Madonna - Like a Prayer

By 1989, Madonna was undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in the world. ''Like a Prayer'' (released on March 21st, 1989 and produced by Madonna, Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray) was considered to be her most accomplished artistic statement at the time, incorporating rock, dance, pop, soul, and funk elements into the album. Madonna chose the title track as the first single, and before it was released, ''Pepsi'' decided to use the song as part of their commercial campaign featuring Madonna as the spokesperson, in addition to sponsoring her 1990 world tour. The commercial was aired twice before the release of the music video on MTV. The release of the video for "Like a Prayer" caused a huge controversy: in it, Madonna witnesses a murder, kisses a black saint, displays stigmata after cutting her palms on a knife, and dances in a field of burning crosses. Religious groups were furious and threatened to boycott Pepsi. Pepsi decided the risk was too great, and they cancelled their ad campaign, although Madonna got to keep her end of the $5 million contract.

The controversy raised over "Like a Prayer" worked as free publicity. The single soared to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the USA. The album debuted at #11, and within three weeks, shot to #1, where it would stay for over a month. Singles "Express Yourself" and "Cherish" both made it to #2. "Oh Father" was her least successful single since 1984, but still became a Top 20 hit, peaking at number 20. "Keep It Together" reached #8 on the charts, and "Dear Jessie" was also a hit single in Europe, and had an animated video. To date, "Like A Prayer" has sold nearly 5 million copies in America and 13 million worldwide.

Critics applauded the album for its eclectic nature and Madonna's candid confessions, with Rolling Stone magazine hailing it "...as close to art as pop music gets".It featured the first of several songs throughout her career in which she talked openly about her mother's death, "Promise to Try"; Madonna even dedicated the album to "my mother who taught me to pray". She also addresses the end of her marriage to actor Sean Penn in the song "Till Death Do Us Part". ''Love Song'' is a song you can take or leave. At the time, Prince and Madonna were pretty much the king and queen of pop music, and it was really something to hear them team up on a duet. Unfortunately, the song has little substance, and Prince overplays his peculiar, distinctive voice and style.

''Like a Prayer'' is generally considered to be one of Madonna's two best albums (''Ray of Light'' being the other - often seen as the "Like A Prayer of the nineties") by critics and fans alike, and frequently is placed in 'best of' lists. In 2003, the album was ranked number 237 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Initial pressings of the LPs, CDs, and cassettes were scented with patchouli oil, Madonna's favorite scent (and even almost 20 years later many of these original pressings still smell of it). Also included was an AIDS factsheet, which is still included in current pressings of the CD. It was the first time a pop artist had ever included AIDS information with a product.
According to a list released by Time magazine on November 13, 2006, Like a Prayer is on the All-TIME 100 Albums, grouped according to time period. In July 1997 it was recertified 4 times Platinum for 4 million US copies. Worldwide sales surpassed 11 million copies.

Track listing

1. Like a Prayer

2. Express Yourself

3. Love Song (with Prince)

4. Till Death Do Us Part

5. Promise to Try

6. Cherish

7. Dear Jessie

8. Oh Father

9. Keep it Together

10. Pray for Spanish Eyes

11. Act of Contrition

Like a Prayer ( February 1989)

Express Yourself (May 1989)

Cherish (August 1989)

Oh Father (October 1989)

Dear Jessie (December 1989 - Europe only)

Keep it Together (January 1990 - North America/Japan only)