Happy Birthday, Madonna!

Say what you will of Madonna, her wild ways and her loads of plastic surgery. The pop star who turns 56 this week (Aug. 16, 2014) has influenced an entire generation of artists with her catchy dance beats. She’s produced 12 albums and continues to embrace new ideas. After more than 30 years in the business, she still gets people talking about her controversial statements. Like her or not, she has made massive hits over the years and without her, we may not have artists like Lady Gaga promoting self-acceptance to little monsters everywhere. Click through our slideshow for the evolution of Madonna through videos.