This fiery, petite Italian-American was born in 1958 in Bay City, Michigan. From the start, Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone had big dreams, and at 19 she moved to New York City where she began to make a name for herself as a singer and dancer.

Madonna is one of the most successful recording artists of all time.

Selling more than 200 million albums in a career that has spanned more than two decades, "Madge" has stayed on top by constantly reinventing herself. Though many disagree with some of her artistic choices, the numbers don't lie: Billboard magazine reports that Madonna's 2006 Confessions tour was the most successful concert tour by a female artist in history.

Here are 25 of the biggest hits that put her on top.

1. "Holiday" (1983)

From her self-titled debut album, "Holiday" was the first of Madonna's songs to make Billboard's Hot 100, peaking at number 16. It is now one of her signature songs.

2. "Borderline" (1984)

Madge's second single broke the top ten on U.S. charts, which was impressive for a newcomer. In this video, look for a very young John Leguizamo, who plays a friend of Madonna's boyfriend.

3. "Like a Virgin" (1984)

This song was Madonna's first number one on Billboard's Hot 100, probably due to her legendary appearance at the first-ever MTV Video Music Awards. Rolling around in a wedding dress, Madonna sang this song and cemented a mutually beneficial relationship with music videos.

4. "Material Girl" (1985)

This song, which earned Madonna the moniker "the Material Girl," painted the singer as a girl who would rather have a rich boyfriend than a love-struck one, although it was meant to parody the commercialism and greed of the 1980s. "Material Girl," the second single from Madonna's Like a Virgin album, reached number two on U.S. charts, with the video imitating Marilyn Monroe's famous musical number "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend."

5. "Crazy for You" (1985)

From the soundtrack of the film VisionQuest, "Crazy for You" was Madonna's second number-one song. Madonna makes a cameo in the movie, belting out this tune in a nightclub scene.

6. "Into the Groove" (1985)

Coinciding with her role in the film Desperately Seeking Susan, this popular tune was remixed for use in a 2003 Gap ad starring Madonna and rapper Missy Elliott.

7. "Live to Tell" (1986)

Written and produced by Madonna and longtime collaborator Patrick Leonard, "Live to Tell" is the story of a woman facing a difficult decision. The song was written for the movie At Close Range, starring Sean Penn, Madonna's husband at the time. With this number-one ballad, Madonna emerged as more mature, abandoning the street urchin look for that of a grown-up.

On the next page, you will find more of Madonna's hit songs, including "Papa Don't Preach" and "Open Your Heart."

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