Criticism

Despite her career achievements, Madonna has been the target of criticism since the beginning of her career. Reviews about her body of work have generally been mixed and many music critics have put her artistry in doubt, while some have proclaimed her the "Queen of Pop". Madonna's lyrics have also been panned as simple or even dull by some, though several critics view Madonna as a talented vocalist and songwriter.

A common criticism against Madonna regards her singing voice and vocal range, which some consider to be weak, limited and mannered. She has also been criticized for egocentrism, publicity stunts and a tendency to generate controversy. Joni Mitchell once declared, "She has knocked the importance of talent out of the arena. She's manufactured. She's made a lot of money and become the biggest star in the world by hiring the right people". Other popular entertainers like Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey have expressed disapproval of her artistic abilities, disdain, or criticism against her image and work.

Moments of her career in which Madonna has been heavily criticized include her 1989 music video for "Like a Prayer", the publication of the book Sex and album Erotica in 1992, her 2006 performance of "Live to Tell" during the Confessions Tour, and her adoption of Malawian infant David Banda in 2006.

Much of her career has seen rebellion against the Roman Catholic Church, which has generated criticism in the past. In 1990, when Madonna toured Italy with the Blond Ambition Tour, the Pope encouraged citizens not to attend the concert. The Pope accused Madonna of blasphemy against the Catholic Church (a crime in Italy). A private association of devout Roman Catholics, called Famiglia Domani, also boycotted the show for many of the same displays of sexual innuendos and eroticism the Pope had denounced.

In response, in a 1990 press conference in Italy, Madonna declared, "I am Italian American and proud of it." In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Madonna said that the Pope's reaction hurt, "because I'm Italian, you know", but in another interview the same year stated that she had ceased to practice Catholicism because the Church "completely frowns on sex... except for procreation". In the summer of 2006, Madonna drew criticism from Vatican officials when she took her Confessions Tour to Rome. Vatican officials claimed that Madonna's performance while hanging off a cross and wearing a crown of thorns was an open attack on Catholicism and should not be performed in the same city as the pope's residence.

In the documentary Italians in America - Our Contribution, author Gay Talese relates Madonna's rebellion against the Catholic Church to her Italian ancestry. Talese claims that Madonna's paternal ancestors come from a region of Southern Italy with a long tradition of rebellion against the Catholic Church. Despite her alleged rebellion, Madonna had both of her biological children baptized in a Roman Catholic Church.

Madonna has received criticism from animal rights groups for wearing fur coats and in the past, was criticized for renting out her house for hunting parties.