宛如处女 (1984)

Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 12, 1984, by Sire Records. Following the success of her 1983 eponymous debut album, Madonna was eager to start working on its follow-up. She selected Nile Rodgers to produce the album due to his work on Let's Dance (1983) by David Bowie, of which she was a fan. To ensure it was exactly as she envisioned it, Madonna chose all the songs for the album: she penned five of her own, four of which were co-written with former boyfriend and collaborator Stephen Bray, and four were written by other artists. Recording sessions took place at Power Station studio in New York City. Rodgers enlisted the help of his former Chic bandmates Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson.

Upon release, Like a Virgin received mixed reviews from music critics: Rodgers's production received praise, but Madonna's vocals were criticized. It became Madonna's first number-one album on the Billboard 200, as well as the first album by a female artist to sell over five million copies in the United States. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) later certified it diamond for shipments of ten million units. Internationally, it reached number one in Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. With sales of over 21 million copies worldwide, Like a Virgin remains one of the best-selling albums of all time. In the United States, four singles were released from the album —all reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, with the title track becoming Madonna's first number one, and "Material Girl" reaching number two.

The album was promoted on Madonna's first concert tour, the Virgin Tour (1985), which visited cities across North America. Like a Virgin is credited with establishing Madonna as a superstar and proving she was not a one-hit wonder, while her fashion style during this era was widely emulated by teens and young women. In 2023, the Library of Congress selected the album for preservation in the National Recording Registry, citing its "cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance."

Background

Following the release of her 1983 self-titled debut album, and hit singles like "Holiday", "Lucky Star" and "Borderline", Madonna became, according to author Craig Rosen, "one of the most exciting new artists of the 1980s". Despite this, the singer was not entirely pleased with how her first album had turned out, and was eager to start working on its follow-up. Of her upcoming second album, she told British magazine NME: "The production won't be so slick, because where Reggie [Lucas] and Mtume come from is a whole different school. I want a sound that's mine", and even hinted at working with a British producer. To ensure the album be exactly as she envisioned it, Madonna asked her label, Sire Records, to allow her to produce the album herself, a request that was immediately denied.