Bibliography of works on Madonna


The life and work of American singer Madonna have generated various academic study material. This is a list containing the different written works about Madonna, including biographies, journals, articles, essays and theses. According to critic Paul Northup who wrote in Third Way magazine, "Eminent authors and academics have pored over her tirelessly since she burst onto the pop scene in the early Eighties."
Many authors have written more than one book about Madonna and these have been published in multiple languages other than English, including German, French, Dutch, Spanish and Italian. According to journalist Annalee Newitz, "The academics in the fields of theology to queer studies have written literally volumes about what Madonna's fame means for gender relations, American culture, and the future." Biographies released about the singer include ' by J. Randy Taraborrelli, Madonna by Andrew Morton, ' by Lucy O'Brien, Life with My Sister Madonna by her brother Christopher Ciccone and Madonna: Bawdy and Soul by Karlene Faith. The releases have sometimes become bestsellers and have faced varied reception from critics and academics. Morton's biography was criticized by Madonna herself and she was also against the release of Ciccone's book, which ultimately led to a rift between the siblings.
Different academic essays, dissertations as well as analysis of the singer gave rise to a term called Madonna Studies, denoted by author Robert Miklitsch as a "political-cultural" phenomenon. Barbara Stewart from Orlando Sentinel said in 1991 that scholars about Madonna's work were increasing in the United States and included professors of English, anthropology as well as media communication. The subject faced ridicule and indignation overseas. CBS News president Fred W. Friendly commented, "Writing a major paper is supposed to be an intellectual achievement—a serious matter. Madonna is a media freak. How the media made her—I could see studying that."

Books written in English

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Non-English books

Essays and other works

Citations

Book sources

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