Like a Virgin ( song ) - wikipedia Like a Virgin ( song ) `` Like a Virgin '' Cover art for most 12 - inch vinyl and later CD editions, including the 12 '' US maxi - single Single by Madonna from the album Like a Virgin B - side `` Stay '' Released October 31, 1984 Format 7 '' 12 '' Recorded 1984 Studio The Power Station ( Manhattan, New York City ) Genre Dance - pop Length 3 : 38 Label Sire Warner Bros. Songwriter ( s ) Tom Kelly Billy Steinberg Producer ( s ) Nile Rodgers Madonna singles chronology `` Borderline '' ( 1984 ) `` Like a Virgin '' ( 1984 ) `` Material Girl '' ( 1985 ) `` Borderline '' ( 1984 ) `` Like a Virgin '' ( 1984 ) `` Material Girl '' ( 1985 ) Music video `` Like a Virgin '' on YouTube `` Like a Virgin '' is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her second studio album Like a Virgin ( 1984 ). It was released on October 31, 1984, by the Sire label as the album 's lead single. The song was written by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, and produced by Nile Rodgers ; Steinberg said that the song was inspired by his personal experiences of romance. `` Like a Virgin '' was chosen for Madonna by Michael Ostin of Warner Bros. Records after listening to a demo sung by Kelly. However, Rodgers initially felt that the song did not have a sufficient hook and was not suitable for Madonna, but subsequently changed his opinion after the hook was stuck in his mind. Musically, `` Like a Virgin '' is a dance - oriented song, composed of two hooks. Madonna 's voice is heard in a high register while a continuous arrangement of drums are heard along the bassline. The lyrics of the song are ambiguous and consist of hidden innuendo, interpreted in different ways. `` Like a Virgin '' received positive reviews from contemporary as well as past critics, who frequently called it as one of the defining songs for Madonna. It became her first number - one single on the Billboard Hot 100, while reaching the top of the charts in Australia, Canada and Japan, and the top - ten of other countries. The song 's music video portrayed Madonna sailing down the canals of Venice in a gondola, as well as roaming around a palace wearing a white wedding dress. With the video, scholars noted Madonna 's portrayal of a sexually independent woman, similarity of a man wearing lion 's mask to that of Saint Mark, and the link between the eroticism in the video and the vitality of Venice. Madonna has performed the song in six of her concert tours, most recent being the Rebel Heart Tour in 2015. Most of the time, her performances of `` Like a Virgin '' were associated with strong reaction and uproar from the media. `` Like a Virgin '' has been covered by a number of artists and has appeared in or been referenced in feature films such as Reservoir Dogs, Moulin Rouge ! and Bridget Jones : The Edge of Reason. Family groups sought to ban it as they believed the song promoted sex without marriage. On the other hand, Madonna 's public persona of an indomitable, sexually unashamed, supremely confident woman was widely accepted by the younger generation who emulated her style and fashion. Scholars have credited `` Like a Virgin '' as the song which cemented her position as a pop culture icon. Contents 1 Background 2 Recording and production 3 Composition 4 Critical reception 5 Chart performance 6 Music video 6.1 Development 6.2 Reception and analysis 7 Live performances 8 Cover versions and usage 9 Legacy 10 Track listing and formats 11 Credits and personnel 12 Charts 12.1 Weekly charts 12.2 Year - end charts 12.3 All - time charts 13 Certifications 14 See also 15 Notes 16 References 17 External links Background Tom Kelly co-wrote the song with Billy Steinberg `` Like a Virgin '' was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. The idea for the song originated when Steinberg was living at his father 's vineyards in the Coachella Valley, and driving a red pickup truck one day. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Steinberg explained that the song was not written for Madonna or any female singer but was inspired by his personal experiences. At that time Steinberg had just come out of an emotionally challenging relationship, and he had met someone new. That inspired the lyrics for `` Like a Virgin '' about how he coped with the difficult situation. When he took the song to Kelly, they decided that it would be a sensitive ballad, however they could not decide how the word `` virgin '' would fit in it. Steinberg elaborated : `` I was n't just trying to get that racy word virgin in a lyric. I was saying... that I may not really be a virgin -- I 've been battered romantically and emotionally like many people -- but I 'm starting a new relationship and it just feels so good, it 's healing all the wounds and making me feel like I 've never done this before, because it 's so much deeper and more profound than anything I 've ever felt. '' Kelly recorded the demo, and invited Michael Ostin of Warner Bros. Records ' A&R department to his house to listen to it. Steinberg and Kelly played four or five tunes for Ostin, and further discussed `` Like a Virgin '' -- they were not sure for which artist the song would be suitable. Due to meet with Madonna the next day to discuss her second album, Ostin intended on playing the demo to her, believing the lyrics and the groove of the song were perfect for Madonna. `` When I played it for Madonna she went crazy, and knew instantly it was a song for her and that she could make a great record out of it, '' Ostin recalled. In 2009, Rolling Stone interviewer Austin Scaggs asked Madonna what her first impressions were after listening to the demos of `` Like a Virgin '' and `` Material Girl ''. Madonna replied : I liked them both because they were ironic and provocative at the same time but also unlike me. I am not a materialistic person, and I certainly was n't a virgin, and, by the way, how can you be like a virgin ? I liked the play on words ; I thought they were clever. They 're so geeky, they 're cool. I never realized they would become my signature songs, especially the second one. Recording and production `` Like a Virgin '' was recorded at Power Station Studios in New York City In mid-1984, Madonna met producer Nile Rodgers at the Power Station studios ( now Avatar Studios ) in New York. Rodgers initially did not want Madonna to record `` Like a Virgin '', as he felt that the lyric ' like a virgin ' was not a terrific hook ; according to him it was not an all - time catch phrase. Rogers dismissed the song after hearing the demo, which he thought sounded `` really stupid and retarded ''. Later, Rodgers had second thoughts : `` It 's weird because I could n't get it out of my head after I played it, even though I did n't really like it. It sounded really bubble - gummy to me, but it grew on me. I really started to like it. (... ) But, my first reaction to it was, ' This is really queer. ' '' Rodgers credits Madonna with recognizing the song 's potential. He later said : `` I handed my apology to Madonna and said, ' you know... if it 's so catchy that it stayed in my head for four days, it must be something. So let 's do it. ' '' Hence the song was finally recorded. Steinberg reflected on the recording process and commented that : When Madonna recorded it, even as our demo faded out, on the fade you could hear Tom saying, `` When your heart beats, and you hold me, and you love me... '' That was the last thing you heard as our demo faded. Madonna must have listened to it very, very carefully because her record ends with the exact same little ad - libs that our demo did. That rarely happens that someone studies your demo so carefully that they use all that stuff. We were sort of flattered how carefully she followed our demo on that. Jason Corsaro, the record 's audio engineer, persuaded Rodgers to use digital recording, a new technique at the time which Corsaro believed was going to be the future of recording because test pressings always sounded consistent. To ensure this, Corsaro used a Sony 3324 24 - track digital tape recorder and a Sony F1 two - track for the 12 - bit mix. Madonna recorded the lead parts in a small, wooden, high - ceilinged piano room at the back of Studio C, also known as Power Station 's `` R&B room ''. Corsaro then placed gobos around her while using the top capsule of a stereo AKG C24 tube microphone, with a Schoeps microphone preamplifier and a Pultec equalizer. Once the track met with everybody 's approval, Robert Sabino added the keyboard parts, playing mostly a Sequential Circuits Prophet - 5, as well as some Rhodes piano and acoustic piano, while Rodgers also played a Synclavier. Madonna, although not required, was present every minute of the recording sessions and the mixing process, Corsaro commented : `` Nile was there most of the time, but she was there all of the time. She never left ''. Composition `` Like a Virgin '' A 20 second sample of the song. Madonna sings the chorus which is supported by a continuous arrangement of drums and synth along the bassline. Problems playing this file ? See media help. Composed as a dance - oriented song, the intro of `` Like a Virgin '' consists of two hooks. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing, the song is set in common time, with a moderately dance - groove tempo of 118 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of F major with Madonna 's voice ranging from the tonal nodes of low - tone G to high - tone C. According to Rikky Rooksby, the bassline on the intro is a re-working of the three - note bass motif present in the Four Tops ' 1965 song `` I Ca n't Help Myself ( Sugar Pie Honey Bunch ) '', where Chuck Berry provided the chord arrangement. The bassline also has some similarity with Michael Jackson 's `` Billie Jean '' especially during the second verse. Madonna sings the song in her high register while drum arrangement by Tony Thompson is heard alongside the bassline, which is also supported by a synthesizer arrangement, giving it a circular progression through all the seven diatonic chords of I -- IV -- VII -- III -- VI -- II -- V -- I. Regarding the lyrics, Madonna had commented : `` I like innuendo, I like irony, I like the way things can be taken on different levels. '' This statement highlighted the ambiguity of the lyrics of the song, which is hung on the word ' like '. Rooksby interpreted the meaning of the song in different ways to different people. He said that for women who were really virgins, the song encouraged them to hold their compose before they engaged in their very first sexual act. For sexually experienced girls, the song meant that they would be able to re-live the feelings of their first sexual encounter all over again. For the boys, the song presented a narcissistic image of them making the girl forget her past encounters and enjoy the sexual act as if for the first time. Critical reception Madonna performing `` Like a Virgin '' on the 2006 Confessions Tour, riding on the carousel S&M horse. `` Like a Virgin '' is one of Madonna 's most famous singles, and was met with predominantly positive critical reception. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic said that `` Like a Virgin '' was a definitive statement. He added that the song, and `` Material Girl '' from the same album, made Madonna an icon. He added that both overshadowed the rest of the record, `` because they are a perfect match of theme and sound. '' Debbie Miller from Rolling Stone commented that Madonna 's voice `` does n't have the power or range of, say, Cyndi Lauper, but she knows what works on the dance floor. '' In 2014, Ryan Reed, also writing for Rolling Stone, called the song a `` classic ''. Dave Karger from Entertainment Weekly, while reviewing the album in 1995, felt that the song came off a bit repetitious and immature when compared to the present context. Jim Farber from Entertainment Weekly felt that the song raised the `` madonna - whore '' ante. Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine called the song a classic. Alfred Soto from Stylus Magazine felt that the song was chic in its style. Katie Henderson from The Guardian commented that the song was saucy in nature. Michael Paoletta from Billboard commented that the song sustained a `` fevered dance - rock momentum. '' In 2000, `` Like a Virgin '', was honored by Rolling Stone and MTV, as the fourth song on their list of the `` 100 Greatest Pop Songs ''. It was voted ten on VH1 's 100 Best Songs of the Past 25 Years. The song was listed at ninety - five on Billboard Hot 100 All - Time Top Songs. In 2003, Madonna fans were asked to vote for their ' Top 20 Madonna singles of all - time ', by Q magazine. `` Like a Virgin '' was allocated the fifth spot on the list. Chart performance Madonna performing `` Like a Virgin '' during the Rebel Heart Tour, 2015. `` Like a Virgin '' became Madonna 's first of 12 number - one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, where it debuted at number 48 on the issue dated November 17, 1984. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week of December 22, 1984 and remained there for six weeks. `` Like a Virgin '' was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) on January 10, 1985, for shipping a million copies across United States -- the requirement for a gold single prior to 1989. The song also reached number - one on the Hot Dance Music / Club Play chart, and was her first top - ten entry on the Hot R&B / Hip - Hop Songs chart at position nine. It placed at two on the year - end chart for 1985, with Madonna becoming the top pop artist for the year. In Canada, the song debuted on the RPM Singles Chart at number 71 on the RPM issue dated November 24, 1984, and reached the top of the chart on January 19, 1985. It was present on the chart for a total of 23 weeks and ranked thirty - five on the RPM Year - end chart for 1985. The song debuted on the UK Singles Chart on November 17, 1984 at number 51, and peaked at number three on January 12, 1985 ; it spent a total of 18 weeks in the chart, and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry ( BPI ) for shipment of 500,000 copies across United Kingdom. According to Official Charts Company, the song has sold 832,200 copies there as of August 2016. Across Europe, the song peaked within the top - ten of the charts of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. `` Like a Virgin '' became Madonna 's first number - one song on the Australian Kent Music Report chart and on the Japanese International Singles Chart. It peaked at number - two on the New Zealand Singles Chart, number 15 on the Swedish charts and peaked the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music video Development Madonna in the `` Like a Virgin '' video, riding on a gondola, wearing a number of garlands around her neck. The music video, directed by Mary Lambert, who worked with Madonna in her video for `` Borderline '', was shot in Venice, Italy and partly in New York City in July 1984. Madonna was portrayed as a knowing virgin, a figment of the pornographic mind, as she walked through marble rooms, wearing a wedding gown. It alternated with scenes of a provocative - looking Madonna on board a gondola. She commented, `` ( Mary ) wanted me to be the modern - day, worldly-wise girl that I am. But then we wanted to go back in time and use myself as an actual virgin. '' The video starts with Madonna boarding on a boat from the Brooklyn Bridge and travels to Venice. As she steps down into the city, she moves like a stripper and undulated sinuously. She wears a black dress and blue pants with a number of Christian symbol embedded jewelry around her neck. She sings the song at full volume as she watches a lion walking between the columns of the Piazza San Marco of Venice and along the statute of Saint Mark. A number of game - playing involving carnival masks, men, lions, werelions are portrayed with allusions to eighteenth - century practices and Saint Mark. Sheila Whiteley, author of Women and popular music : sexuality, identity, and subjectivity, felt that Madonna 's image signified a denial of sexual knowledge, but also portrayed her in simulated writhing on a gondola, thus underpinning the simulation of deceit. The intrusion of a male lion, confirmed the underlying bestial discourse of both mythological fairy tale and pornographic sex. Whiteley observed that in the video, Madonna 's lover wears the lion 's mask and while cavorting with him, Madonna sheds the veneer of innocence and shows her propensity for wild animal passions. Having instilled desire, metaphorically she turns her lover into a Beast. Madonna commented about shooting with the lion : `` The lion did n't do anything he was supposed to do, and I ended up leaning against this pillar with his head in my crotch... I thought he was going to take a bite out of me so I lifted the veil I was wearing and had a stare - down with him and he opened his mouth and let out this huge roar. I got so frightened my heart fell in my shoe. When he finally walked away, the director yelled ' Cut ' and I had to take a long breather. But I could really relate to the lion. I feel like in a past life I was a lion or a cat or something. '' Reception and analysis `` For ' Like a Virgin ' I said ' Lets do it in Venice ! ' The idea of Madonna singing in a gondola was the most outrageous thing I could think of. And Madonna dug it, because she has the whole thing with the Catholic Church and her Italian heritage. It turned into a huge party. '' -- Director Mary Lambert on the filming of the video. With the video, scholars noted the expression of Venetian vitality in it. Author Margaret Plant ( 2002 ) commented : `` With the lion of Saint Mark and the virginal city to the forefront, old sacrosanct Venice was propelled into a pop world of high - energy gyration, and endless circulation. '' She also noted that Saint Mark was a symbol of a time when sexual crime was punished severely in Venice and acts of rape, homosexuality and fornication incurred the loss of a nose, a hand or sometimes life itself. Madonna appeared to challenge such brutality and stretch the boundaries of tolerance in the video. As the lion - man carried Madonna to the Venetian palace, it symbolized an instance of the Saint taking the simulated Virgin, where Madonna became a symbol for La Serenissima, the Republic itself. Plant also noted that Madonna, in the video, restored the energy and eroticism of Venice, which had its name taken from Venus in familiar elision. As she exchanged her blue top for a black one during the video, Madonna demonstrated her mastery and bravery of the city, which had a reputation of turning out its visitors as victims. Carol Clerk ( 2002 ) commented that with the video, `` Madonna 's days as a cheap and cheerful video star were over. She was moving into serious spectacle. '' In 1985, a live music video of `` Like a Virgin '' from The Virgin Tour filmed in Detroit, was used to promote Madonna Live : The Virgin Tour video release. This version was nominated for Best Choreography at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards. The live performance of `` Like a Virgin '' from the Blond Ambition World Tour in Paris, France was released as a music video on May 9, 1991 to promote the documentary film Truth or Dare. This version was nominated for two awards at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards in the categories of Best Female Video and Best Choreography. This video was ranked at position sixty - one on VH1 's 100 Greatest Videos. Live performances Madonna wearing a wedding dress, while performing `` Like a Virgin '' during The Virgin Tour, 1985. Madonna performed `` Like a Virgin '' at the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, where she appeared on stage atop a giant wedding cake dressed in a wedding dress, adorned with the infamous `` Boy Toy '' belt buckle, and veil. The climax of her risqué performance found her `` humping '' and rolling around on the stage. The song was subsequently performed at The Virgin Tour in 1985. Madonna again donned wedding attire and performed a straight version of the song featuring a quotation from Michael Jackson 's similar - sounding Motown - style single, `` Billie Jean ''. Balloons floated out towards the audience as she rolled around the stage, carrying a wedding bouquet in her hand. The performance was included in the VHS release Madonna Live : The Virgin Tour recorded in Detroit, Michigan. In the 1987 Who 's That Girl World Tour, the song was given a lighthearted comedic theme and included quotations from The Four Tops ' `` I Ca n't Help Myself ( Sugar Pie Honey Bunch ) ''. Madonna took off her outfit piece by piece, until she was standing in a black corset, and ended the performance while flirting with a young male dancer who played her bridegroom. Two different performances of the song on this tour can be found on the videos : Who 's That Girl : Live in Japan, filmed in Tokyo, Japan, on June 22, 1987, and Ciao Italia : Live from Italy, filmed in Turin, Italy, on September 4, 1987. The controversial performance of `` Like a Virgin '' during the Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990, where she simulated masturbation For the 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour, the song was re-invented with a middle - eastern arrangement and risqué choreography which found Madonna wearing a gold corset, while simulating masturbation on a red silk bed, accompanied by two male dancers who wore the infamous cone bras designed by Jean - Paul Gaultier. The performance garnered a lot of attention, particularly when police in Toronto, Canada, threatened to arrest Madonna and charge her with indecency unless she altered the performance. Madonna refused and the show went ahead unaltered. The threatened arrest failed to materialise. Two different performances were taped and released on video, the Blond Ambition : Japan Tour 90, taped in Yokohama, Japan, on April 27, 1990, and the Blond Ambition World Tour Live, taped in Nice, France, on August 5, 1990. During The Girlie Show World Tour in 1993, Madonna wore a tuxedo and adopted a Marlene Dietrich - like persona, singing the song with a thick German accent. The overplayed accent and three - quarter time signature gave the performance a sense of parody. Dietrich 's look in the 1930 film Morocco inspired the whole performance. The performance was included on The Girlie Show : Live Down Under home video release, recorded on November 19, 1993 at Sydney, Australia. In April 2003, while promoting her ninth studio album American Life, an impromptu acoustic performance of the song was done by Madonna at New York 's Tower Records. Madonna 's performance of `` Hollywood '' at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards recreated the 1984 performance of `` Like a Virgin ''. The performance started with Britney Spears emerging from a giant cake singing the first few lines. She was later joined by Christina Aguilera and both of them writhed on the stage while singing. Madonna appeared on the cake dressed as a groom and sang `` Hollywood '', and ultimately kissed both Spears and Aguilera on the mouth. During the Confessions Tour in 2006, the song was given a horse riding theme. Madonna wore a tight, black body suit, and performed the song atop a studded leather S&M carousel horse, while X-rays of her broken bones, the result of a horse - riding accident on her 47th birthday, flashed on the screens behind her. The performance was included on The Confessions Tour live album, released in 2007. In 2008 's Sticky & Sweet Tour, Madonna sang the song in Rome and dedicated the song to Pope Benedict XVI, commenting `` I 'd like to dedicate this song to the Pope, I know he loves me '' and saying that she is a child of God. She asked the audience to sing along with her. The song was again performed on The MDNA Tour ( 2012 ), during the third section of the show. `` Like a Virgin '' was stripped down to a simple Burlesque - version played on the piano, featuring elements of the soundtrack `` Evgeni 's Waltz '' from the film, W.E. On the Rebel Heart Tour ( 2015 -- 2016 ), a bass - heavy version of `` Like a Virgin '' ended the second act of the show. The remix was created in 2008 by French music producer Denis Zabee, and features elements of `` Heartbeat '' and `` Erotica ''. Jim Farber of Daily News described it as the show 's `` most stunning move ''. The performance was included in the live album Rebel Heart Tour recorded in Sydney, Australia, and released in September 2017. Cover versions and usage See also : List of cover versions of Madonna songs and List of Madonna tribute albums Madonna performing `` Like a Virgin '' on The MDNA Tour in 2012, while writhing on the floor In 1985, The Lords of the New Church recorded `` Like a Virgin '' for their compilation album Killer Lords. Gary Hill from Allmusic called the composition as `` very funny and obnoxious ''. The same year, `` Weird Al '' Yankovic parodied the song with his single `` Like a Surgeon '' from the album Dare to Be Stupid. Eugene Chadbourne from Allmusic commented : `` Turning the tacky Madonna hit inside out and upside down, Yankovic comes up with a hilarious satire of the medical profession. '' In 1991, Glaswegian band Teenage Fanclub covered `` Like a Virgin '' on their second album, The King. In the opening scene of the 1992 film Reservoir Dogs, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Mr. Brown ( played by Tarantino himself ) insists that `` Like a Virgin '' is a `` metaphor for big dicks ''. When Madonna met Tarantino at a party after the film was released, she gave him an autographed copy of her Erotica album, signing `` Quentin : it 's about love, not dick ''. The song also appears on the soundtrack of the 2001 film Moulin Rouge ! and is sung by the characters Harold Zidler, played by Jim Broadbent, and The Duke of Monroth, played by Richard Roxburgh. In 2004, The Meat Purveyors covered the song in a bluegrass medley, pairing it with Madonna 's `` Lucky Star '' and `` Burning Up. '' In the 2004 film Bridget Jones : The Edge of Reason, the title character teaches the song to women in a Thai prison, after becoming annoyed that they are singing the song badly. She tells them, `` Madonna is nothing if not a perfectionist ! '' In one of the episodes of the TV show Grey 's Anatomy, the character of Cristina Yang hums the song during surgery to take the focus off herself. However, when her assisting surgery, Lexie Grey starts singing along, Christina looks venomously at her until she quiets down. Katy Perry, Travis Barker and DJ AM covered the song at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2009, the song was namechecked in the Train hit single `` Hey, Soul Sister '' with the lyric `` I believe in you / Like a virgin you 're Madonna / And I 'm always gon na wan na blow your mind ''. The song was covered in the 2010 Glee episode `` The Power of Madonna '' by the cast, including Jonathan Groff, Jayma Mays, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, and Naya Rivera, during a dream sequence by their characters. The same year, Elton John performed a cover version of `` Like a Virgin '' at the Rainforest Fund Benefit Concert. On September 9, 2011, Vanessa Carlton posted a link to a snippet of her stripped - down cover of the song in her Twitter account. In 2012 Korean girl group 2NE1 released a cover of the song for their debut Japanese album Collection. In 2012, JoJo performed a cover version of `` Like a Virgin '' at the LACMA for the Harvard Westlake Charity. The same year, Peruvian singer Wendy Sulca recorded a spanglish version. In 2014, Cristina Scuccia, a singing nun who won that year 's The Voice of Italy season, released a ballad version of the song as her debut single, a cover that Madonna herself praised. Romanian singer Alexandra Stan recorded a cover version of the song with a new orchestration done by Chris Trace in late January 2017, stating that she is a fan of the track. Legacy The Marlene Dietrich - inspired version of `` Like a Virgin '' during The Girlie Show World Tour in 1993. `` Like a Virgin '' is listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 's list of `` 500 Songs That Shaped Rock And Roll ''. After the song and its video were released, `` Like a Virgin '' attracted the attention of family organizations who complained that the video and the song, promoted sex without marriage and undermined family values, offering an unsavoury image of Madonna as a whore. Outraged moralists condemned her as a sex kitten and sought to ban the song and the video. Conservatives were angered that Madonna dared to portray religious symbolism and the virginal wedding attire in a sexual context. Clerk noted the song attracted an unprecedented level of attention from social groups compared to any female singer 's song. `` The main problem was that most of them listened superficially to the lyric of the song, imagining that it detailed or called on an innocent 's sexual initiation. '' While one section of the population were outraged at the scandal, others were taking joy at the very notion of a virginal Madonna, who retorted by saying, I was surprised by how people reacted to `` Like a Virgin '' because when I did that song, to me, I was singing about how something made me feel a certain way -- brand - new and fresh -- and everyone interpreted it as I do n't want to be a virgin anymore. Fuck my brains out ! That 's not what I sang at all. `` Like a Virgin '' was always absolutely ambiguous. Biographer Andrew Morton noted that most of Madonna 's admirers were females, who were born - and - brought - up with an image of old - fashioned stereotypes of women as virginal brides, or as whores, or with feminist values that rejected the use of a woman 's looks for her self - advancement. Author William McKeen of Rock and roll is here to stay : an anthology commented that with the song, Madonna became the last word in attitude and fashion for young girls of that time. He compared that image of Madonna with that of Barbie. McKeen explained that Madonna intermixed middle - class ideas of femininity with examples of what femininity meant to her, which was having equal opportunity. She offered an aggressive sexuality that implied it was acceptable for women not only to initiate relationships, but also enjoy them. In addition, according to Morton, at a time when eighties fashions were promoting flat - chested, stick - thin women as ideals of beauty, the more curvaceous Madonna made average girls feel that it was fine to be in the shape they were. A new word called ' Madonna wannabe ' was introduced to describe the thousands of girls who tried to emulate Madonna 's style. University professors, gender - studies experts and feminists earnestly started discussing her role as a post-modernist style and cultural icon. According to author Debbi Voller, `` Like a Virgin '' gave rise to the icon Madonna. The performance of `` Like a Virgin '' at the very first MTV Video Music Awards is considered by MTV as one of `` one of the most iconic pop performances of all time ''. Christina Garibaldi from the channel noted that the performance `` helped make the Video Music Awards a household name... and simultaneously set the bar for every other performer to come after her. From that point forward, every artist, when they hit the VMA stage, wanted to have a performance you would forever be talking about. '' According to Joe Lynch from Billboard, the song 's performance at the 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour `` opened the gates for everyone from Marilyn Manson to Miley Cyrus to shock and awe on stage in the decades to come. '' Track listing and formats US 7 '' single `` Like a Virgin '' ( album version ) -- 3 : 38 `` Stay '' ( album version ) -- 4 : 04 US / CAN 12 '' maxi single `` Like a Virgin '' ( extended dance remix ) -- 6 : 04 `` Stay '' ( album version ) -- 4 : 04 Japanese 12 '' vinyl promo single `` Like a Virgin '' ( extended dance remix ) -- 6 : 07 `` Supernatural Love '' ( by Donna Summer ) -- 6 : 11 Germany / UK CD Maxi Single ( 1995 ) `` Like a Virgin '' ( extended dance remix ) -- 6 : 04 `` Stay '' -- 4 : 04 Credits and personnel Madonna -- vocals Billy Steinberg -- songwriter Tom Kelly -- songwriter Nile Rodgers -- producer, drum programming, guitar Bernard Edwards -- bass Tony Thompson -- drums Rob Sabino -- bass synthesizer, assorted synthesizers Jellybean Benitez -- 12 '' remixer Credits adapted from the album liner notes. Charts Weekly charts Chart ( 1984 -- 85 ) Peak position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40 ) 8 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) Eurochart Hot 100 ( Billboard ) Finland ( Suomen virallinen lista ) 5 France ( SNEP ) 8 Germany ( Official German Charts ) Iceland ( RÚV ) 7 Ireland ( IRMA ) Italy ( FIMI ) 16 Japan International ( Oricon ) Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) Norway ( VG - lista ) 8 Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan ) 15 Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) 9 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) US Billboard Hot 100 US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) 29 US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) US Hot R&B / Hip - Hop Songs ( Billboard ) 9 Year - end charts Chart ( 1985 ) Position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 21 Canadian Top Singles ( RPM ) 35 Germany ( Official German Charts ) 40 Italy ( FIMI ) 70 Netherlands ( Mega Single Top 100 ) 82 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 11 US Billboard Hot 100 US Hot Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) 31 All - time charts Chart ( 1958 - 2008 ) Rank US Billboard Hot 100 95 Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales Japan ( Oricon Charts ) 121,780 United Kingdom ( BPI ) Gold 832,200 United States ( RIAA ) Gold 1,900,000 Digital United States ( RIAA ) 240,000 shipments figures based on certification alone See also List of Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles of 1984 List of Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles of 1985 List of number - one dance singles of 1984 ( U.S. ) List of number - one singles in Australia during the 1980s List of RPM number - one singles of 1985 Notes ^ Jump up to : Kheraj, Alim ( October 29, 2016 ). `` The surprising stories behind 6 of Madonna 's biggest hits ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved October 30, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Bronson 2003, p. 600 Jump up ^ Scaggs, Austin ( October 29, 2009 ). `` Madonna Looks Back : The Rolling Stone Interview ''. Rolling Stone. San Francisco : Jann Wenner ( 1090 ) : 51. ISSN 0035 - 791X. ^ Jump up to : Buskin, Richard ( September 2007 ). `` Classic Tracks : Madonna ' Like A Virgin ' ''. Sound on Sound. SOS Publications Group. Retrieved February 18, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Rosen 1996, p. 283 ^ Jump up to : Rooksby 2004, p. 17 Jump up ^ `` Digital Sheet Music -- Madonna -- Like a Virgin ''. Musicnotes.com. Alfred Publishing. Retrieved January 7, 2010. Jump up ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas ( September 13, 2002 ). `` Like a Virgin > Overview ''. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved January 11, 2010. Jump up ^ Miller, Debbie ( January 17, 1985 ). `` Madonna : Like A Virgin : Music Reviews ''. Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved January 11, 2010. Jump up ^ Reed, Ryan ( October 3, 2014 ). `` Watch Quentin Tarantino Movie Characters Sing ' Like a Virgin ' ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 25, 2015. Jump up ^ Karger, Dave ( November 10, 1995 ). `` Madonna -- Like a What ? ''. Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved January 11, 2010. Jump up ^ Farber, Jim ( July 20, 2001 ). `` The Girl Material ''. Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved January 11, 2010. Jump up ^ Cinquemani, Sal ( September 9, 2001 ). `` Madonna : Like a Virgin ( Remaster ) ''. Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2010. Jump up ^ Soto, Alfred ( October 23, 2007 ). `` Madonna -- Like a Virgin / The Immaculate Collection ''. Stylus Magazine. Retrieved January 11, 2010. Jump up ^ Henderson, Katie ( December 7, 2008 ). `` Flashback : December 1984 : Frankie Goes To Hollywood 's Christmas No. 1 ''. The Guardian. Retrieved January 12, 2010. 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Retrieved May 27, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Singles : Issue 0518 ''. RPM. RPM Music Publications Ltd. Retrieved January 8, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` RPM 's Top 100 Singles Of 1985 ''. RPM. RPM Music Publications Ltd. Retrieved February 2, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Madonna : Artist Chart History '' Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 27, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` British single certifications -- Madonna -- Like a Virgin ''. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 13, 2010. Enter Like a Virgin in the search field and then press Enter. ^ Jump up to : Myers, Justin ( August 16, 2016 ). `` Open your chart to me... Madonna 's Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 16, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Ultratop.be -- Madonna -- Like a Virgin '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 27, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Offiziellecharts.de -- Madonna -- Like a Virgin ''. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 27, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- Like a Virgin ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 27, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Madonna -- Like a Virgin '' ( in Italian ). Federation of the Italian Music Industry. Retrieved January 8, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Kent, David ( 1993 ). Australian Chart Book 1970 -- 1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0 - 646 - 11917 - 6. Archived from the original ( doc ) on February 27, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` ライク ・ ア ・ ヴァージ Japanese Singles Chart '' ( in Japanese ). Oricon. February 11, 1985. Archived from the original on April 21, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Eurochart Hot 100 Singles ''. Billboard. New York : Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 95 ( 21 ) : 53. February 23, 1985. ISSN 0006 - 2510. 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Retrieved March 18, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Guilbert 2002, p. 76 Jump up ^ Madonna ( 1990 ). Blond Ambition : Japan Tour 90 ( VHS ). Warner - Pioneer Japan. Jump up ^ Madonna ( 1990 ). Blond Ambition World Tour Live ( Laserdisc ). Pioneer Artists. Jump up ^ Fouz - Hernández & Jarman - Ivens 2004, p. 80 Jump up ^ Madonna ( 1993 ). The Girlie Show : Live Down Under ( VHS ). Warner Music Vision. Jump up ^ Christman, Ed ( May 10, 2003 ). `` Retail Track : Madonna Makes Music ''. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 115 ( 19 ) : 45. ISSN 0006 - 2510. Jump up ^ Wiederhorn, John ( August 29, 2003 ). `` Beyonce, 50, Mary J., Metallica Overshadowed By Two Little Kisses ''. MTV Networks. Retrieved January 12, 2010. Jump up ^ Baltin, Steve ( May 22, 2006 ). `` Madonna Launches Tour With Disco Crucifixion ''. Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Jump up ^ Das, Lina ( May 23, 2006 ). `` Madonna concert review : ' Even the bouncers looked scared ' ''. Daily Mail. 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BBC News. October 21, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Madonna Tweets Support for Italian Singing Nun Sister Cristina ''. NBC News. October 24, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Alexandra Stan aduce hitul `` Like A Virgin '' in Romania ! '' ( Alexandra Stan brings the hit `` Like a Virgin '' to Romania ! ) ( in Romanian ). Top Românesc. Retrieved 25 January 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll ''. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 26, 2016. Jump up ^ Cross 2007, p. 31 Jump up ^ Voller 1999, p. 18 ^ Jump up to : Morton 2002, p. 766 Jump up ^ McKeen 2000, p. 232 Jump up ^ Garibaldi, Christina ( October 28, 2014 ). `` Here 's The Wardrobe Malfunction That Made Madonna 's ' Like A Virgin ' VMA Performance Legendary ''. MTV News. Retrieved September 4, 2017. Jump up ^ Lynch, Joe ( May 29, 2015 ). `` Madonna Was Nearly Arrested for Simulating Masturbation 25 Years Ago Today ''. Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2017. Jump up ^ Like a Virgin ( 7 - inch Single liner notes ). Madonna. Sire Records. 1984. W 9210. Jump up ^ Like a Virgin ( United States 12 - inch Maxi Single liner notes ). Madonna. Sire Records. 1984. 20239 - 0. Jump up ^ Like a Virgin ( Canadian 12 - inch Maxi Single liner notes ). Madonna. Sire Records. 1984. 92 02390Q. Jump up ^ Like a Virgin ( Japanese 12 - inch Promo Maxi Single liner notes ). Madonna. Sire Records. 1984. PS - 258. Jump up ^ Like a Virgin ( LP, Vinyl, CD ). Madonna. Sire Records. 1984. 9 25157 - 2. Jump up ^ `` Austriancharts.at -- Madonna -- Like a Virgin '' ( in German ). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 27, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Madonna : Like a Virgin '' ( in Finnish ). Musiikkituottajat -- IFPI Finland. Retrieved May 27, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Lescharts.com -- Madonna -- Like a Virgin '' ( in French ). Les classement single. Retrieved May 27, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Madonna Chart History ''. RÚV. Retrieved May 24, 2017. 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GfK Entertainment ( in German ). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 5 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` Top Annuali Single : 1985 '' ( in Italian ). Federation of the Italian Music Industry. Retrieved July 19, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Jaaroverzichten 1984 '' ( in Dutch ). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 4, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Top Selling Singles of 1985 ''. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved February 25, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Billboard Hot 100 Chart 50th Anniversary ''. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. September 14, 1984. Archived from the original on August 12, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2012. Jump up ^ Oricon Album Chart Book : Complete Edition 1970 -- 2005. Roppongi, Tokyo : Oricon Charts. 2006. ISBN 4 - 87131 - 077 - 9. Jump up ^ Metz & Benson 1999, p. 111 Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- Madonna -- Like a Virgin ''. Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ Trust, Gary ( April 30, 2010 ). `` Ask Billboard : ' Glee ' - ful About Madonna ''. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved April 22, 2012. References Bronson, Fred ( 2003 ), The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, Billboard Books, ISBN 0 - 8230 - 7677 - 6 Clerk, Carol ( 2002 ), Madonnastyle, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0 - 7119 - 8874 - 9 Cross, Mary ( 2007 ), Madonna : A Biography, Greenwood Publishing Group, ISBN 0 - 313 - 33811 - 6 Fouz - Hernández, Santiago ; Jarman - Ivens, Freya ( 2004 ), Madonna 's Drowned Worlds, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., ISBN 0 - 7546 - 3372 - 1 Guilbert, Georges - Claude ( 2002 ), Madonna as postmodern myth, McFarland, ISBN 0 - 7864 - 1408 - 1 McKeen, William ( 2000 ), Rock and roll is here to stay, W.W. Norton & Company, ISBN 0 - 393 - 04700 - 8 Metz, Andrew ; Benson, Carol ( 1999 ), The Madonna Companion : Two Decades of Commentary, Music Sales Group, ISBN 0 - 8256 - 7194 - 9 Michael, Mick St. ( 2004 ), Madonna ' talking ' : Madonna in Her Own Words, Omnibus Press, ISBN 1 - 84449 - 418 - 7 Morton, Andrew ( 2002 ), Madonna, Macmillan Publishers, ISBN 0 - 312 - 98310 - 7 Plant, Margaret ( 2002 ), Venice : fragile city, 1797 -- 1997, Yale University Press, ISBN 0 - 300 - 08386 - 6 Rooksby, Rikky ( 2004 ), The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0 - 7119 - 9883 - 3 Rosen, Craig ( 1996 ), The Billboard Book of Number One Albums, Billboard Books, ISBN 0 - 8230 - 7586 - 9 Tannenbaum, Rob ; Marks, Craig ( 2011 ). I Want My MTV : The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution. Penguin Books. ISBN 9781101526415. Taraborrelli, Randy J. ( 2002 ), Madonna : An Intimate Biography, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0 - 7432 - 2880 - 4 Voller, Debbie ( 1999 ), Madonna : The Style Book, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0 - 7119 - 7511 - 6 Whiteley, Sheila ( 2000 ), Women and popular music : sexuality, identity, and subjectivity, Routledge, ISBN 0 - 415 - 21190 - 5 External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Madonna -- `` Like a Virgin '' ( music video ) on YouTube Madonna songs Singles Covers Unreleased songs 1980s singles `` Everybody '' `` Burning Up '' `` Holiday '' `` Lucky Star '' `` Borderline '' `` Like a Virgin '' `` Material Girl '' `` Crazy for You '' `` Angel '' `` Into the Groove '' `` Dress You Up '' `` Gambler '' `` Live to Tell '' `` Papa Do n't Preach '' `` True Blue '' `` Open Your Heart '' `` La Isla Bonita '' `` Who 's That Girl '' `` Causing a Commotion '' `` The Look of Love '' `` Spotlight '' `` Like a Prayer '' `` Express Yourself '' `` Cherish '' `` Oh Father '' `` Dear Jessie '' 1990s singles `` Keep It Together '' `` Vogue '' `` Hanky Panky '' `` Justify My Love '' `` Rescue Me '' `` This Used to Be My Playground '' `` Erotica '' `` Deeper and Deeper '' `` Bad Girl '' `` Fever '' `` Rain '' `` Bye Bye Baby '' `` I 'll Remember '' `` Secret '' `` Take a Bow '' `` Bedtime Story '' `` Human Nature '' `` You 'll See '' `` One More Chance '' `` Love Do n't Live Here Anymore '' `` You Must Love Me '' `` Do n't Cry for Me Argentina '' `` Another Suitcase in Another Hall '' `` Frozen '' `` Ray of Light '' `` Drowned World ( Substitute for Love ) '' `` The Power of Good - Bye '' `` Nothing Really Matters '' `` Beautiful Stranger '' 2000s singles `` American Pie '' `` Music '' `` Do n't Tell Me '' `` What It Feels Like for a Girl '' `` Die Another Day '' `` American Life '' `` Hollywood '' `` Me Against the Music '' `` Nothing Fails '' `` Love Profusion '' `` Hung Up '' `` Sorry '' `` Get Together '' `` Jump '' `` Hey You '' `` 4 Minutes '' `` Give It 2 Me '' `` Miles Away '' `` Celebration '' `` Revolver '' 2010s singles `` Give Me All Your Luvin ' '' `` Girl Gone Wild '' `` Masterpiece '' `` Turn Up the Radio '' `` Living for Love '' `` Ghosttown '' `` Bitch I 'm Madonna '' `` Hold Tight '' Promotional singles `` You Can Dance ( LP Cuts ) '' `` Erotic '' `` I Want You '' `` Sky Fits Heaven '' `` Impressive Instant '' `` GHV2 Megamix '' `` Into the Hollywood Groove '' `` Nobody Knows Me '' `` Imagine '' ( Live ) `` Superstar '' Other songs recorded `` Santa Baby '' `` I Surrender Dear '' `` Sooner or Later '' `` Oh What a Circus '' `` Sing '' `` Candy Shop '' `` Beat Goes On '' `` Gang Bang '' `` I Do n't Give A '' `` Devil Pray '' `` Unapologetic Bitch '' `` Illuminati '' `` Joan of Arc '' `` Iconic '' `` Holy Water '' `` Wash All Over Me '' `` Rebel Heart '' Other songs written `` Sidewalk Talk '' `` Each Time You Break My Heart '' `` Love Wo n't Wait '' Book Portal Template BNF : cb38320950f ( data ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Like_a_Virgin_(song)&oldid=801239306 '' Categories : 1984 singles 1984 songs Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Billboard Dance Club Songs number - one singles Madonna ( entertainer ) songs Number - one singles in Australia Oricon International Singles Chart number - one singles RPM Top Singles number - one singles Sire Records singles Song recordings produced by Nile Rodgers Songs about sexuality Songs written by Billy Steinberg Songs written by Tom Kelly ( musician ) Music videos directed by Mary Lambert Hidden categories : CS1 Italian - language sources ( it ) CS1 Japanese - language sources ( ja ) CS1 French - language sources ( fr ) CS1 Spanish - language sources ( es ) CS1 Romanian - language sources ( ro ) CS1 German - language sources ( de ) CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) Use mdy dates from December 2014 Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Austria Singlechart making named ref Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Canadatopsingles Singlechart usages for Finland Singlechart usages for France Singlechart usages for Germany2 Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Norway Singlechart usages for Sweden Singlechart usages for Switzerland Singlechart usages for UKsinglesbyname Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart usages for Billboardadultcontemporary Singlechart usages for Billboarddanceclubplay Singlechart usages for Billboardrandbhiphop Certification Table Entry usages for unsupported region Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom Certification Table Entry usages for United States Good articles Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Español فارسی Français Hrvatski Italiano עברית Magyar Nederlands Polski Português Română Русский Suomi Svenska Türkçe Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 18 September 2017, at 14 : 51. 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Question: who wrote the lyrics to like a virgin
Answer: Tom Kelly