Remember the Madonna-wannabes from the 1983-1985 timeframe? Compared to 1986-1989, the 1983-1985 period just looks different in terms of fashion, especially when talking about teen fashion.
After 1986 the Madonna crazy was largely over fashion-wise, because she altered her image. Also, big hair became even bigger. As a whole, the 1986-1989 period had a different appearance from the pre-1985 era. By 1986 1980, 1981 and 1982 seemed really old and 1980 and 1981 seemed more lsimilar to the 1970s. Typical teenagers of the time (1986-1989) looked like Andrea Elson (from ALF) and Tom Cruise.

Thankfully I have forgotten the Madonna-wannabes from the 1983-1985.

My theory is that in general teen fashion goes like this in the 80s:
3 years - another 3 years - 4 years:
80, 81 and 82 go together
83, 84 and 85 go together
86, 87, 88 and 89 also go together

That pattern is not so different culture-wise as a whole.
Looking back 1980-1981 and 1988-1989 seem almost nothing alike to me

How can you account for the Madonna-wannabes in 1983 when Maddona did appear until 1984?

Well, she appeared in 1982 according to Wikipedia:
Madonna signed a singles deal with Sire Records, a label belonging to Warner Bros. Records. Her first release was "Everybody" on April 24, 1982.
Her debut album, Madonna was primarily produced by Reggie Lucas.

Madonna's look and manner of dress, performances and music videos, became influential among young girls and women. Defined by lace tops, skirts over capri pants, fishnet stockings, jewelry bearing the Christian cross, and bleached hair, it became a female fashion trend in the 1980s.

She appeared in 1982, but make it big in 1983 and then became even more famous in 1984.

How can you account for the Madonna-wannabes in 1983 when Maddona did appear until 1984?



???

Madonna's debut album was released in 1982.  "Holiday", "Burning Up" and "Everybody" was getting played on radio in 1983, as well as the latter two tracks on MTV.

???

Madonna's debut album was released in 1982.  "Holiday", "Burning Up" and "Everybody" was getting played on radio in 1983, as well as the latter two tracks on MTV.
Make that the album Madonna was released on July 27, 1983 by Sire Records.

Make that the album Madonna was released on July 27, 1983 by Sire Records.


OK, so somebody posting to Discogs entered an incorrect year.  "Everybody" was released in '82.

OK, so somebody posting to Discogs entered an incorrect year.  "Everybody" was released in '82.
The single was released then.

Madonna was around in 1982 and 1983, but I doubt people were copying her look that early on.  Maybe in 1984 sure

The Madonna mania really took off when the "Like A Virgin" album got popular. 
The album was released  11/12/84 and her popularity skyrocketed.  I believe I first heard the epithet "Madonna Wannabe" in the summer of '85.  Not sure.  However, the term "wannabe" for a pretender of any sort was adapted to general parlance within a couple of years. 

I liked the Madonna look, but I know my mother would have killed me for looking like a hooker.

:( But I liked Apollonia and she looked like a streetwalker too, so I dunno.

Don't pay attention to me. LOL.  ;)

Wow, thanks for bring up fashion fads, that I would rather forget about!

;D

What about acid/stone washed jeans and jackets?

I remember them as well.

Actually, I think 1986-1989 had more Madonna clones than 1983-1985, such as Stacey Q, early Debroah Gibson, Regina, Tiffany, Samantha Fox, Kim Wilde, The Cover Girls, Martika, Paula Abdul, and to a lesser degree Jody Watley, Taylor Dayne, Lisa Lisa and Expose. (1986-1987 were explosive years for women on the charts!)

That's why in terms of women in '80s music, I tend to say the late '80s go better with the mid '80s because the trends established by Cyndi/Madonna pretty much lasted the rest of the decade, and women who were first hugely successful in the mid '80s were also strong in the late '80s. Pat Benatar, Blondie, Irene Cara, Laura Branigan and others of the early '80s were really seen as old by 1986, as their styles were seen as old-school and square compared to the Madonna school. For women, the late '80s were basically a more polished, richer version of the mid '80s with even brighter colors and more perms; and pop radio had a lot more females on the airwaves during that time.

The Madonna Wannabes were girls/women in general who tried to look like Madonna.

How can you account for the Madonna-wannabes in 1983 when Maddona did appear until 1984?
   


    she released her self-titled debut album in 1983... ;)

   


    she released her self-titled debut album in 1983... ;)

Make that the album Madonna was released on July 27, 1983 by Sire Records.
As I said in my previous post.

"Holiday", "Burning Up" and "Everybody" was getting played on radio in 1983, as well as the latter two tracks on MTV.


Those last two were released as singles in Britain to little fanfare sometime in '83 and are now worth a small fortune...

Not because of any musical merit, just because of what came after...

I doubt that girls dressed like her in 1983, because the only thing she had going for her in 1983 was her song Holiday, which went to #16. That's not enough for girls to pay attention to her.

I would expect that it wasn't until the Lucky Star video that girls started dressing like her? By then she had Borderline and Lucky Star as two hit singles and her album had already gone gold.

So girls dressed like her 1984 to 1986.

In 1985, Growing Pains dedicated a whole episode to Madonna wannabes. Here's Dana Plato in fulll get up...

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/861/dp6.JPG

On the radio station LBC (London BroadCasting) in London (UK), a series of celebs and popstar told their favourite Madonna hit and the reason why. Bonnie Tyler she liked "Holiday" for then she was at her peak.

On the radio station LBC (London BroadCasting) in London (UK), a series of celebs and popstar told their favourite Madonna hit and the reason why. Bonnie Tyler she liked "Holiday" for then she was at her peak.


???  Do you mean Bonnie Tyler was at her peak or Madonna?  I would believe the former.

???  Do you mean Bonnie Tyler was at her peak or Madonna?  I would believe the former.
It was Bonnie Tyler that said that Madonna was at her peak at the time of "Holiday".

It was Bonnie Tyler that said that Madonna was at her peak at the time of "Holiday".


When she was just starting out?  ???  I would have to disagree.

When she was just starting out?  ???  I would have to disagree.
That is Bonnie Tyler's opinion.

That is Bonnie Tyler's opinion.


She should've been talking about herself, as she pretty much vanished after 1984's "Holding Out For A Hero".  I would say she pretty much peaked with "Total Eclipse Of The Heart".

She should've been talking about herself, as she pretty much vanished after 1984's "Holding Out For A Hero".  I would say she pretty much peaked with "Total Eclipse Of The Heart".
Over the past few months she has ben on tour in Europe promoting her Greatest Hits album.

I agree. It makes sense that she first started out in 1983 because I think that's the year the big hair fashion thing started. At least in this town, here's yearbook photos of the homecoming queens and court of 1983. There are a couple who don't have big hair at all still though.
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj257/bewp/014-crop.jpghttp://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj257/bewp/014-crop2.jpg

So I guess it started as being fans of her?

It did get bigger once 1986 or 1987 came around. There is big hair in that photo but the average Madonna fan of 1988 would've had hair that would've eaten those other girls' hair alive.

Over the past few months she has ben on tour in Europe promoting her Greatest Hits album.


That must be a short album... ;)

That must be a short album... ;)


;D  I agree.  About what, 3 or 4 songs?  :D

;D  I agree.  About what, 3 or 4 songs?   :D
Track Listing of Bonnie Tyler's Greatest Hits:

1. Total Eclipse Of The Heart 
2. It's A Heartache 
3. Holding Out For A Hero 
4. Lost In France 
5. Faster Than The Speed Of Night 
6. Married Men 
7. Have You Ever Seen The Rain 
8. More Than A Lover 
9. A Rockin' Good Way 
10. Goodbye To The Island 
11. Loving You Is A Dirty Job But Somebody's Gotta Do It 
12. Straight From The Heart 
13. Bitterblue 
14. Piece Of My Heart 
15. Making Love Out Of Nothing At All 
16. My Guns Are Loaded 
17. Tyre Tracks And Broken Hearts 

It's near-enough all over after the first four songs... :P

Several 'covers' there, which I daresay won't come anywhere near the originals...

It was Bonnie Tyler that said that Madonna was at her peak at the time of "Holiday".



When she was just starting out?  ???  I would have to disagree.


Holiday was re-released in the UK after Like A Virgin did so well in the charts.

I saw the "Madonna look" on mostly teen girls between 1985 and 1986. The only thing I ever did was wear multiple rubber/jelly bracelets, but that was the cool thing to wear in those days, at least from my experience.

The only Madonna song I ever liked was Who's That Girl (1987)

Holiday was re-released in the UK after Like A Virgin did so well in the charts.


As was 'Borderline'...

And just make sure the dead horse was well and truly flogged, 'Holiday' was also stapled to the reverse of the British 'True Blue' single...

Yet oddly, her first British #1 ('Into The Groove') was never given A-side status in America...

Actually, I think 1986-1989 had more Madonna clones than 1983-1985, such as Stacey Q, early Debroah Gibson, Regina, Tiffany, Samantha Fox, Kim Wilde, The Cover Girls, Martika, Paula Abdul, and to a lesser degree Jody Watley, Taylor Dayne, Lisa Lisa and Expose. (1986-1987 were explosive years for women on the charts!)

That's why in terms of women in '80s music, I tend to say the late '80s go better with the mid '80s because the trends established by Cyndi/Madonna pretty much lasted the rest of the decade, and women who were first hugely successful in the mid '80s were also strong in the late '80s. Pat Benatar, Blondie, Irene Cara, Laura Branigan and others of the early '80s were really seen as old by 1986, as their styles were seen as old-school and square compared to the Madonna school. For women, the late '80s were basically a more polished, richer version of the mid '80s with even brighter colors and more perms; and pop radio had a lot more females on the airwaves during that time.
No, The Cover Girls were more in that Latin/Freestyle trend where as Madonna was dance-pop back then. Martika's song "Toy Soliders" even though it was a hit in the 80's(1988 I think) the song sounded kinda headed towards the 90's. Jody Watley was around before Madonna in the R&B group "Shalamar". Lisa Lisa and Expose were more latin/freestyle. I don;t see how Expose or Lisa Lisa would be connected with Madonna. Maybe Expose or Lisa Lisa could/would have been connected with "Shannon" because "Shannon" kinda paved the way for freestyle music with her hit "Let The Music Play"

I saw the "Madonna look" on mostly teen girls between 1985 and 1986. The only thing I ever did was wear multiple rubber/jelly bracelets, but that was the cool thing to wear in those days, at least from my experience.


To me the Madonna mania started after the "Like A Virgin" album was released. I got caught up in the mania but I didnt go out of my way to dress like her everyday like some of schoolmates did back in the day.  I wore rosary beads, lace fingerless gloves, and the rubber black bracelets.  Before her popularity those black rubber bracelets were probably 25 cents then in 1985 it was 3 dollars a band which I could barely afford (I had just 5). The Macys in NYC had a floor dedicated to her in the junior section boy those clothes were expensive.

What cemented Madonna mania was the films "Desperately Seeking Susan, Visionquest and her music that coincided with her first tour".  When she was in NYC  the local news station reported her concert and they seemed to interview every wannabee.

By 1986 I fell out of that faze