Review: MADONNA - "Like a Virgin"

Discostory essential: interviews and reviews to reread… IMPERATIVE

Madonna's second studio album, “Like a Virgin”, was released on November 12, 1984.

Forty years ago, Madonna's Like a Virgin changed the pop landscape forever. Released in 1984, this song not only established the singer as a global icon, but marked a turning point in pop music and 1980s culture. Provocative and irresistible, the single – with its catchy chorus and Madonna's unmistakable voice – explored themes of emancipation and personal rediscovery. Like a Virgin not only climbed the charts, but also became a symbol of artistic revolution and identity, helping to redefine the role of women in music and the image of pop itself.

THE CURIOSITIES

The album was recorded in just two weeks at Power Station Studios in New York. Madonna and producer Nile Rodgers worked hard to create a sound that combined pop with dance and funk elements, making the most of their limited studio time.

The song Like a Virgin caused a sensation for its provocative lyrics, which spoke of personal rediscovery and rebirth with a veiled double meaning. Some critics considered it scandalous, but this only increased curiosity around Madonna and the album, contributing to its enormous success.

During her performance of Like a Virgin at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards, Madonna performed wearing a wedding dress and a belt that read “Boy Toy.” The performance became iconic and scandalous, leaving an indelible mark on the history of pop culture and making her talked about all over the world.

The success of Like a Virgin was immediate: it debuted on the charts with great impact and quickly reached number one on the Billboard 200 in the United States, where it remained at the top for three weeks.

It was the first album by a woman to sell more than five million copies in the United States in a single year, and to date it has sold over 21 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.

In the United Kingdom it debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, remaining in the charts for months.

In Australia and Canada Like a Virgin reached first place, while in many other countries, such as Japan, France and Germany, it stabilized in the top ten positions of the charts.

In Italy it debuted at number one.

SCORE: 8.00

TRACKLIST

Material Girl – 3:56
Angel – 3:53
Like a Virgin – 3:35
Over and Over – 4:08
Love Don't Live Here Anymore – 4:45 – Cover by Rose Royce
Dress You Up – 3:58
Shoo-Bee-Doo – 5:14
Pretender – 4:28
Stay – 4:04

1983 – Madonna
1984 – Like a Virgin
1986 – True Blue
1989 – Like a Prayer
1992 – Erotica
1994 – Bedtime Stories
1998 – Ray of Light
2000 – Music
2003 – AmericanLife
2005 – Confessions on a Dance Floor
2008 – Hard Candy
2012 – MDNA
2015 – Rebel Heart
2019 – Madame X