June 1986: Madonnna Releases the "True Blue" Album

TRUE BLUE FORMATS
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(Warner Bros)

Madonna was a superstar after the success of her second album, Like a Virgin (1984). With True Blue, she became a mega-star, elevating to one of the biggest and most popular artists in the world.

True Blue, released June 30, 1986, was the album that found Madonna stretching beyond the dance floor into more adult genres and sounds. First single, the emotional called "Live to Tell," was an instant hit, soaring to #1 on the Hot 100. It also hit the top spot on the Adult Contemporary chart, proving just how far Madge had come musically.

RELATED: June 1986: Madonna Hits #1 with "Live to Tell"

The album's second single, the controversial "Papa Don't Preach," was another smash, climbing to the top of the Hot 100 for the week of August 16, 1986, and the following week.

The fun and retro title track was yet another hit, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 for the week of November 15, 1986. The #1 song in America that week: Boston's "Amanda."

Madonna teamed up with MTV to host a contest for the best fan-made video for "True Blue."

It was back to #1 with "Open Your Heart," which topped the charts for a week in February 1987.

Four top 5 singles wasn't enough, so Madonna went in for a fifth with "La Isla Bonita," which peaked at #4 for the week of May 2, 1987. The #1 song in the country that week: Cutting Crew's "(I Just) Died in Your Arms."

As a collection, True Blue was a blockbuster LP, cruising to #1 on the Billboard 200 for the week of August 16, 1986. It held the top spot for a month, finally toppled by the Top Gun soundtrack on September 19, 1986. When the smoke cleared, True Blue was the best-selling album in the entire world for the year 1986.

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