She's as fearless as a fire-fighter, as driven as Richard Branson and as self-absorbed as the sulky goth girl who lives next door. For 25 years, Madonna Louise Ciccone has entertained, shocked, captivated and perplexed. But, amidst all the commotion she's generally been causin', her music often gets overlooked. On the week of her 50th birthday, DS redresses the balance by saluting the eleven studio albums that made her a superstar.

Warning: this article contains several references to Madge's unmentionables.

Madonna (1983)
"Everybody spread the word, we're gonna have a celebration..." ('Holiday')

Four years after Disco Demolition Night, Madonna's debut album slyly beckoned pop fans back to the dancefloor. How? By blending sinewy synths, never-ending beats and unforgettable pop hooks into a 27-minute head-rush. 'Holiday', a joyous paean to escapism that still fills dancefloors today, became her first worldwide smash.

Like A Virgin (1984)
"You know that we are living in a material world, and I am a material girl…" ('Material Girl')

Madonna's sophomore set featured the two songs - and, just as importantly, videos - that made her a superstar. She combined capitalism with a killer cleavage on 'Material Girl', while 'Like A Virgin' found her flaunting her libido on a Venetian gondola. Elsewhere, she revelled in the first of many slightly suspect lyrics, vowing to "dress you up in my love, all over your body" on - you've guessed it - 'Dress You Up'. Eww.

True Blue (1986)
"Papa I know you're going to be upset, 'cause I was always your little girl…" ('Papa Don't Preach')

Madonna's third album was a masterclass in pop songcraft. She threw down the romantic gauntlet on 'Open Your Heart', clicked her castanets on 'La Isla Bonita' and homaged the sixties girl group-sound on 'True Blue'. And then there was 'Live To Tell', a gripping ballad about child abuse that proved she could marry thought-provoking lyrics to her unshakable pop melodies.

Like A Prayer (1989)
"Don't go for second best baby, put your love to the test..." ('Express Yourself')

After half a decade of superstardom, Madonna decided to prove her worth as a serious muso. The result? A hyper-ambitious pop opus taking in funk ('Express Yourself'), girl-group pop ('Cherish') and heart-wrenching confessionals ('Oh Father', 'Till Death Do Us Part'). Best of all, the sweet, playful 'Dear Jessie' suggested that Madge, a woman who'd hitherto seemed tougher than a bison's ball-sack, might just have a maternal side.

Erotica (1992)
"If I take you from behind, push myself into your mind…" ('Erotica')

Madonna's fifth album was her most provocative yet. She sang about oral sex ('Where Life Begins'), AIDS ('In This Life') and sadomasochism ('Erotica'), but, after the Sex Book controversy, the public had tired of her orifice obsessesion. Still, 'Deeper and Deeper', a blissful tale of sexual awakening set to a thumping house beat, and 'Bad Girl', a quietly shocking ballad, are among her most underrated singles.

Bedtime Stories (1994)
"Happiness lies in your own hand, it took me much too long to understand…" ('Secret')

After ramming her libido down the world's throats on Erotica, Madonna realised that subtle could be sexy too. The folky 'Secret' and R&B-tinged 'Take A Bow' were restrained, gorgeously melodic and filled with the warmth that Madge had been lacking in recent years. Meanwhile, the Bjork-penned 'Bedtime Story' proved Madonna was still capable of pushing the musical envelope.

Ray Of Light (1998)
"I traded fame for love, without a second thought…" ('Drowned World/Substitute For Love')

After her Golden Globe-winning turn in Evita, Madonna strained to reposition herself at pop's cutting edge. By casing her most revealing lyrics since Like A Prayer in William Orbit's gorgeous, swirling electronica, she succeeded with bells on. She cooed over baby Lourdes on 'Little Star', tried to melt our hearts on 'Frozen' and flicked a V sign at fame – for six minutes, at least – on the stunning 'Drowned World/Substitute For Love'.

Music (2000)
"Hey Mr. DJ put a record on, I wanna dance with my baby…" ('Music')

With the vibrant, pulsating disco of Music, Madonna finally discovered the secret of eternal youth - in musical terms, at least. Although she came off like a lusty convent girl on 'Impressive Instant', much of the album was devoted to tender declarations of love for Guy Ritchie ('I Deserve It', 'Nobody's Perfect', 'Amazing'). Elsewhere, the sensual 'What It Feels Like For A Girl' proved Madge could still be an almighty tease when she wanted to.

American Life (2003)
“I tried to stay ahead, I tried to stay on top…” ('American Life')

At 45, Madonna suffered a musical mid-life crisis. Although American Life's blend of folky confessionals and jerky electronica failed to sell as well as previous efforts, it reaffirmed the old saying that an interesting failure is preferable to a boring success. 'Nothing Fails' was one of her most stirring ballads; 'Mother and Father' sounded properly bonkers, and 'Hollywood' proved she could still unleash a slap-you-round-the-face chorus when she felt like it.

Confessions On A Dancefloor (2005)
"Don't cry for me, 'cause I'll find my way…" ('Hung Up')

Stung by American Life's disappointing sales figures, Madonna returned to her spiritual home: the discotheque. Lead single 'Hung Up', a tale of infatuation built around a so-obvious-it's-genius Abba sample, gave her a chance to show off her yoga-honed thighs, while 'Get Together' was her most anthemic song in years. Elsewhere, the likes of 'How High' and 'Let It Will Be' found Madonna grappling with what was by now her favourite topic: the perils of being the world's most famous woman.

Hard Candy (2008)
"I can go on and on and on…" ('Give It 2 Me')

Confessions was a smash everywhere except the States, so Madonna hired R&B super-producers Timbaland and Pharrell Williams to return her to the American airwaves. The result was a fresh, hooky album about sex and dancing that rarely matched the inventiveness of her best work. Still, Madonna's ploy paid off when '4 Minutes', a horny duet with Justin Timberlake, became her biggest US hit in seven years.