| "Like a Virgin" | ||||
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&sq=&lang=&file=File:Like_a_Virgin_(single)_cover.png) Cover art for most 12-inch vinyl and later CD editions, including the 12-inch US maxi-single | ||||
| Single by Madonna | ||||
| from the album Like a Virgin | ||||
| B-side | "Stay" | |||
| Released | October 31, 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Studio | Power Station, New York City | |||
| Genre | Dance-pop | |||
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| Composer(s) | Tom Kelly | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Billy Steinberg | |||
| Producer(s) | Nile Rodgers | |||
| Madonna singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Like a Virgin" on YouTube | ||||
"Like a Virgin" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. The song was written and composed by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, and it was released as the album's lead single on October 31, 1984. A dance song with two hooks, Madonna sings in a high register while a continuous arrangement of synths are heard along the bassline. The song's lyrics are ambiguous, consisting of hidden innuendos and open to various interpretations.
Upon release, "Like a Virgin" received positive reviews from music critics, who frequently singled out Madonna's vocals. It became her first number-one in the Billboard Hot 100, and topped the charts in Australia and Canada, while reaching the top ten elsewhere; "Like a Virgin" has sold over six million copies worldwide. The accompanying music video was directed by Mary Lambert, and showed Madonna sailing down the canals of Venice in a gondola, as well as roaming around a castle wearing a white wedding dress. The video received positive feedback; authors singled out the expression of Venetian vitality, and noted references to Saint Mark.
Madonna has included "Like a Virgin" in eight of her concert tours, the most recent being the Celebration Tour of 2023–2024; the song's performance at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards has been deemed a defining moment in pop culture, as well as one of the best performances in the show's history. "Like a Virgin" has been covered and parodied by a number of artists, including Elton John and "Weird Al" Yankovic. It's also been sung or referenced in feature films and TV shows such as Reservoir Dogs (1992), Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Glee (2010), among others. "Like a Virgin" has been recognized as one of Madonna's best songs, as well as the one that turned her into a superstar; "Like a Virgin" has also been credited with encouraging women and female performers from the time to embrace their sexuality.