A Madonna wannabe, or Madonnabe, is a person (usually female) who dresses or acts like American singer Madonna. When she emerged into stardom in the mid-1980s, an unusually high number of women, particularly young women and girls, began to dress and do their hair and makeup in the style that Madonna displayed in public. The term was popularized by writer John Skow in a May 1985 Time cover story on the singer.^[1] Numerous sociologists and other academics commented on the Madonna influence in her wannabes.

The term was officially recognized by the Webster's Dictionary in May 1991.^[2] Following the disappearance of the trend, critics and journalists refer to female pop stars who emulate Madonna's clothing or musical style as Madonna wannabes. The term is also used as a nickname for her fandom, mainly to refer to her female fans, especially young ones.

In 1982, Madonna met French jewelry designer Maripol at the Roxy nightclub in New York City.^[3] Both Madonna and Maripol styled the looks of her first two albums, Madonna (1983) and Like a Virgin (1984).^[4] The French designer made a line of official Madonna jewelry and accessories for her Virgin Tour in 1985,^[5] while the singer herself briefly sold a line of her own punk-chic clothing, called Yazoo, at Maripol's Bleecker Street shop.^[6]

Some authors placed her video "Lucky Star" from her debut album as the beginning of the style and fad.^[7] According to professor Santiago Fouz-Hernandez and author of Madonna's Drowned Worlds (2004), following the Virgin Tour, Madonna was immediately imitated by girls, and audience seemed to consist mainly of wannabes and look-alikes.^[7] By this time, it was common to see young women across the world dressed in the style affected by Madonna.^[8][9][10] John Skow from Time commented on the phenomenon:

"The bright side of this trend is that these Wanna Be's (as in "We wanna be like Madonna!") could be out somewhere stealing hubcaps. Instead, all of them, hundreds of thousands of young blossoms whose actual ages run from a low of about eight to a high of perhaps 25, are saving up their baby-sitting money to buy cross-shaped earrings and fluorescent rubber bracelets like Madonna's, white lace tights that they will cut off at the ankles and black tube skirts that, out of view of their parents, they will roll down several turns at the waist to expose their middles and the waistbands of the pantyhose."^[1]

The style has been described as a thrift shop and "flash-trash" look.^[11] It typically incorporated many beads, lace tops, bleached hair, ratted hair, rosaries, crucifixes, skirts, bracelets, bustiers and other underwear as outerwear elements, fingerless gloves,^[12] as well as ribbon or bow-shaped headbands or tiaras in the hair, called Madonna bows. The fad peaked in 1985 and began to decline by that year's end, as Madonna's national tour wound down. Though the mania subsided, many women continued to wear the look and some features of the Madonna wannabe style for a number of years.^[13]

The trend impacted retailers and also costume contests of that era, thus Madonna's trademark look became an iconic fashion trend of the 1980s.^[14][4] Macy's, opened their "Madonnaland" in 1985, a boutique selling clothes modelled after the singer's style.^[15][16] In June 1985, there was a look-alike contest at Macy's Herald Square in New York City.^[17] Pop artist Andy Warhol, who Madonna had met through her relationship with artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, her stylist Maripol, MTV contributor Nina Blackwood, and Madonna: Lucky Star author Michael McKenzie were the judges.^[18][19][4] After its launch of "Madonnaland" by Macy's, many other retailers followed suit.^[8]

In the TV program The 80's: The Decade that Made Us by the National Geographic, it was explained that "Madonna inspires countless girls across the globe to hit the nearest shopping mall to match her distinctive style".^[20] Editors of Garb: A Fashion and Culture Reader (2008), described the target as "an immense following of copycat teenagers",^[21] and it led to American journalist Ricardo Baca call her "the most imitated woman" in the world.^[22] It was described the fad was seem to be "everywhere", and a mall was dubbed "Madonna Mall" because of the many girls who shopped there.^[23] Author Jennifer Grayer Moore, wrote in Fashion Fads Through American History (2015): "The Madonna Wannabe phenomenon demonstrates the power of a mass-media personality to set a style and impact the fashion industry both by offering licensed products and by stimulating the sale of mainstream items".^[13]

Chuck Klosterman notes while girls dressed like Madonna, "she never demanded them to do so".^[24] Madonna reacted to this trend, and revealed in an interview with The Washington Post her own surprise for this phenomenon at the fact that a way of dressing she had chosen had suddenly become, quite spontaneously in fashion.^[25] In another interview with Michael Gross in 1985, she revealed: "I was flattered that people wanted to look like me and dress me. But I think it was all part of a spirit that I had, and I think that the people who wanted to dress like me saw the humor more than anybody else".^[26]

Following the disappearance of the trend, critics and public used the term to refer female pop stars who had notable similarity with or majorly influenced by Madonna. When inducting Madonna into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, American singer and actor Justin Timberlake stated that "The world has always been full of Madonna wannabes, and I might have even dated a couple", referring to his former girlfriend, Britney Spears.^[32] William Anthony Donohue, the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, called Lady Gaga a mediocre "Madonna wannabe" for her usage of Catholic imagery in her "Alejandro" music video.^[33] A 2012 Star Tribune article ranked several singers as Madonna wannabees, including Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga, who topped the list.^[34]

Some media outlets and authors have referred to her fandom, mainly young, female audiences as "Madonna wannabes".^[12] According to Sean MacLeod, author of Leaders of the Pack (2015), Spice Girls's debut single "Wannabe" was coined from the fans of Madonna, who were dubbed "wannabes".^[35]

• Fashion of Madonna
• Madonna impersonator
• Madonna and religion; religious criticisms