Madonna’s ‘Lucky Star’ Turns 40! A Toast to the Ruby Jubilee of the Pop Queen’s Hit Song & Debut Album [TGJ Replay]

Welcome, once again, to TGJ Replay.

Designed much like our ‘Retro Rewind’ and ‘From the Vault’ features, ‘Replay’ is That Grape Juice‘s newest retrospective segment – a written quest, if you will, to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday.

Unlike its ‘Rewind’ and ‘Vault’ predecessors, ‘Replay’ looks to dust off and showcase entire albums (and eras) from a library of pop and Urban pop music hits.

This week you’re in luck as we toast the 40th anniversary of ‘Lucky Star‘ – the inaugural Hot 100 top 5 hit of Queen of Pop Madonna‘s career lifted from her self-titled debut album.

In 2023, Madonna may be known as the Queen of Pop but few may know the start of her career was anything but royal.

Moving to New York from her native Michigan in the late 70’s, the aspiring singer-dancer started her career as a member of a Pop-Rock band called The Breakfast Club before hopping to the group Emmy and the Emmys. The ambitious young songstress ditched the groups for a solo deal in the early 80’s after working the club circuit and establishing relationships with DJs to get her music spun.

Eventually landing on the radar of Seymour Stein, then-president of Sire Records (a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records), Madge signed a deal that would plant the seeds for her official debut album.

The self-titled effort, released July 27, 1983, birthed five singles.

‘Everybody’
Hot 100 peak: n/a

‘Burning Up’
Hot 100 peak: n/a

‘Holiday’
Hot 100 peak: 16

‘Lucky Star’
Hot 100 peak: 4

‘Borderline‘
Hot 100 peak: 10

Of particular note is the project’s fourth single, ‘Lucky Star,’ which stands as a milestone in Madge’s prized discography for becoming the first Hot 100 top 5 hit of her career.

A disco-tinged dance number that tells the story of a woman praising her lover’s positive influence over her life, the bass-buoyed number – released September 9, 1983 – bumped its way to a #4 peak on the hitlist at the height of its popularity – a success narrative undoubtedly instigated by its now classic music video. Said visual, directed by Arthur Pierson, would truly introduce Madonna as a fashion influencer as many young girls at the time gravitated to and imitated the Punk/Pop-inspired style.

‘Star,’ alongside its sister singles, not only went on to become fan favorites of the icon’s prized catalog but helped its parent album go on to sell over 10 million units worldwide – an impressive opening chapter for the Pop royal who would go on to becoming the best-selling female artist of all time.

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