Madonna turns 53 today, and her influence is felt now more than
ever  Today is Madonna Ciccone's 53rd birthday. And while the
eternal Material Girl has wisely ceded the pop spotlight of
today to the younger generation of starlets, her influence is
still felt in the way modern female musicians are viewed,
regarded and accepted. In the early '80s, Madonna broke down a
lot of the industry doors that young entertainers stride through
so brashly and confidently these days, while also giving music
fans a reason to dance and think at the same time.  But, for a
testosterone-charged teenage boy that was only interested in
classic rock and hip-hop in the '80s, Madonna held an entirely
different appeal. She was a stone-cold sex symbol that opened
everybody's eyes wide with her blatant disregard for society's
conventions and inhibitions, flouting her sensuality and
eroticism while single-handedly taking over the pop music world.
I never owned one of her albums or really listened to her music
by choice, but anytime one of