Like a Virgin (album)

Like a Virgin
Studio album by Madonna
Released	November 12, 1984
Recorded	April - September 1984
Studio	Power Station, New York City
Genre	Post disco Dance-pop New wave
Length	38:34
Label	Sire Warner Bros.
Producer	Nile Rodgers
Madonna chronology
Madonna (1983) Like a Virgin (1984) Like a Virgin & Other Big Hits! (1985)
Singles from Like a Virgin
"Like a Virgin" Released: October 31, 1984 "Material Girl" Released: November 30, 1984 "Angel / Into the Groove" Released: April 10, 1985 "Dress You Up" Released: July 24, 1985

Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 1984, by Sire Records. Following the success of her 1983 self-titled 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, which she was a fan of. To ensure it be exactly as she envisioned it, Madonna chose all the songs for the album: She penned six of her own, five of which were co-written with former boyfriend and collaborator Steve Bray, and six 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' 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 female album to sell over five million copies in the United States. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) later certified it diamond for shipment of ten million units. Overseas, 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. Four official 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 of 1985, which only visited cities in North America. Like a Virgin has been noted as the album that made Madonna a superstar, as well as the one that proved she was not a one-hit wonder. On top of that, the younger female population began emulating the singer's fashion style. In 2023, Like a Virgin was selected for preservation in the United States' National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress due to it being considered "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".