Open Your Heart

Two days ago Madonna performed as the halftime show at the Super Bowl.  Meanwhile, 25 years ago today, Madonna rose to number 1 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart when “Open Your Heart” grabbed the top spot.  “Open Your Heart” was the fourth single–and third number 1 single–from her 1986 album True Blue.  It was also Madonna’s fifth number 1 single overall.

Since it’s release, the video, which you can see above, has been the subject of a significant amount of discussion about the kinds of messages about gender that it reflects.  Some see it as clear representation of the sexual objectification of women, while others argue that it challenges that objectification.  Whatever you believe about what it represents in terms of gender, it’s hard to argue that by soliciting that discussion, it’s very representative of Madonna’s career.