Like a Prayer (song)

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"Like a Prayer"
Image:Madonna-Like-A-Prayer-290981.jpg
Single by Madonna
from the album Like a Prayer
Released	February 28th, 1989 (NA)/(EU) March 16th, 1989 (JA)
Format	CD maxi single 12" Maxi Single Cassette Single 7" Vinyl Single
Recorded	1988
Genre	Pop/Dance
Length	5:19
Label	Warner Bros. Records
Writer(s)	Madonna Patrick Leonard
Producer(s)	Madonna Patrick Leonard
Chart positions
#1 (Australia, Japan, United Kingdom, United States
Madonna singles chronology
"Spotlight" (1988)	"Like a Prayer" (1989)	"Express Yourself" (1988)

This article is about the song. For other uses see Like a Prayer (disambiguation).

"Like a Prayer" is a song by Madonna, and was the first single to be released from her album of the same name. A power pop/rock song written by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, it notably featured a gospel choir, arranged by Andrae Crouch.

1 Song information
2 Music video
3 Official Remixes/Versions
4 Charts (alphabetical order)
5 Certifications
6 See also

[edit] Song information

Audio sample:

"Like a Prayer" (dance version) (file info) — play in browser (beta)

A medium tempo dance song which features personal lyrics and a Gospel choir. It reached number-one in the UK, Australia, Japan and U.S., becoming her seventh number one.

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Problems playing the files? See media help. </li> </ul> </div> </div> The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989, and spent three weeks at #1 in the UK. It also won the MTV Video Music Award - Viewer's Choice and in her acceptance speech, Madonna thanked Pepsi 'for creating controversy' (see below). The song was ranked #300 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Madonna has performed this song in two of her worldwide tours : the Blond Ambition Tour of 1990, and The Re-Invention Tour of 2004. Most recently, she performed this song in front of a wideworld audience at the Live 8 concert, backed by the London Community Gospel Choir. The single version of "Like A Prayer" (7" remix) is slightly different from the album version in some extra background production, including adding electric guitar at the song's climax. In addition, the album version features bass guitar played by Randy Jackson, while the 7" version uses a bass synthesizer. "Like A Prayer" was also remixed as a dance song by Shep Pettibone for Madonna's 1990 compilation album The Immaculate Collection. The remix became almost as popular as the original album version, but is often not as highly regarded by critics and fans. Several of the versions of "Like A Prayer", excluding that on the album, were included on Remixed Prayers. The song has been covered and remixed by various artists worldwide, such as Blue, H2O, Mad'House and John Wesley Harding. “Like A Prayer” was also covered by pop-punk band Rufio for the compilation Punk Goes Pop. The Mad'House version reached #1 in Germany in 2002, which the original narrowly failed to manage. Singer Tori Amos has also covered the song several times in concert.

[edit] Music video

Image:Likeaprayer.jpeg

The highly controversial music video for the song was directed by Mary Lambert, who also directed "Borderline", "Like a Virgin", "Material Girl" and "La Isla Bonita". It attracted criticism for its subplot of Madonna making love to what appeared to be a black Jesus, its use of Catholic iconography, including a scene where Madonna develops stigmata, and cross burning imagery, but also garnered praise for its interpretation on discrimination, rape, and faith. The video topped MTV's countdown of 100 Videos That Broke The Rules in 2005, and for the 25th anniversary of MTV (August 1, 2006), viewers voted the video as the Most Groundbreaking Music Video of All Time.

Earlier, Pepsi had paid Madonna $5 million to appear in a separate music video for this song, which would air as a television commercial. When the executives eventually saw the video for "Like a Prayer", they quickly yanked the advertisement after only two airings in and attempt to dissociate themselves with the controversy Madonna attracted (they showed the two-minute commercial once on March 2, during The Cosby Show). Though her contract with Pepsi called for three future commercials, Madonna got to keep her five-million-dollar endorsement fee, without fulfilling her contractual obligations.

[edit] Official Remixes/Versions

Album Version 5:40
Q Sound Version (Shep Pettibone - Goh Hotoda remix for Immaculate Collection) 5:51
12" Dance Mix 7:56
12" Extended Remix 7:26
12" Club Version (also included on iTunes' Like A Prayer reissue in place of, and titled, "Act of Contrition") 6:38
7" Remix Edit 5:45
7" Dance Edit 5:25
7" Version (US 3" CD Single) 5:19
7" Version With Fade 5:07
Album Version With Fade (Released only on Japanese 45 and the Japanese Singles Box Set) 5:10
Instra Dub 6:01
Bass Dub 5:31
Dub Beats 4:39
Churchapella 6:09

[edit] Charts (alphabetical order)

Chart (1989)	Peak position
Australia ARIA Top 50 Singles	1
Austrian Single Chart (Austria Top 40)	2
Canada	1
Eurochart Hot 100	1
France	2
Germany (Media Control)	2
Japan (ChartJapan)	1
Switzerland	1
UK Singles Chart	1
USA Billboard Hot 100	1
USA Billboard Adult Contemporary	3
USA Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play Chart	1
USA Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	1
USA Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	20

[edit] Certifications

Country	Certification
Australia	2x Platinum
France	Silver
Germany	Gold
UK	Gold
USA	Platinum

Preceded by: "Too Many Broken Hearts" by Jason Donovan	UK number one single March 26 1989	Succeeded by: "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles
Preceded by: "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals	Billboard Hot 100 number one single April 22 1989	Succeeded by: "I'll Be There for You" by Bon Jovi