Madonna took the world by surprise with she unveiled a heartfelt ballad as a single in 1985.
Her eponymous solo debut album, 1983's Madonna, was filled with hits including electro-jam club bangers "Burning Up" and "Everybody" that showcased an emerging queen of New York nightlife.
By the time Madonna released the slow and elegant "Crazy For You" in March 1985, the singer was already the biggest female pop star on the planet, with the success of 1984's Like A Virgin and Material Girl under her belt. The icon would embody yet another new manifestation of Madonna with this sixth single by showcasing her vocal range with the dynamic ballad.
She even took the song's co-writer John Bettis by response as he exclaimed, "Excuse me? Madonna? Really? Can she sing a song like that?"
The single would star as the musical highlight in the film Vision Quest's, soundtracking the scene of high school wrestler (Matthew Modine) falling in love for an older aspiring artist (Linda Fiorentino), a fitting encapsulation of the mainstream American public quickly becoming infatuated with the artsy, edgy 80's Madonna.
The film flopped, but "Crazy For You" would top the Billboard charts, unseating the all-star charity single "We Are The World" and marking Madonna's second No. 1 single by May 1985. The song would also score the pop singer her first Grammy nod for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1986, but be defeated by Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love For You."
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