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Like a Prayer
File:Madonna - Like a Prayer album.png.
Studio album by
Madonna
ReleasedMarch 21, 1989
RecordedSeptember 1988 – January 1989
StudioD&D Recording
(New York City)
Ocean Way Recording
(Los Angeles)
GenrePop[1]
Length51:16
Label
Producer
Madonna chronology
You Can Dance
(1987) 		Like a Prayer
(1989) 		I'm Breathless
(1990)
Madonna studio album chronology
True Blue
(1986) 		Like a Prayer
(1989) 		Erotica
(1992)
Singles from Like a Prayer
  1. "Like a Prayer"
    Released: March 3, 1989
  2. "Express Yourself"
    Released: May 9, 1989
  3. "Cherish"
    Released: August 1, 1989
  4. "Oh Father"
    Released: October 24, 1989
  5. "Dear Jessie"
    Released: December 10, 1989
  6. "Keep It Together"
    Released: January 30, 1990

Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American singer Madonna, released on March 21, 1989 by Sire Records. Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the album with Patrick Leonard, Stephen Bray and Prince. The entire album was written in less than two weeks and most of the vocals were recorded in one take. As Madonna's most introspective release at the time, Like a Prayer has been described as a confessional record. She described the album as a collection of songs "about my mother, my father, and bonds with my family." The album was dedicated to her mother, who died when Madonna was young.

The album uses live instrumentation and incorporates elements of dance, funk, gospel, and soul into a more general pop style. Madonna drew from her Catholic upbringing, as seen in the album's title track and lead single "Like a Prayer". The lyrics deal with themes from Madonna's childhood and adolescence, such as the death of her mother in "Promise to Try", the importance of family in "Keep It Together", and her relationship with her father in "Oh Father", as well as the end of her tumultuous marriage to Sean Penn in "Till Death Do Us Part". Madonna also preaches female empowerment in "Express Yourself".

Like a Prayer received universal acclaim from music critics, who commended Madonna's songwriting, the album's artistic direction and its mature sounds. It became her third number-one album on the US Billboard 200—the most for a female artist during the 1980s— and was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was also hugely successful abroad, reaching number one in many countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom, while selling over 15 million copies worldwide. Six singles were released from the album, including international number-one singles "Like a Prayer", "Express Yourself" and "Cherish".

Like a Prayer was supported with the 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour, which reinvented the shape of concerts as full-scale productions by combining fashion, Broadway, rock and performance art. Like a Prayer has been recognized as a groundbreaking record and one of the definitve albums of the 1980s. With its singles' accompanying music videos, Madonna furthered her creativity and became known as a leading figure in the format. At the end of the 1980s, following the release of Like a Prayer, Madonna was named "Artist of the Decade" by many publications. Like a Prayer has been featured on many lists of all-time best albums, including Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Background[edit]

Prince collaborated with Madonna on "Love Song" and played guitar (uncredited) on "Like a Prayer", "Keep It Together" and "Act of Contrition".

By 1988, Madonna's first three studio album had sold collectively over 75 million records worldwide.[2] However, her personal life did not meet the same success. Her marriage to actor Sean Penn ended and the couple filed for divorce in January 1989. Madonna had also turned 30, the age at which her mother had died. Her personal battles with her religious values also caused great personal turmoil for her.[3] She commented for the May 1989 issue of Interview that her Catholic upbringing struck a feeling of guilt in her all the time:

Because in Catholicism you are a born sinner and you're a sinner all your life. No matter how you try to get away from it, the sin is within you all the time. It was this fear that haunted me; it taunted and pained me every moment. My music was probably the only distraction I had.[4]

She came to the realisation that as she and her fans were growing up, it was time for her to move away from the teen appeal to wider audiences, and en-cash on the longevity of the album market.[5] Feeling the need to attempt something different, Madonna wanted the sound of her new album to indicate what could be popular in the music world.[5] For lyrical ideas of the title track, she chose topics that until then had been personal meditations never to be shared with the general public; she told SongTalk magazine "In the past I wrote a lot of songs that [revealed my inner self], but I felt they were too honest or too frightening or too scary and I decided not to record them".[6] She decided to take a more adult, sophisticated approach; thoughtfully, she sifted through her personal journals and diaries, and began considering her options. She recalled, "What was it I wanted to say? I wanted the album and the song to speak to things on my mind. It was a complex time in my life."[7] She had certain matters on her mind, including her troubled relationship with her husband, actor Sean Penn, her family, her lost mother and even her belief in God.[7]

Development[edit]

"She'd start writing lyrics and oftentimes there was an implied melody. She would start with that and deviate from it. Or if there was nothing but a chord change, she'd make up a melody. But, a lot of the time in my writing there's a melody implied or I even have something in mind. But she certainly doesn't need that. [...] She would write the lyrics in an hour, the same amount of time it took me to write the music, and then she'd sing it. We'd do some harmonies, she'd sing some harmony parts, and usually by three or four in the afternoon, she was gone".

—Producer Patrick Leonard talking about working with Madonna on Like a Prayer.[8][9]

Like a Prayer was named after the influence of Catholicism on Madonna's early life as well as her struggles with religion; "The theme of Catholicism runs rampant", she said. "It's me struggling with the mystery and magic that surrounds it. My own Catholicism is in constant upheaval."[10] Recording sessions took place from September 1988 to January 1989.[11][12] On January 27, 1989, a press release from The Albany Herald said the album would include "a number of hot dance tracks" but noted, "much of the material [...] is of a personal tone."[13] The singer described it as a collection of songs "about my mother, my father, and bonds with my family. [...] It's taken a lot of guts to do this".[11] She also said that it would be her "most different" work to date; "It was a real coming-of-age record for me emotionally, I had to do a lot of soul-searching, and I think it is a reflection of that [...] I didn’t try to candy-coat anything or make it more palatable for mass consumption, I wrote what I felt".[6][9][11] She told Rolling Stone magazine "In the past, my records tended to be a reflection of current influences. This album is more about past musical influences".[6] She chose to collaborate with Stephen Bray and Patrick Leonard, with whom she had collaborated on her previous studio album True Blue (1986) and the soundtrack Who's That Girl (1987).[14] Both Bray and Leonard wanted to bring their unique style to the project, and they developed completely different music for the title track. Eventually, Madonna felt that the music presented to her by Leonard was more interesting, and she started to work with him. According to the singer, Leonard was also facing emotional turmoil; "I was working with Pat, who was also in a very dark state of mind, and we worked in a very isolated place in the Valley".[7][9] On January 6, 1989, following a nullified divorce filing in late 1987 and several publicized fights, one of which led to a 60-day prison term, Madonna and Sean Penn filed for divorce.[15] This incident inspired the song "Till Death Do Us Part".[16] The rest of the songs were written within two weeks; with "Like a Prayer", "Cherish" and "Spanish Eyes" being written the first week.[9] According to Leonard, "we wrote a song a day, and we didn't change them. And oftentimes the vocal that she did was the lead vocal, we didn't even change the lead vocal. That was it. She sang it. It was done".[8]

Recording artist Prince played the guitar on three songs from the album, "Like a Prayer", "Keep It Together", and "Act of Contrition", though he remained uncredited.[17] Prince and Madonna also worked together on the track "Love Song". The song was recorded at Prince's Studio on Paisley Park; "We were friends and talked about working together, so I went to Minneapolis to write some stuff with him, but the only thing I really dug was 'Love Song' [...] We ended up writing it long-distance, because I had to be in L.A. and he couldn't leave Minneapolis, and quite frankly I couldn't stand Minneapolis. When I went there, it was like 20 degrees below zero, and it was really desolate. I was miserable and I couldn't write or work under those circumstances", Madonna recalled.[9]

Composition[edit]

"Like a Prayer is about the influence of Catholicism in my life and the passion it provokes in me. In these songs I'm dealing with specific issues that mean a lot to me. They're about an assimilation of experiences I had in my life and my relationships. I've taken more risks with this album than I ever have before, and I think that growth shows."

—Madonna talking about the songs in Like a Prayer.[18]

According to Stephen Holden, the album "teems with 60's and early 70's echoes – of the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, and Sly and the Family Stone – all pumped up with a brash, if occasionally klutzy, 80's sense of showmanship".[10] In Madonna's own words, the songs "intertwine her search for faith with her search for her mother".[10] The opening track is "Like a Prayer", which was also the first song developed for the album.[19] Once Madonna had conceptualized the way she would interpose her ideas with the music, she wrote the song in about three hours.[19] She recalled her childhood days, when she used to play a game called Catholic Snap with her siblings. The game involved "pairing together images of Church objects like cruets, surplices and hosts." This was their catechism, a way of learning the liturgy. Hence Catholicism and its different objects were imprinted deeply on the mind of Madonna and her siblings.[20] She described "Like a Prayer" as the song of a passionate young girl "so in love with God that it is almost as though He were the male figure in her life."[21] It's a pop rock song with elements of gospel music. A choir provides background vocals that heighten the song's spiritual nature, and a rock guitar keeps the music dark and mysterious.[22] The second track, "Express Yourself", talks about rejecting material pleasures and only accepting the best for oneself; throughout the song, subtexts are employed.[23] According to the singer, the track is a tribute to Sly & the Family Stone.[6] The third track, "Love Song", is a duet with recording artist Prince. The song was co-written by Madonna and Prince and features the artist's "signature scratchy disco guitar breaks through Madonna’s synths".[24][25] Originally titled "State of Matrimony", the song Till Death Do Us Part" talks about the violent dissolution of Madonna's marriage.[9][16] It was described as "an anxious jumpy ballad that describes a marriage wracked with drinking, violent quarrels and a possessive, self-hating husband".[10] The next song, "Promise to Try" talks about the death of Madonna's mother. In one part of the song, she specifically asks "Does she hear my voice in the night when I call?". Later, an adult seems to admonish a child with the lines, "Little girl, don't you forget her face/Don't let memory play games with your mind/She's a faded smile frozen in time".[24][26]

The sixth track, and third single from Like a Prayer, is "Cherish". Built around the themes of love and relationship, with William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet being one of the major inspirations, the song includes a line from "Cherish" by the 1960s band The Association.[23] The lyrics of "Cherish" make it a simple love song, where Madonna talks about devotion and having her lover by her side, whom she would never leave.[27] Following "Cherish" is "Dear Jessie"; according to Rikky Rooksby, the song sounds more like a children's lullaby than a pop song.[28] The lyrics encourage the little girl Jessie to use her imagination. It summons up a psychedelic landscape, where pink elephants roam with dancing moons and mermaids. It references fairy-tale characters and creates an image of children playing with each other.[29] The nexus of the album's eight song, "Oh Father", talks about the presence of male authoritative figures in Madonna's life, most prominently her father, Tony Ciccone.[30] Author J. Randy Taraborrelli held that "Till Death Do Us Part", "Promise To Try" and "Oh Father" were songs where Madonna tried to "purge herself of certain personal demons".[31] The lyrics of "Keep It Together talk about the realization of how important Madonna's family has been as a form of stability in her life.[32] The final songs on Like a Prayer are "Spanish Eyes" and "Act of Contrition". "Spanish Eyes" is said to have "confronted the still-taboo issue of AIDS".[1] Carol Benson and Allen Metz, authors of The Madonna Companion: Two Decades of Commentary, described the song as "a cross between Ben E. King's "Spanish Harlem" and something by Billy Joel".[33] The final song, "Act of Contrition", features Madonna reciting the Catholic prayer Act of Contrition, then, the vocals deteriorate into a monologue in which Madonna grows obstreperous over being denied a restaurant reservation.[34]

Artwork[edit]

For the artwork, the singer chose to work with photographer Herb Ritts. Initially, photos from the session with Ritts were also to be used for the lead single's packaging.[35] For the photoshoot, she decided to dye her blonde hair brown; she commented "I love blonde hair, but it really does something different to you. I feel more grounded when I have dark hair. It's unexplainable. I also feel more Italian when my hair is dark".[36] The cover art features a close-up of the singer's jean-clad midsection and bare midriff.[9][37] The cover has been seen as a reference to Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones.[9][38] The packaging on the first pressings of the CD, cassette, and LP were scented with patchouli oils to simulate church incense.[39] A publicist for Warner Bros. Records revealed this had been the singer's idea; "She wanted to create a flavor of the 60's and the church. She wanted to create a sensual feeling you could hear and smell".[39] Initial pressings also included an insert with safe sex guidelines and a warning about the dangers of AIDS, to which Madonna had lost friends.[40] Its inclusion was decided after Warner Bros. had agreed to release an album by stand-up comedian Sam Kinison the year before, although he had stated that AIDS came from gay men involved in bestiality.[41] Madonna dedicated the album to "My mother, who taught me how to pray".[42]

Release and promotion[edit]

Main article: Blond Ambition World Tour
Madonna perfoming "Oh Father" on the religious-themed section of the 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour

Sire Records released Like a Prayer on March 21, 1989. On August 1989, Warner Music Japan released a remix extended play titled Remixed Prayers, which included several remixes of "Like a Prayer" and "Express Yourself". It was released exclusively in Japan until July 1993, when it was released in Australia to celebrate Madonna's first visit to the country as part of her Girlie Show World Tour.[43] The EP reached number 24 on the Oricon weekly albums chart and was present on the chart for five weeks.[44]

As a preview of her upcoming concert tour, Madonna performed an energetic version of "Express Yourself" during the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. She started the performance by descending from a flight of stairs, wearing a pin-striped suit and a monocle.[45] Later she removed the coat to reveal her bustier, and together with her backup singers Niki Haris and Donna De Lory, performed a dance routine called voguing.[45] Ian Inglis, author of Performance and Popular Music: History, Place and Time noted that the historical importance of Madonna's performance at the Video Music Awards was due to the televisual venue. Inglis explained that since Madonna's performance was striking primarily as a high-energy, provocatively choreographed, dance production number, it went on to highlight the 'TV' part of MTV, and in a way heralded her and the network as a cultural arbiter.[45]

Like a Prayer was promoted in her third concert tour, the Blond Ambition World Tour, which visited Asia, North America and Europe. Originally planned as the "Like a Prayer World Tour",[46] it consisted of 57 dates and was divided into five different sections; the first inspired by the 1927 German expressionist film Metropolis, the tour by religious themes, the third by the film Dick Tracy and cabaret, the fourth by Art Deco, and the fifth was an encore. The show contained sexual themes and Catholic imagery, such as in the performances of "Like a Prayer" and "Oh Father, which were based in church-like surroundings with Madonna wearing a crucifix and her backup dancers dressed like priests and nuns. Lighter moments included the performance of "Cherish", which featured dancers dressed up as Mermen and Madonna playing the harp. The concert was criticized for its sexual content and religious imagery; in Toronto, Canada, Madonna was threatened of being arrested for obscenity,[47] and Pope John Paul II later called for a boycott, with one of the three Italian dates being cancelled. Despite this, the tour was a critical success, winning "Most Creative Stage Production" at the 1990 Pollstar Concert Industry Awards.[48] Two different shows were recorded and released on video, Blond Ambition: Japan Tour 90, taped in Yokohama, Japan, on April 27, 1990,[49] and Blond Ambition World Tour Live, taped in Nice, France, on August 5, 1990.[50]

Singles[edit]

Madonna perfoming "Cherish", the album's third single, during the 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour

The title track "Like a Prayer", was released as the lead single on March 3, 1989. The song became Madonna's seventh number-one single on the United States' Billboard Hot 100, and topped the singles charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom and other countries.[51][52][53][54][55][56][57] "Express Yourself" was released as the second single from the album on May 9, 1989. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Madonna's sixth number-one hit on the European Hot 100 Singles chart. It also reached the top of the singles charts in Canada, Italy and Switzerland, and the top five elsewhere.[58][59][60][61] "Cherish" was released as the third single on August 1, 1989. It reached the top-ten of the charts in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom and the combined European chart.[62][63][64][65][66][67] On the Billboard Hot 100, "Cherish" became Madonna's 16th consecutive top-five single, setting a record in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[68]

Released on October 24, 1989 as the fourth single, "Oh Father" wasc ommercially less successful than Madonna's previous singles. In most of the countries where it was released, the song failed to attain top-ten positions.[69][70] It ended Madonna's string of 16 consecutive top five singles in the United States.[71] "Dear Jessie" was released as the fifth single from Like a Prayer on December 10, 1989. The release of "Dear Jessie" was limited to the United Kingdom, certain other European countries, Australia and Japan.[72][73][74] Upon its release, "Dear Jessie" reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom and Ireland and the top 20 in Germany, Spain and Switzerland.[75][76][77] "Keep It Together" was released on January 30, 1990 as the sixth and final single from Like a Prayer. The song reached a peak of number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian charts, while topping the dance chart in the United States.[78][79] In Australia it reached the top of the charts along with Madonna's next release, "Vogue".[80]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[81]
Chicago Sun-Times[82]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[83]
Entertainment WeeklyA[84]
Hot Press10/12[85]
Los Angeles Times[86]
Rolling Stone[87]
Slant Magazine[1]
Spin Alternative Record Guide10/10[83]
The Village VoiceB+[88]

Like a Prayer was well received by contemporary critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, from AllMusic, said in retrospect that it was Madonna's "most explicit attempt at a major artistic statement"; and that though she is trying to be "serious" Madonna delivers a range of well-written pop songs, making the album her "best and most consistent".[81] Annie Zaleski, from the entertainment website The A.V. Club, praised the album for "being bold enough to delve into her parental issues", and called it "Madonna's first truly substantial record, the dividing line between her chirpy club-kid days and the mature sounds and themes that increasingly marked her ’90s work".[6] In Rolling Stone, reviewer J. D. Considine wrote that Madonna's fame up to that point had been built more on "image than artistry", but that with Like a Prayer Madonna was asking, successfully, to be taken seriously; "Daring in its lyrics, ambitious in its sonics, this is far and away the most self-consciously serious album she's made. There are no punches pulled, anywhere". Considine concluded his review hailing the album "as close to art as pop music gets ... proof not only that Madonna should be taken seriously as an artist but that hers is one of the most compelling voices of the Eighties."[16] Robert Christgau from The Village Voice lamented the "kiddie psychedelia" of "Dear Jessie" and was unmoved by "Promise to Try" and "Act of Contrition", but felt all the other songs were memorable, especially the "cocksucker's prayer" of "Like a Prayer" and the "thrilling", independence-themed "Oh Father" and "Express Yourself".[88] Lloyd Bradley of Q said, "musically it's varied, unexpected and far from instantly accessible; lyrically, it's moving, intelligent and candid."[89] Edna Gunderson from USA Today, wrote that album was "Lyrically [...] a confessional feast, with Madonna's Catholic upbringing as the main course. Songs are rife with religious overtones, spiritual and hymnal arrangements and a host of references to joy, faith, sin and power".[90]

Jonathan Takiff from The Philadelphia Inquirer praised the album for being "serious and reflective, at times heavily laden with psychic trauma. You might consider Like a Prayer to be [Madonna]'s Misfits...or her hour in the confessional box".[91] Sal Cinquemani, from Slant Magazine, described the album as "a collection of pop confections layered with live instrumentation, sophisticated arrangements, deeply felt lyrics, and a stronger, more assured vocal."[1] The review concluded by declaring Like a Prayer "one of the quintessential pop albums of all time.[1] Barry Walters from the San Francisco Examiner, named the album "[Madonna]'s best and most consistent collection yet [...] the album [where Madonna] crosses the line between craft and inspiration. From the start, she's had an intuitive grasp of how to put on a good show. Now she's got the guts to show us what's inside".[92] Senior editor from The Cavalier Daily Chaz Repak, praised Madonna's "improved" songwriting; "her religious faith and her marriage to Sean Penn, are completely well written", however, he ended his review on a more critical note by saying: "Like a Prayer constitutes Madonna's best work to date. But after such work as "Material Girl", "Burning Up" and "Open Your Heart", that's not saying much."[93] Negative criticism came from Spin Magazine. Reviewer Christian Logan wrote: "On Like a Prayer your relationship to Madonna changes from to song to song, and it makes you uncomfortable. It's like sitting on a table with a friend who's telling too much about herself to people she doesn't know".[94] Joe Levy from the same magazine, was also critical, writing that "there's not a lot of old Madonna, nothing of the generation of women who grew up in her wake: Regina, Debbie Gibson, and Taylor Dayne." but highlighted "Keep it Together" as "the only great dance song on the record".[94] At the end of 1989, Like a Prayer was voted the 18th best record of the year in the Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of American critics published by The Village Voice.[95]

Commercial performance[edit]

With Like a Prayer Madonna had the second most US number-one albums during the 1980s, behind only Bruce Springsteen.

In the United States, Like a Prayer debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200, on the issue dated April 8, 1989.[96] It rose to the top of the chart in its third week, becoming her third release to reach number one. Madonna became the female artist with the most number-one albums during the 1980s—overall second only to Bruce Springsteen with four—as well as the first artist to reach number one with three studio albums in a row since the Rolling Stones in 1973.[97] Like a Prayer stayed at number one for six consecutive weeks—her longest-running number-one album on the chart—and spent a total of 77 weeks on the chart.[96][98] It remains her last studio album to chart on the Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, peaking at number 55.[99] The album was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of four million copies.[100] After the advent of the Nielsen SoundScan era in 1991, the album sold a further 575,000 copies as of August 2010.[101] In Canada, Like a Prayer topped the albums chart compiled by The Record and became the fourth best-selling album of the year according to RPM. It was certified five times platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for shipments of 500,000 copies.[102]

Like a Prayer was a bestseller in virtually all European countries, thus being enable to topped the European Top 100 Albums for seven consecutive weeks.[103] In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, on April 1, 1989.[104] It remained on this position for two weeks and a total of 72 weeks on the chart.[104] The album was certified quadruple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments of 1.2 million copies.[105] In France, the album debuted at number one on the French Albums Chart on April 9, 1989, staying there for eight consecutive weeks.[106] It was certified double platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) and has sold 770,300 copies.[107][108] In Germany, Like a Prayer topped the Media Control albums chart for one month, and was later certified there times gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) for having shipped over 750,000 copies.[109][110]

Like a Prayer also attained commercial success in Asia-Pacific region. In Japan, Like a Prayer reached number one on the Oricon Albums Chart and remained on the chart for 22 weeks.[111] The Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) certified the album double platinum for shipments of 400,000 copies across Japan.[112] According to the RIAJ, Madonna and Like a Prayer were the best-selling international artist and the best-selling international album of the year, respectively.[113] It also became her sixth platinum album in Hong Kong, the most for any international act during the decade.[114] In Australia, Like a Prayer debuted and peaked at number four on April 2, 1989.[115] It was certified quadruple platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 280,000 copies.[116] In New Zealand, the album peaked at number two and was certified double platinum by the Recorded Music NZ.[117][118] Globally, Like a Prayer has sold over 15 million copies.[119][120][121]

Legacy[edit]

Taraborrelli wrote that Like a Prayer was a turning point's in Madonna's career; "Every important artist has at least one album in his or her career whose critical and commercial success becomes the artist's magic moment; for Madonna [...] Like a Prayer was. [Madonna] pushed onwards as an "artist", using her creative wit to communicate on another level, musically."[122] Kenneth G. Bielen, author of The Lyrics of Civility: Biblical Images and Popular Music Lyrics in American Culture, wrote that with the album Madonna began to be seen as a serious artist; "Five years earlier, she was a dance-pop 'Boy-Toy'. With Like a Prayer, she proved she was an artist who could think with more than her body".[123] LA Weekly's Art Tavana opined that "Like a Prayer was the moment when Madonna went from being the voice of America's teenagers to the worldwide high priestess of pop".[124] According to Christopher Rosa from VH1, Like a Prayer was her peak of cultural and musical influence, saying that "Madonna went from bubbly pop act to a serious artist who received her first bout of universal acclaim." Glen Levy from Time stated: "Madonna has always been a keen student of pop-culture history, and her creative powers were probably at their peak in the late 1980s on the album Like a Prayer."[125] Hadley Freeman from The Guardian opined that Like a Prayer shaped how pop stars, pop music, music videos, love, sex and the 1980s were and should be.[126] With the release of Like a Prayer, Madonna's impact culminated during the 1980s, and many publications named her the artist of the decade, including MTV and Billboard magazine.[127]

Thomas Harrison on the book Music of the 1980s, documented that Like a Prayer pushed boundaries by addressing "uncomfortable song topics".[128] According to Christopher Rosa from VH1, "Like a Prayer was the first pop album to evoke what female artists explore today: sexuality, religion, gender equality and independence. It was pioneering, and no woman in music has come close to doing something as groundbreaking."[129][130] Singer Taylor Swift, who cited Like a Prayer as the major influence of her album 1989 (2014), explained that with the album Madonna made "the most incredible, bold, risky, decisions as far as pop music goes."[131] Annie Zaleski from The A.V. Club, praised the album for "starting a conversation about religion—which remains one of the most incendiary topics a musician can address. [...] All of this pointed to Madonna establishing herself as a serious artist (emphasis on the “art”) who had significant things to say".[6] She also wrote:

The album’s sustained run at No. 1 buoyed her self-assurance and bravery, and validated that people were willing to follow her even as she transitioned into adulthood. And even today, Like a Prayer remains provocative and progressive: The racial tension alluded to in the “Like A Prayer” video is striking, while the album’s themes of religious and sexual oppression still feel all too relevant. Madonna dictated pop’s future direction while also being firmly in control of her own fortunes.[6]

Like a Prayer has become a regular addition on all-time best album lists. According to the "All-Time 100 Albums" list by Time magazine's critics, Like a Prayer is one of the 100 greatest and most influential musical compilations since 1954.[132] In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named it the 239th greatest album of all time.[133] Apart from that the album was also featured in the "Women Who Rock" list made in 2012, at number 18.[134] Like a Prayer is also featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[135] In 2006, Q magazine placed the album at number 14 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".[136] In 2005, a poll of half million people on British television network Channel 4 placed Like a Prayer at number eight on list of "The 100 Greatest Albums in Music History".[137] In 2012, Slant Magazine listed the album at number 20 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s", saying: "By the late '80s, Madonna was already one of the biggest pop stars of all time, but with Like a Prayer, she became one of the most important".[138]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Like a Prayer"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
5:39
2."Express Yourself"
  • Madonna
  • Bray
4:39
3."Love Song" (with Prince)
  • Madonna
  • Prince
4:52
4."Till Death Do Us Part"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
5:16
5."Promise to Try"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
3:36
6."Cherish"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
5:03
7."Dear Jessie"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
4:20
8."Oh Father"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
4:57
9."Keep It Together"
  • Madonna
  • Bray
  • Madonna
  • Bray
5:03
10."Spanish Eyes"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
5:15
11."Act of Contrition"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
2:19
Total length:51:16
30th anniversary edition[139]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Like a Prayer" (12" Dance Mix)
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
7:52
2."Express Yourself" (Non-Stop Express Mix)
  • Madonna
  • Bray
  • Madonna
  • Bray
  • Pettibone
8:00
3."Love Song" (with Prince)
  • Madonna
  • Nelson
  • Madonna
  • Prince
4:52
4."Till Death Do Us Part"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
5:18
5."Cherish" (Extended Version)
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
6:16
6."Dear Jessie"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
4:21
7."Oh Father" (Single Version)
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
4:27
8."Keep It Together" (12" Remix)
  • Madonna
  • Bray
  • Madonna
  • Bray
  • Pettibone
7:48
9."Pray for Spanish Eyes"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
5:17
10."Supernatural"
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
  • Madonna
  • Leonard
5:12
Total length:59:23

Notes:[42]

  • "Spanish Eyes" was re-titled "Pray for Spanish Eyes" on certain editions of the album.
  • On the album's notes "The powers that be" (Madonna and Patrick Leonard) are credited as the producers of "Act of Contrition".

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[42]

Musicians[edit]

Production[edit]

  • Madonna – producer
  • Patrick Leonard – producer
  • Stephen Bray – producer
  • Prince – producer
  • Bill Bottrell – sound engineer
  • Eddie Miller – sound engineer
  • Stephen Shelton – sound engineer
  • Heidi Hanschu – sound engineer
  • Michael Vail Blum – sound engineer
  • Robert Salcedo – sound engineer
  • Stacy Baird – sound engineer
  • Joe Schiff – sound engineer
  • Bill Bottrell – mixing
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Herb Ritts – photography
  • Jeri Heiden – art design

Charts[edit]

Certifications and sales[edit]

‹See Tfd›‹See Tfd›
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[163] Platinum 60,000^
Australia (ARIA)[116] 4× Platinum 280,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[164] Platinum 50,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[166] 2× Platinum 710,000[165]
Canada (Music Canada)[102] 5× Platinum 500,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[167] Platinum 70,818[167]
France (SNEP)[107] 2× Platinum 770,300[108]
Germany (BVMI)[110] 3× Gold 750,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[114] Platinum 20,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[112] 2× Platinum 400,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[168] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[118] 2× Platinum 30,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[76] 4× Platinum 400,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[169] 2× Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[105] 4× Platinum 1,200,000^
United States (RIAA)[100] 4× Platinum 4,000,000^
Summaries
Worldwide — 15,000,000[119]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

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Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

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