Did Madonna Really Get Her Start With a Late-1970s Punk Band?

Madonna has had a long and impressive career in pop music, but she didn’t actually get her start in the genre until the 1980s. Before that, she was actually in a new wave punk band, which released a few rough demos before she ultimately left the group.

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Around 1979, Madonna was playing drums and singing with the New York punk band Breakfast Club. The group was formed around Madonna, Angie Smit on bass, and brothers Dan and Ed Gilroy on guitar, with Dan providing vocals. Later, Madonna would leave Breakfast Club to join the band Emmy and the Emmys, but not before she contributed to a few demos.

One that resurfaced recently is called “S–t On The Ground.” It’s rough and gritty, celebrating the underground punk scene of 1970s New York. It differs greatly from Madonna’s work in pop, which made her a household name. But there’s something about the demo that reflects Madonna’s life at the time before she went through the transition to pop.

After Moving to New York, Madonna Joined a Punk Band and Played the Drums

Madonna ended up in Breakfast Club because her dancing career wasn’t really panning out after moving to New York. However, she was dating Dan Gilroy at the time, who gave her drum lessons and included her when he formed Breakfast Club.

The band released a four-song demo in 1979, which included “S–t On The Ground,” “Shine A Light,” “Little Boy,” and “Love Express.”

Madonna took lead vocals on the demos, where her voice was experimental and raw. She was clearly learning how to define herself and her identity through her voice. It would continue to grow and mature in the 1980s. At this time, though, she was still figuring it out, and that comes through clearly in the demos.

In 1981, after leaving Breakfast Club and Emmy and the Emmys, Madonna signed with Gotham Records. She then started working with producer Mark Kamins. This shift to a solo career changed her priorities. She started making dancier tracks that were pop-centered.

However, in the early days of her solo career, she was still merging her current punk attitude with the new pop mindset. She kept the energy of her rowdy beginnings but combined it with slick club beats. Then, Madonna dropped her debut, breakout self-titled album. From there, it was just a matter of evolving more and more into the Queen of Pop.

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