Madonna has made some of the most iconic music videos of all time, but only one of them has managed to hit 1 billion views on YouTube. What’s more, it only recently happened — and it’s probably not one you’d expect.
When you think of Madonna videos, you probably picture “Like a Prayer,” “Vogue,” “Material Girl,” “Like a Virgin,” “Lucky Star” or “Papa Don’t Preach.” But the one that’s her first to hit the billion-view mark is the visual for her 1987 single “La Isla Bonita,” from her third album, True Blue. Her first song to incorporate Latin instrumentation, the track was Madonna’s 11th top-five single on the Billboard Hot 100.
In the clip, Madonna plays dual roles: a woman who prays and pines for the titular island while watching a street musician and a flirtatious flamenco dancer. Shot in Los Angeles, the video features a cameo from future Oscar winner Benicio del Toro. The then-unknown actor was reportedly paid $150 for his role as a teenager sitting on a car hood.
“La Isla Bonita” has remained a presence on Madonna’s tours: It’s been performed on eight of them, including her most recent Celebration Tour, which wrapped in 2024.
Interestingly, Madonna’s musical collaborator Patrick Leonard initially created the song’s instrumental track as something for Michael Jackson to record. But after Michael and producer Quincy Jones turned it down, Leonard gave it to Madonna, who came up with the title and wrote the lyrics.
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