#239 - Madonna - Like a Prayer (1989)
MUSIC HISTORY COMPILED BY ADAM BERNARD:
BACKGROUND – MADONNA
Madonna Louise Ciccone [tʃikˈkoːne} is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen of Pop", Madonna has been widely recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation. She has pushed the boundaries of artistic expression in mainstream music while maintaining control over every aspect of her career. Her works, which incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes, have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. A prominent cultural figure spanning both the 20th and 21st centuries, Madonna remains one of the most "well-documented figures of the modern age"
Madonna was born on August 16, 1958, in Bay City, Michigan, to Catholic parents Madonna and Silvio "Tony" Ciccone. Her father's parents were Italian emigrants while her mother was of French-Canadian descent.. Since Madonna had the same name as her mother, family members called her "Little Nonnie" Her mother died of breast cancer on December 1, 1963 when she was 5 years old. Madonna was raised in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac, alongside her two older brothers and three younger siblings. In 1966, Tony married the family's housekeeper Joan Gustafson. They had two children, Jennifer and Mario. Madonna resented her father for getting remarried and began to rebel against him, which strained their relationship for many years afterward. Madonna attended In school (she attended Catholic elementary schools), she was known for her high GPA and achieved notoriety for her unconventional behavior. Madonna would perform cartwheels and handstands in the hallways between classes, dangle by her knees from the monkey bars during recess, and pull up her skirt during class—all so that the boys could see her underwear. She later admitted to seeing herself in her youth as a "lonely girl who was searching for something. I wasn't rebellious in a certain way. I cared about being good at something. I didn't shave my underarms and I didn't wear make-up like normal girls do. But I studied and I got good grades... I wanted to be somebody." Madonna's father put her in classical piano lessons, but she later convinced him to allow her to take ballet lessons. Christopher Flynn, her ballet teacher, persuaded her to pursue a career in dance. Madonna later attended Rochester Adams High School and became a straight-A student as well as a member of its cheerleading squad. After graduating in January 1976, she received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan and studied over the summer at the American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina.
In 1978, Madonna dropped out of college and moved to New York City to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist in the rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy, she rose to solo stardom with her debut studio album, Madonna (1983). She followed it with a series of successful albums, including all-time bestsellers Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), and The Immaculate Collection (1990), as well as Grammy Award winners Ray of Light (1998) and Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005). Madonna has amassed many chart-topping singles throughout her career, including hits such as "Like a Virgin", "La Isla Bonita", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Take a Bow", "Frozen", "Music", "Hung Up", and "4 Minutes". Madonna's popularity was enhanced by roles in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), A League of Their Own (1992), and Evita (1996). While the lattermost won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, many of her other films were not as well received. As a businesswoman, Madonna founded the company Maverick in 1992, which included Maverick Records, one of the most successful artist-run labels in history. Her other ventures include fashion brands, written works, health clubs, and filmmaking. She contributes to various charities, having founded the Ray of Light Foundation in 1998 and Raising Malawi in 2006, and she advocates for gender equality and LGBT rights.
With sales of over 300 million records worldwide, Madonna is the best-selling female recording artist of all time. She remains the most successful solo artist in the history of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and has achieved the most number-one singles by a woman in Australia, Canada, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Ranked among the highest-grossing touring artists of all time, she became the first woman to earn US $1 billion in concert revenue. Forbes has named Madonna the annual top-earning female musician a record 11 times across four decades (1980s–2010s). She was inducted into the RnR HOF in 2008, her first year of eligibility. Madonna was ranked as the greatest woman in music by VH1, and as the greatest music video artist ever by MTV and Billboard. She was also listed among Rolling Stone's greatest artists and greatest songwriters of all time.
Madonna's net worth is estimated between US$590 million to $800 million. Forbes has named her the annual top-earning female musician 11 times across the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. The Guinness World Records acknowledged her as the bestselling female music artist of all time. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, she is the bestselling female rock artist of the 20th century and the third highest-certified female albums artist in the United States, with 65.5 million certified album units. She has the most RIAA multi-platinum albums by a female artist, with 12 releases (tying with Barbra Streisand). Madonna had generated over US$1.5 billion from ticket sales of her concert tours throughout her career. Madonna also remains the only woman in history to have two solo concerts with 100,000 sold tickets; her Who's That Girl World Tour's concert in Paris, drew over 130,000 audience, while her Girlie Show's concert in Rio de Janeiro, drew over 120,000. She has also won seven Grammy Awards and twenty MTV Video Music Awards, including the 1986 Video Vanguard Award for which she became the first female recipient. Madonna became the artist with the most number ones on any singular Billboard chart, pulling ahead of George Strait with 44 number-one songst. She has also scored 38 top-ten singles on the Hot 100; she held the record among all artists for nearly two decades (between 2002 and 2020), before being overtaken by Drake and by Taylor Swift in 2022 among females. I
Madonna has called Nancy Sinatra one of her idols. She said Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" made a major impression on her. As a young woman, she attempted to broaden her taste in literature, art, and music, and during this time became interested in classical music. She noted that she loved Mozart and Chopin because she liked their "feminine quality" Madonna's major influences include Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde, Karen Carpenter, tthe Supremes and Led Zeppelin, and David Bowie, whose show was the first rock concert she ever attended. During her childhood, Madonna was inspired by actors, later saying, "I loved Carole Lombard and Judy Holliday and Marilyn Monroe. They were all incredibly funny, and they were silly and sweet and they were girls and they were feminine and sexy. I just saw myself in them, my funniness and my need to boss people around and at the same time be taken care of. My girlishness. My knowingness and my innocence. Both."
Rihanna has named Madonna as her idol and biggest influence, and said she wants to be "the Black Madonna". Also, she commented: "I think that Madonna was a great inspiration for me, especially on my earlier work. If I had to examine her evolution through time, I think she reinvented her clothing style and music with success every single time. And at the same time remained a real force in entertainment in the whole world". Nicki Minaj credits Madonna as a major influence on her career, stating in 2012: "Meeting Madonna changed my life. Working with Madonna changed my life".
Lady Gaga, who was known in the beginning of her career as "the Next Madonna", explained: "The last revolution was launched by Madonna 25 years ago" in addition to commenting that "there is really no one that is a more adoring and loving Madonna fan than me. I am the hugest fan personally and professionally". Beyoncé has credited to Madonna because she inspired her to take control of her own career. Miley Cyrus revealed that wants to be "the Next Madonna" and said that she always reinvents herself, and that's what I want to do.
Britney Spears said: "I have been a huge fan of Madonna since I was a little girl. She's the person that I've really looked up to. I would really, really like to be a legend like Madonna". She cites Madonna as a strong influence on her career. Katy Perry has cited Madonna as an influence more than once. Her film Katy Perry: Part of Me was largely influenced by Madonna's 1991 film Madonna: Truth or Dare. She also said that wants to be like Madonna.
Christina Aguilera has named Madonna as one of her biggest influences "for being re-inventive and being brave as a strong female, to explore whatever, even if they do get bad press. It's just like they were fearless." Kylie Minogue has been inspired by and compared to Madonna throughout her career. Minogue has said of Madonna: "Her huge influence on the world, in pop and fashion, meant that I wasn't immune to the trends she created. I admire her greatly but in the beginning she made it difficult for artists like me, she had done everything there was to be done ...", and "Madonna's the Queen of Pop, I'm the princess. I'm quite happy with that."
Justin Timberlake recognizes that "her mighty influence seems to have subconsciously seeped into the videos of some of today’s biggest stars too". Kanye West declared her as "the Greatest Visual Musical Artist Of All Time" during his commentaries on popular culture and the Madonna's influence on the industry.
ALBUM BACKGROUND – LIKE A PRAYER
Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released in March 1989. Her most introspective release at the time, Like a Prayer is a confessional record. Madonna described the album as a collection of songs about her mother, father, and bonds with her family. It was dedicated to her mother, who died when she was young. Like a Prayer is a pop album and incorporates elements of rock, R&B, gospel, and funk. Madonna drew from her Catholic upbringing, as seen on the album's title track. With the singles' music videos, Madonna furthered her creativity and became known as a leading figure in the format.
Out of all of Madonna's albums, Like a Prayer is her most explicit attempt at a major artistic statement. Even though it is apparent that she is trying to make a "serious" album, the variety of pop styles on Like a Prayer is impressive. Ranging from the deep funk of "Express Yourself" and "Keep It Together" to the haunting "Oh Father" and "Like a Prayer," Madonna displays a commanding sense of songcraft, making this her best and most consistent album.
Madonna worked with Stephen Bray, Patrick Leonard, and Prince on the album, with her co-writing and co-producing all the songs. Patrick Leonard is a musician who tends to stay out of the spotlight, but has done production and session work for many notable artists, including Rod Stewart and Elton John. His collaborations with Madonna are among her most successful: "Like A Prayer," "Who's That Girl," "Live To Tell."
Prince played the guitar on Love Song along with two other Like a Prayer tracks: "Keep It Together," and "Act of Contrition." His contributions remain formally uncredited besides Love Song
If her previous albums had established Madonna as a commercial phenomenon, Like a Prayer and its maturity consolidated her as an artist. Now seen as an efficient businesswoman, Madonna created the legendary Blond Ambition Tour to promote the album. Revolutionary, it was the tour that literally reinvented pop concerts, establishing a new way of performing.
Like a Prayer received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised the songwriting and recognized Madonna's increased artistic merit. Commercially, the album was an international success, reaching the top of the charts in 20 countries, and was certified quadruple platinum in the US. Worldwide, it has sold over 15 million copies and is one of the best-selling albums by women. Six accompanying singles were released. It debuted at #11 In the US, but quickly rose to the top of the chart after three weeks, remaining there for six consecutive ones, thus becoming Madonna's longest-running number one album. The album spent a total of 77 weeks on the chart, and also peaked at #55 on the Billboard R&B Albums List. To promote the album, Warner Bros. Records spent over $2 million, their most expensive campaign for an album up that point.