.singles chronology'(1984)' Like a Virgin'(1984)'(1985)' Like a Virgin' is a song recorded by American singer for her second studio album (1984). It was released on October 31, 1984, by as the album's. The song was written by and, and produced by; Steinberg said that the song was inspired by his personal experiences of romance. 'Like a Virgin' was chosen for Madonna by Michael Ostin of after listening to a demo sung by Kelly. Rodgers initially felt that the song did not have a sufficient, but subsequently changed his opinion after the song was stuck in his head.Musically, 'Like a Virgin' is a dance-oriented song, composed of two hooks.
Print and download Like a Virgin sheet music by Madonna. Sheet music arranged for Piano/Vocal/Guitar, and Singer Pro in F Major (transposable). Piano/Vocal/Chords, Singer Pro. She Used to Be Mine. Bareilles, Sara. The Related Products tab shows you other products that you may also like, if you like Like a Virgin. Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 1984, by Sire Records. Following the success of her self-titled debut album, Madonna wanted to become the record producer of her next album.
Madonna's voice is heard in a high while a continuous arrangement of synths are heard along the. The song's lyrics are ambiguous, consisting of hidden innuendos and open to various interpretations. 'Like a Virgin' received positive reviews from music critics, who frequently called it as one of the defining songs for Madonna. It became her first number-one single on the in Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United States, while reaching the top ten elsewhere.The song's portrayed Madonna sailing down the canals of Venice in a gondola, as well as roaming around a palace wearing a white wedding dress. With the video, scholars noted Madonna's portrayal of a sexually independent and strong woman, similarity of a man wearing a lion's mask to that of and the link between the eroticism in the video and the vitality of Venice. Madonna has performed the song in seven of her.
Most of the time, her performances of 'Like a Virgin' were associated with strong reaction and uproar from the media.' Like a Virgin' has been covered by a number of artists and has appeared in or been referenced in feature films such as,. Family groups sought to ban it as they believed the song promoted sex outside or without marriage. On the other hand, Madonna's public persona of an indomitable, sexually unashamed, supremely confident woman was widely accepted by the younger generation who emulated her style and fashion. Scholars have credited 'Like a Virgin' as the song which cemented her position as a. (pictured) co-wrote the song with'Like a Virgin' was written.
The idea for the song originated when Steinberg was living at his father's vineyards in the, and driving a red pickup truck one day. In an interview with the, Steinberg explained that the song was not written for Madonna or any female singer but was inspired by his personal experiences. At that time Steinberg had just come out of an emotionally challenging relationship, and he had met someone new.
That inspired the lyrics for 'Like a Virgin' about how he coped with the difficult situation. When he took the song to Kelly, they decided that it would be a, however they could not decide how the word 'virgin' would fit in it. Steinberg elaborated: 'I wasn't just trying to get that racy word virgin in a lyric. I was saying. That I may not really be a virgin—I've been battered romantically and emotionally like many people—but I'm starting a new relationship and it just feels so good, it's healing all the wounds and making me feel like I've never done this before, because it's so much deeper and more profound than anything I've ever felt.' Kelly recorded the demo, and invited Michael Ostin of Warner Bros. Records' department to his house to listen to it.
Steinberg and Kelly played four or five tunes for Ostin, and further discussed 'Like a Virgin' – they were not sure for which artist the song would be suitable. Due to meet with Madonna the next day to discuss her second album, Ostin intended on playing the demo to her, believing the lyrics and the groove of the song were perfect for Madonna. 'When I played it for Madonna she went crazy, and knew instantly it was a song for her and that she could make a great record out of it,' Ostin recalled. In 2009, interviewer Austin Scaggs asked Madonna what her first impressions were after listening to the demos of 'Like a Virgin' and '. Madonna replied:I liked them both because they were ironic and provocative at the same time but also unlike me. I am not a materialistic person, and I certainly wasn't a virgin, and, by the way, how can you be like a virgin?
I liked the play on words; I thought they were clever. They're so geeky, they're cool. I never realized they would become my signature songs, especially the second one. Recording and production. 'Like a Virgin' was recorded at Power Station Studios in New York CityIn mid-1984, Madonna met producer Nile Rodgers at the (now Avatar Studios) in New York. Rodgers initially did not want Madonna to record 'Like a Virgin', as he felt that the lyric 'like a virgin' was not a terrific hook; according to him it was not an all-time catch phrase.
Rodgers dismissed the song after hearing the demo, which he thought sounded 'really stupid and retarded'. Later, Rodgers had second thoughts: 'It's weird because I couldn't get it out of my head after I played it, even though I didn't really like it. It sounded really to me, but it grew on me. I really started to like it.
But, my first reaction to it was, 'This is really queer.' ' Rodgers credits Madonna with recognizing the song's potential.
He later said: 'I handed my apology to Madonna and said, 'you know. If it's so catchy that it stayed in my head for four days, it must be something. So let's do it.' ' Hence the song was finally recorded. Steinberg reflected on the recording process and commented that:When Madonna recorded it, even as our demo faded out, on the fade you could hear Tom saying, 'When your heart beats, and you hold me, and you love me.' That was the last thing you heard as our demo faded. Madonna must have listened to it very, very carefully because her record ends with the exact same little ad-libs that our demo did.
That rarely happens that someone studies your demo so carefully that they use all that stuff. We were sort of flattered how carefully she followed our demo on that.Jason Corsaro, the record's, persuaded Rodgers to use, a new technique at the time which Corsaro believed was going to be the future of recording because test pressings always sounded consistent. To ensure this, Corsaro used a and a for the stereo mix. Madonna recorded the lead parts in a small, wooden, high-ceilinged piano room at the back of Studio C, also known as Power Station's ' room'. Corsaro then placed around her while using the top capsule of a, with a and a Pultec equalizer.
Once the track met with everybody's approval, added the keyboard parts, playing mostly a, as well as some and, while Rodgers also played a. Madonna, although not required, was present every minute of the recording sessions and the mixing process, Corsaro commented: 'Nile was there most of the time, but she was there all of the time. She never left'. Composition.
A 20 second sample of the song. Madonna sings the which is supported by a continuous arrangement of drums and synth along the bassline.Problems playing this file? See.Composed as a dance-oriented song, the of 'Like a Virgin' consists of two hooks.
According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by, the song is set in, with a moderately of 118. It is composed in the key of with Madonna's voice ranging from the tonal nodes of low-tone G 3 to high-tone C 5.
According to Rikky Rooksby, the on the intro is a re-working of the bass motif present in the ' 1965 song ', where Chuck Berry provided the arrangement. The bassline also has some similarity with 's ' especially during the second.
Madonna sings the song in her high register while drum arrangement by Tony Thompson is heard alongside the bassline, which is also supported by a synthesizer arrangement, giving it a through all the seven diatonic chords of I–IV–vii o–iii–vi–ii–V–I.Regarding the lyrics, Madonna had commented: 'I like innuendo, I like irony, I like the way things can be taken on different levels.' This statement highlighted the ambiguity of the lyrics of the song, which is hung on the word 'like'. Rooksby interpreted the meaning of the song in different ways to different people. He said that for girls who are really virgins, the song encouraged them to hold their compose before they engage in their very first sexual moment/act. For sexually experienced girls, the song meant that they would be able to re-live the feelings of their first sexual encounter all over again.
For boys, the song presented a image of them making the girl/boy forget her/his past encounters and enjoy their sexual moment/act as if for the very first time. Critical reception 'Like a Virgin' is one of Madonna's most famous singles, and was met with predominantly positive critical reception. From said that 'Like a Virgin' was a definitive statement. He added that the song, and ' from the same album, made Madonna an icon.
He added that both overshadowed the rest of the record, 'because they are a perfect match of theme and sound.' Debbie Miller from commented that Madonna's voice 'doesn't have the power or range of, say, but she knows what works on the dance floor.' In 2014, Ryan Reed, also writing for Rolling Stone, called the song a 'classic'.Dave Karger from, while reviewing the album in 1995, felt that the song came off a bit repetitious and immature when compared to the present context. Jim Farber from Entertainment Weekly felt that the song raised the 'madonna-whore' ante.
Sal Cinquemani from called the song a classic. Alfred Soto from felt that the song was in its style. Katie Henderson from commented that the song was saucy in nature. Michael Paoletta from commented that the song sustained a 'fevered dance-rock momentum.' In 2000, 'Like a Virgin', was honored by Rolling Stone and, as the fourth song on their list of the '100 Greatest Pop Songs'. It was voted ten on 's 100 Best Songs of the Past 25 Years. The song was listed at ninety-five on Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs.
In 2003, Madonna fans were asked to vote for their 'Top 20 Madonna singles of all-time', by magazine. 'Like a Virgin' was allocated the fifth spot on the list. Chart performance 'Like a Virgin' became Madonna's first of 12 number-one hits on the, where it debuted at number 48 on the issue dated November 17, 1984. The song reached number one on the chart the week of December 22, 1984 and remained there for six weeks.
'Like a Virgin' was certified by the (RIAA) on January 10, 1985, for shipping a million copies across United States—the requirement for a gold single prior to 1989. The song also reached number-one on the chart, and was her first top-ten entry on the chart at position nine. It placed at two on the year-end chart for 1985, with Madonna becoming the top pop artist for the year. In Canada, the song debuted on the at number 71 on the RPM issue dated November 24, 1984, and reached the top of the chart on January 19, 1985. It was present on the chart for a total of 23 weeks and ranked thirty-five on the RPM Year-end chart for 1985.The song debuted on the on November 17, 1984 at number 51, and peaked at number three on January 12, 1985; it spent a total of 18 weeks in the chart, and was by the (BPI) for shipment of 500,000 copies across United Kingdom. According to, the song has sold 892,000 copies there as of August 2018.
Across Europe, the song peaked within the top-ten of the charts of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. According to magazine the song had sold around 1.5 million copies in Europe by September 1985.' Like a Virgin' became Madonna's first number-one song on the Australian chart and on the. It peaked at number-two on the New Zealand Singles Chart, number 15 on the Swedish charts and peaked the. Madonna in the 'Like a Virgin' video, riding on a, wearing a number of garlands around her neck.The, directed by, who worked with Madonna in her video for ', was shot in and partly in New York City in July 1984. Madonna was portrayed as a knowing virgin, a figment of the pornographic mind, as she walked through marble rooms, wearing a wedding gown.
It alternated with scenes of a provocative-looking Madonna on board a. She commented, 'Lambert wanted me to be the modern-day, worldly-wise girl that I am. But then we wanted to go back in time and use myself as an actual virgin.' The video starts with Madonna boarding on a boat from the and travels to Venice. As she steps down into the city, she moves like a stripper and undulated sinuously.
She wears a black dress and blue pants with a number of Christian symbol embedded jewelry around her neck. She sings the song at full volume as she watches a lion walking between the columns of the of Venice and along the statue of.A number of game-playing involving carnival masks, men and lions are portrayed with allusions to eighteenth-century practices and Saint Mark.
Sheila Whiteley, author of Women and popular music: sexuality, identity, and subjectivity, felt that Madonna's image signified a denial of sexual knowledge, but also portrayed her in simulated writhing on a gondola, thus underpinning the simulation of deceit. The intrusion of a male lion, confirmed the underlying discourse of both mythological fairy tale and pornographic sex. Whiteley observed that in the video, Madonna's lover wears the lion's mask and while cavorting with him, Madonna sheds the veneer of innocence and shows her propensity for wild animal passions. Having instilled desire, metaphorically she turns her lover into a Beast. Madonna commented about shooting with the lion:'The lion didn't do anything he was supposed to do, and I ended up leaning against this pillar with his head in my crotch. I thought he was going to take a bite out of me so I lifted the veil I was wearing and had a stare-down with him and he opened his mouth and let out this huge roar. I got so frightened my heart fell in my shoe.
When he finally walked away, the director yelled 'Cut' and I had to take a long breather. But I could really relate to the lion. I feel like in a past life I was a lion or a cat or something.'
Reception and analysis. 'For 'Like a Virgin' I said 'Lets do it in Venice!' The idea of Madonna singing in a gondola was the most outrageous thing I could think of.
And Madonna dug it, because she has the whole thing with the Catholic Church and her Italian heritage. It turned into a huge party.' —Director Mary Lambert on the filming of the video.With the video, scholars noted the expression of Venetian vitality in it. Author Margaret Plant (2002) commented: 'With the lion of Saint Mark and the virginal city to the forefront, old sacrosanct Venice was propelled into a pop world of high-energy gyration, and endless circulation.' She also noted that Saint Mark was a symbol of a time when sexual crime was punished severely in Venice and acts of rape, homosexuality and fornication incurred the loss of a nose, a hand or sometimes life itself. Madonna appeared to challenge such brutality and stretch the boundaries of tolerance in the video.
As the lion-man carried Madonna to the Venetian palace, it symbolized an instance of the Saint taking the simulated Virgin, where Madonna became a symbol for, the Republic itself.Plant also noted that Madonna, in the video, restored the energy and eroticism of Venice, which had its name taken from Venus in familiar elision. As she exchanged her blue top for a black one during the video, Madonna demonstrated her mastery and bravery of the city, which had a reputation of turning out its visitors as victims.
Carol Clerk (2002) commented that with the video, 'Madonna's days as a cheap and cheerful video star were over. She was moving into serious spectacle.' In 1985, a live music video of 'Like a Virgin' from filmed in Detroit, was used to promote video release. This version was nominated for at the. The live performance of 'Like a Virgin' from the in Paris, France was released as a music video on May 9, 1991 to promote the documentary film.
This version was nominated for two awards at the in the categories of and Best Choreography. This video was ranked at position sixty-one on VH1's 100 Greatest Videos. Live performances. See also: andIn 1985, recorded 'Like a Virgin' for their compilation album Killer Lords.
Gary Hill from Allmusic called the composition as 'very funny and obnoxious'. The same year, parodied the song with his single ' from the album. Eugene Chadbourne from Allmusic commented: 'Turning the tacky Madonna hit inside out and upside down, Yankovic comes up with a hilarious satire of the medical profession.' In 1991, Scottish band covered 'Like a Virgin' on their second album,. In the opening scene of the 1992 film, written and directed by, Mr.
Brown (played by Tarantino himself) insists that 'Like a Virgin' is a 'metaphor for big dicks'. When Madonna met Tarantino at a party after the film was released, she gave him an autographed copy of her album, signing 'Quentin: it's about love, not dick'.The song also appears on the of the 2001 film and is sung by the characters Harold Zidler, played by, and The Duke of Monroth, played. In 2004, covered the song in a bluegrass medley, pairing it with Madonna's ' and '.'
In the 2004 film, the title character teaches the song to women in a Thai prison, after becoming annoyed that they are singing the song badly. She tells them, 'Madonna is nothing if not a perfectionist!' In one of the episodes of the TV show, the character of hums the song during surgery to take the focus off herself. However, when her assisting surgery, starts singing along, Christina looks venomously at her until she quiets down., and covered the song at the.
In 2009, the song was in the hit single ' with the lyric 'I believe in you/Like a virgin you're Madonna/And I'm always gonna wanna blow your mind'.The song was covered in the 2010 episode ' by the cast, including, and, during a dream sequence by their characters. The same year, performed a cover version of 'Like a Virgin' at the Rainforest Fund Benefit Concert. On September 9, 2011, posted a link to a snippet of her stripped-down cover of the song in her Twitter account. In 2012 Korean girl group released a cover of the song for their debut Japanese album. In 2012, performed a cover version of 'Like a Virgin' at the LACMA for the Harvard Westlake Charity.
The same year, Peruvian singer recorded a spanglish version. In 2014, a singing nun who won that year's season, released a ballad version of the song as her debut single, a cover that Madonna herself praised.
Romanian singer recorded a cover version of the song with a new orchestration done by Chris Trace in late January 2017, stating that she is a fan of the track. In 2019, released a cover of the song. In March 2019, released a cover of the song on the to the film. The -inspired version of 'Like a Virgin' during in 1993.' Like a Virgin' is listed in the 's list of '500 Songs That Shaped Rock And Roll'. After the song and its video were released, 'Like a Virgin' attracted the attention of family organizations who complained that the video and the song, promoted sex without marriage and undermined family values, offering an unsavoury image of Madonna as a whore. Outraged moralists condemned her as a sex kitten and sought to ban the song and the video.
Conservatives were angered that Madonna dared to portray religious symbolism and the virginal wedding attire in a sexual context. Clerk noted the song attracted an unprecedented level of attention from social groups compared to any female singer's song. 'The main problem was that most of them listened superficially to the lyric of the song, imagining that it detailed or called on an innocent's sexual initiation.' While one section of the population were outraged at the scandal, others were taking joy at the very notion of a virginal Madonna, who retorted by saying,I was surprised by how people reacted to 'Like a Virgin' because when I did that song, to me, I was singing about how something made me feel a certain way – brand-new and fresh – and everyone interpreted it as I don't want to be a virgin anymore. Fuck my brains out! That's not what I sang at all. 'Like a Virgin' was always absolutely ambiguous.Biographer noted that most of Madonna's admirers were females, who were born-and-brought-up with an image of old-fashioned stereotypes of women as virginal brides, or as whores, or with feminist values that rejected the use of a woman's looks for her self-advancement.
Author William McKeen of Rock and roll is here to stay: an anthology commented that with the song, Madonna became the last word in attitude and fashion for young girls of that time. He compared that image of Madonna with that of. McKeen explained that Madonna intermixed middle-class ideas of femininity with examples of what femininity meant to her, which was having equal opportunity.
She offered an aggressive sexuality that implied it was acceptable for women not only to initiate relationships, but also enjoy them. In addition, according to Morton, at a time when eighties fashions were promoting flat-chested, stick-thin women as ideals of beauty, the more curvaceous Madonna made average girls feel that it was fine to be in the shape they were. A new word called ' was introduced to describe the thousands of girls who tried to emulate Madonna's style. University professors, gender-studies experts and feminists earnestly started discussing her role as a post-modernist style and cultural icon. According to author Debbi Voller, 'Like a Virgin' gave rise to the icon Madonna.The performance of 'Like a Virgin' at the first MTV Video Music Awards is considered by MTV as 'one of the most iconic pop performances of all time'. Christina Garibaldi from the channel noted that the performance 'helped make the Video Music Awards a household name. And simultaneously set the bar for every other performer to come after her.
From that point forward, every artist, when they hit the VMA stage, wanted to have a performance you would forever be talking about.' Billboard ranked it at number two of 'The 100 Greatest Award Show Performances of All Time', explaining that 'Before Madonna, the best award-show performances could hope for was to get people to buy the record, after her, they became the historical record; the way we remember stars at their most iconic, and the way they demonstrate their immortality, no matter whose names are on the night's envelopes.
It's the veritable big bang for the format as pop art.' According to Joe Lynch from the same magazine, the song's performance at the 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour 'opened the gates for everyone from to to shock and awe on stage in the decades to come.'
Track listing and formats. US 7' single. 'Like a Virgin' (album version) – 3:38. 'Stay' (album version) – 4:04. US/CAN 12' maxi single.
'Like a Virgin' (extended dance remix) – 6:04. 'Stay' (album version) – 4:04. Japanese 12' vinyl promo single. 'Like a Virgin' (extended dance remix) – 6:07. ' (by ) – 6:11.
Germany / UK CD Maxi Single (1995). 'Like a Virgin' (extended dance remix) – 6:04. 'Stay' – 4:04Credits and personnel. – vocals. – songwriter.
– songwriter. –, drum programming,. – bass. – drums. Rob Sabino –, assorted synthesizers.
– 12' remixerCredits adapted from the album liner notes.
. 'Released: October 31, 1984. 'Released: January 23, 1985. 'Released: April 10, 1985.
'Released: July 23, 1985. 'Released: July 24, 1985Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter, released on November 12, 1984,.
Following the success of her debut album, Madonna wanted to become the of her next album. However, her label was not ready to give her the artistic freedom and she chose instead to produce the album due to his work with.
Madonna wrote six songs on the record, five of which feature as a co-writer. The album was recorded at in New York at a quick pace. Rodgers enlisted the help of his former bandmates, who was the bassist, and, who played drums. Jason Corsaro, the record's, persuaded Rodgers to use, a new technique introduced at that time.The album's photographs were shot. Madonna wanted the album title and the cover image to make a provocative link between her own religious name Madonna, as the Roman Catholic title for Jesus' mother Mary, and the Christian concept of the virgin birth. While not a substantial musical departure from Madonna's first album, she felt that the material from Like a Virgin was stronger.
After its release, Like a Virgin received mixed reviews from, but was a commercial success. It became Madonna's first number one album on the and set the record as the first female album in history to sell over five million copies in the United States. The (RIAA) later certified it for shipment of ten million units. It also reached number one in Germany, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom, and remains one of the of all time with sales of over 21 million copies worldwide.Five singles were released from the album, including Madonna's first US number-one ' and her first UK number-one '. To promote the album, she embarked on, which had shows in cities of North America only.
Like a Virgin has attained significance as a cultural artifact of the 1980s. Madonna proved that she was not a and was able to provide herself with a permanent footing in the music world. Her songs became a lightning rod for both criticism by conservatives and imitation by the younger female population, especially 'Material Girl' and 'Like a Virgin'.
According to author J. Randy Taraborrelli, '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 Virgin was just such a defining moment.' Was chosen as the primary producer of the album, due to his work with.A former dancer and fixture on the New York club scene, Madonna Louise Ciccone became known to the world simply as Madonna, with the release of her 1983 self-titled debut album. Fueled by hit songs like ', ' and ', the album was one of the best selling of the year and helped Madonna become one of the most exciting new artists of the 1980s. When she started work on her second album, Madonna felt that her first album had succeeded in introducing her 'street-smart dance queen' persona, and she wanted to solidify and build upon that concept. According to her, 'My work, my dedication—the stubbornness for getting Madonna released—had paid off. Now it was time to solidify my future.'
For Like a Virgin, Madonna attempted to become one of the primary, feeling the need to control the various aspects of her music. She believed that depending on a particular producer for her album was not something that suited her. Madonna said 'I learnt my lesson while creating my debut album, and the way Reggie, the producer of her debut project Lucas left me in the water with the project, you can't trust men'—referring to the incident, when due to a certain difference of opinion between producer and Madonna, Lucas had left the project half-way. However, Warner Bros. Records was not ready to give her the artistic freedom that she wanted. Randy Taraborrelli's biography of Madonna, she commented,Warner Bros. Records is a hierarchy of old men and it's a chauvinist environment to be working in because I'm treated like this sexy little girl.
I had to prove them wrong, which meant not only proving myself to my fans but to my record company as well. That is something that happens when you're a girl.
It wouldn't happen to. I had to do everything on my own and it was hard trying to convince people that I was worth a record deal. After that, I had the same problem trying to convince the record company that I had more to offer than a one-shot singer. I had to win this fight.Ultimately, was chosen by Madonna as the producer of the album, with the approval of the Warner Brothers executives. Madonna chose Rodgers mostly because of his work as a member of the 1970s band, and his most recent production work with on his 1983 album. She commented, 'When I was making the record, I was just so thrilled and happy to be working with Nile Rodgers.
I idolized Nile because of the whole Chic thing. I couldn't believe that the record company gave me the money so that I could work with him.' For his part, Rodgers recalled that he had first seen Madonna perform at a small club in New York in 1983. In an interview with magazine, Rodgers explained: 'I went to the club to see another woman sing, but when I got there Madonna was onstage.
I loved her stage presence and then we met right after that. I kept thinking to myself, 'Damn, is she a star', but she wasn't at that time. I always wanted to work with her and Like a Virgin seemed like a perfect opportunity.' Recording The album was recorded at in New York at a quick pace. Rodgers enlisted the help of his former Chic bandmates Edwards, who was the bassist, and, who played the drums; they appeared on several tracks of the album.
Rodgers decided to be the guitarist, when Edwards requested him to do so, in exchange for their help. The recording sessions did not start until the afternoon as Rodgers, who attended late-night parties, was not accustomed to work in early mornings. The schedule was also difficult for Madonna, who recalled that she used to 'go to the swim club on the Upper West Side and go swimming and walk from there to the recording studio. It was impossible for me to reach there at morning.' Rodgers recalled that Madonna was a real hard worker and incredibly tenacious.
He commented: 'I am always amazed by Madonna's incredible judgement when it comes to making pop records. I've never seen anyone do it better, and that's the truth.
When we did that album, it was the perfect union, and I knew it from the first day in the studio. The thing between us, man, it was sexual, it was passionate, it was creativity. Jason Corsaro, the record's, persuaded Rodgers to use, a new technique at the time which Corsaro believed was going to be the future of recording.
To ensure this, Corsaro used a and a during the mixing of the tracks. Madonna recorded the lead parts of the songs in a small, wooden, high-ceilinged piano room at the back of Studio C, also known as Power Station's ' room'. Corsaro then placed around her while using the top capsule of a, with a and a Pultec equalizer. Once the tracks met with everybody's approval, added the keyboard parts, playing mostly a, as well as some and, while Rodgers also played a. Madonna, although not required, was present every minute of the recording sessions and the mixing process, Corsaro commented: 'Nile was there most of the time, but she was there all of the time.
She never left'. Packaging and title. The wedding dress worn by Madonna on the album's cover, featuring the notable 'Boy Toy' belt buckle.The cover sleeve and images were shot by, who would become a regular collaborator with Madonna, in a suite at the. Madonna wanted the album title to make provocative link between her own religious name—Madonna as the Roman Catholic title for Jesus' mother Mary—and the Christian concept of the virgin birth.
With the title song alluding to this concept, Madonna wanted the album cover to have mixed messages as well. Author Graham Thompson described that 'reclining on a satin sheet, with a bouquet on her lap and wearing a wedding dress, a closer inspection reveals Madonna's image as highly fetishized and sexualized.'
He added that the heavy make-up, and despoiled hair, along with the tight-fitting bustier and full-length gloves, turned Madonna's image into a figure not of virtue, but of desire. This point, according to Thompson, is further emphasized by the belt she is wearing, the wording on which is just visible as 'Boy Toy'.
He added: 'The image was ambiguous and was based upon the fact that Madonna's appeal at that point of her career was not presenting herself just as an object of desire, but also as a desiring female subject'.Erlewine commented that the 'Steven Meisel-shot cover. Was as key to her reinvention as the music of the album itself.' , author of Rock and roll is here to stay: an anthology, felt that the image was another trigger and testament to the fact that Madonna was the last word on fashion for women and young girls of that era, the epitome of cool. Costume designer commented of the Like a Virgin look: 'This was one of the most shocking, liberating and influential moments in pop culture/fashion history. Fashion has never been the same.' Madonna herself declared: 'I have always loved to play cat and mouse with the conventional stereotypes. My Like a Virgin album cover is a classic example.
People were thinking who was I pretending to be—the Virgin Mary or the whore? These were the two extreme images of women I had known vividly, and remembered from childhood, and I wanted to play with them. I wanted to see if I can merge them together, Virgin Mary and the whore as one and all. The photo was a statement of independence, if you wanna be a virgin, you are welcome.
But if you wanna be a whore, it's your fucking right to be so.' Composition. ' Like a Virgin is a much harder album, much more aggressive than the first record. The songs on that were pretty weak. On this one I've chosen all the songs and I want them to be all hits—no fillers. That's why I've done outside songs as well as six of my own. I wanted every song to be strong.'
—Madonna, about the songs in Like a VirginAccording to Taraborrelli, 'Madonna and Rodgers' collective energy—she wanting to score with a smash second album and he wanting to be the producer to give it to her—drove the production of Like a Virgin with great precision.' Madonna also collaborated with her former boyfriend, who co-wrote many of the album's songs. Reflecting on the music composition for the album, Bray noted: 'I've always kind of made the rib cage and the skeleton of the songs already—she's there for the last things like the eyebrows and the haircut.' The opening track ' was written by and Robert Rans. Madonna explained that the concept of the song was similar to her life's situation at that time. According to her, the song was provocative, hence she was attracted to it.
'Material Girl' incorporated and consists of synth arrangements with a robotic voice repeating the. The lyrics identify with, with Madonna asking for a rich and affluent life, rather than romance and relationships. Written by Madonna and Steve Bray, ' is the second track on the album. It was one of the first songs developed for the project and, according to Madonna, was inspired by a girl who is saved by, and subsequently falls in love with an angel. 'Angel' consists of a three-chord ascending hook, which serves as the verse and chorus.
It has vocal harmonies beneath the main chorus and the lyrics repeat the angel-like image of Madonna's savior. The title track ' was written.
Steinberg said that the song was inspired by his personal experiences of romance. It was chosen for Madonna by Michael Ostin of, after listening to a demo sung by Kelly. However, Rodgers initially felt that the song did not have a good enough and was not suitable for Madonna, but subsequently changed his opinion after the hook was stuck in his mind. He credits Madonna with recognizing the song's potential: 'I handed my apology to Madonna and said, 'you know. If it's so catchy that it stayed in my head for four days, it must be something. So let's do it.' ' 'Like a Virgin' is a dance-oriented song, composed of two hooks.
Madonna's voice is heard in a high while a continuous arrangement of drums are heard along the. According to author Rikky Rooksby, the lyrics of the song are ambiguous and consist of hidden innuendo. In sexual terms, the lyrics can be interpreted in different ways for different people.In 'Over and Over', Madonna sings about determination and picking yourself up from disappointments. The song consists of instrumentation from drums, synths and has a three-chord progression.
An emotional moment occurred in the recording studio when Madonna covered the 1978 song '. Rodgers recalled: 'Madonna had never performed with a live orchestra before. I was very much into doing everything live, so I just said, 'Madonna, you go out there and sing and we will follow you.' At first Madonna was hesitant, but the live setting ended up producing memorable results. She sang and she was overcome with emotions and she started crying, but I left it on the record.' The song features Madonna's vocals supported by acoustic guitars and synth strings, with Thompson playing the drum in the second verse.
Towards the end, Madonna emotes in the voice of a. Madonna performing the album's lead single and title track, ', during of 2012; the song became her first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100.'
' was released as the lead single from the album in late 1984. It received positive reviews from contemporary as well as old critics, who frequently called it as one of the defining songs for Madonna. It became her first number-one single on the, while reaching the top of the charts in Australia, Canada and Japan and the top-ten of the other countries. The song was by the (RIAA) on January 10, 1985, for shipping a million copies across United States – the requirement for a gold single prior to 1989. The music video portrayed Madonna sailing down the riverways of Venice in a gondola, as well as roaming around a palace wearing a white wedding dress. With the video, scholars noted Madonna's portrayal of a sexually independent woman, the symbolism of the appearance of a man with lion's mask to that of, and compared the eroticism of the video to the vitality of the city of Venice.' ' was the second single from the album, released in November 1984.
Critics have frequently noted 'Material Girl' and 'Like a Virgin' as the songs that made Madonna an icon. The song was a commercial success, reaching the top-five in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Japan and United Kingdom. It reached position two on the in the United States. The music video was a of 's performance of the song ' from the 1953 film.
The mimicked scenes are interspersed with scenes of a Hollywood producer trying to win the heart of an actress, played by Madonna herself. Discovering that, contrary to her song, the young woman was not impressed by money and expensive gifts, he pretended to be penniless and succeeded in taking her out on a date. ' was the third released single from the album, in April 1985.
Critics gave mixed review of the song, with one group denoting it as a classic while the others felt it was compared to the other Madonna singles. 'Angel' became Madonna's fifth consecutive top-five single on the and reached the top of its dance chart.' ' was released as the album's fourth single outside North America in July 1985.
The song was appreciated by contemporary critics as well as authors, who have frequently called it 'Madonna's first great single'. 'Into the Groove' reached the top of the charts in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, where it was Madonna's first number-one single. In the United States, the song was only available as the of the 12-inch single of ', therefore it was ineligible to chart on the at the time. It reached number one on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart where it was listed as a double-sided single with 'Angel'. ' was the last single from the album. Critics reacted positively to the dance-pop nature of the track. 'Dress You Up' became Madonna's sixth consecutive top-five single in the United States.
It also reached the top-ten in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Critical reception Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingBA9/10According to magazine, Like a Virgin was the album that 'propelled Madonna into the stratosphere – and rightly so. The songs are smart, funny, sexy and irresistible.'
Taraborrelli said, 'It was Like a Virgin which reflected Madonna as a more versatile and artistic performer and vocals on this album being reflectively sharper in contrast to her early works in the music industry.' Michael Paoletta from commented that the songs on the album sustain a 'fevered momentum'. From commented, 'Overall, the album adds up to less than the sum of its parts—partially because the singles are so good, but also because on the first album, she stunned with style and a certain joy. Here, the calculation is apparent, and while that's part of Madonna's essence—even something that makes her fun—it throws the record's balance off a little too much for it to be consistent, even if it justifiably made her a star.' Debby Miller from preferred Madonna's debut album over Like a Virgin. In, was also lukewarm towards the record, writing 'Madonna's so sure of herself she's asking men and women both to get the hots for the calculating bitch who sells the fantasy even while she bids for the sincerity market where long-term superstars ply their trade. And to make the music less mechanical, she's hired Nile Rodgers, who I won't blame for making it less catchy.'
Jim Farber from said that 'In addition to raising the Madonna/whore ante with songs like the title cut, Virgin cradled the kind of '80s hits (') built to transcend the Dynasty era.' Alfred Soto from remembered the first time that he heard the songs from the album and commented, 'Lots of critics think something similar occurred when Madonna followed her eponymous debut with Like a Virgin, helmed by Nile Rodgers with all the fixin's—too calculated next to the 'raw passion' of the debut. This is nonsense; it misses how Madonna conflated notions of spontaneity and calculation. Rodgers is the ideal collaborator.' From said: 'With a tough-cookie voice that's both coy and streetwise, Madonna's singing harks back to the rock-and-roll girl-group tradition that preceded the Beatles.
But where girl groups, from the Shirelles to the Ronettes, worshipfully extolled their boyfriends' cars, haircuts and rebel poses, Madonna's point of view is decidedly more self-interested. In matters of love, she is a comparison shopper with a shrewd sense of her own market value. The words 'shiny and new' describe not only the way the love-smitten singer feels in the title song but the sound of the album.' Matt Damsker from commented: 'Madonna's beating vibrato sometimes makes her sound so robotic in the album.' Lou Papineau, while writing for, said that 'In Like a Virgin, Madonna proves she's shallow, but spunky.' Sal Cinquemani from gave a positive review, saying 'Though not as innovative as her debut, Like a Virgin stands as one of the most definitive pop artifacts from the indulgent Reagan Era.
The mid-tempo ballad 'Shoo-Bee-Doo' and a soulful cover of Rose Royce's ' proved Madonna could churn out more than just novelty hits, while the sugary ' and the irresistible ' contributed to the singer's record-breaking list of consecutive Top 5 hits (16 in all). The retro-infused 'Stay' and the percussive 'Over and Over' are the album's hidden gems.'
Ed Stevenson from felt that 'Madonna does have a sense of humor, though she is buried under so many layers of self-parody it's hard to tell sometimes. She is backed on this by the reliable rhythmic touch of veteran Nile Rodgers, whose contributions have helped her create a tolerable bit of fluff. Hugo Mistry from felt that ' Like a Virgin was Madonna's breakthrough, playing off her self-conscious campiness with a series of hot dance tracks, attention-grabbing lyrics and steamy videos.' Commercial performance. 'A woman in control of her sex life and career was such a new idea that Madonna became the biggest thing to hit pop, and popular culture, in years. And she's stayed that way: her influence on the way women came to view sex, love and themselves was so great that some universities offered courses in Madonna studies. And she's also continued to make some of pop's most enduring singles.'
—Caroline Sullivan from about Like a Virgin 's impact in music.After the release of Like a Virgin, Stephen Holden from The New York Times commented: 'No phenomenon illustrates more pointedly how pop music history seems to run in cycles than the overnight success of the 24-year-old pop siren known as Madonna. The month before Christmas, Madonna's second album, Like a Virgin sold more than two million copies. Teen-agers were lining up in stores to purchase the album the way their parents had lined up to buy records in the late 60's.' Madonna proved she was not a with the release of the album which sold 12 million copies worldwide at the time of its release.
In 2016, Billboard ranked at number nine in the list of Certified Diamond Albums From Worst to Best.Taraborrelli felt that ' Like a Virgin is really a portrait of Madonna's uncanny pop instincts empowered by her impatient zeal for creative growth and her innate knack for crafting a good record.' He added that the success of the album made it clear what was Madonna's real persona. 'She was a street-smart dance queen with the sexy allure of, the coy iciness of and the cutting and protective glibness of a modern '. Although the album received mixed reviews, Taraborrelli believed that the 'mere fact that at the time of its release so many couldn't resist commenting on the record was a testament to the continuous, growing fascination with Madonna. 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 Virgin was just such a defining moment'Chris Smith, author of, believed that it was with Like a Virgin that Madonna was able to steal the spotlight towards herself. She asserted her sexuality as only male rock stars had done before, moving well beyond the limited confines of being a pop artist, to becoming a focal point for nationwide discussions of power relationships in the areas of sex, race, gender, religion, and other divisive social topics.
Her songs became a lightning rod for both criticism by conservatives and imitation by the younger female population. Ranked the album at number two on 'The 10 Greatest Sophomore Albums of All Time', calling it the album that 'carved out the throne.that would be Madonna's forever: the.' Track listing Like a Virgin – Standard editionNo.TitleWriter(s)ProducersLength1.'