Like a Prayer
Encyclopedia
Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American
singer-songwriter Madonna
, released on March 21, 1989 by Sire Records
, three years after her previous studio album. Madonna worked with Stephen Bray
, Patrick Leonard
, and fellow icon 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 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 deals 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
". Madonna also preaches female empowerment in "Express Yourself". Upon its release, Like a Prayer was mostly praised by music critics. Rolling Stone hailed it as "...as close to art as pop music gets."
Commercially, Like a Prayer became an international success like its predecessors, reaching the top of the charts in multiple territories. The album was certified quadruple platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America
. Six singles were released from the album: "Like a Prayer
", "Express Yourself", "Cherish
", "Oh Father
", "Dear 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 number-two. Worldwide the album has sold over 15 million copies.
With the singles' accompanying music videos, Madonna furthered her creativity and became known as a leading figure in the format. The music video for "Like a Prayer" was a lightning rod for religious controversy, using Catholic iconography such as stigmata
and burning crosses, and a dream about making love to a saint, leading the Vatican
to condemn the video and causing Pepsi
to cancel Madonna's sponsorship contract. "Express Yourself" was the most expensive music video ever made at the time. The album preceded Madonna's ground-breaking Blond Ambition World Tour
. At the end of the 1980s, following the release of Like a Prayer, Madonna was named as the "Artist of the Decade" by media such as Billboard, MTV
, and Musician
magazine.
and Patrick Leonard
, who she collaborated with for 1986's True Blue. She also enlisted the help of fellow icon Prince
for their duet on "Love Song". Madonna co-wrote and co-produced every song on the album. Recording began in September 1988 and continued until January 1989. Madonna and her husband Sean Penn
filed for divorce in January 1989, following a nullified divorce filing in late 1987 and several well-publicized fights involving Penn, one of which led to a 60-day prison term. The incident inspired the song "Til Death Do Us Part", which details the failed marriage. Like a Prayer developed an introspective theme, utilizing confessional lyrics about personal issues. Madonna described the album 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." It was claimed the album was her "most different" work to date.
Like a Prayer was dedicated to Madonna's mother, who died when Madonna was five. The songs "intertwine her search for faith with her search for her mother." Madonna's struggle with religion inspired the album. "The theme of Catholicism runs rampant through my album," she said. "It's me struggling with the mystery and magic that surrounds it. My own Catholicism is in constant upheaval." "The album is drawn from what I was going through when I was growing up," Madonna told Rolling Stone
. She added, "I'm still growing up."
by The Rolling Stones
. The packaging on the first pressings of the CD, cassette, and LP were scented with patchouli
oils to simulate church incense. A publicist for Warner Bros. Records
said, "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." The inlays included pictures of a brunette Madonna. The album also included an insert with safer sex guidelines and a warning about the dangers of AIDS
, to which Madonna had lost friends.
, Simon and Garfunkel
, and Sly and the Family Stone - all pumped up with a brash, if occasionally klutzy, 80's sense of showmanship." A press release said the album includes "a number of hot dance tracks" but noted, "much of the material [...] is of a personal tone."
Madonna drew from her Catholic
upbringing, as seen in the album's title track and lead single "Like a Prayer
". She described it 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. From around 8 to 12 years old, I had the same feelings. I really wanted to be a nun." The lyrics deals 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 harsh father in "Oh Father
". Madonna also preaches female empowerment in "Express Yourself", "in which Madonna expresses a 30-year-old's view of life unshadowed by rebellion and lingering lapsed Catholic pain." "Til Death Do Us Part" is about the violent dissolution of Madonna's marriage to Sean Penn. The song was described as "an anxious jumpy ballad that describes a marriage wracked with drinking, violent quarrels and a possessive, self-hating husband. Its ending finds the couple locked by their unbreakable marriage vows into a miserable cul-de-sac." Madonna noted that could have happened to her and Penn had they followed the Roman Catholic doctrine and not filed for divorce. "Dear Jessie
" was inspired by Patrick Leonard's daughter. It was described as "a musical fantasia about pink elephants, lemonade and the land of make-believe, offers a stylish swatch of late Beatles-style psychedelia." The album also includes themes of love on "Cherish
" and "Love Song", "a yowling come-hither duet" with Prince
. "Spanish Eyes" is said to have "confronted the still-taboo issue of AIDS." Stephen Holden
of The New York Times
noted, "The songs, which deal directly and very emotionally with her failed marriage to the actor Sean Penn, her family, and her Catholic girlhood, transcend the brassy dance-pop of her three previous records to reveal Madonna as a vulnerable human being." Jon Pareles
of the same publication mused that the album "is largely a meditation on male power and love, from paternalistic religion to parents to partners."
of Rolling Stone
hailed it as "...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." Considine also said the tracks "are stunning in their breadth and achievement." Lloyd Bradley of Q
said, "musically it's varied, unexpected and far from instantly accessible; lyrically, it's moving, intelligent and candid." Robert Christgau
awarded the album a B+. He felt that "the declaration of filial independence and the recommendation of romantic independence [are] challenging, thrilling--and they'll get more thrilling." Allmusic noted that Like a Prayer is Madonna's "most explicit attempt at a major artistic statement [...] Madonna displays a commanding sense of songcraft, making this her best and most consistent album." BBC
, in an article about the ups and downs of Madonna's career, said the album's release "marks the moment when critics first begin to describe Madonna as an artist, rather than a mere pop singer."
Sal Cinquemani of 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." The review concluded by declaring Like a Prayer "one of the quintessential pop albums of all time.
, and within three weeks was number one, where it would stay for over a month. The singles "Express Yourself" and "Cherish
" both reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100
, while "Oh Father
" was her least successful single since 1984, peaking at number twenty. "Keep It Together" reached number eight, and "Dear Jessie
" became a hit single in Europe, with an animated video. After the advent of the Nielsen Soundscan
era in 1991, the album sold a further 575,000 copies in the United States. The album was also very successful in Asia and Oceania. In Japan, Like a Prayer reached number one on the Oricon
weekly albums chart and remained on the chart for 22 weeks. At the 1990 Japan Gold Disc Awards held by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
, Madonna won three awards for "Artist of the Year", "Grand Prix Album of the Year"—which acknowledge the best-selling international artist and best-selling international album of the year, respectively—and "Best Album of the Year – Pops Solo". It also became her sixth platinum album in Hong Kong, the most for any international artist of the decade. Like a Prayer has sold over 15 million copies worldwide.
At the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards
, Madonna performed a high-energy version of "Express Yourself" as a preview for her upcoming world tour. She embarked on the Blond Ambition World Tour
, which initially known as "Like a Prayer Tour". A remix mini-album, Remixed Prayers
, was released in Japan to promote the album on August 25, 1989. It reached number 24 on the Oricon weekly albums Chart and was present on the chart for five weeks.
", "whose lyrics could be about carnal or religious transcendence," was the first single to be released from the album in March 1989. Jim Farber of Entertainment Weekly
said, "The gospel-infused title track demonstrates that her writing and performing had been raised to heavenly new heights." The song was featured in a television advertisement
for soft drink manufacturer Pepsi
, although the ads were canceled following the song's controversial music video. In the video, Madonna incorporated many Catholic symbols
such as stigmata
and burning crosses, and a dream about making love to a saint. Holden of The New York Times said the video "surpasses Madonna's earlier music videos in its heady swirl of sacred and profane images." The scandal led "Like a Prayer" to the top of the Billboard
Hot 100, becoming Madonna's sixth U.S. number-one single. It also reached number one in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, among other countries.
The album's second single, "Express Yourself", is "an unabashed groove tune" which is "smart and sassy." Madonna preaches female empowerment, and advises girls not to settle for less than they are worth. It peaked at number two in the U.S. and was a top five hit worldwide. The music video was inspired by the classic Fritz Lang
film Metropolis (1927). Its budget of $5 million made it the most expensive music video in history at the time it was made (it is currently the third most expensive of all time). It was followed by "Cherish
", an adult contemporary hit which also peaked at number two on the Hot 100. The song "manages a nod to the Association song of the same title" and "makes savvy retro-rock references." The album's fourth single, "Oh Father
", is "an homage to Simon & Garfunkel and tells the story of an abused child." The video, inspired by Orson Welles
' Citizen Kane
(1941), reunited Madonna with "Express Yourself" director David Fincher
.
"Dear Jessie
", which "boasts kaleidoscopic Sgt. Pepper
-isms," was released in Australia, the United Kingdom, and some other European countries. "Keep It Together" is inspired by Sly and the Family Stone. It was the sixth and final single to be taken from the album. In Australia, it was released as an AA-side with "Vogue", resulting in a number one hit.
of The New York Times
.
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. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named it the 237th greatest album of all time
. Apart from that the album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
. In 2006, Q magazine placed the album at #14 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s". 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".
, as a part of Madonna's endorsement deal with the company. The video "set a media circus in motion, stirring up just those issues of sexuality and religiosity that Madonna wanted to bring up." In response to the controversial music video, the Vatican
condemned the video. Critics accused it of sacrilege and heresy. Religious groups sought to ban the commercial and boycott Pepsi products. Pepsi revoked the commercial and canceled her sponsorship contract. However, she was allowed to retain her fee of five million dollars. Madonna commented, "Art should be controversial, and that's all there is to it." It was said that the video for "Like a Prayer" could be "read as an indictment of a white male patriarchal Christianity in the name of what has happened to 'white' women and to Black men." The iconic images have "proven to be some of the most striking, unforgettable images in music video history and serve only to further the clip's condemnation of racial profiling and religious guilt."
The music video for "Express Yourself", directed by David Fincher
, was the most expensive music video at the time of its creation. Named the greatest video of all-time by Slant Magazine, it was said to be "as conceptually audacious as Metropolis because it celebrates both the power of the female sex and its ability to cripple the machine that dehumanizes it." Inspired by the Fritz Lang film Metropolis (1927), Madonna exerted her artistic control and oversaw every aspect of production. She said:
"Cherish" was accompanied by a music video directed by Herb Ritts
, who previously shot the iconic photograph used for Madonna's True Blue album art. The video is "a playful mermaid-inspired beach romp." It was followed by the black-and-white video clip for "Oh Father", directed again by Fincher, which drew inspiration from Orson Welles' cinematic masterpiece Citizen Kane (1941). Mirroring the album's autobiographical themes, "the video alludes to the singer's devout Catholic upbringing, the death of her mother and her
abusive marriage to Sean Penn." "Dear Jessie" was accompanied simply by an animated video.
The album's music videos earned seven nominations at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards
, including Video of the Year ("Like a Prayer") and Best Female Video ("Express Yourself"). The video for "Oh Father" was nominated the Best Short Form Music Video
at the 33rd Grammy Awards.
Production
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, released on March 21, 1989 by Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
, three years after her previous studio album. Madonna worked with Stephen Bray
Stephen Bray
Stephen Bray is an American songwriter, drummer, and record producer from Detroit. Bray is best known for his collaboration with Madonna.Bray began studying music through private instruction in Detroit, and continued his education at Berklee College of Music in Boston.Bray owns and operates Saturn...
, Patrick Leonard
Patrick Leonard
Patrick Raymond Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist and music producer, known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna on many different recordings....
, and fellow icon Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
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 her mother, who died when Madonna was young.
The album uses live instrumentation and incorporates elements of dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
, and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
into a more general pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
style. Madonna drew from her Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
upbringing, as seen in the album's title track and lead single "Like a Prayer
Like a Prayer (song)
"Like a Prayer" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna on her fourth studio album of the same name . It was released on March 21, 1989, by Sire Records as the album's lead single...
". The lyrics deals 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
Oh Father
"Oh Father" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna, from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer . It was released as the fourth single from the album on October 24, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was not released as a single in most European territories until December 24, 1995, when it...
". Madonna also preaches female empowerment in "Express Yourself". Upon its release, Like a Prayer was mostly praised by music critics. Rolling Stone hailed it as "...as close to art as pop music gets."
Commercially, Like a Prayer became an international success like its predecessors, reaching the top of the charts in multiple territories. The album was certified quadruple platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. Six singles were released from the album: "Like a Prayer
Like a Prayer (song)
"Like a Prayer" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna on her fourth studio album of the same name . It was released on March 21, 1989, by Sire Records as the album's lead single...
", "Express Yourself", "Cherish
Cherish (Madonna song)
"Cherish" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the third single from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer on August 1, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was also included on the 1990 compilation album The Immaculate Collection and the two-disc edition of her 2009...
", "Oh Father
Oh Father
"Oh Father" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna, from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer . It was released as the fourth single from the album on October 24, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was not released as a single in most European territories until December 24, 1995, when it...
", "Dear Jessie
Dear Jessie
"Dear Jessie" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fifth single from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer on December 10, 1989 by Sire Records. It was released only in the UK, some European countries and Australia...
", and "Keep It Together". "Like a Prayer" became Madonna's seventh number-one on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, while "Express Yourself" and "Cherish" peaked at number-two. Worldwide the album has sold over 15 million copies.
With the singles' accompanying music videos, Madonna furthered her creativity and became known as a leading figure in the format. The music video for "Like a Prayer" was a lightning rod for religious controversy, using Catholic iconography such as stigmata
Stigmata
Stigmata are bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus, such as the hands and feet...
and burning crosses, and a dream about making love to a saint, leading the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
to condemn the video and causing Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
to cancel Madonna's sponsorship contract. "Express Yourself" was the most expensive music video ever made at the time. The album preceded Madonna's ground-breaking Blond Ambition World Tour
Blond Ambition World Tour
The Blond Ambition World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Madonna. The tour was launched in support of her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, and the soundtrack, I'm Breathless. The tour reached North America, Europe and Asia. It was a highly controversial tour,...
. At the end of the 1980s, following the release of Like a Prayer, Madonna was named as the "Artist of the Decade" by media such as Billboard, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, and Musician
Musician (magazine)
Musician was a monthly magazine that covered news and information about American popular music. Initially called "Music America", it was founded in 1976 by Sam Holdsworth and Gordon Baird. The two friends borrowed $20,000 from relatives and started the publication in a barn in Colorado...
magazine.
Background and development
Madonna worked on the album with Stephen BrayStephen Bray
Stephen Bray is an American songwriter, drummer, and record producer from Detroit. Bray is best known for his collaboration with Madonna.Bray began studying music through private instruction in Detroit, and continued his education at Berklee College of Music in Boston.Bray owns and operates Saturn...
and Patrick Leonard
Patrick Leonard
Patrick Raymond Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist and music producer, known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna on many different recordings....
, who she collaborated with for 1986's True Blue. She also enlisted the help of fellow icon Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
for their duet on "Love Song". Madonna co-wrote and co-produced every song on the album. Recording began in September 1988 and continued until January 1989. Madonna and her husband Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
filed for divorce in January 1989, following a nullified divorce filing in late 1987 and several well-publicized fights involving Penn, one of which led to a 60-day prison term. The incident inspired the song "Til Death Do Us Part", which details the failed marriage. Like a Prayer developed an introspective theme, utilizing confessional lyrics about personal issues. Madonna described the album 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." It was claimed the album was her "most different" work to date.
Like a Prayer was dedicated to Madonna's mother, who died when Madonna was five. The songs "intertwine her search for faith with her search for her mother." Madonna's struggle with religion inspired the album. "The theme of Catholicism runs rampant through my album," she said. "It's me struggling with the mystery and magic that surrounds it. My own Catholicism is in constant upheaval." "The album is drawn from what I was going through when I was growing up," Madonna told Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
. She added, "I'm still growing up."
Packaging
The album was titled for the influence of Catholicism on Madonna's early life. Its cover art has been seen as a reference to Sticky FingersSticky Fingers
-Personnel:The Rolling Stones*Mick Jagger – lead vocals, acoustic guitar on "Dead Flowers", electric guitar on "Sway", percussion*Keith Richards – electric guitar, six & twelve string acoustic guitar, backing vocals...
by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
. The packaging on the first pressings of the CD, cassette, and LP were scented with patchouli
Patchouli
Patchouli is a species from the genus Pogostemon and a bushy herb of the mint family, with erect stems, reaching two or three feet in height and bearing small, pale pink-white flowers...
oils to simulate church incense. A publicist for Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
said, "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." The inlays included pictures of a brunette Madonna. The album also included an insert with safer sex guidelines and a warning about the dangers of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, to which Madonna had lost friends.
Composition
'The album "teems with 60's and early 70's echoes - of the BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Simon and Garfunkel
Simon and Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the...
, and Sly and the Family Stone - all pumped up with a brash, if occasionally klutzy, 80's sense of showmanship." A press release said the album includes "a number of hot dance tracks" but noted, "much of the material [...] is of a personal tone."
Madonna drew from her Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
upbringing, as seen in the album's title track and lead single "Like a Prayer
Like a Prayer (song)
"Like a Prayer" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna on her fourth studio album of the same name . It was released on March 21, 1989, by Sire Records as the album's lead single...
". She described it 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. From around 8 to 12 years old, I had the same feelings. I really wanted to be a nun." The lyrics deals 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 harsh father in "Oh Father
Oh Father
"Oh Father" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna, from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer . It was released as the fourth single from the album on October 24, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was not released as a single in most European territories until December 24, 1995, when it...
". Madonna also preaches female empowerment in "Express Yourself", "in which Madonna expresses a 30-year-old's view of life unshadowed by rebellion and lingering lapsed Catholic pain." "Til Death Do Us Part" is about the violent dissolution of Madonna's marriage to Sean Penn. The song was described as "an anxious jumpy ballad that describes a marriage wracked with drinking, violent quarrels and a possessive, self-hating husband. Its ending finds the couple locked by their unbreakable marriage vows into a miserable cul-de-sac." Madonna noted that could have happened to her and Penn had they followed the Roman Catholic doctrine and not filed for divorce. "Dear Jessie
Dear Jessie
"Dear Jessie" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fifth single from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer on December 10, 1989 by Sire Records. It was released only in the UK, some European countries and Australia...
" was inspired by Patrick Leonard's daughter. It was described as "a musical fantasia about pink elephants, lemonade and the land of make-believe, offers a stylish swatch of late Beatles-style psychedelia." The album also includes themes of love on "Cherish
Cherish (Madonna song)
"Cherish" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the third single from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer on August 1, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was also included on the 1990 compilation album The Immaculate Collection and the two-disc edition of her 2009...
" and "Love Song", "a yowling come-hither duet" with Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
. "Spanish Eyes" is said to have "confronted the still-taboo issue of AIDS." Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
noted, "The songs, which deal directly and very emotionally with her failed marriage to the actor Sean Penn, her family, and her Catholic girlhood, transcend the brassy dance-pop of her three previous records to reveal Madonna as a vulnerable human being." Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...
of the same publication mused that the album "is largely a meditation on male power and love, from paternalistic religion to parents to partners."
Critical reception
Like a Prayer received generally positive reviews from music critics. Madonna was commended for her autobiographical songwriting, as well as her improved vocals. J. D. ConsidineJ. D. Considine
J. D. Considine is an established music critic who has been writing about music professionally since 1977. His work has been published in numerous newspapers and music magazines, and he has contributed to several books. Over the years, he has claimed to have put over three million words into...
of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
hailed it as "...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." Considine also said the tracks "are stunning in their breadth and achievement." Lloyd Bradley of Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
said, "musically it's varied, unexpected and far from instantly accessible; lyrically, it's moving, intelligent and candid." Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
awarded the album a B+. He felt that "the declaration of filial independence and the recommendation of romantic independence [are] challenging, thrilling--and they'll get more thrilling." Allmusic noted that Like a Prayer is Madonna's "most explicit attempt at a major artistic statement [...] Madonna displays a commanding sense of songcraft, making this her best and most consistent album." BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, in an article about the ups and downs of Madonna's career, said the album's release "marks the moment when critics first begin to describe Madonna as an artist, rather than a mere pop singer."
Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
described the album as "a collection of pop confections layered with live instrumentation, sophisticated arrangements, deeply felt lyrics, and a stronger, more assured vocal." The review concluded by declaring Like a Prayer "one of the quintessential pop albums of all time.
Commercial response
The album debuted at number eleven on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and within three weeks was number one, where it would stay for over a month. The singles "Express Yourself" and "Cherish
Cherish (Madonna song)
"Cherish" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the third single from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer on August 1, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was also included on the 1990 compilation album The Immaculate Collection and the two-disc edition of her 2009...
" both reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, while "Oh Father
Oh Father
"Oh Father" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna, from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer . It was released as the fourth single from the album on October 24, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was not released as a single in most European territories until December 24, 1995, when it...
" was her least successful single since 1984, peaking at number twenty. "Keep It Together" reached number eight, and "Dear Jessie
Dear Jessie
"Dear Jessie" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fifth single from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer on December 10, 1989 by Sire Records. It was released only in the UK, some European countries and Australia...
" became a hit single in Europe, with an animated video. After the advent of the Nielsen Soundscan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
era in 1991, the album sold a further 575,000 copies in the United States. The album was also very successful in Asia and Oceania. In Japan, Like a Prayer reached number one on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
weekly albums chart and remained on the chart for 22 weeks. At the 1990 Japan Gold Disc Awards held by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...
, Madonna won three awards for "Artist of the Year", "Grand Prix Album of the Year"—which acknowledge the best-selling international artist and best-selling international album of the year, respectively—and "Best Album of the Year – Pops Solo". It also became her sixth platinum album in Hong Kong, the most for any international artist of the decade. Like a Prayer has sold over 15 million copies worldwide.
At the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
, Madonna performed a high-energy version of "Express Yourself" as a preview for her upcoming world tour. She embarked on the Blond Ambition World Tour
Blond Ambition World Tour
The Blond Ambition World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Madonna. The tour was launched in support of her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, and the soundtrack, I'm Breathless. The tour reached North America, Europe and Asia. It was a highly controversial tour,...
, which initially known as "Like a Prayer Tour". A remix mini-album, Remixed Prayers
Remixed Prayers
Remixed Prayers is a remix extended play by pop singer Madonna, released in August 1989 by Warner Music Japan. It was released to coincide with the Like a Prayer album...
, was released in Japan to promote the album on August 25, 1989. It reached number 24 on the Oricon weekly albums Chart and was present on the chart for five weeks.
Singles
The title track "Like a PrayerLike a Prayer (song)
"Like a Prayer" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna on her fourth studio album of the same name . It was released on March 21, 1989, by Sire Records as the album's lead single...
", "whose lyrics could be about carnal or religious transcendence," was the first single to be released from the album in March 1989. Jim Farber of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said, "The gospel-infused title track demonstrates that her writing and performing had been raised to heavenly new heights." The song was featured in a television advertisement
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
for soft drink manufacturer Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
, although the ads were canceled following the song's controversial music video. In the video, Madonna incorporated many Catholic symbols
Christian symbolism
Christian symbolism invests objects or actions with an inner meaning expressing Christian ideas. Christianity has borrowed from the common stock of significant symbols known to most periods and to all regions of the world. Religious symbolism is effective when it appeals to both the intellect and...
such as stigmata
Stigmata
Stigmata are bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus, such as the hands and feet...
and burning crosses, and a dream about making love to a saint. Holden of The New York Times said the video "surpasses Madonna's earlier music videos in its heady swirl of sacred and profane images." The scandal led "Like a Prayer" to the top of the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100, becoming Madonna's sixth U.S. number-one single. It also reached number one in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, among other countries.
The album's second single, "Express Yourself", is "an unabashed groove tune" which is "smart and sassy." Madonna preaches female empowerment, and advises girls not to settle for less than they are worth. It peaked at number two in the U.S. and was a top five hit worldwide. The music video was inspired by the classic Fritz Lang
Fritz Lang
Friedrich Christian Anton "Fritz" Lang was an Austrian-American filmmaker, screenwriter, and occasional film producer and actor. One of the best known émigrés from Germany's school of Expressionism, he was dubbed the "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute...
film Metropolis (1927). Its budget of $5 million made it the most expensive music video in history at the time it was made (it is currently the third most expensive of all time). It was followed by "Cherish
Cherish (Madonna song)
"Cherish" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the third single from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer on August 1, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was also included on the 1990 compilation album The Immaculate Collection and the two-disc edition of her 2009...
", an adult contemporary hit which also peaked at number two on the Hot 100. The song "manages a nod to the Association song of the same title" and "makes savvy retro-rock references." The album's fourth single, "Oh Father
Oh Father
"Oh Father" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna, from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer . It was released as the fourth single from the album on October 24, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was not released as a single in most European territories until December 24, 1995, when it...
", is "an homage to Simon & Garfunkel and tells the story of an abused child." The video, inspired by Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
' Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
(1941), reunited Madonna with "Express Yourself" director David Fincher
David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
.
"Dear Jessie
Dear Jessie
"Dear Jessie" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fifth single from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer on December 10, 1989 by Sire Records. It was released only in the UK, some European countries and Australia...
", which "boasts kaleidoscopic Sgt. Pepper
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
-isms," was released in Australia, the United Kingdom, and some other European countries. "Keep It Together" is inspired by Sly and the Family Stone. It was the sixth and final single to be taken from the album. In Australia, it was released as an AA-side with "Vogue", resulting in a number one hit.
Legacy
Like a Prayer "defiantly grabbed Christian language and imagery," according to Jon ParelesJon Pareles
Jon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
According to the list of "All-TIME 100 Albums" by Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine's critics, Like a Prayer is one of the 100 greatest and most influential musical compilations since 1954. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named it the 237th greatest album of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
. Apart from that the album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...
. In 2006, Q magazine placed the album at #14 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s". In 2005, a poll of half million people on British television network Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
placed Like a Prayer at number eight on list of "The 100 Greatest Albums in Music History".
Music videos and reaction to "Like a Prayer"
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 on television, which resulted in increase of her popularity. Madonna tried to experiment with different forms and styles with the videos and in the process constructed a new set of image and identity. The lead single from the album, "Like a Prayer", was featured in a television advertisement for soft drink manufacturer PepsiPepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
, as a part of Madonna's endorsement deal with the company. The video "set a media circus in motion, stirring up just those issues of sexuality and religiosity that Madonna wanted to bring up." In response to the controversial music video, the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
condemned the video. Critics accused it of sacrilege and heresy. Religious groups sought to ban the commercial and boycott Pepsi products. Pepsi revoked the commercial and canceled her sponsorship contract. However, she was allowed to retain her fee of five million dollars. Madonna commented, "Art should be controversial, and that's all there is to it." It was said that the video for "Like a Prayer" could be "read as an indictment of a white male patriarchal Christianity in the name of what has happened to 'white' women and to Black men." The iconic images have "proven to be some of the most striking, unforgettable images in music video history and serve only to further the clip's condemnation of racial profiling and religious guilt."
The music video for "Express Yourself", directed by David Fincher
David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
, was the most expensive music video at the time of its creation. Named the greatest video of all-time by Slant Magazine, it was said to be "as conceptually audacious as Metropolis because it celebrates both the power of the female sex and its ability to cripple the machine that dehumanizes it." Inspired by the Fritz Lang film Metropolis (1927), Madonna exerted her artistic control and oversaw every aspect of production. She said:
"This one I had the most amount of input. I oversaw everything—the building of the sets, everyone's costumes, I had meetings with make-up and hair and the cinematographer, everybody. Casting, finding the right cat—just every aspect. Kind of like making a little movie. We basically sat down and just threw out all every idea we could possibly conceive of and of all the things we wanted. All the imagery we wanted—and I had a few set ideas, for instance the cat and the idea of Metropolis. I definitely wanted to have that influence, that look on all the men—the workers, diligently, methodically working away."
"Cherish" was accompanied by a music video directed by Herb Ritts
Herb Ritts
Herbert "Herb" Ritts was an American fashion photographer who concentrated on black-and-white photography and portraits, often in the style of classical Greek sculpture.-Early life and career:...
, who previously shot the iconic photograph used for Madonna's True Blue album art. The video is "a playful mermaid-inspired beach romp." It was followed by the black-and-white video clip for "Oh Father", directed again by Fincher, which drew inspiration from Orson Welles' cinematic masterpiece Citizen Kane (1941). Mirroring the album's autobiographical themes, "the video alludes to the singer's devout Catholic upbringing, the death of her mother and her
abusive marriage to Sean Penn." "Dear Jessie" was accompanied simply by an animated video.
The album's music videos earned seven nominations at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards
1989 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1989 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 6, 1989, honoring the best music videos from April 2, 1988, to June 1, 1989. The show was hosted by Arsenio Hall at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles....
, including Video of the Year ("Like a Prayer") and Best Female Video ("Express Yourself"). The video for "Oh Father" was nominated the Best Short Form Music Video
Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos...
at the 33rd Grammy Awards.
Track listing
Additional notes- "Spanish Eyes" was re-titled "Pray for Spanish Eyes" on the certain editions of the album and also on the "Oh FatherOh Father"Oh Father" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna, from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer . It was released as the fourth single from the album on October 24, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was not released as a single in most European territories until December 24, 1995, when it...
" single release in 1989. - "Act of Contrition" is produced by "The Powers That Be" (Madonna and Patrick Leonard).
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
4 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 1 |
| Brazil Top Albums Chart Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :... |
1 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
1 |
| European Albums Chart | 1 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 1 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
1 |
| German Albums Chart | 1 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
1 |
| Italian Albums Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
1 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
1 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 1 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
1 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
1 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
1 |
| UK Albums Chart British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Argentina Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers The Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers is an Argentine organization member of the IFPI, which represents the music industry in the country. It is a nonprofit organization integrated by multinational and independent record labels.... |
Platinum |
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Platinum |
| Austria | Platinum |
| Brazil Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :... |
2× Platinum |
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
5× Platinum |
| Finland | Platinum |
| France Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
2× Platinum |
| Germany Bundesverband Musikindustrie The Bundesverband Musikindustrie or simply BVMI represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 350 labels and music industry related enterprises.... |
3× Gold |
| Hong Kong | Platinum |
| Netherlands NVPI The NVPI is the Dutch tradeassociation of the entertainment industry... |
Platinum |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
2× Platinum |
| Spain | 4× Platinum |
| Switzerland | 2× Platinum |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
4× Platinum |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
4× Platinum |
Chart procession and succession
Album credits
Personnel- Drums: Jonathan Moffett, Jeff PorcaroJeff PorcaroJeffrey Thomas "Jeff" Porcaro was an American session drummer and a founding member of the Grammy Award winning band Toto. Porcaro was one of the most recorded drummers in history, working on hundreds of albums and thousands of sessions...
, John Robinson - Percussion: Luis ConteLuis ConteLuis Conte is a Cuban percussionist.-Early years:As a child in Cuba, Conte began his musical odyssey playing the guitar. However, he soon switched to percussion, and that has remained his mode since....
, Paulinho da CostaPaulinho Da CostaPaulinho da Costa is a Brazilian percussionist born in Rio de Janeiro, considered one of the most recorded musicians of modern times. Playing over two hundred percussion instruments, he has participated in thousands of recording sessions, Grammy Award-winning albums, hit songs, soundtracks, radio... - Bass: Guy PrattGuy PrattGuy Pratt is a session bassist and also a songwriter, actor and comedian. He is the son of actor Mike Pratt. In Kensington and Chelsea, London, in 1996, Pratt married Gala Wright, the daughter of Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright...
, Randy JacksonRandy JacksonRandall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew... - Guitars: Chester Kamen, David Williams, Dann HuffDann HuffDann Huff is an American musician, session musician, singer-songwriter and producer. For his work as a producer in the Country music genre he has won several awards including the Musician of the Year award in 2001 and 2004 at the Country Music Association Awards and the Producer of the Year award...
, Bruce Gaitsch - Requinto: Marcos Loya
- Synthesizers: Patrick Leonard, Jai Winding, Stephen BrayStephen BrayStephen Bray is an American songwriter, drummer, and record producer from Detroit. Bray is best known for his collaboration with Madonna.Bray began studying music through private instruction in Detroit, and continued his education at Berklee College of Music in Boston.Bray owns and operates Saturn...
, Madonna - Acoustic Piano, B3 Organ, Clavinet: Patrick Leonard
- Marimba: Joe PorcaroJoe PorcaroJoseph Porcaro is an American jazz drummer, percussionist and educator....
- Tambourine: Sandra Crouch
- Brass Section: Chuck FindleyChuck FindleyChuck Findley is an American session musician. Most widely-known as a trumpet player, he also plays other brass instruments such as flugelhorn and trombone...
, David Boruff, Steven Madaio, Dick Hyde - French Horns: Joseph Mayer, Richard Todd
- Solo Cello: Larry Corbett
- Backing Vocals: Madonna, Niki Harris, Marilyn Martin, Donna DeLory, Ali Nadirah, Lynne Fiddmont, Rose Banks, Marcos Loya, The Andrae CrouchAndrae CrouchAndraé Crouch is a seven-time Grammy Award-winning American gospel singer, songwriter, arranger, recording artist, record producer, and pastor.-Early years:Born Andraé Edward Crouch in San Francisco, California....
Choir - Horn Arrangement: Chuck Findley
- Strings Arranged & Conducted By Bill Meyers
- Concertmaster: Suzie Katayama
Production
- Producers: Madonna, Patrick Leonard, Stephen Bray, Prince
- Engineers: Bill BottrellBill BottrellBill Bottrell is an American record producer, songwriter and musician, probably best known for his Grammy Award-winning collaborations with Michael Jackson, E.L.O. and Sheryl Crow.- Biography :...
, Eddie Miller, Stephen Shelton, Heidi Hanschu - Additional engineers: Michael Vail Blum, Robert Salcedo, Stacy Baird, Joe Schiff
- Mixing: Bill Bottrell
- Mastering: Bob LudwigBob LudwigBob Ludwig is an American mastering engineer.He is a well known and respected figure within the music industry. His name is credited on the covers of albums released across the world, and he has won numerous awards....