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Madonna was a superstar after the success of her second album, Like a Virgin (1984). With third studio effort, True Blue, she became a mega-star, elevating to become one of the biggest and most popular artists in the world.

With the new album came a new Madonna, sporting a fresh, revitalized image: “After a while, I got sick of wearing tons of jewelry,” the singer told New York Times that year. “I wanted to clean myself off. I see my new look as very innocent and feminine and unadorned. It makes me feel good. Growing up, I admired the kind of beautiful glamorous woman – from Bridget Bardot to Grace Kelly – who doesn’t seem to be around much anymore. I think it’s time for that kind of glamour to come back.”

The nine songs on “True Blue,” which celebrates its 35th anniversary June 30, signified her musical maturity, from the somber balladry of “Live to Tell” to the Latin syncopation embedded in “La Isla Bonita.”

Madonna‘s evolution as a pop star and performer has always been defined by her unended quest to grow and develop as an artist. Because she was initially dismissed as a grasping, untalented pop tart, she has doggedly chased artistic credibility throughout most of her career. What this means practically is that with each album, each music video, each concert, she mines her seemingly depthless reserve of creativity and knowledge of pop culture and pop subculture to create art that’s simultaneously radio-ready pop music as well as a ‘statement’. From her self-titled debut in 1983, Madonna used pop music to forge her one-woman sexual revolution.

Madonna’s third album saw a shift to a more contemporary adult sound

Madonna released True Blue on this day in 1986. The album saw a significant change in the singer’s sound and image, and saw her continue her domination of the charts.

In 1985 Madonna was one of the highest selling new artists of the decade. Her self titled debut album, released in 1983 had been a slow burner. Her debut single Everybody didn’t set the charts alight but subsequent singles Burning Up, Lucky Star and Borderline were a success.