Like a Prayer (album)

Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American singer Madonna. It was
Like a Prayer
released on March 21, 1989 by Sire Records, nearly three years after her previous
studio effort True Blue. Madonna worked with Stephen Bray, Patrick Leonard, and
Prince on the album while co-writing and co-producing all the songs. 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
Madonna's mother, who died when she 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 Studio album by Madonna
Together", and her relationship with her father in "Oh Father". Madonna also Released March 21, 1989
preaches female empowerment in "Express Yourself". Like a Prayer received critical
Recorded September 1988 –
acclaim, with Rolling Stone hailing it as "...as close to art as pop music gets."
January 1989
Commercially, the album was an international success, reaching the top of the charts
in multiple territories. The album was certified quadruple platinum in the United
Studio D&D Recording
(New York City)
States by the Recording Industry Association of America. Six singles were released
from the album: "Like a Prayer", "Express Yourself", "Cherish", "Oh Father", "Dear Ocean Way Recording
(Hollywood, California)
Jessie", and "Keep It Together". "Like a Prayer" became Madonna's seventh number
-
one on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Express Yourself" and "Cherish" peaked at Genre Pop[1]
number-two and "Keep It Together" became a top 10 hit. Worldwide, the album has Length 51:16
sold over 15 million copies.
Label Sire · Warner Bros.
With the singles' accompanying music videos, Madonna furthered her creativity and Producer Madonna · Patrick
became known as a leading figure in the format. The music video for "Like a Leonard · Stephen Bray
Prayer" was a lightning rod for religious controversy, using Catholic iconography · Prince
such as stigmata and burning crosses, and a dream about making love to a saint, Madonna chronology
leading the Vatican to condemn the video and causing Pepsi to cancel Madonna's
You Can Like a I'm
sponsorship contract. The music video for "Express Yourself" was the most
Dance Prayer Breathless
expensive video at its release. Like a Prayer preceded Madonna's ground-breaking
(1987) (1989) (1990)
Blond Ambition World Tour. At the end of the 1980s, following the release of Like a
Prayer, Madonna was named "Artist of the Decade" by several publications. Singles from Like a Prayer

1. "Like a Prayer"
Released: March 3, 1989

Contents 2. "Express Yourself"

Released: May 9, 1989
Background
3. "Cherish"
Development
Released: August 1, 1989
Composition
4. "Oh Father"
Promotion
Singles
Released: October 24, 1989
Tour
 Critical reception 5. "Dear Jessie"
Commercial performance Released: December 10, 1989
Legacy 6. "Keep It Together"
Track listing Released: January 30, 1990
Personnel
Musicians
Production and design
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
See also
Notes
Bibliography
External links

Background
1988 was a quiet year on the recording front for Madonna. Following the lack of critical and commercial success of her 1987 film
Who's That Girl, she acted in the Broadway production Speed-the-Plow. However, unfavorable reviews once again caused her
discomfort. Her marriage to actorSean Penn ended and the couple filed for divorce in January 1989. Madonna had also turned 30, the
[2] She commented for the May 1989 issue
age at which her mother had died, and thus the singer experienced more emotional turmoil.
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.[3]

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
[4] Feeling the need to attempt something dif
audiences, and en-cash on the longevity of the album market. ferent, Madonna wanted the
sound of her new album to indicate what could be popular in the music world.[4] 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".[5] 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."[6] She had certain matters on her mind, including her troubled relationship
with her husband, actorSean Penn, her family, her lost mother and even her belief in God.[6]

Development
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 "She'd start writing lyrics and
oftentimes there was an implied
said. "It's me struggling with the mystery and magic that surrounds it. My own
melody. She would start with that
Catholicism is in constant upheaval."[9] Recording sessions took place from and deviate from it. Or if there was
September 1988 to January 1989.[10][11] On January 27, 1989, a press release from nothing but a chord change, she'd
The Albany Herald said the album would include "a number of hot dance tracks" but make up a melody. But, a lot of the
time in my writing there's a melody
noted, "much of the material [...] is of a personal tone."[12] The singer described it as
implied or I even have something in
a collection of songs "about my mother, my father, and bonds with my family. [...] It's mind. But she certainly doesn't need
taken a lot of guts to do this".[10] She also said that it would be her "most different" that. [...] She would write the lyrics
work to date; "It was a real coming-of-age record for me emotionally, I had to do a in an hour, the same amount of time
it took me to write the music, and
lot of soul-searching, and I think it is a reflection of that [...] I didn't try to candy-coat
then she'd sing it. We'd do some
anything or make it more palatable for mass consumption, I wrote what I harmonies, she'd sing some harmony
felt".[5][8][10] She told Rolling Stone magazine "In the past, my records tended to be a parts, and usually by three or four in
[5]
reflection of current influences. This album is more about past musical influences". the afternoon, she was gone".
She chose to collaborate with Stephen Bray and Patrick Leonard, with whom she had —Producer Patrick Leonard talking
collaborated on her previous studio album True Blue (1986) and the soundtrack about working with Madonna onLike a
Who's That Girl (1987).[13] Both Bray and Leonard wanted to bring their unique Prayer.[7][8]
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".[6][8] 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.[14] This incident inspired the song "Till Death Do Us Part".[15] The rest of the songs were written within
two weeks; with "Like a Prayer", "Cherish" and "Spanish Eyes" being written the first week.[8] 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".[7]

Recording artist Prince played the guitar on three songs from the album, "Like a Prayer", "Keep It oTgether", and "Act of Contrition",
though he remained uncredited.[16] 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.[8] 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.[17] 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".[18] The cover art features a close-up of the singer's jean-clad midsection and bare midriff.[8][19] The cover has been
seen as a reference to Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones.[8][20] The packaging on the first pressings of the CD, cassette, and LP
were scented with patchouli oils to simulate church incense.[21] 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".[21] Initial pressings also included an insert with safe sex guidelines and a warning about the dangers of AIDS, to which
Madonna had lost friends.[22] 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.[23] Madonna dedicated the
album to "My mother, who taught me how to pray".[24]

Composition
"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 inLike a
Prayer.[25]
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".[9] In Madonna's own words, the songs "intertwine her
search for faith with her search for her mother".[9] The opening track is
"Like a Prayer", which was also the first song developed for the album.[26]
Once Madonna had conceptualized the way she would interpose her ideas
with the music, she wrote the song in about three hours.[26] 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."[27] It's a pop
rock song with elements of gospel music. A choir provides background
[28]
vocals that heighten the song's spiritual nature, and arock guitar keeps the music dark and mysterious.[28] The second track, "Express
Yourself", talks about rejecting material pleasures and only accepting the best for oneself; throughout the song, subtexts are
employed.[29] According to the singer, the track is a tribute to Sly & the Family Stone.[5] 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".[30][31] Originally titled "State of Matrimony", the song Till Death Do Us Part" talks about the
violent dissolution of Madonna's marriage.[8][15] It was described as "an anxious jumpy ballad that describes a marriage wracked
with drinking, violent quarrels and a possessive, self-hating husband".[9] 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".[30][32]

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.[29] 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.[33] Following "Cherish" is "Dear Jessie"; according to Rikky Rooksby, the song sounds more like
a children's lullaby than a pop song.[34] 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.[35] 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.[36] 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".[37] 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.[38] 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".[39] The final song, "Act of
Contrition", features Madonna reciting the Catholic prayer Act of Contrition, then, the vocals deteriorate into a monologue in which
[40]
Madonna grows obstreperous over being denied a restaurant reservation.

Promotion
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.[41] 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.[41] Ian Madonna performing the singles C " herish" (left) and "Oh Father"
Inglis, author of Performance and Popular Music: (right) during the Blond Ambition World Tour, 1990.
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.[41] On August 1989, in order to promote the release of Like a Prayer in Japan, Warner
Music 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.[42] The EP reached number 24 on the Oricon weekly albums chart and was
present on the chart for five weeks.[43]

Singles
The title track was released as the lead single on March 3, 1989. The song was acclaimed by critics, and was a commercial success. It
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.[44][45][46][47][48][49][50] "Express Yourself" was
released as the second single from the album on May 9, 1989. The song received positive reviews from critics, who applauded the
gender equality message of the song and complimented the song for being a hymn to freedom and encouragement to women and all
oppressed minorities. Commercially, the song 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.[51][52][53][54]

"Cherish" was released as the third single on August 1, 1989. After its
"Cherish"
release, the song received positive feedback from reviewers, who were
0:00
surprised by the change of content and the lighter image of Madonna's
Released as the album's third music, unlike her previous singles from Like a Prayer which
single, "Cherish" became a incorporated themes such as religion and sexuality
. It was a commercial
commercial success, reaching the
top-ten of the charts in places such success, reaching the top-ten of the charts in Australia, Belgium,
as Australia, Belgium, Canada, Canada, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom and the combined European
Ireland and Italy. chart.[55][56][57][58][59][60] On the Billboard Hot 100, "Cherish"
became Madonna's 16th consecutive top-five single, setting a record in
Problems playing this file? See media help.
the history of the chart.[61] Released on October 24, 1989 as the fourth
single, "Oh Father" received positive reviews from critics and authors, but commercially was less successful than Madonna's
previous singles. In most of the countries where it was released, the song failed to attain top-ten positions, except in Finland and Italy,
where it peaked at number six.[62][63] It ended Madonna's string of 16 consecutive top five singles in the United States.
[64]

"Dear Jessie" was released as the fifth single from Like a Prayer on December 10, 1989. The release of "Dear Jessie" was limited to
[65][66][67] Upon its release, "Dear Jessie" received mixed
the United Kingdom, certain other European countries, Australia and Japan.
reviews from critics, who complained about the overdone fantasy imagery of the song, but complimented its composition. The track
was a moderate success commercially, reaching the top 10 in the United Kingdom and Ireland and the top 20 in Germany, Spain and
Switzerland.[68][69][70] "Keep It Together" was released on January 30, 1990 as the sixth and final single from Like a Prayer. The
song received mixed reviews from critics but was commercially successful; reaching a peak of number eight on the Billboard Hot
100 and Canadian charts, while topping the dance chart in the United States.[71][72] In Australia it reached the top of the charts along
with Madonna's next release, "Vogue".[73]

Tour
Like a Prayer, alongside Madonna's following album, I'm Breathless, 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", it consisted of 57
dates and was divided into five different sections; the first inspired by the 1927 German expressionist film Metropolis, the second by
religious themes, the third by the film Dick Tracy and cabaret, the fourth by Art Deco, and the fifth was an encore.[74] 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,[75] 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.[76] Two
different shows were recorded and released on video, Blond Ambition: Japan Tour 90, taped in Yokohama, Japan, on April 27,
1990,[77] and Blond Ambition World Tour Live, taped in Nice, France, on August 5, 1990.[78]

Critical reception
Like a Prayer received critical acclaim. Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Professional ratings
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 Review scores
"serious" Madonna delivers a range of well-written pop songs, making
Source Rating
the album her "best and most consistent".[79] In The New Rolling Stone
AllMusic [79]
Album Guide, Barry Walters wrote that with its more substantial songs
Blender [80]
that "covered topics such as spousal abuse and familial neglect", Like a
Prayer "effectively upped Madonna's ante as a serious artist".[88] Annie Chicago Sun-Times [81]

Zaleski, from the entertainment website The A.V. Club, praised the
Entertainment Weekly A[82]
album for "being bold enough to delve into her parental issues", and
called it "Madonna's first truly substantial record, the dividing line NME 10/10 [83]
between her chirpy club-kid days and the mature sounds and themes Pitchfork 9.0/10 [84]
that increasingly marked her '90s work".[5] In Rolling Stone, reviewer J. [85]
Q
D. Considine wrote that Madonna's fame up to that point had been built
Rolling Stone [15]
more on "image than artistry", but that with Like a Prayer Madonna
The Rolling Stone Album Guide [86]
was asking, successfully, to be taken seriously; "Daring in its lyrics,
ambitious in its sonics, this is far and away the most self-consciously The Village Voice B+[87]
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."[15] 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".[87] Lloyd Bradley of Q said, "musically it's varied, unexpected and far from instantly accessible;
lyrically, it's moving, intelligent and candid."[85] Edna Gundersen 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".[89] NME critic David Quantick hailed it as "a brilliant,
[83]
thoughtful, startling and joyful example of popular music."

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".[90] 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".[91] 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."[92] 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".[93] 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".[93] At the end of 1989, Like a Prayer was voted the 18th
best record of the year in thePazz & Jop, an annual poll of American critics published byThe Village Voice.[94]

Commercial performance
In the United States, Like a Prayer debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200, on the issue dated April 8, 1989.[95] It quickly rose to
the top of the chart after its third week, where it remained for six consecutive weeks, making it Madonna's longest-running number 1
album.[96][97] The album spent a total of 77 weeks on the chart.[95] The album also reached a peak of number 55 on Billboard's R&B
[98]
 Albums list.[98] It was eventually certifiedmulti Platinum by the Recording Industry
Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of three million units.[99] After the
advent of the Nielsen SoundScan era in 1991, the album sold a further 575,000
copies.[100] Like a Prayer has sold over 4 million copies in the United States.
[101] In

Canada, the album debuted at number two on the RPM Albums Chart on May 1,
1989. It remained on that position during four weeks, before dropping to the third
position the week of May 29, 1989.[102][103] The album was present for a total of 37
weeks on the chart, and was certified five times platinum by theCanadian Recording
Industry Association (CRIA) for shipments of 500,000 copies.[104] In the United
Madonna performing the album's
Kingdom, Like a Prayer debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, on April
second track "Express Yourself"
during The MDNA Tour, 2012. 1, 1989.[105] It remained on this position for two weeks and a total of 72 weeks on
the chart.[105] The album was certified four times platinum on February 1, 1995 for
shipments of 1,200,000 copies.[106] In France, the album debuted at number one on
the French Albums Chart on April 9, 1989, staying there for two weeks, then descending down the chart, having spent a total of
thirty-six weeks on it.[107] On July, 1989, it was certified Platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) for
[108]
shipments of 300,000 copies, and once again on 2001, for shipments of 600,000 copies.

In the Netherlands, Like a Prayer entered the MegaCharts at number four during the week of April 4, 1990.[109] It eventually reached
the top position, staying a total of thirty-two weeks on the chart.[109] 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.[110][111] The album was commercially successful in Asia-Pacific countries. In Japan, Like a Prayer reached number
one on the Oricon Albums Chart and remained on the chart for 22 weeks.[112] At the 1990 Japan Gold Disc Awards held by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), Madonna won three awards for Best Album of the Year – Pops Solo, Grand Prix
Album of the Year, and Grand Prix Artist of the Year; the last two were given for the best-selling international album and the best-
selling international artist of the year, respectively.[113] It also became her sixth platinum album in Hong Kong, the most for any
international artist of 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] Like a Prayer has
sold over 15 million copies worldwide.[119][120]

Legacy
Entertainment Weekly's Nicholas Fonseca felt that Like a Prayer marked "an official turning point" of Madonna's career, which
earned her "a long-awaited, substantive dose of critical acclaim".[82] Mark Savage from BBC noted that the album's release "marks
the moment when critics first begin to describe Madonna as an artist, rather than a mere pop singer".[121] 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."[122] Hadley Freeman from The Guardian opined that Like a Prayer shaped "how pop stars,
pop music, music videos, love, sex and the 80s were and should be".[123] Jon Pareles, from The New York Times, said that " [Like a
Prayer] defiantly grabbed Christian language and imagery".[124] According to the list of "All-TIME 100 Albums" by Time
magazine's critics, Like a Prayer is one of the 100 greatest and most influential musical compilations since 1954.[125] In 2003,
Rolling Stone magazine named it the 239th greatest album of all time.[126] Apart from that the album was also featured in the
"Women Who Rock" list made in 2012, at number 18.[127] Like a Prayer is also featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear
Before You Die.[128] In 2006, Q magazine placed the album at number 14 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".[129] 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".[130] 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".[131]
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."[132] 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".[133] Thomas Harrison on the book
Music of the 1980s, documented that Like a Prayer pushed boundaries by addressing
"uncomfortable song topics".[134] Similarly, 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".[5] She also wrote: Madonna performing the title track
"Like a Prayer" on the Sticky & Sweet
The album's sustained run at No. 1 buoyed her self-assurance and Tour. The song marked a turning
bravery, and validated that people were willing to follow her even as point in her career and she began to
be viewed as an efficient
she transitioned into adulthood. And even today, Like a Prayer
businesswoman.
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.[5]

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." He believed that the album 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." Rosa also stated that Like a Prayer will be always
more influential than the "definitive" albums of contemporary female artists, such as Blackout (2007), The Fame Monster (2009), and
Beyoncé (2013).[135][136] Madonna tried to experiment with different forms and styles with the videos and in the process constructed
a new set of image and identity.[137] With the release of Like a Prayer, Madonna's impact culminated during the 1980s, and many
publications named her the artist of the decade.[138] 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".[139] Singer Taylor Swift
explained that with the album Madonna made "the most incredible, bold, risky, decisions as far as pop music goes", citing the title
[140]
track as "legitimately one of the greatest pop songs of all time."

According to Douglas Kellner, the album and its singles were particularly influential on the music video field.[141] The video for the
title track "Like a Prayer", which depicted Madonna as a witness to a murder of a white girl by white supremacists, Catholic symbols
such as stigmata, Ku Klux Klan-style cross burning, and a dream about kissing a black saint, was extremely controversial and gained
a great deal of attention. Jon Pareles wrote that the video "set a media circus in motion, stirring up just those issues of sexuality and
religiosity that Madonna wanted to bring up".[124] The Vatican condemned the video while critics accused it of sacrilege and
heresy.[20] Madonna commented, "Art should be controversial, and that's all there is to it."[9] Taraborrelli wrote that the song and its
video also served to enhance Madonna's reputation as "a shrewd businesswoman, someone who knows how to sell a concept."[142]
Stewart M. Hoover wrote that the music video pushed boundaries by "bringing traditional religious imagery into the popular music
context".[143] Similarly, Daniel Welsh from The Huffington Post, wrote that the video "catapulted Madonna to the ranks of music
video heavyweight, and proved to the world she really meant business".[144] The music video for "Express Yourself" was also noted
by critics for its exploitation of female sexuality and came to the conclusion that Madonna's masculine image in the video was
gender-bending; authors Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens commented that "the video portrayed the deconstructive
gender-bending approach associated with free play and self-reflexivity of images in postmodernism."[145] Author John Semonche
explained in his book Censoring sex that with True Blue and Like a Prayer, Madonna pushed the envelope of what could be shown
.[146]
on television, which resulted in increase of her popularity

Track listing
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "Like a Prayer" Madonna · Patrick Madonna · Leonard 5:41
Leonard
2. "Express Yourself" Madonna · Stephen Madonna · Bray 4:39
Bray
3. "Love Song" Madonna · 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
Notes[24]

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

Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[24]

Musicians
Madonna – vocals, synthesizers
Niki Haris – background vocals
Marilyn Martin – background vocals
Donna DeLory – background vocals
Ali Nadirah – background vocals
Lynne Fiddmont – background vocals
Rose Banks – background vocals
Marcos Loya – background vocals
The Andraé Crouch Choir – background vocals
Jonathan Moffett – drums
Jeff Porcaro – drums
John Robinson – drums
Luis Conte – percussion
Paulinho da Costa – percussion
Guy Pratt, Randy Jackson – bass
Chester Kamen – guitars
David Williams – guitars
Dann Huff – guitars
Bruce Gaitsch – guitars
Marcos Loya – requinto
 Jai Winding – synthesizers
Stephen Bray – synthesizers
Patrick Leonard – acoustic piano, B3 organ, clavinet, synthesizers
Joe Porcaro – marimba
Sandra Crouch – tambourine
Chuck Findley – brass section
David Boruff – brass section
Steven Madaio – brass section
Dick Hyde – brass section
Joseph Mayer – french horn
Richard Todd – french horn
Larry Corbett – solo cello
Chuck Findley – horn arrangement
Bill Meyers – string arrangement, conducting
Suzie Katayama – concertmaster

Production and design

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

Weekly charts Year-end charts

Chart (1989) Position

German Albums Chart[151] 5

US Billboard 200[152] 12
 Peak
Chart (1989)
position

Australian Albums (ARIA)[115] 4

Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[147] 1

Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[102] 1

Dutch Albums (Mega Charts)[109] 1

French Albums (SNEP)[107] 1

German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[110] 1

Italian Albums (FIMI)[47] 1

Japanese Albums (Oricon)[112] 1

New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[117] 2

Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[148] 1

Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[149] 1

Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[150] 1

UK Albums (Official Charts Company)[105] 1

US Billboard 200[95] 1

Certifications and sales

 Region Certification Certified units/Sales

Argentina (CAPIF)[153] Platinum 60,000^

Australia (ARIA)[116] 4× Platinum 280,000^

Austria (IFPI Austria)[154] Platinum 50,000*

Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[155] 2× Platinum 500,000*

Canada (Music Canada)[156] 5× Platinum 500,000^

Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[157] Platinum 70,818[157]

France (SNEP)[158] 2× Platinum 769,500[159]

Germany (BVMI)[160] 3× Gold 750,000^

Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[114] Platinum 20,000*

Netherlands (NVPI)[161] Platinum 100,000^

New Zealand (RMNZ)[118] 2× Platinum 30,000^

Spain (PROMUSICAE)[69] 4× Platinum 400,000^

Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[162] 2× Platinum 100,000^

United Kingdom (BPI)[163] 4× Platinum 1,200,000^

United States (RIAA)[164] 4× Platinum 4,000,000^

Summaries

Worldwide N/A 15,000,000[119][120]

*sales figures based on certification alone

^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also
List of Australian chart achievements and milestones
List of best-selling albums in Brazil
List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1989
List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 1980s

Notes
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7. Caulfield, Keith (2014-03-21)."Madonna Producer Patrick Leonard T
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 8. Rosen, Craig (2014-03-26)."Madonna's 'Like a Prayer' Turns 25! 10 Things You Might Not Know" (https://www.yaho
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External links
Like a Prayer at Discogs (list of releases)
Library + Archives: Like a Prayerat the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Awards and achievements

Japan Gold Disc Award for Album Succeeded by
Preceded by
of the Year I'm Breathless by
New Jersey by Bon Jovi
1990 Madonna

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