A 1984 Madonna single from "Like a Virgin," a synth-pop song about an unapologetic pursuit of wealth, with a music video referencing Marilyn Monroe.
Composition
Material Girl was written by Peter Brown and Robert Rans. Madonna recorded the song with producer Nile Rodgers for her second album. The arrangement features a synth bass line and a layered backing vocal pattern.
Music Video
The music video, directed by Mary Lambert, references the “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” sequence from the 1953 film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” starring Marilyn Monroe. The video received heavy MTV rotation.
Reception
Released in late 1984 as the second single from “Like a Virgin,” the song reached the top three on the Billboard Hot 100. It became one of Madonna’s signature songs and a cultural shorthand for 1980s consumerism, though Madonna has noted she does not consider it her self-portrait.
Find more songs by letter
Material Girl starts with M and ends with L. Browse other songs along the same letter.
Songs that contain a letter from "Material Girl":