Flashback: Madonna Tells Dick Clark She Wants to ‘Rule the World’

This week marks the 40th anniversary of Madonna’s self-titled debut album. The Detroit-born, New York City-made legend was cutting her teeth at the clubs when her song “Everybody” had taken off in the early Eighties — and its success eventually helped get her signed by Sire’s Seymour Stein. When Madonna was released on July 27, 1983, it would set off a slow burn that would eventually scorch every corner of the pop culture world.

Six months after releasing the album, Madonna was beginning to see her singles like “Burning Up” and “Holiday” climb up the charts both in the U.S. and around the world. She performed the latter on American Bandstand, strutting and bouncing around the stage like the star she always knew she was meant to become.

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Host Dick Clark joined her on stage after to interview her about her budding career, but he’s consistently interrupted by the cheers from the audience. When they finally get the chance to start their conversation, Madonna talks about how she got her start in the industry by singing back-up for French singer Patrick Hernandez. Clark wonders if after performing with so many bands and other artists if Madonna was scared to go it alone. With a smirk, she replied “Not really. I think I’ve always a lot of confidence in myself.”

Clark also astutely asks the singer what her hopes are for 1984 and beyond. Her dream was “to rule the world,” an astoundingly prescient prediction of what would ensue. She was already on her way: Madonna would crack the Top Eight on the Billboard 200 a year after its release, with singles “Holiday” and “Lucky Star” becoming Top 10 hits. Its success came just in time for her sophomore album Like a Virgin, which landed in November 1984 and would catapult Madonna into superstardom. Those early singles would get new boosts from her first-ever tour in 1985 and continue to stand the test of time for both old and new fans of the pop queen.

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