned about the history of Argentina and Perón. During shooting she fell sick many times, commenting that "The intensity of the scenes we have been shooting and the amount of emotional work and concentration needed to get through the day are so mentally and physically exhausting that I'm sure I will need to be institutionalized when its over."[95] Evita was a period drama and almost 6,000 costumes were needed for the scenes. Madonna herself wore 370 different costumes, earning her a Guinness World Record for the most costume changes in a film.[94] After its release, Evita garnered critical appreciation. Zach Conner from Time magazine commented "It's a relief to say that Evita is pretty damn fine, well cast and handsomely visualized. Madonna once again confounds our expectations. She plays Evita with a poignant weariness and has more than just a bit of star quality. Love or hate Madonna-Eva, she is a magnet for all eyes."[96][97] Madonna won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for the role.[98] She released three singles from the Evita soundtrack album including "You Must Love Me" (which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1997) and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina".[99]
On October 14, 1996, Madonna gave birth to Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon, her daughter with Leon.[100]
1997–2002: Ray of Light, Music and Drowned World Tour
Madonna performing on the Drowned World TourAfter Lourdes' birth, Madonna became involved in Eastern mysticism and Kabbalah. She was introduced to the Jewish mysticism by actress Sandra Bernhard in 1997.[101] Her seventh studio album, Ray of Light, (1998) reflected this change in her perception and image.[102] She commented: "This record, more than any other records, covers all the areas of life. I had recently joined Kabbalah and I had left off partying—but I had just had a baby, so my mood was complete, and I was incredibly thoughtful, retrospective and intrigued by the mystical aspects of life."[103] The album generated positive critical reviews and Slant Magazine described it as "one of the great pop masterpieces of the '90s".[104] Ray of Light was honored with four Grammy Awards, and listed as one of Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[105][106] Topping the charts in Australia, Canada, U.K. and mainland Europe, the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200—held off from the top spot by the soundtrack to the film Titanic—and sold over 20 million copies worldwide.[23][107] The album's first single, "Frozen", became Madonna's first single to debut at number one in the UK, while in the U.S. it became her sixth number two single and set another record for Madonna as the artist with the most number two hits.[36][108] The song was banned in Belgium, however, adjudicated to be plagiarized from Belgian songwriter Salvatore Acquaviva's 1993 song "Ma Vie Fout L'camp".[109] The second single, "Ray of Light", debuted at number five on the Billboard Hot 100.[110] Madonna's relationship with Leon ended in December 1998; she declared that they were "better off as best friends."[111] Following their break-up, Madonna signed to play a violin teacher in the film Music of the Heart but left the project, citing "creative differences" with director Wes Craven.[112] She followed the success of Ray of Light with the single "Beautiful Stranger", recorded for the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. It reached number 19 on the Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award for "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media".[36][69]
In 2000, Madonna starred in the film The Next Best Thing, and contributed two songs to the film's soundtrack: "Time Stood Still" and the international hit "American Pie", a cover version of Don McLean's 1971 song.[113] She released her eighth studio album, Music, in September 2000. It featured elements from the electronica-inspired Ray of Light era, and catered to her gay audience.[114] Collaborating with French producer Mirwais Ahmadzaï, Madonna commented: "I love to work with the weirdos that no one knows about—the people who have raw talent and who are making music unlike anyone else out there. Music is the future of sound."[114] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic felt that "Music blows by in a kaleidoscopic rush of color, technique, style and substance. It has so many depth and layers that it's easily as self-aware and earnest as Ray of Light.[115] The album took the number one position in more than 20 countries worldwide and sold four million copies in the first ten days.[105] In the U.S., Music debuted at the top, and became her first number one album in eleven years since Like a Prayer.[116] It produced three singles: the Hot 100 number one "Music", "Don't Tell Me" and "What It Feels Like for a Girl".[36] The music video of "What It Feels Like for a Girl" depicted Madonna committing murders and involved in car accidents, and was banned by MTV and VH1.[117]
Around the same time of the Music album, Madonna became involved in a relationship with Guy Ritchie, whom she had met in 1999 through mutual friends Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler. On August 11, 2000, she gave birth to their son, Rocco Ritchie.[118] In December, Madonna and Ritchie were married in an exclusive ceremony in Scotland.[119]
Her fifth concert tour, entitled Drowned World Tour, started in April 2001.[50] The tour visited cities in North America and Europe and was one of the highest grossing concert tours of the year, earning $75 million from 47 sold-out shows.[120] She also released her second greatest-hits collection, entitled GHV2, to coincide with the home video release of the tour. GHV2 debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200.[121] Madonna starred in the film Swept Away, directed by Ritchie. Released direct to video in the UK, the film was a commercial and critical failure.[122] Later that year, she released "Die Another Day", the title song of the James Bond film Die Another Day, in which she had a cameo role. The song reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated both for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Raspberry for Worst Song.[36][123]
2003–06: American Life and Confessions on a Dance Floor
Madonna performing at the Live 8 benefit concertFollowing Die Another Day, Madonna collaborated with fashion photographer Steven Klein in 2003 for an exhibition installation named X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS. It included photography from a photo shoot in W magazine, and seven video segments. The installation ran from March to May in New York's Deitch Projects gallery. It then traveled the world in an edited form.[124] Madonna released her ninth studio album, American Life, which was based on her observations of American society, and received mixed reviews.[125] She commented, "[American Life] was like a trip down memory lane, looking back at everything I've accomplished and all the things I once valued and all the things that were important to me."[126] Larry Flick from The Advocate felt that "American Life is an album that is among her most adventurous and lyrically intelligent. [...] It is like the flip side to 2000's Music, and turns out to be a lazy, half-arsed effort to sound and take her seriously."[126][127] The title song peaked at number 37 on the Hot 100.[36] Its original music video was canceled as Madonna thought that the video, featuring violence and war imagery, would be deemed unpatriotic since America was then at war with Iraq.[128] With only four million copies sold worldwide, American Life was the lowest selling album of her career.[129] She gave another provocative performance later that year at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, while singing "Hollywood" with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott. Madonna mouthkissed Spears and Aguilera during the performance, triggering a tabloid frenzy.[130][131] In October 2003, Madonna provided guest vocals on Spears' single "Me Against the Music".[132] It was followed with the release of Remixed & Revisited. The EP contained remixed versions of songs from American Life and included "Your Honesty", a previously unreleased track from the Bedtime Stories recording sessions.[133] Madonna also signed a contract with Callaway Arts & Entertainment to be the author of five children's books. The first of these books, entitled The English Roses, was published in September 2003. The story was about four English schoolgirls and their envy and jealousy of each other.[134] Kate Kellway from The Guardian commented "[Madonna] is an actress playing at what she can never be – a J.K. Rowling, an English rose."[135] The book debuted at the top of The New York Times Best Seller list and became the fastest-selling children's picture book of all time.[136]
The next year, Madonna and Maverick sued Warner Music Group and its former parent company Time Warner claiming that mismanagement of resources and poor bookkeeping had cost the company millions of dollars. In return, Warner filed a countersuit alleging that Maverick had lost tens of millions of dollars on its own.[137][138] The dispute was resolved when the Maverick shares, owned by Madonna and Ronnie Dashev, were purchased by Warner. Madonna and Dashev's company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music, but Madonna was still signed to Warner under a separate recording contract.[137] In mid-2004 Madonna embarked on the Re-Invention World Tour in the U.S., Canada and Europe. It became the highest-grossing tour of 2004, earning $125 million.[139] She made a documentary about the tour named I'm Going to Tell You a Secret.[140] Rolling Stone ranked her at number 36 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".[141] In January 2005, Madonna performed a cover version of the John Lennon song "Imagine" at Tsunami Aid.[142] She also performed at the Live 8 benefit concert in London.[143]
"I tried several different things when Stuart [producer Sutart Price] brought me music. And it was like divine inspiration. It just clicked, like: 'This is the direction of my record.' That's what we intended, to make a record that you can play at a party or in your car, where you don't have to skip past a ballad. It's nonstop."
—Madonna talking about Confessions on a Dance Floor.[144]Her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor, was released in November 2005 and debuted at number one in all major music markets.[145] Musically the album was structured like a club set composed by a DJ. The songs on the album started out light and happy, and as it progressed, it became intense, with the lyrics dealing more about personal feelings, hence "Confessions."[145] Keith Caulfield from Billboard commented that the album was a "welcome return to form for the Queen of Pop."[146] The album won a Grammy Award for "Best Electronic/Dance Album".[69] The first single from the album, "Hung Up", went on to reach number one in a record-breaking 45 countries, earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.[147] "Sorry", the second single, became Madonna's twelfth number one single in the UK.[37] She embarked on the Confessions Tour in May, which had a global audience of 1.2 million and grossed over $194.7 million, becoming the highest grossing tour to that date for a female artist.[148] Madonna used religious symbols, such as the crucifix and Crown of Thorns, in the performance of "Live to Tell". It caused the Russian Orthodox Church and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia to urge all their members to boycott her concert.[149] The Vatican protested the concert, as did bishops from Düsseldorf.[150] Madonna responded: "My performance is neither anti-Christian, sacrilegious or blasphemous. Rather, it is my plea to the audience to encourage mankind to help one another and to see the world as a unified whole."[151]
While on tour, Madonna participated in the Raising Malawi initiative by partially funding an orphanage and traveling to that country.[152] On October 10, 2006, she filed adoption papers for a boy from the orphanage, David Banda Mwale. He was later renamed David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie.[153] The adoption raised strong public reaction, because Malawian law requires would-be parents to reside in Malawi for one year before adopting, which Madonna did not do.[154] She addressed this on The Oprah Winfrey Show, saying that there were no written adoption laws in Malawi that regulated foreign adoption. She described how Banda had been suffering from pneumonia after surviving malaria and tuberculosis when she first met him.[155] Banda's biological father, Yohane commented, "These so-called human rights activists are harassing me every day, threatening me that I am not aware of what I am doing. [...] They want me to support their court case, a thing I cannot do for I know what I agreed with Madonna and her husband."[156] The adoption was finalized on May 28, 2008.[157] A clothing line titled M by Madonna, in collaboration with Swedish clothing retailer H&M, was launched internationally in 2006 end.[158] The collection consisted of leather trench coats, sequined shift dresses, cream-colored calf-length pants and matching cropped jackets. H&M said the collection reflected Madonna's "timeless, unique and always glamorous style."[159]
2007–09: Live Nation, Hard Candy and the Sticky & Sweet Tour
Madonna performing at the Live Earth concertsMadonna released the song "Hey You" for the Live Earth series of concerts. The song was available as a free download during its first week of release. She also performed it at the London Live Earth concert.[160] Madonna announced her departure from Warner Bros. Records, and a new $120 million, ten-year contract with Live Nation. She became the founding artist for the new music division, Live Nation Artists.[161] She produced and wrote I Am Because We Are, a documentary on the problems faced by Malawians. The documentary was directed by Nathan Rissman, who worked as Madonna's gardener.[162] She also directed her first film Filth and Wisdom. The story of the film was about three friends and their aspirations. Madonna commented that it was Ritchie who inspired her to develop the screenplay for the film. "The fact of the matter is that all the work I do is very autobiographical, directly or indirectly, because who do I know better than me?"[163] The Times said she had "done herself proud" while The Daily Telegraph described the film as "not an entirely unpromising first effort [but] Madonna would do well to hang on to her day job."[164][165] In December 2007, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced Madonna as one of the five inductees of 2008.[166] At the induction ceremony on March 10, 2008,[167] Madonna did not sing but asked fellow Hall of Fame inductees and Michigan natives The Stooges to perform her songs "Burning Up" and "Ray of Light". She thanked Christopher Flynn, her dance teacher from 35 years earlier, for his encouragement to follow her dreams.[168]
Madonna released her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy, in April 2008. Containing R&B and urban pop influences, the songs on Hard Candy were autobiographical in nature and saw Madonna collaborating with Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams and Nate "Danja" Hills.[169] Rolling Stone complimented it as an "impressive taste of her upcoming tour."[170]
"Probably in many respects most of the songs [on Hard Candy] are [autobiographical]. But in more of an unconscious way. I don't really think about telling personal stories when I'm writing music. It just comes. And then a lot of times, six months later, eight months later, I go, 'Oh, that's what I wrote that song about.' But that's when I play the song for lots of people and they all go, 'Oh, I can totally relate to that.'"
— Madonna talking about the inspiration behind Hard Candy[171]The album debuted at number one in 37 countries and on the Billboard 200.[172][173] It received generally positive reviews worldwide though some critics panned it as "an attempt to harness the urban market".[174][175] Its lead single, "4 Minutes", reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was Madonna's 37th Hot 100 top-ten hit—it pushed Madonna past Elvis Presley as the artist with the most top-ten hits.[176] In the UK, she retained her record for the most number one singles for a female artist; "4 Minutes" becoming her thirteenth.[177] To further promote the album, Madonna embarked on the Sticky & Sweet Tour; her first major venture with Live Nation. With a gross of U.S. $280 million, it became the highest-grossing tour by a solo artist, surpassing the previous record Madonna set with the Confessions Tour.[178] It was extended to the next year, adding new European dates, and after it ended, the total gross was U.S. $408 million.[178][179]
Life with My Sister Madonna, a book by Madonna's brother Christopher Ciccone, debuted at number two on The New York Times Bestseller List.[180] It was not authorized by Madonna, and led to a rift between them.[181] Problems also arose between Madonna and Ritchie, with the media reporting that they were on the verge of separation. Ultimately, Madonna filed for divorce from Ritchie, citing irreconcilable differences, which was finalized in December 2008.[182][183] Madonna was honored with the Gold International Artist of the Year, at the Recording Industry Association of Japan Gold Disc Awards, for her album Hard Candy.[184] She decided to adopt again from Malawi. The country's High Court initially approved the adoption of Chifundo "Mercy" James;[185] however, the application was rejected because Madonna was not a resident of Malawi.[186] Madonna appealed, and on June 12, 2009, the Supreme Court of Malawi granted Madonna the right to adopt Mercy James.[187] She also released Celebration, her third greatest-hits album, and the closing release with Warner. It contained the new songs "Celebration" and "Revolver" along with 34 hits spanning her career.[188] Celebration reached number one in the UK, tying her with Elvis Presley as the solo act with most number one albums in the British chart history.[189] She appeared at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards on September 13, 2009, to speak in tribute to deceased pop star Michael Jackson.[190]
2010–present: W.E. and other projects
Madonna performed "Like a Prayer" at the Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief concert in January 2010.[191] In April she released her third live album, Sticky & Sweet Tour. It was her first release under Live Nation, but was distributed by Warner Bros.[192] She announced plans of directing her second film, W.E., a biopic about the affair between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson. It was co-written with Alek Keshishian.[193] She later clarified that the film is about a woman's journey and was not going to be about the duchess' life. Instead, the duchess would act as the woman's spiritual guide.[194] Madonna granted American TV show Glee the rights to her entire catalogue of music, and the producers planned an episode which would feature Madonna songs exclusively.[195] Titled "The Power of Madonna", the episode was approved by her, telling Us Weekly that she found it "brilliant on every level", praising the scripting and the message of equality.[196] The episode also received positive reviews from critics. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly called it "one of the best hours of TV you’re likely to see all year", writing that the episode pays Madonna "the highest compliment possible" in not just expressing admiration for the singer, but "demonstrat[ing] a potent understanding of why Madonna matters."[197] Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna, an EP containing eight cover versions of Madonna songs featured in the episode was released in May. The EP debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, with 98,000 copies sold in the United States.[198][199]
Artistry
Musical style
"Papa Don't Preach" (1986)
"Papa Don't Preach" had Madonna singing in a much fuller voice, and incorporated classical instrumentation.
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"Frozen" (1998)
Composed with the darker electronic undertones, eastern strings and Middle Eastern percussion, "Frozen" features Madonna's previously unexplored vocal range.
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Madonna's music has been the subject of much analysis and scrutiny of critics. Robert M. Grant, author of Contemporary Strategy Analysis (2005), commented that what has brought Madonna success is "certainly not outstanding natural talent. As a vocalist, musician, dancer, songwriter, or actress, Madonna's talents seem modest."[200] He asserts Madonna's success is in relying on the talents of others, and that her personal relationships have served as cornerstones to the numerous reinventions in the longevity of her career.[200] Conversely, Rolling Stone has named Madonna "an exemplary songwriter with a gift for hooks and indelible lyrics, and a better studio singer than her live spectacles attest."[19] Mark Bego, author of Madonna: Blonde Ambition, called her "the perfect vocalist for lighter-than-air songs", despite not being a "heavyweight talent."[201] Madonna has always been self-conscious about her voice, especially in comparison to her vocal idols such as Ella Fitzgerald, Prince and Chaka Khan.[202]
According to Freya Jarman-Ivens, Madonna's talent for developing "incredible" hooks for her songs allows the lyrics to capture the attention of the audience, even without the influence of the music. As an example, Jarman-Ivens cites the 1985 single "Into the Groove" and its line "Live out your fantasy here with me, just let the music set you free; Touch my body, and move in time, now I know you're mine."[203] From 1983 to 1986, Madonna's musical productions were often girlish and naïve in nature, focusing primarily on love, romance, passion and boy-meets-girl relationships.[203] This changed with the album Like a Prayer, when the lyrics became much more personal, such as in "Promise to Try", which references Madonna's lingering pain at the loss of her mother.[203] Madonna's lyrics often suggest an identification with the gay community. Fouz believes that when Madonna sings "Come on girls, do you believe in love?" in "Express Yourself", she is addressing both the gay audience and the heterosexual female.[203] Even in the Erotica era, with its often adult-oriented lyrics, the songs appear free-flowing and gullible ("So won't you go down, where it's warm inside" — "Where Life Begins" from Erotica). Madonna's songwriting ability has been criticized, with Rolling Stone's Maria Raha calling her lyrics "flighty and not sophisticated. Madonna can only bring a trunk full of trite lyrics on the long standing tradition of pop music, love; when she wasn't singing about love, she was singing about partying and dancing."[204] Her lyrics were considered banal, and her songwriting capability was largely ignored by critics until the release of Ray of Light and Music. According to Jarman-Ivens, lyrics such as "You're frozen, when your heart's not open" ("Frozen", 1998) and "I can't remember, when I was young, I can't express if it was wrong" ("Paradise (Not for Me)", 2000) reflected an artistic palette, "encompassing diverse musical, textual and visual styles in its lyrics."[203]
On her 1983 debut album, Madonna's vocal abilities and personal artistry were not fully formed. Her vocal style and lyrics was similar to other pop stars of that period like Paula Abdul, Debbie Gibson and Taylor Dayne.[202] The songs on Madonna reveal several key trends that have continued to define her success, including a strong dance-based idiom, catchy hooks, highly polished arrangements and Madonna's own vocal style. In songs such as "Lucky Star" and "Borderline", Madonna introduced a style of upbeat dance music that would prove particularly appealing to gay audiences. The bright, girlish vocal timbre of the early years became passé in Madonna's later works, the change being deliberate, since Madonna was constantly reminded of how the critics had once labelled her as "Minnie Mouse on helium", because of her early voice.[202] Her second album, Like a Virgin (1984), foreshadowed several trends in Madonna's later works. It contained references to classical works (pizzicato synthesizer line that opens "Angel"); potential negative reaction from social groups ("Dress You Up" was blacklisted by the Parents Music Resource Center); and retro styles ("Shoo-Bee-Doo", Madonna's homage to Motown).[202] Madonna's early style, and the change that she ushered in it, is best evident in the song "Material Girl". It opens with Madonna using a little-girl voice, but following the first verse, she switches to a richer, more mature voice in the chorus.[202] This mature artistic statement was visible in True Blue (1986). The song "Papa Don't Preach" was a significant milestone in her artistic career. The classical introduction, fast tempo and the gravity in her voice was unprecedented in Madonna's œuvre at that time.[202]
With Like a Prayer (1989), Madonna again entered a new phase, musically. The album introduced live recorded songs and incorporated different genres of music, including dance, R&B and gospel music.[54] Madonna continued to compose ballads and uptempo dance songs for Erotica (1992) and Bedtime Stories (1994). She tried to remain contemporary by incorporating samples, drum loops and hip hop into her music. Her voice grew much deeper and fuller, evident in the tracks like "Rain" and "Take a Bow".[205] During the filming of Evita, Madonna had to take vocal lessons, which increased her range further. Of this experience she commented, "I studied with a vocal coach for Evita and I realized there was a whole piece of my voice I wasn't using. Before, I just believed I had a really limited range and was going to make the most of it."[206] Continuing her musical evolution with Ray of Light, the track "Frozen" displayed her fully formed vocal prowess and her allusions to classical music. Her vocals were restrained and she sang the songs in Ray of Light without vibrato. However, the intake of breath within the songs became more prominent.[202] With the new millennium came her album Music in which Madonna sang in her normal voice in a medium range, and sometimes in a higher register for the chorus. Fouz-Hernández commented that "Throughout her career, Madonna's manipulation of her voice shows us that, by refusing to be defined in one way, she has in fact opened up a space for new kinds of musical analysis."[202]
Influences
Marilyn Monroe (pictured) had a profound influence on Madonna.According to Taraborrelli, "Almost certainly, the defining moment of Madonna's childhood—the one that would have the most influence in shaping her into the woman she would become—was the tragic and untimely death of her beloved mother."[5] Psychiatrist Keith Ablow suggests that her mother's death would have had an immeasurable impact on the young Madonna at a time when her personality was still forming. According to Ablow, the younger a child is at the time of a serious loss, the more profound the influence and the longer lasting the impact. He concludes that "some people never reconcile themselves to such a loss at an early age, Madonna is not different than them."[5] Conversely, author Lucy O'Brien feels that the impact of the rape is, in fact, the motivating factor behind everything Madonna has done, more important even than the death of her mother: "It's not so much grief at her mother's death that drives her, as the sense of abandonment that left her unprotected. She encountered her own worst possible scenario, becoming a victim of male violence, and thereafter turned that full-tilt into her work, reversing the equation at every opportunity."[207]
As they grew older, Madonna and her sisters would feel deep sadness as the vivid memory of their mother began drifting, farther from them. They would study pictures of her and come to think that she resembled poet Anne Sexton and Hollywood actresses. This would later raise Madonna's interest in poetry with Sylvia Plath being her favourite.[5] Later, Madonna commented: "We were all wounded in one way or another by [her death], and then we spent the rest of our lives reacting to it or dealing with it or trying to turn into something else. The anguish of losing my mom left me with a certain kind of loneliness and an incredible longing for something. If I hadn't had that emptiness, I wouldn't have been so driven. Her death had a lot to do with me saying—after I got over my heartache—I'm going to be really strong if I can't have my mother. I'm going to take care of myself."[5] Taraborrelli felt that in time, no doubt because of the devastation she felt, Madonna would never again allow herself, or even her daughter, to feel as abandoned as she had felt when her mother died. "Her death had taught her a valuable lesson, that she would have to remain strong for herself because, she feared weakness—particularly her own—and wanted to be the queen of her own castle."[5]
In 1985, Madonna commented that the first song to ever make a strong impression on her was "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra; she said it summed up her own "take-charge attitude".[208] As a young woman, she attempted to broaden her taste in literature, art, and music, and during this time became interested in classical music. She noted that her favorite style was baroque, and loved Mozart and Chopin because she liked their "feminine quality".[209] Other musical influences included artists Karen Carpenter, The Supremes, Led Zeppelin, and dancers such as Martha Graham and Rudolf Nureyev.[210] Madonna's Italian-Catholic background and her relationship with her parents were reflected in the album Like a Prayer.[56] It was an evocation of the impact religion had on her career.[211] Her video for the title track contains Catholic symbolism, such as the stigmata. During The Virgin Tour, she wore a rosary, and also prayed with it in the music video for "La Isla Bonita".[212] The "Open Your Heart" video sees her boss scolding her in the Italian language. On Who's That Girl World Tour, she dedicated the song "Papa Don't Preach" to the Pope.[212][213]
During her childhood, Madonna was inspired by actors, later saying, "I loved Carole Lombard and Judy Holliday and Marilyn Monroe. They were all incredibly funny ... and I saw myself in them ... my girlishness, my knowingness and my innocence."[208] Her "Material Girl" music video recreated Monroe's look in the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. She studied the screwball comedies of the 1930s, particularly those of Lombard, in preparation for the film Who's That Girl. The video for "Express Yourself" (1989) was inspired by Fritz Lang's silent film Metropolis (1927). The video for "Vogue" recreated the style of Hollywood glamour photographs, in particular those by Horst P. Horst, and imitated the poses of Marlene Dietrich, Carole Lombard and Rita Hayworth, while the lyrics referred to many of the stars who had inspired her, including Bette Davis, described by Madonna as an idol.[68][214] Influences also came to her from the art world, most notably through the works of artist Frida Kahlo.[215] The music video of the song "Bedtime Story" featured images inspired by the paintings of Kahlo and Remedios Varo.[216] Her 2003 video for "Hollywood" was an homage to the work of photographer Guy Bourdin; Bourdin's son subsequently filed a lawsuit for unauthorised use of his father's work.[217] Pop artist Andy Warhol's use of sadomasochistic imagery in his underground films were reflected in the music videos for "Erotica" and "Deeper and Deeper".[218] Madonna's film career has been largely received negatively by the film critic community. Stephanie Zacharek, critic for Time magazine, stated that, "[Madonna] seems wooden and unnatural as an actress, and it's tough to watch, because she's clearly trying her damnedest."[219] According to biographer Andrew Morton, "Madonna puts a brave face on the criticism, but privately she is deeply hurt."[219] After the 2002 box-office bomb Swept Away, Madonna vowed that she would never act in a film, hoping that her repertoire as a bad actress will never be discussed again.[219]
Madonna is dedicated to Kabbalah and in 2004, she adopted the name Esther which in Hebrew means "star".[220] She has donated millions of dollars to New York and London schools teaching the subject.[220][221] After she joined the Jewish religion, she faced opposition from rabbis who felt Madonna's adoption of the Kabbalah was sacrilegious and a case of celebrity dilettantism. Madonna defended her studies, saying "It would be less controversial if I joined the Nazi Party", and that her involvement with the Kabbalah is "not hurting anybody."[222] The influence of the Kaballah was subsequently observed in Madonna's music, especially albums like Ray of Light and Music. According to scholar Bill Friskics-Warren, "the ethereal arrangement of music in these albums and the philosophizing, replete with references to gurus and fate-fitting karma, at first may seem like New Age lyrics, but a deep analysis yields a sense of connection that encompasses spiritual illumination and carnal ecstacy, in effect erasing the distinction between the two, and is the effect of her oblique Kabbalistic meditation on union and transcendence."[220] During the Re-Invention World Tour, at one point in the show, Madonna and her dancers wore t-shirts that read "Kabbalists Do It Better".[220]
Music videos and performances
Madonna performing at the Confessions Tour in 2006In The Madonna Companion, biographers Allen Metz and Carol Benson noted that more than any other recent pop artist, Madonna had used MTV and music videos to establish her popularity and enhance her recorded work.[223] According to them, many of her songs have the imagery of the music video in strong context, while referring to the music. The media and public reaction towards her most-discussed songs such as "Papa Don't Preach", "Like a Prayer" or "Justify My Love" had to do with the music videos created to promote the song and their impact, rather than the song itself.[223] Morton felt that "artistically, Madonna's songwriting is often overshadowed by her striking pop videos."[224] Madonna's initial music videos reflected her American and Hispanic mixed street style combined with a flamboyant glamor.[223] She was able to transmit her avant-garde downtown New York fashion sense to the American audience.[225] The imagery and incorporation of Hispanic culture and Catholic symbolism continued with the music videos from the True Blue era.[226] Author Douglas Kellner noted, "such 'multiculturalism' and her culturally transgressive moves turned out to be highly successful moves that endeared her to large and varied youth audiences".[227] Madonna's Spanish look in the videos became the fashion trend of that time, in the form of boleros and layered skirts, accessorizing with rosary beads and a crucifix as in the video of "La Isla Bonita".[228][229] Academics noted that with her videos, Madonna was subtly reversing the usual role of male as the dominant sex.[230] This symbolism and imagery was probably the most prevalent in the music video for "Like a Prayer". The video included scenes of an African-American church choir, Madonna attracted to a statue of a black saint, and singing in front of burning crosses. This mix of the sacred and the profane upset the Vatican and resulted in the Pepsi commercial withdrawal.[231] Madonna has been honored with record-breaking 20 MTV Video Music Awards, including the lifetime achievement "Video Vanguard Award" in 1986 for her contributions to the world of music video.[232]
Madonna's emergence occurred during the advent of MTV, and, according to Chris Nelson from The New York Times, "with its almost exclusively lip-synced videos, ushered in an era in which average music fans might happily spend hours a day, every day, watching singers just mouth the words."[233] The symbiotic relationship between the music video and lip-syncing led to a desire for the spectacle and imagery of the music video to be transferred to live stage shows. Chris Nelson of The New York Times reported, "Artists like Madonna and Janet Jackson set new standards for showmanship, with concerts that included not only elaborate costumes and precision-timed pyrotechnics but also highly athletic dancing. These effects came at the expense of live singing."[233] Thor Christensen of the Dallas Morning News commented that while Madonna earned a reputation for lip-syncing during her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour, she has subsequently reorganized her performances by "stay[ing] mostly still during her toughest singing parts and [leaves] the dance routines to her backup troupe ... [r]ather than try to croon and dance up a storm at the same time."[234] To allow for greater movement while dancing and singing, she was one of the earliest adopters of hands-free radio-frequency headset microphones, with the headset fastened over the ears or the top of the head, and the microphone capsule on a boom arm that extended to the mouth. Because of her prominent usage, the microphone design came to be known as the "Madonna mic".[235][236]
Legacy
See also: List of awards and nominations received by Madonna, Madonna as gay icon, Madonna wannabe, and Madonna Studies
Madonna performing at her Sticky & Sweet Tour, the highest-grossing tour of all time by a solo artistAccording to Rolling Stone, Madonna "remains one of the greatest pop acts of all time".[19] She has achieved multiple Guinness World Records, including world's top-selling female recording artist and the most successful female recording artist of all time.[147] On March 10, 2008, Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility.[167] Billboard magazine ranked her as the most successful solo artist (second overall, behind only The Beatles) on the "Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists".[237] She has also scored many hits on major international charts, including 13 number-one singles in the United Kingom, 11 in Australia, and 23 in Canada—more than any other female artist.[238][239][240] Madonna is featured in the book 100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century, published by Ladies' Home Journal in 1998.[241] In July 2003, she ranked seventh on VH1 and People magazine's list of the "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons of All Time."[242] In 2006, a new water bear species, Echiniscus madonnae, was named after her.[243] The paper with the description of E. madonnae was published in the international journal of animal taxonomy Zootaxa in March 2006 (Vol. 1154, pages: 1–36). The Zoologists commented: "We take great pleasure in dedicating this species to one of the most significant artists of our times, Madonna Louise Veronica Ritchie."[244]
Throughout her career Madonna has repeatedly reinvented herself through a series of visual and musical personas, earning her the nickname "Queen of Reinvention".[245] In doing so, "she exploited her sexuality to fashion herself into a cultural and commercial icon who, for more than a decade, was unchallenged as the reigning Queen of Pop music."[246] Fouz-Hernández agrees that these reinventions are one of her key cultural achievements.[247] Madonna reinvented herself by working with upcoming talented producers and previously unknown artists, while remaining at the center of media attention. According to Freya Jarman-Ivens, "In doing so Madonna has provided an example of how to maintain one's career in the entertainment industry."[247] Such reinvention was noted by scholars as the main tool in surviving the musical industry, for a female artist.[248] As Ian Youngs from BBC News commented, "Her ability to follow the latest trends and adapt her style has often been credited with preserving her appeal."[249] Madonna's use of shocking sexual imagery has benefited her career and catalyzed public discourse on sexuality and feminism.[247] The Times stated, "Madonna, whether you like her or not, started a revolution amongst women in music ... Her attitudes and opinions on sex, nudity, style and sexuality forced the public to sit up and take notice."[250] Rodger Streitmatter, author of Sex Sells! (2004), commented that "from the moment Madonna burst onto the nation's radar screen in the mid-1980s, she did everything in her power to shock the public, and her efforts paid off."[251] Shmuel Boteach, author of Hating women (2005), felt that Madonna was largely responsible for erasing the line between music and pornography. He stated: "Before Madonna, it was possible for women more famous for their voices than their cleavage, to emerge as music superstars. But in the post-Madonna universe, even highly original performers such as Janet Jackson now feel the pressure to expose their bodies on national television to sell albums."[252]
Madonna has influenced numerous music artists throughout her career. Mary Cross, in her book Madonna: A Biography, wrote: "Her influence on pop music is undeniable and far-reaching. New pop icons from Nelly Furtado and Shakira to Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera (not to mention Britney Spears) owe Madonna, a debt of thanks for the template she forged, combining provocative sexiness and female power in her image, music, and lyrics."[253] According to Fouz-Hernández, female pop performers such as Spears, the Spice Girls, Destiny's Child, Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Minogue and Pink were like "Madonna's daughters in the very direct sense that they grew up listening to and admiring Madonna, and decided they wanted to be like her."[254] Among them, Madonna's influence was most notable in Spears, who has been called her protégé.[250] Madonna has also been credited with the introduction of European electronic dance music into mainstream American pop culture, and for bringing European producers such as Stuart Price and Mirwais Ahmadzaï into the spotlight.[212] Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide.[255] She is ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century, and the second top-selling female artist in the United States (behind Barbra Streisand), with 64 million certified albums sold.[256][257]
Madonna has received acclaim as a role model for businesswomen in her industry, "achieving the kind of financial control that women had long fought for within the industry", and generating over $1.2 billion in sales within the first decade of her career.[258] After its establishment, Maverick Records became a major commercial success from her efforts, which was unusual at that time for an artist-established label.[259] Music journalist Robert Sandall said that while interviewing Madonna, it was clear that being "a cultural big hitter" was more important to her than pop music, a career she described as "an accident". He also saw a contrast between her anything-goes sexual public persona and a secretive and "paranoid" attitude toward her own finances; she fired her own brother when he charged her for an extra item.[260] Professor Colin Barrow of the Cranfield School of Management described Madonna as "America's smartest businesswoman… who has moved to the top of her industry and stayed there by constantly reinventing herself". He held up her "planning, personal discipline and constant attention to detail" as models for all aspiring entrepreneurs.[261] London Business School academics called her a "dynamic entrepreneur" worth copying; they identified her vision of success, her understanding of the music industry, her ability to recognize her own performance limits (and thus bring in help), her willingness to work hard and her ability to adapt as the key to her commercial success.[262] Morton commented that "Madonna is opportunistic, manipulative and ruthless—somebody who won't stop until she gets what she wants—and that's something you can get at the expense of maybe losing your close ones. But that hardly mattered to her."[263] Taraborrelli felt that this ruthlessness was visible during the shooting of the Pepsi commercial in 1989. "The fact that she didn't want to hold a Pepsi can in the commercial, clued the Pepsi executives that Madonna the pop star and Madonna the businesswoman were not going to be dictated by somebody else, she will do everything in her way—the only way."[264] Conversely, reporter Michael McWilliams commented: "The gripes about Madonna – she's cold, greedy, talentless – conceal both bigotry and the essence of her art, which is among the warmest, the most humane, the most profoundly satisfying in all pop culture."[265]
Discography
Main articles: Madonna albums discography, Madonna singles discography, and Madonna videography
Madonna (1983)
Like a Virgin (1984)
True Blue (1986)
Like a Prayer (1989)
Erotica (1992)
Bedtime Stories (1994)
Ray of Light (1998)
Music (2000)
American Life (2003)
Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)
Hard Candy (2008)
Tours
Main article: List of Madonna tours
The Virgin Tour (1985)
Who's That Girl World Tour (1987)
Blond Ambition World Tour (1990)
The Girlie Show World Tour (1993)
Drowned World Tour (2001)
Re-Invention World Tour (2004)
Confessions Tour (2006)
Sticky & Sweet Tour (2008–09)
See also
Madonna portal
Book:Madonna
Books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.
Madonna filmography
Madonna bibliography
List of unreleased Madonna songs
List of best-selling music artists
List of best-selling music artists in the United States
Honorific nicknames in popular music
Mononymous persons
Her career was further enhanced by film appearances that began in 1979, despite mixed commentary. She won critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her role in Evita (1996), but has received harsh feedback for other film roles. Madonna's other ventures include being a fashion designer, children's book author, film director and producer, and owner of her own recording company Maverick corporation, as a joint venture with Time Warner. She has been acclaimed as a businesswoman, and in 2007, she signed an unprecedented US $120 million contract with Live Nation.
Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the world's top-selling female recording artist of all time by the Guinness World Records. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and the second top-selling female artist in the United States, behind Barbra Streisand, with 64 million certified albums. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Madonna at number two, behind only The Beatles, on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, making her the most successful solo artist in the history of the Billboard chart. She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the same year. Considered to be one of the most influential figures in contemporary music, Madonna is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry. She is recognized as an inspiration among numerous music artists.
Contents [hide]
1 Life and career
1.1 1958–81: Early life and beginnings
1.2 1982–85: Madonna, Like a Virgin and marriage to Sean Penn
1.3 1986–91: True Blue, Like a Prayer and the Blond Ambition Tour
1.4 1992–96: Maverick, Sex, Erotica, Bedtime Stories and Evita
1.5 1997–2002: Ray of Light, Music and Drowned World Tour
1.6 2003–06: American Life and Confessions on a Dance Floor
1.7 2007–09: Live Nation, Hard Candy and the Sticky & Sweet Tour
1.8 2010–present: W.E. and other projects
2 Artistry
2.1 Musical style
2.2 Influences
2.3 Music videos and performances
3 Legacy
4 Discography
5 Tours
6 See also
7 Notes
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links
Life and career
1958–81: Early life and beginnings
Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan on August 16, 1958. Her mother, Madonna Louise (née Fortin), was of French Canadian descent, and her father, Silvio Anthony Ciccone, was a first-generation Italian American.[1] The Ciccone family originated from Pacentro, Italy; her father later worked as a design engineer for Chrysler and General Motors. Madonna was nicknamed "Little Nonni" to distinguish her from her mother.[2][3] The third of six children, her siblings are Martin, Anthony, Paula, Christopher, and Melanie.[4] Madonna was raised in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac and Avon Township (now part of Rochester Hills).
Her mother died of breast cancer at the age of 30 in 1963.[4] Months before her mother's death, Madonna noticed changes in her behaviour and personality from the attentive homemaker she was, although she did not understand the reason.[5] Mrs. Ciccone, at a loss to explain her dire medical condition, would often begin to cry when questioned by Madonna, at which point Madonna would respond by wrapping her arms around her mother tenderly. "I remember feeling stronger than she was," Madonna recalled, "I was so little and yet I felt like she was the child."[5] Madonna later acknowledged that she had not grasped the concept of her mother dying. "There was so much left unsaid, so many untangled and unresolved emotions, of remorse, guilt, loss, anger, confusion. [...] I saw my mother, looking very beautiful and lying as if she were asleep in an open casket. Then I noticed that my mother's mouth looked funny. It took me some time to realize that it had been sewn up. In that awful moment, I began to understand what I had lost forever. The final image of my mother, at once peaceful yet grotesque, haunts me today also."[6]
Madonna eventually learned to take care of herself and her siblings, and she turned to her grandmother in the hope of finding some solace and some form of her mother in her. The Ciccone siblings resented housekeepers and invariably rebelled against anyone brought into their home ostensibly to take the place of their beloved mother.[5] In an interview with Vanity Fair, Madonna commented that she saw herself in her youth as a "lonely girl who was searching for something. I wasn't rebellious in a certain way. I cared about being good at something. I didn't shave my underarms and I didn't wear make-up like normal girls do. But I studied and I got good grades.... I wanted to be somebody."[5] Terrified that her father could be taken from her as well, Madonna was often unable to sleep unless she was near him.[5] Her father married the family's housekeeper Joan Gustafson, and they had two children: Jennifer and Mario Ciccone.[7] At this point, Madonna began to express unresolved feelings of anger towards her father, that lasted for decades, and developed a rebellious attitude.[5] She attended St. Frederick's and St. Andrew's Elementary Schools, and then West Middle School. She was known for her high grade point average, and achieved notoriety for her unconventional behavior: she would perform cartwheels and handstands in the hallways between classes, dangle by her knees from the monkey bars during recess, and pull up her skirt during class—all so that the boys could see her underwear.[8]
Rochester Adams High School, where Madonna studied.Madonna later attended Rochester Adams High School, and was a straight-A student and a member of the cheerleading squad.[4] After graduating, she received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan.[9] She convinced her father to allow her to take ballet lessons[10] and was persuaded by Christopher Flynn, her ballet teacher, to pursue a career in dance.[11] At the end of 1977 she dropped out of college and relocated to New York City.[12][13] She had little money and worked as a waitress at Dunkin' Donuts and with modern dance troupes.[14] Madonna said of her move to New York, "It was the first time I'd ever taken a plane, the first time I'd ever gotten a taxi cab. I came here with $35 in my pocket. It was the bravest thing I'd ever done."[15] She started to work as a backup dancer for other established artists. During a late night, Madonna was returning from a rehearsal, when she was dragged up an alleyway by a pair of men and forced to perform fellatio at knifepoint. Madonna had later commented that "the episode was a taste of my weakness, it showed me that I still could not save myself in spite of all the strong-girl show. I could never forget it."[16] While performing as a dancer for the French disco artist Patrick Hernandez on his 1979 world tour,[8] Madonna became romantically involved with musician Dan Gilroy. They formed her first rock band, the Breakfast Club,[7][17] for which Madonna sang and played drums and guitar. In 1980 she left Breakfast Club and, with her former boyfriend Stephen Bray as drummer, formed the band Emmy. Their music impressed DJ and record producer Mark Kamins who arranged a meeting between Madonna and Sire Records founder Seymour Stein.[18][19]
1982–85: Madonna, Like a Virgin and marriage to Sean Penn
Madonna signed a singles deal with Sire, a label belonging to Warner Bros. Records.[20] Her debut single, "Everybody", was released on October 6, 1982, and became a dance hit.[21] She started developing her debut album Madonna, which was primarily produced by Reggie Lucas, a Warner Bros. producer. However, she was not happy with the completed tracks and disagreed with Lucas' production techniques, so decided to seek additional help. Madonna moved in with boyfriend John "Jellybean" Benitez, asking his help for finishing the album's production. Benitez remixed most of the tracks and produced "Holiday", which was her third single. The overall sound of Madonna is dissonant, and is in the form of upbeat synthetic disco, utilizing some of the new technology of the time, like the usage of Linn drum machine, Moog bass and the OB-X synthesizer.[18][22] The album peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200, and yielded the hit singles "Holiday", "Borderline" and "Lucky Star".[23][24]
"I was surprised by how people reacted to "Like a Virgin" because when I did that song, to me, I was singing about how something made me feel a certain way – brand-new and fresh – and everyone interpreted it as I don't want to be a virgin anymore. Fuck my brains out! That's not what I sang at all. 'Like a Virgin' was always absolutely ambiguous."
—Madonna on the backlash for "Like a Virgin"[25][26]Gradually, Madonna's look and manner of dressing, her performances and her music videos started influencing young girls and women. Her style became a female fashion trend of the 1980s. It was created by stylist and jewelry designer Maripol and the look consisted of lace tops, skirts over capri pants, fishnet stockings, jewelry bearing the crucifix, bracelets, and bleached hair.[27] She achieved global recognition after the release of her second studio album: Like a Virgin in 1984. It topped the charts in several countries and became her first number one album on the Billboard 200.[23][28] The title track, "Like a Virgin", topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six consecutive weeks.[24] It attracted the attention of family organizations, who complained that the song and its accompanying video promoted premarital sex and undermined family values,[29] and moralists sought to have the song and video banned.[30] Madonna further came under fire when she performed the song at the first MTV Video Music Awards where she appeared on stage atop a giant wedding cake, wearing a wedding dress and bridal veil, adorned with her characteristic "Boy Toy" belt buckle. The performance is noted by scholars and by MTV as an iconic performance in MTV history.[31] In later years, Madonna commented that she was actually terrified of the performance. She recalled, "I remember my manager Freddy shouting to me, 'Oh my God! What were you doing? You were wearing a wedding dress. Oh my God! You were rolling around on the floor!' It was the bravest, most blatant sexual thing I had ever done on television."[31][32] Like a Virgin was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America and sold more than 21 million copies worldwide.[33][34] The National Association of Recording Merchandisers and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed the album as one of the "Definitive 200 Albums of All Time" in 1998.[35]
Madonna entered mainstream films in 1985, beginning with a brief appearance as a club singer in Vision Quest, a romantic drama film. Its soundtrack contained her U.S. number one single, "Crazy for You".[36] She also appeared in the comedy Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), a film which introduced the song "Into the Groove", her first number one single in the United Kingdom.[37] Although not the lead actress for the film, her profile was such that the movie widely became seen (and marketed) as a Madonna vehicle.[38] The film received a nomination for a César Award for Best Foreign Film and The New York Times film critic Vincent Canby named it one of the ten best films of 1985.[39] While filming the music video for the second single from Like a Virgin—"Material Girl"—Madonna started dating actor Sean Penn and married him on her birthday in 1985.[40]
Beginning in April 1985, Madonna embarked on her first concert tour in North America, The Virgin Tour, with the Beastie Boys as her opening act.[41] Madonna commented: "That whole tour was crazy, because I went from playing CBGB and the Mudd Club to playing sporting arenas. I played a small theater in Seattle, and the girls had flap skirts on and the tights cut off below their knees and lace gloves and rosaries and bows in their hair and big hoop earrings. [...] After Seattle, all of the shows were moved to arenas."[42] In July, Penthouse and Playboy magazines published a number of nude photos of Madonna, taken in New York in 1978. She had posed for the photographs as she needed money at the time, and was paid as little as $25 a session.[43] The publication of the photos caused a media uproar, but Madonna remained defiant and unapologetic. The photographs were ultimately sold for up to $100,000.[43] She referred to the whole experience at the 1985 outdoor Live Aid charity concert saying that she would not take her jacket off because "[the media] might hold it against me ten years from now."[44][45]
1986–91: True Blue, Like a Prayer and the Blond Ambition Tour
Madonna during the Blond Ambition World TourTrue Blue, Madonna's third studio album, was released in June, 1986. It spawned three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100: "Live to Tell", "Papa Don't Preach" and "Open Your Heart", and two more top-five singles: "True Blue" and "La Isla Bonita".[24][36] The album topped the charts in over 28 countries worldwide, an unprecedented achievement at the time.[46] Rolling Stone magazine was generally impressed with the effort, writing that the album "sound[s] as if it comes from the heart".[47] She also starred in the critically panned film Shanghai Surprise, and made her theatrical debut in a production of David Rabe's Goose and Tom-Tom, both co-starring Penn.[48] The next year, Madonna's second feature film Who's That Girl was released. She contributed four songs to its soundtrack, including the title track and "Causing a Commotion".[24] In June 1987, she embarked on the Who's That Girl World Tour which continued until September. Regarding the tour, Madonna commented "I realised that I could go from being unmoulded clay, and over time and with the help of people, I could turn myself into something else. This tour is the reflection of that belief and it's as if saying to me 'Who are you girl?' Hence the name, its the new me."[49][50] Later that year, she released a remix album of past hits, entitled You Can Dance, which reached 14 on the Billboard 200.[51] Madonna and Penn filed for divorce in December 1987, citing irreconcilable differences, with Madonna's lawyer pointing to Penn's drinking problem and his abusive nature. The divorce was finalized in January 1989.[52] Of her marriage to Penn, Madonna later said, "I was completely obsessed with my career and not ready to be generous in any shape or form."[40]
"In Like a Prayer I've been dealing with more specific issues that mean a lot to me. They're about an assimilation of experiences I've had in my life and in relationships. They're about my mother, my father and my bonds with my family about the pain of dying, or growing up and letting go. [The album] was a real coming-of-age record for me emotionally. [...] I had to do a lot of soul-searching and I think it is a reflection of that."
—Madonna talking about the inspiration behind Like a Prayer.[53][54]In January 1989, Madonna signed an endorsement deal with soft drink manufacturer Pepsi. In one of her Pepsi commercials, she debuted her song "Like a Prayer". The corresponding music video featured many Catholic symbols such as stigmata and burning crosses, and a dream about making love to a saint, leading the Vatican to condemn the video. Religious groups sought to ban the commercial and boycott Pepsi products. Pepsi revoked the commercial and canceled her sponsorship contract. However, she was allowed to retain her fee of five million dollars.[4] The song was included on Madonna's fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, which was co-written and co-produced by Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray.[55] Rolling Stone hailed it as "...as close to art as pop music gets".[56] Like a Prayer peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 13 million copies worldwide, with 4 million copies sold in the U.S. alone.[23][57] Six singles were released from the album, including "Like a Prayer", which reached number-one, and "Express Yourself" and "Cherish", both peaking at number two.[24][36] By the end of the 1980s, Madonna had become the most successful female artist of the decade, with three number one albums and seven number one singles, surpassed only by Michael Jackson.[58]
Madonna starred as "Breathless" Mahoney in the film Dick Tracy (1990), with Warren Beatty playing the title role.[59] To accompany the film, she released the soundtrack album I'm Breathless, which included songs inspired by the film's 1930s setting. It also featured the U.S. number one hit, "Vogue",[60] and "Sooner or Later", which earned songwriter Stephen Sondheim an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1991.[61] While shooting the film, Madonna began a relationship with Beatty which dissolved by the end of 1990.[62][63] In April 1990 she began her Blond Ambition World Tour, which continued for nearly four months. Regarding the tour, Madonna commented "I know that I'm not the best singer and I know that I'm not the best dancer. But, I can fucking push people's buttons and be as provocative as I want. The tour's goal is to break useless taboos."[64] Rolling Stone called it an "elaborately choreographed, sexually provocative extravaganza" and proclaimed it "the best tour of 1990".[65] The tour was met with strong reaction from religious groups for her performance of "Like a Virgin", during which two male dancers caressed her body before she simulated masturbation.[50] The Pope asked the general public and the Christian community not to attend the concert.[66] A private association of Catholics calling themselves Famiglia Domani also boycotted the tour for its eroticism.[67] In response, Madonna said, "I am Italian American and proud of it. [...] The tour in no way hurts anybody's sentiments. It's for open minds and gets them to see sexuality in a different way. Their own and others"; she declared that the Church "completely frowns on sex ... except for procreation."[68] The Laserdisc release of the tour won Madonna a Grammy Award in 1992 for Best Long Form Music Video.[69]
The Immaculate Collection, Madonna's first greatest-hits compilation album, was released in November 1990. It included two new songs, "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me".[70] The album was certified diamond by RIAA and sold over 30 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling compilation album by a solo artist in history.[33][71] "Justify My Love" reached number one in the U.S. and top ten worldwide.[36][72] Its music video featured scenes of sadomasochism, bondage, same-sex kissing and brief nudity.[73][74] The video was deemed too sexually explicit for MTV and was banned from the network. Madonna responded to the banning: "Why is it that people are willing to go and watch a movie about someone getting blown to bits for no reason at all, and nobody wants to see two girls kissing and two men snuggling? [...] MTV has been good to me, and they know their audience. If it's too strong for them, I understand. Although, half of me thought I was going to get away with it."[73][75] The second single, "Rescue Me", became the highest-debuting single by a female artist in Hot 100 chart history at that time, entering at number 15 and peaking at number nine.[70]
In December 1990, Madonna decided to leave Jennifer Lynch's film Boxing Helena, which she had previously agreed to star in, without any explanation to the producers.[76] From late 1990 to early 1991, Madonna dated Tony Ward, a model and pornography performer who appeared in her music videos for "Cherish" and "Justify My Love". She also had an eight-month relationship with rapper Vanilla Ice.[77] Her first documentary film Truth or Dare (known as In Bed with Madonna outside North America) was released in mid-1991. The documentary chronicled her Blond Ambition World Tour and provided glimpses into her personal life.[19]
1992–96: Maverick, Sex, Erotica, Bedtime Stories and Evita
Eva Perón (pictured). Madonna's portrayal of Perón in the film Evita garnered her critical acclaim.In 1992 Madonna had a role in A League of Their Own as Mae Mordabito, a baseball player on an all-women's team. She recorded the film's theme song, "This Used to Be My Playground", which became a Hot 100 number one hit.[36] The same year she founded her own entertainment company, Maverick, consisting of a record company (Maverick Records), a film production company (Maverick Films), and associated music publishing, television broadcasting, book publishing and merchandising divisions. The deal was a joint venture with Time Warner and paid Madonna an advance of $60 million. It gave her 20% royalties from the music proceedings, one of the highest rates in the industry, equaled at that time only by Michael Jackson's royalty rate established a year earlier with Sony.[21] The first release from the venture was Madonna's book, entitled Sex. It consisted of sexually provocative and explicit images, photographed by Steven Meisel. The book caused strong negative reaction from the media and the general public, but sold 1.5 million copies at $50 each in a matter of days.[78][79] At the same time she released her fifth studio album, Erotica, which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200.[23][79] Its title track peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.[36] Erotica also produced five further singles: "Deeper and Deeper", "Bad Girl", "Fever", "Rain" and "Bye Bye Baby".[80]
The provocative imagery that was her trademark continued in the 1990s with the erotic thriller Body of Evidence, a film which contained scenes of sadomasochism and bondage. It was poorly received by critics.[81][82] She also starred in the film Dangerous Game, which was released straight to video in North America. The New York Times described the film as "angry and painful, and the pain feels real."[83] In October 1993, she embarked on The Girlie Show World Tour, in which she dressed as a whip-cracking dominatrix surrounded by topless dancers.[84] The show faced negative reaction, specifically in Puerto Rico where she rubbed the island's flag between her legs on stage.[50] The same year, she appeared as a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman, using profanity that was required to be censored on television and handing Letterman a pair of her underwear and asking him to smell it.[85] The releases of her sexually explicit films, albums and book, and the aggressive appearance on Letterman all made critics question Madonna as a sexual renegade. She faced strong negative publicity from critics and fans, who commented that "she had gone too far" and that her career was over.[86]
According to biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli, the ballad "I'll Remember" (1994), was an attempt to tone down her provocative image. The song was recorded for Alek Keshishian's film With Honors.[87] She made a subdued appearance with Letterman at an awards show and appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after realizing that she needed to change her musical direction in order to sustain her popularity.[88] With her sixth studio album, Bedtime Stories (1994), Madonna employed a softer image to reconnect with the general public.[88] The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and produced four singles, including "Secret" and "Take a Bow", the latter topping the Hot 100 for seven weeks.[36] At the same time, she became romantically involved with fitness trainer Carlos Leon.[89] Something to Remember, a collection of ballads, was released in May 1995. The album featured three new songs: "You'll See", "One More Chance", and a cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You".[90][36] In later years, Madonna commented that she was very fond of the albums between Like a Prayer and Something to Remember, "though I would agree that all of these albums were watershed moments for me".[91]
"This is the role I was born to play. I put everything of me into this because it was much more than a role in a movie. It was exhilarating and intimidating at the same time. And it was the farthest I've ever had to push myself creatively. At every level, I had a great education. And I am prouder of Evita than anything else I have done. [...] What drew me to the role from the beginning was the story of this remarkable woman, where she came from, how she came up in the world, the incredible amount of influence she had over an entire country and the impact she had on the whole world—truth really is stranger than fiction."
—Madonna talking about Evita and her role as Eva Perón.[92]The following year saw the release of Evita in which she played the title role of Eva Perón.[93][94] For a long time, Madonna had desired to play Perón and even wrote to director Alan Parker, explaining how she would be perfect for the part. After securing it, she underwent vocal training and learned about the history of Argentina and Perón. During shooting she fell sick many times, commenting that "The intensity of the scenes we have been shooting and the amount of emotional work and concentration needed to get through the day are so mentally and physically exhausting that I'm sure I will need to be institutionalized when its over."[95] Evita was a period drama and almost 6,000 costumes were needed for the scenes. Madonna herself wore 370 different costumes, earning her a Guinness World Record for the most costume changes in a film.[94] After its release, Evita garnered critical appreciation. Zach Conner from Time magazine commented "It's a relief to say that Evita is pretty damn fine, well cast and handsomely visualized. Madonna once again confounds our expectations. She plays Evita with a poignant weariness and has more than just a bit of star quality. Love or hate Madonna-Eva, she is a magnet for all eyes."[96][97] Madonna won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for the role.[98] She released three singles from the Evita soundtrack album including "You Must Love Me" (which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1997) and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina".[99]
On October 14, 1996, Madonna gave birth to Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon, her daughter with Leon.[100]
1997–2002: Ray of Light, Music and Drowned World Tour
Madonna performing on the Drowned World TourAfter Lourdes' birth, Madonna became involved in Eastern mysticism and Kabbalah. She was introduced to the Jewish mysticism by actress Sandra Bernhard in 1997.[101] Her seventh studio album, Ray of Light, (1998) reflected this change in her perception and image.[102] She commented: "This record, more than any other records, covers all the areas of life. I had recently joined Kabbalah and I had left off partying—but I had just had a baby, so my mood was complete, and I was incredibly thoughtful, retrospective and intrigued by the mystical aspects of life."[103] The album generated positive critical reviews and Slant Magazine described it as "one of the great pop masterpieces of the '90s".[104] Ray of Light was honored with four Grammy Awards, and listed as one of Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[105][106] Topping the charts in Australia, Canada, U.K. and mainland Europe, the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200—held off from the top spot by the soundtrack to the film Titanic—and sold over 20 million copies worldwide.[23][107] The album's first single, "Frozen", became Madonna's first single to debut at number one in the UK, while in the U.S. it became her sixth number two single and set another record for Madonna as the artist with the most number two hits.[36][108] The song was banned in Belgium, however, adjudicated to be plagiarized from Belgian songwriter Salvatore Acquaviva's 1993 song "Ma Vie Fout L'camp".[109] The second single, "Ray of Light", debuted at number five on the Billboard Hot 100.[110] Madonna's relationship with Leon ended in December 1998; she declared that they were "better off as best friends."[111] Following their break-up, Madonna signed to play a violin teacher in the film Music of the Heart but left the project, citing "creative differences" with director Wes Craven.[112] She followed the success of Ray of Light with the single "Beautiful Stranger", recorded for the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. It reached number 19 on the Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award for "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media".[36][69]
In 2000, Madonna starred in the film The Next Best Thing, and contributed two songs to the film's soundtrack: "Time Stood Still" and the international hit "American Pie", a cover version of Don McLean's 1971 song.[113] She released her eighth studio album, Music, in September 2000. It featured elements from the electronica-inspired Ray of Light era, and catered to her gay audience.[114] Collaborating with French producer Mirwais Ahmadzaï, Madonna commented: "I love to work with the weirdos that no one knows about—the people who have raw talent and who are making music unlike anyone else out there. Music is the future of sound."[114] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic felt that "Music blows by in a kaleidoscopic rush of color, technique, style and substance. It has so many depth and layers that it's easily as self-aware and earnest as Ray of Light.[115] The album took the number one position in more than 20 countries worldwide and sold four million copies in the first ten days.[105] In the U.S., Music debuted at the top, and became her first number one album in eleven years since Like a Prayer.[116] It produced three singles: the Hot 100 number one "Music", "Don't Tell Me" and "What It Feels Like for a Girl".[36] The music video of "What It Feels Like for a Girl" depicted Madonna committing murders and involved in car accidents, and was banned by MTV and VH1.[117]
Around the same time of the Music album, Madonna became involved in a relationship with Guy Ritchie, whom she had met in 1999 through mutual friends Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler. On August 11, 2000, she gave birth to their son, Rocco Ritchie.[118] In December, Madonna and Ritchie were married in an exclusive ceremony in Scotland.[119]
Her fifth concert tour, entitled Drowned World Tour, started in April 2001.[50] The tour visited cities in North America and Europe and was one of the highest grossing concert tours of the year, earning $75 million from 47 sold-out shows.[120] She also released her second greatest-hits collection, entitled GHV2, to coincide with the home video release of the tour. GHV2 debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200.[121] Madonna starred in the film Swept Away, directed by Ritchie. Released direct to video in the UK, the film was a commercial and critical failure.[122] Later that year, she released "Die Another Day", the title song of the James Bond film Die Another Day, in which she had a cameo role. The song reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated both for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Raspberry for Worst Song.[36][123]
2003–06: American Life and Confessions on a Dance Floor
Madonna performing at the Live 8 benefit concertFollowing Die Another Day, Madonna collaborated with fashion photographer Steven Klein in 2003 for an exhibition installation named X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS. It included photography from a photo shoot in W magazine, and seven video segments. The installation ran from March to May in New York's Deitch Projects gallery. It then traveled the world in an edited form.[124] Madonna released her ninth studio album, American Life, which was based on her observations of American society, and received mixed reviews.[125] She commented, "[American Life] was like a trip down memory lane, looking back at everything I've accomplished and all the things I once valued and all the things that were important to me."[126] Larry Flick from The Advocate felt that "American Life is an album that is among her most adventurous and lyrically intelligent. [...] It is like the flip side to 2000's Music, and turns out to be a lazy, half-arsed effort to sound and take her seriously."[126][127] The title song peaked at number 37 on the Hot 100.[36] Its original music video was canceled as Madonna thought that the video, featuring violence and war imagery, would be deemed unpatriotic since America was then at war with Iraq.[128] With only four million copies sold worldwide, American Life was the lowest selling album of her career.[129] She gave another provocative performance later that year at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, while singing "Hollywood" with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott. Madonna mouthkissed Spears and Aguilera during the performance, triggering a tabloid frenzy.[130][131] In October 2003, Madonna provided guest vocals on Spears' single "Me Against the Music".[132] It was followed with the release of Remixed & Revisited. The EP contained remixed versions of songs from American Life and included "Your Honesty", a previously unreleased track from the Bedtime Stories recording sessions.[133] Madonna also signed a contract with Callaway Arts & Entertainment to be the author of five children's books. The first of these books, entitled The English Roses, was published in September 2003. The story was about four English schoolgirls and their envy and jealousy of each other.[134] Kate Kellway from The Guardian commented "[Madonna] is an actress playing at what she can never be – a J.K. Rowling, an English rose."[135] The book debuted at the top of The New York Times Best Seller list and became the fastest-selling children's picture book of all time.[136]
The next year, Madonna and Maverick sued Warner Music Group and its former parent company Time Warner claiming that mismanagement of resources and poor bookkeeping had cost the company millions of dollars. In return, Warner filed a countersuit alleging that Maverick had lost tens of millions of dollars on its own.[137][138] The dispute was resolved when the Maverick shares, owned by Madonna and Ronnie Dashev, were purchased by Warner. Madonna and Dashev's company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music, but Madonna was still signed to Warner under a separate recording contract.[137] In mid-2004 Madonna embarked on the Re-Invention World Tour in the U.S., Canada and Europe. It became the highest-grossing tour of 2004, earning $125 million.[139] She made a documentary about the tour named I'm Going to Tell You a Secret.[140] Rolling Stone ranked her at number 36 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".[141] In January 2005, Madonna performed a cover version of the John Lennon song "Imagine" at Tsunami Aid.[142] She also performed at the Live 8 benefit concert in London.[143]
"I tried several different things when Stuart [producer Sutart Price] brought me music. And it was like divine inspiration. It just clicked, like: 'This is the direction of my record.' That's what we intended, to make a record that you can play at a party or in your car, where you don't have to skip past a ballad. It's nonstop."
—Madonna talking about Confessions on a Dance Floor.[144]Her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor, was released in November 2005 and debuted at number one in all major music markets.[145] Musically the album was structured like a club set composed by a DJ. The songs on the album started out light and happy, and as it progressed, it became intense, with the lyrics dealing more about personal feelings, hence "Confessions."[145] Keith Caulfield from Billboard commented that the album was a "welcome return to form for the Queen of Pop."[146] The album won a Grammy Award for "Best Electronic/Dance Album".[69] The first single from the album, "Hung Up", went on to reach number one in a record-breaking 45 countries, earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.[147] "Sorry", the second single, became Madonna's twelfth number one single in the UK.[37] She embarked on the Confessions Tour in May, which had a global audience of 1.2 million and grossed over $194.7 million, becoming the highest grossing tour to that date for a female artist.[148] Madonna used religious symbols, such as the crucifix and Crown of Thorns, in the performance of "Live to Tell". It caused the Russian Orthodox Church and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia to urge all their members to boycott her concert.[149] The Vatican protested the concert, as did bishops from Düsseldorf.[150] Madonna responded: "My performance is neither anti-Christian, sacrilegious or blasphemous. Rather, it is my plea to the audience to encourage mankind to help one another and to see the world as a unified whole."[151]
While on tour, Madonna participated in the Raising Malawi initiative by partially funding an orphanage and traveling to that country.[152] On October 10, 2006, she filed adoption papers for a boy from the orphanage, David Banda Mwale. He was later renamed David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie.[153] The adoption raised strong public reaction, because Malawian law requires would-be parents to reside in Malawi for one year before adopting, which Madonna did not do.[154] She addressed this on The Oprah Winfrey Show, saying that there were no written adoption laws in Malawi that regulated foreign adoption. She described how Banda had been suffering from pneumonia after surviving malaria and tuberculosis when she first met him.[155] Banda's biological father, Yohane commented, "These so-called human rights activists are harassing me every day, threatening me that I am not aware of what I am doing. [...] They want me to support their court case, a thing I cannot do for I know what I agreed with Madonna and her husband."[156] The adoption was finalized on May 28, 2008.[157] A clothing line titled M by Madonna, in collaboration with Swedish clothing retailer H&M, was launched internationally in 2006 end.[158] The collection consisted of leather trench coats, sequined shift dresses, cream-colored calf-length pants and matching cropped jackets. H&M said the collection reflected Madonna's "timeless, unique and always glamorous style."[159]
2007–09: Live Nation, Hard Candy and the Sticky & Sweet Tour
Madonna performing at the Live Earth concertsMadonna released the song "Hey You" for the Live Earth series of concerts. The song was available as a free download during its first week of release. She also performed it at the London Live Earth concert.[160] Madonna announced her departure from Warner Bros. Records, and a new $120 million, ten-year contract with Live Nation. She became the founding artist for the new music division, Live Nation Artists.[161] She produced and wrote I Am Because We Are, a documentary on the problems faced by Malawians. The documentary was directed by Nathan Rissman, who worked as Madonna's gardener.[162] She also directed her first film Filth and Wisdom. The story of the film was about three friends and their aspirations. Madonna commented that it was Ritchie who inspired her to develop the screenplay for the film. "The fact of the matter is that all the work I do is very autobiographical, directly or indirectly, because who do I know better than me?"[163] The Times said she had "done herself proud" while The Daily Telegraph described the film as "not an entirely unpromising first effort [but] Madonna would do well to hang on to her day job."[164][165] In December 2007, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced Madonna as one of the five inductees of 2008.[166] At the induction ceremony on March 10, 2008,[167] Madonna did not sing but asked fellow Hall of Fame inductees and Michigan natives The Stooges to perform her songs "Burning Up" and "Ray of Light". She thanked Christopher Flynn, her dance teacher from 35 years earlier, for his encouragement to follow her dreams.[168]
Madonna released her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy, in April 2008. Containing R&B and urban pop influences, the songs on Hard Candy were autobiographical in nature and saw Madonna collaborating with Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams and Nate "Danja" Hills.[169] Rolling Stone complimented it as an "impressive taste of her upcoming tour."[170]
"Probably in many respects most of the songs [on Hard Candy] are [autobiographical]. But in more of an unconscious way. I don't really think about telling personal stories when I'm writing music. It just comes. And then a lot of times, six months later, eight months later, I go, 'Oh, that's what I wrote that song about.' But that's when I play the song for lots of people and they all go, 'Oh, I can totally relate to that.'"
— Madonna talking about the inspiration behind Hard Candy[171]The album debuted at number one in 37 countries and on the Billboard 200.[172][173] It received generally positive reviews worldwide though some critics panned it as "an attempt to harness the urban market".[174][175] Its lead single, "4 Minutes", reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was Madonna's 37th Hot 100 top-ten hit—it pushed Madonna past Elvis Presley as the artist with the most top-ten hits.[176] In the UK, she retained her record for the most number one singles for a female artist; "4 Minutes" becoming her thirteenth.[177] To further promote the album, Madonna embarked on the Sticky & Sweet Tour; her first major venture with Live Nation. With a gross of U.S. $280 million, it became the highest-grossing tour by a solo artist, surpassing the previous record Madonna set with the Confessions Tour.[178] It was extended to the next year, adding new European dates, and after it ended, the total gross was U.S. $408 million.[178][179]
Life with My Sister Madonna, a book by Madonna's brother Christopher Ciccone, debuted at number two on The New York Times Bestseller List.[180] It was not authorized by Madonna, and led to a rift between them.[181] Problems also arose between Madonna and Ritchie, with the media reporting that they were on the verge of separation. Ultimately, Madonna filed for divorce from Ritchie, citing irreconcilable differences, which was finalized in December 2008.[182][183] Madonna was honored with the Gold International Artist of the Year, at the Recording Industry Association of Japan Gold Disc Awards, for her album Hard Candy.[184] She decided to adopt again from Malawi. The country's High Court initially approved the adoption of Chifundo "Mercy" James;[185] however, the application was rejected because Madonna was not a resident of Malawi.[186] Madonna appealed, and on June 12, 2009, the Supreme Court of Malawi granted Madonna the right to adopt Mercy James.[187] She also released Celebration, her third greatest-hits album, and the closing release with Warner. It contained the new songs "Celebration" and "Revolver" along with 34 hits spanning her career.[188] Celebration reached number one in the UK, tying her with Elvis Presley as the solo act with most number one albums in the British chart history.[189] She appeared at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards on September 13, 2009, to speak in tribute to deceased pop star Michael Jackson.[190]
2010–present: W.E. and other projects
Madonna performed "Like a Prayer" at the Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief concert in January 2010.[191] In April she released her third live album, Sticky & Sweet Tour. It was her first release under Live Nation, but was distributed by Warner Bros.[192] She announced plans of directing her second film, W.E., a biopic about the affair between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson. It was co-written with Alek Keshishian.[193] She later clarified that the film is about a woman's journey and was not going to be about the duchess' life. Instead, the duchess would act as the woman's spiritual guide.[194] Madonna granted American TV show Glee the rights to her entire catalogue of music, and the producers planned an episode which would feature Madonna songs exclusively.[195] Titled "The Power of Madonna", the episode was approved by her, telling Us Weekly that she found it "brilliant on every level", praising the scripting and the message of equality.[196] The episode also received positive reviews from critics. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly called it "one of the best hours of TV you’re likely to see all year", writing that the episode pays Madonna "the highest compliment possible" in not just expressing admiration for the singer, but "demonstrat[ing] a potent understanding of why Madonna matters."[197] Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna, an EP containing eight cover versions of Madonna songs featured in the episode was released in May. The EP debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, with 98,000 copies sold in the United States.[198][199]
Artistry
Musical style
"Papa Don't Preach" (1986)
"Papa Don't Preach" had Madonna singing in a much fuller voice, and incorporated classical instrumentation.
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"Frozen" (1998)
Composed with the darker electronic undertones, eastern strings and Middle Eastern percussion, "Frozen" features Madonna's previously unexplored vocal range.
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Madonna's music has been the subject of much analysis and scrutiny of critics. Robert M. Grant, author of Contemporary Strategy Analysis (2005), commented that what has brought Madonna success is "certainly not outstanding natural talent. As a vocalist, musician, dancer, songwriter, or actress, Madonna's talents seem modest."[200] He asserts Madonna's success is in relying on the talents of others, and that her personal relationships have served as cornerstones to the numerous reinventions in the longevity of her career.[200] Conversely, Rolling Stone has named Madonna "an exemplary songwriter with a gift for hooks and indelible lyrics, and a better studio singer than her live spectacles attest."[19] Mark Bego, author of Madonna: Blonde Ambition, called her "the perfect vocalist for lighter-than-air songs", despite not being a "heavyweight talent."[201] Madonna has always been self-conscious about her voice, especially in comparison to her vocal idols such as Ella Fitzgerald, Prince and Chaka Khan.[202]
According to Freya Jarman-Ivens, Madonna's talent for developing "incredible" hooks for her songs allows the lyrics to capture the attention of the audience, even without the influence of the music. As an example, Jarman-Ivens cites the 1985 single "Into the Groove" and its line "Live out your fantasy here with me, just let the music set you free; Touch my body, and move in time, now I know you're mine."[203] From 1983 to 1986, Madonna's musical productions were often girlish and naïve in nature, focusing primarily on love, romance, passion and boy-meets-girl relationships.[203] This changed with the album Like a Prayer, when the lyrics became much more personal, such as in "Promise to Try", which references Madonna's lingering pain at the loss of her mother.[203] Madonna's lyrics often suggest an identification with the gay community. Fouz believes that when Madonna sings "Come on girls, do you believe in love?" in "Express Yourself", she is addressing both the gay audience and the heterosexual female.[203] Even in the Erotica era, with its often adult-oriented lyrics, the songs appear free-flowing and gullible ("So won't you go down, where it's warm inside" — "Where Life Begins" from Erotica). Madonna's songwriting ability has been criticized, with Rolling Stone's Maria Raha calling her lyrics "flighty and not sophisticated. Madonna can only bring a trunk full of trite lyrics on the long standing tradition of pop music, love; when she wasn't singing about love, she was singing about partying and dancing."[204] Her lyrics were considered banal, and her songwriting capability was largely ignored by critics until the release of Ray of Light and Music. According to Jarman-Ivens, lyrics such as "You're frozen, when your heart's not open" ("Frozen", 1998) and "I can't remember, when I was young, I can't express if it was wrong" ("Paradise (Not for Me)", 2000) reflected an artistic palette, "encompassing diverse musical, textual and visual styles in its lyrics."[203]
On her 1983 debut album, Madonna's vocal abilities and personal artistry were not fully formed. Her vocal style and lyrics was similar to other pop stars of that period like Paula Abdul, Debbie Gibson and Taylor Dayne.[202] The songs on Madonna reveal several key trends that have continued to define her success, including a strong dance-based idiom, catchy hooks, highly polished arrangements and Madonna's own vocal style. In songs such as "Lucky Star" and "Borderline", Madonna introduced a style of upbeat dance music that would prove particularly appealing to gay audiences. The bright, girlish vocal timbre of the early years became passé in Madonna's later works, the change being deliberate, since Madonna was constantly reminded of how the critics had once labelled her as "Minnie Mouse on helium", because of her early voice.[202] Her second album, Like a Virgin (1984), foreshadowed several trends in Madonna's later works. It contained references to classical works (pizzicato synthesizer line that opens "Angel"); potential negative reaction from social groups ("Dress You Up" was blacklisted by the Parents Music Resource Center); and retro styles ("Shoo-Bee-Doo", Madonna's homage to Motown).[202] Madonna's early style, and the change that she ushered in it, is best evident in the song "Material Girl". It opens with Madonna using a little-girl voice, but following the first verse, she switches to a richer, more mature voice in the chorus.[202] This mature artistic statement was visible in True Blue (1986). The song "Papa Don't Preach" was a significant milestone in her artistic career. The classical introduction, fast tempo and the gravity in her voice was unprecedented in Madonna's œuvre at that time.[202]
With Like a Prayer (1989), Madonna again entered a new phase, musically. The album introduced live recorded songs and incorporated different genres of music, including dance, R&B and gospel music.[54] Madonna continued to compose ballads and uptempo dance songs for Erotica (1992) and Bedtime Stories (1994). She tried to remain contemporary by incorporating samples, drum loops and hip hop into her music. Her voice grew much deeper and fuller, evident in the tracks like "Rain" and "Take a Bow".[205] During the filming of Evita, Madonna had to take vocal lessons, which increased her range further. Of this experience she commented, "I studied with a vocal coach for Evita and I realized there was a whole piece of my voice I wasn't using. Before, I just believed I had a really limited range and was going to make the most of it."[206] Continuing her musical evolution with Ray of Light, the track "Frozen" displayed her fully formed vocal prowess and her allusions to classical music. Her vocals were restrained and she sang the songs in Ray of Light without vibrato. However, the intake of breath within the songs became more prominent.[202] With the new millennium came her album Music in which Madonna sang in her normal voice in a medium range, and sometimes in a higher register for the chorus. Fouz-Hernández commented that "Throughout her career, Madonna's manipulation of her voice shows us that, by refusing to be defined in one way, she has in fact opened up a space for new kinds of musical analysis."[202]
Influences
Marilyn Monroe (pictured) had a profound influence on Madonna.According to Taraborrelli, "Almost certainly, the defining moment of Madonna's childhood—the one that would have the most influence in shaping her into the woman she would become—was the tragic and untimely death of her beloved mother."[5] Psychiatrist Keith Ablow suggests that her mother's death would have had an immeasurable impact on the young Madonna at a time when her personality was still forming. According to Ablow, the younger a child is at the time of a serious loss, the more profound the influence and the longer lasting the impact. He concludes that "some people never reconcile themselves to such a loss at an early age, Madonna is not different than them."[5] Conversely, author Lucy O'Brien feels that the impact of the rape is, in fact, the motivating factor behind everything Madonna has done, more important even than the death of her mother: "It's not so much grief at her mother's death that drives her, as the sense of abandonment that left her unprotected. She encountered her own worst possible scenario, becoming a victim of male violence, and thereafter turned that full-tilt into her work, reversing the equation at every opportunity."[207]
As they grew older, Madonna and her sisters would feel deep sadness as the vivid memory of their mother began drifting, farther from them. They would study pictures of her and come to think that she resembled poet Anne Sexton and Hollywood actresses. This would later raise Madonna's interest in poetry with Sylvia Plath being her favourite.[5] Later, Madonna commented: "We were all wounded in one way or another by [her death], and then we spent the rest of our lives reacting to it or dealing with it or trying to turn into something else. The anguish of losing my mom left me with a certain kind of loneliness and an incredible longing for something. If I hadn't had that emptiness, I wouldn't have been so driven. Her death had a lot to do with me saying—after I got over my heartache—I'm going to be really strong if I can't have my mother. I'm going to take care of myself."[5] Taraborrelli felt that in time, no doubt because of the devastation she felt, Madonna would never again allow herself, or even her daughter, to feel as abandoned as she had felt when her mother died. "Her death had taught her a valuable lesson, that she would have to remain strong for herself because, she feared weakness—particularly her own—and wanted to be the queen of her own castle."[5]
In 1985, Madonna commented that the first song to ever make a strong impression on her was "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra; she said it summed up her own "take-charge attitude".[208] As a young woman, she attempted to broaden her taste in literature, art, and music, and during this time became interested in classical music. She noted that her favorite style was baroque, and loved Mozart and Chopin because she liked their "feminine quality".[209] Other musical influences included artists Karen Carpenter, The Supremes, Led Zeppelin, and dancers such as Martha Graham and Rudolf Nureyev.[210] Madonna's Italian-Catholic background and her relationship with her parents were reflected in the album Like a Prayer.[56] It was an evocation of the impact religion had on her career.[211] Her video for the title track contains Catholic symbolism, such as the stigmata. During The Virgin Tour, she wore a rosary, and also prayed with it in the music video for "La Isla Bonita".[212] The "Open Your Heart" video sees her boss scolding her in the Italian language. On Who's That Girl World Tour, she dedicated the song "Papa Don't Preach" to the Pope.[212][213]
During her childhood, Madonna was inspired by actors, later saying, "I loved Carole Lombard and Judy Holliday and Marilyn Monroe. They were all incredibly funny ... and I saw myself in them ... my girlishness, my knowingness and my innocence."[208] Her "Material Girl" music video recreated Monroe's look in the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. She studied the screwball comedies of the 1930s, particularly those of Lombard, in preparation for the film Who's That Girl. The video for "Express Yourself" (1989) was inspired by Fritz Lang's silent film Metropolis (1927). The video for "Vogue" recreated the style of Hollywood glamour photographs, in particular those by Horst P. Horst, and imitated the poses of Marlene Dietrich, Carole Lombard and Rita Hayworth, while the lyrics referred to many of the stars who had inspired her, including Bette Davis, described by Madonna as an idol.[68][214] Influences also came to her from the art world, most notably through the works of artist Frida Kahlo.[215] The music video of the song "Bedtime Story" featured images inspired by the paintings of Kahlo and Remedios Varo.[216] Her 2003 video for "Hollywood" was an homage to the work of photographer Guy Bourdin; Bourdin's son subsequently filed a lawsuit for unauthorised use of his father's work.[217] Pop artist Andy Warhol's use of sadomasochistic imagery in his underground films were reflected in the music videos for "Erotica" and "Deeper and Deeper".[218] Madonna's film career has been largely received negatively by the film critic community. Stephanie Zacharek, critic for Time magazine, stated that, "[Madonna] seems wooden and unnatural as an actress, and it's tough to watch, because she's clearly trying her damnedest."[219] According to biographer Andrew Morton, "Madonna puts a brave face on the criticism, but privately she is deeply hurt."[219] After the 2002 box-office bomb Swept Away, Madonna vowed that she would never act in a film, hoping that her repertoire as a bad actress will never be discussed again.[219]
Madonna is dedicated to Kabbalah and in 2004, she adopted the name Esther which in Hebrew means "star".[220] She has donated millions of dollars to New York and London schools teaching the subject.[220][221] After she joined the Jewish religion, she faced opposition from rabbis who felt Madonna's adoption of the Kabbalah was sacrilegious and a case of celebrity dilettantism. Madonna defended her studies, saying "It would be less controversial if I joined the Nazi Party", and that her involvement with the Kabbalah is "not hurting anybody."[222] The influence of the Kaballah was subsequently observed in Madonna's music, especially albums like Ray of Light and Music. According to scholar Bill Friskics-Warren, "the ethereal arrangement of music in these albums and the philosophizing, replete with references to gurus and fate-fitting karma, at first may seem like New Age lyrics, but a deep analysis yields a sense of connection that encompasses spiritual illumination and carnal ecstacy, in effect erasing the distinction between the two, and is the effect of her oblique Kabbalistic meditation on union and transcendence."[220] During the Re-Invention World Tour, at one point in the show, Madonna and her dancers wore t-shirts that read "Kabbalists Do It Better".[220]
Music videos and performances
Madonna performing at the Confessions Tour in 2006In The Madonna Companion, biographers Allen Metz and Carol Benson noted that more than any other recent pop artist, Madonna had used MTV and music videos to establish her popularity and enhance her recorded work.[223] According to them, many of her songs have the imagery of the music video in strong context, while referring to the music. The media and public reaction towards her most-discussed songs such as "Papa Don't Preach", "Like a Prayer" or "Justify My Love" had to do with the music videos created to promote the song and their impact, rather than the song itself.[223] Morton felt that "artistically, Madonna's songwriting is often overshadowed by her striking pop videos."[224] Madonna's initial music videos reflected her American and Hispanic mixed street style combined with a flamboyant glamor.[223] She was able to transmit her avant-garde downtown New York fashion sense to the American audience.[225] The imagery and incorporation of Hispanic culture and Catholic symbolism continued with the music videos from the True Blue era.[226] Author Douglas Kellner noted, "such 'multiculturalism' and her culturally transgressive moves turned out to be highly successful moves that endeared her to large and varied youth audiences".[227] Madonna's Spanish look in the videos became the fashion trend of that time, in the form of boleros and layered skirts, accessorizing with rosary beads and a crucifix as in the video of "La Isla Bonita".[228][229] Academics noted that with her videos, Madonna was subtly reversing the usual role of male as the dominant sex.[230] This symbolism and imagery was probably the most prevalent in the music video for "Like a Prayer". The video included scenes of an African-American church choir, Madonna attracted to a statue of a black saint, and singing in front of burning crosses. This mix of the sacred and the profane upset the Vatican and resulted in the Pepsi commercial withdrawal.[231] Madonna has been honored with record-breaking 20 MTV Video Music Awards, including the lifetime achievement "Video Vanguard Award" in 1986 for her contributions to the world of music video.[232]
Madonna's emergence occurred during the advent of MTV, and, according to Chris Nelson from The New York Times, "with its almost exclusively lip-synced videos, ushered in an era in which average music fans might happily spend hours a day, every day, watching singers just mouth the words."[233] The symbiotic relationship between the music video and lip-syncing led to a desire for the spectacle and imagery of the music video to be transferred to live stage shows. Chris Nelson of The New York Times reported, "Artists like Madonna and Janet Jackson set new standards for showmanship, with concerts that included not only elaborate costumes and precision-timed pyrotechnics but also highly athletic dancing. These effects came at the expense of live singing."[233] Thor Christensen of the Dallas Morning News commented that while Madonna earned a reputation for lip-syncing during her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour, she has subsequently reorganized her performances by "stay[ing] mostly still during her toughest singing parts and [leaves] the dance routines to her backup troupe ... [r]ather than try to croon and dance up a storm at the same time."[234] To allow for greater movement while dancing and singing, she was one of the earliest adopters of hands-free radio-frequency headset microphones, with the headset fastened over the ears or the top of the head, and the microphone capsule on a boom arm that extended to the mouth. Because of her prominent usage, the microphone design came to be known as the "Madonna mic".[235][236]
Legacy
See also: List of awards and nominations received by Madonna, Madonna as gay icon, Madonna wannabe, and Madonna Studies
Madonna performing at her Sticky & Sweet Tour, the highest-grossing tour of all time by a solo artistAccording to Rolling Stone, Madonna "remains one of the greatest pop acts of all time".[19] She has achieved multiple Guinness World Records, including world's top-selling female recording artist and the most successful female recording artist of all time.[147] On March 10, 2008, Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility.[167] Billboard magazine ranked her as the most successful solo artist (second overall, behind only The Beatles) on the "Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists".[237] She has also scored many hits on major international charts, including 13 number-one singles in the United Kingom, 11 in Australia, and 23 in Canada—more than any other female artist.[238][239][240] Madonna is featured in the book 100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century, published by Ladies' Home Journal in 1998.[241] In July 2003, she ranked seventh on VH1 and People magazine's list of the "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons of All Time."[242] In 2006, a new water bear species, Echiniscus madonnae, was named after her.[243] The paper with the description of E. madonnae was published in the international journal of animal taxonomy Zootaxa in March 2006 (Vol. 1154, pages: 1–36). The Zoologists commented: "We take great pleasure in dedicating this species to one of the most significant artists of our times, Madonna Louise Veronica Ritchie."[244]
Throughout her career Madonna has repeatedly reinvented herself through a series of visual and musical personas, earning her the nickname "Queen of Reinvention".[245] In doing so, "she exploited her sexuality to fashion herself into a cultural and commercial icon who, for more than a decade, was unchallenged as the reigning Queen of Pop music."[246] Fouz-Hernández agrees that these reinventions are one of her key cultural achievements.[247] Madonna reinvented herself by working with upcoming talented producers and previously unknown artists, while remaining at the center of media attention. According to Freya Jarman-Ivens, "In doing so Madonna has provided an example of how to maintain one's career in the entertainment industry."[247] Such reinvention was noted by scholars as the main tool in surviving the musical industry, for a female artist.[248] As Ian Youngs from BBC News commented, "Her ability to follow the latest trends and adapt her style has often been credited with preserving her appeal."[249] Madonna's use of shocking sexual imagery has benefited her career and catalyzed public discourse on sexuality and feminism.[247] The Times stated, "Madonna, whether you like her or not, started a revolution amongst women in music ... Her attitudes and opinions on sex, nudity, style and sexuality forced the public to sit up and take notice."[250] Rodger Streitmatter, author of Sex Sells! (2004), commented that "from the moment Madonna burst onto the nation's radar screen in the mid-1980s, she did everything in her power to shock the public, and her efforts paid off."[251] Shmuel Boteach, author of Hating women (2005), felt that Madonna was largely responsible for erasing the line between music and pornography. He stated: "Before Madonna, it was possible for women more famous for their voices than their cleavage, to emerge as music superstars. But in the post-Madonna universe, even highly original performers such as Janet Jackson now feel the pressure to expose their bodies on national television to sell albums."[252]
Madonna has influenced numerous music artists throughout her career. Mary Cross, in her book Madonna: A Biography, wrote: "Her influence on pop music is undeniable and far-reaching. New pop icons from Nelly Furtado and Shakira to Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera (not to mention Britney Spears) owe Madonna, a debt of thanks for the template she forged, combining provocative sexiness and female power in her image, music, and lyrics."[253] According to Fouz-Hernández, female pop performers such as Spears, the Spice Girls, Destiny's Child, Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Minogue and Pink were like "Madonna's daughters in the very direct sense that they grew up listening to and admiring Madonna, and decided they wanted to be like her."[254] Among them, Madonna's influence was most notable in Spears, who has been called her protégé.[250] Madonna has also been credited with the introduction of European electronic dance music into mainstream American pop culture, and for bringing European producers such as Stuart Price and Mirwais Ahmadzaï into the spotlight.[212] Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide.[255] She is ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century, and the second top-selling female artist in the United States (behind Barbra Streisand), with 64 million certified albums sold.[256][257]
Madonna has received acclaim as a role model for businesswomen in her industry, "achieving the kind of financial control that women had long fought for within the industry", and generating over $1.2 billion in sales within the first decade of her career.[258] After its establishment, Maverick Records became a major commercial success from her efforts, which was unusual at that time for an artist-established label.[259] Music journalist Robert Sandall said that while interviewing Madonna, it was clear that being "a cultural big hitter" was more important to her than pop music, a career she described as "an accident". He also saw a contrast between her anything-goes sexual public persona and a secretive and "paranoid" attitude toward her own finances; she fired her own brother when he charged her for an extra item.[260] Professor Colin Barrow of the Cranfield School of Management described Madonna as "America's smartest businesswoman… who has moved to the top of her industry and stayed there by constantly reinventing herself". He held up her "planning, personal discipline and constant attention to detail" as models for all aspiring entrepreneurs.[261] London Business School academics called her a "dynamic entrepreneur" worth copying; they identified her vision of success, her understanding of the music industry, her ability to recognize her own performance limits (and thus bring in help), her willingness to work hard and her ability to adapt as the key to her commercial success.[262] Morton commented that "Madonna is opportunistic, manipulative and ruthless—somebody who won't stop until she gets what she wants—and that's something you can get at the expense of maybe losing your close ones. But that hardly mattered to her."[263] Taraborrelli felt that this ruthlessness was visible during the shooting of the Pepsi commercial in 1989. "The fact that she didn't want to hold a Pepsi can in the commercial, clued the Pepsi executives that Madonna the pop star and Madonna the businesswoman were not going to be dictated by somebody else, she will do everything in her way—the only way."[264] Conversely, reporter Michael McWilliams commented: "The gripes about Madonna – she's cold, greedy, talentless – conceal both bigotry and the essence of her art, which is among the warmest, the most humane, the most profoundly satisfying in all pop culture."[265]
Discography
Main articles: Madonna albums discography, Madonna singles discography, and Madonna videography
Madonna (1983)
Like a Virgin (1984)
True Blue (1986)
Like a Prayer (1989)
Erotica (1992)
Bedtime Stories (1994)
Ray of Light (1998)
Music (2000)
American Life (2003)
Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)
Hard Candy (2008)
Tours
Main article: List of Madonna tours
The Virgin Tour (1985)
Who's That Girl World Tour (1987)
Blond Ambition World Tour (1990)
The Girlie Show World Tour (1993)
Drowned World Tour (2001)
Re-Invention World Tour (2004)
Confessions Tour (2006)
Sticky & Sweet Tour (2008–09)
See also
Madonna portal
Book:Madonna
Books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.
Madonna filmography
Madonna bibliography
List of unreleased Madonna songs
List of best-selling music artists
List of best-selling music artists in the United States
Honorific nicknames in popular music
Mononymous persons
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