Vision Quest - 35MM

Best known for Madonna’s first post-fame cinematic appearance – she’s briefly featured playing (essentially) herself, singing in a local dive bar – this lovely drama stars a teenage Matthew Modine in love with older woman Linda Fiorentino. One of the two songs Madonna sings in the flick, “Crazy For You,” became the movie’s unofficial theme song… and her second number-one single (dethroning “We Are the World”). Riding the wave of Madonna-mania, the coming-of-age romance was released as Crazy For You throughout Europe. 

Video: BORDERLINE (Mary Lambert, 1984)

The fifth and final single from Madonna’s debut record, “Borderline” rocketed to the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100, ultimately spending 30 weeks on the charts and delaying the release of her follow-up full-length Like a Virgin. In the first of five collaborations with Mary Lambert, the song’s video introduced America to a fashion icon, inspiring teenage mall rats across the country to don lacy cut-off gloves, frosted highlights, and oversized crucifixes. Madonna is stunning here, gazing upon the soft light of an Alphabet City sunset. MTV’s Gale Sparrow commented, “This image became as important as the music.”