Madonna's "Like a Virgin" Performance at the 1984 MTV VMAs Madonna kicked off the very first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984 with a provocative performance of "Like a Virgin," which began with her emerging from a cake and ended with her thrashing on the floor in an indiscernible pile of white tulle. The moment would solidify Madonna's sex-symbol status and set the tone for future award shows. Image Source: Getty / New York Daily News Archive