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1989 studio album by Madonna / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American singer Madonna, released on March 21, 1989 by Sire Records. Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the album with Patrick Leonard, Stephen Bray and Prince. The entire album was written in less than two weeks and most of the vocals were recorded in one take. 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.
Like a Prayer | ||||
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File:Madonna - Like a Prayer album.png. | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 21, 1989 | |||
Recorded | September 1988 – January 1989 | |||
Studio | D&D Recording (New York City) Ocean Way Recording (Los Angeles) | |||
Genre | Pop[1] | |||
Length | 51:16 | |||
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Producer |
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Madonna studio album chronology | ||||
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Singles from Like a Prayer | ||||
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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 Together", and her relationship with her father in "Oh Father", as well as the end of her tumultuous marriage to Sean Penn in "Till Death Do Us Part". Madonna also preaches female empowerment in "Express Yourself".
Like a Prayer received universal acclaim from music critics, who commended Madonna's songwriting, the album's artistic direction and its mature sounds. It became her third number-one album on the US Billboard 200—the most for a female artist during the 1980s— and was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was also hugely successful abroad, reaching number one in many countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom, while selling over 15 million copies worldwide. Six singles were released from the album, including international number-one singles "Like a Prayer", "Express Yourself" and "Cherish".
Like a Prayer was supported with the 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour, which reinvented the shape of concerts as full-scale productions by combining fashion, Broadway, rock and performance art. Like a Prayer has been recognized as a groundbreaking record and one of the definitve albums of the 1980s. With its singles' accompanying music videos, Madonna furthered her creativity and became known as a leading figure in the format. At the end of the 1980s, following the release of Like a Prayer, Madonna was named "Artist of the Decade" by many publications. Like a Prayer has been featured on many lists of all-time best albums, including Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.