Looking back at the career of the controversial pop starlet
In November 1984, Sire Records would release Madonna’s sophomore record Like a Virgin. Anchored by hit singles like the title track and “Material Girl,” the album would catapult Madonna from up-and-coming dance diva to pop icon almost overnight. Thirty years onward, Miss Ciccone has maintained this position with a legacy of some of the greatest dance songs of the past three decades, and a penchant for controversy, which has shown no sign of dwindling with age.
The story of Like a Virgin begins in 1983, when Madonna was a young, power-hungry pop star with a modestly successful debut album (the self-titled Madonna) under her belt. Looking to distance herself from the horde of other pop divas on the scene with her second album, Madge would team up with producer Nile Rodgers, of the disco band Chic, who gave her sound a heavy funk makeover. Wrapped in album art that provocatively mixed religious iconography and unbridled sexuality, the record’s unique sound and edgy marketing would result in the sale of over 21 million albums worldwide.
Although Madonna’s debut was arguably a better album, Like a Virgin was the singer’s coming out party. Whether it be singing fellatio-referencing lyrics on “Like a Prayer” or hanging on a neon cross on her Confessions tour, the Madonna package of club-ready pop and edgy juxtaposing of sex and religion was blue-printed on the singer’s sophomore record. There have been few albums, for any artist before or since, that have been so single-handedly career-defining.
Like a Virgin established Madonna both commercially and artistically, but taken on its own, it’s also just a fine piece of music worth revisiting. From the famous singles to lesser-known cuts like the sublime “Angel,” the album is a masterpiece of New York funk and 80s pop. With her vapid “Who’s seen Molly?” commentary and lackluster singles like “4 Minutes,” it has become easy to dismiss Madonna in recent years, but her sophomore effort remains a fresh and invigorating listen.