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On this Day: April 14, 1989 the "Like A Prayer" song peaks at #1 on the Billboard singles chart.



On March 3, 1989 - right before the release of the album with the same title - Like A Prayer was released as lead-off single. Combining pop, rock, dance and even gospel music, this great song hit the music scene - and in a way the society - as a bomb and would soon become an all-time Madonna classic and a favorite among fans. Along with Vogue, it would become one of two Madonna songs that topped all the charts in the US and the UK. It was #1 in the US Hot 100, Airplay, Sales, Club Play and Maxi-singles chart. No wonder it reached Platinum status. It was also #1 in the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and numerous other countries.


Video

 The fantastic music and lyrics made the song great; the Mary Lambert video made it notorious. There are many possible interpretations, but basically the video shows Madonna, witnissing a murder on a white girl. When a black man is wrongfully accused of the crime, she comes up for his defence. She prays for him in church and is seen dancing in front of burning crosses, as a reaction against racial discrimination. Inside the church she kisses a black saint (or is it the black innocent guy?). There's a happy end, and they pretend it to be just a theatre play.
A few days before the premiere of the video, Pepsi first aired their brand-new commercial which starred Madonna and used the tune of Like A Prayer. However when the video was first shown, it caused outrage within the Catholic church, who were offended by Madonna using signs of stigmata (her bleeding hands), by her kissing a black saint and by "having an orgasm on the altar". The church urged people to stop buying Pepsi as a protest, after which Pepsi stopped the broadcast of their commercial after only two airings.

At the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards, Like A Prayer won the Viewers Choice Award, and was nominated for Best Video of the Year.

Accolades and awards

Accolades

  • This video was ranked #28 on Rolling Stone magazine's "The 100 Top Music Videos".
  • This video was ranked #2 on MTV's "100 Greatest Videos Ever Made".
  • This video was ranked #5 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.
  • The song is ranked the 486th best song of all time and the 5th best of 1990 on Acclaimedmusic.net [53] -->
  • 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll

Awards

Year Ceremony Award Result
1990 MTV Video Music Award Video of the Year Nominated
1990 MTV Video Music Award Best Female Video Nominated
1990 MTV Video Music Award Best Dance Video Nominated
1990 MTV Video Music Award Best Direction in a Video Won
1990 MTV Video Music Award Best Choreography in a Video Nominated
1990 MTV Video Music Award Best Art Direction in a Video Nominated
1990 MTV Video Music Award Best Editing in a Video Won
1990 MTV Video Music Award Best Cinematography in a Video Won
1990 MTV Video Music Award Viewer's Choice Nominated
1990 Rolling Stone Reader's Poll Awards Best single Won
1990 Rolling Stone Reader's Poll Awards Best Video Won
1991 American Music Awards Favorite Dance Single Won
1991 Juno Award Best International Single Won

Track listing

Charts and certifications

Chart procession and succession

Preceded by
"The Power" by Snap!		 UK Singles Chart number-one single
April 8, 1990 – April 29, 1990		 Succeeded by
"Killer" by Adamski featuring Seal
Preceded by
"Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor		 Norwegian VG-lista Singles Chart number-one single
April 16, 1990 – April 30, 1990		 Succeeded by
"Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles
Preceded by
"The Power" by Snap!		 Eurochart Hot 100 Singles number-one single
April 21, 1990 – June 9, 1990		 Succeeded by
"Sacrifice" by Elton John
Preceded by
"Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor		 Swedish Singles Chart number-one single
April 25, 1990 – May 16, 1990		 Succeeded by
"Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles
Preceded by
"Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul		 Australian ARIA Singles Chart number-one single
May 5, 1990 – June 9, 1990		 Succeeded by
"All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" by Heart
Preceded by
"Infinity" by Guru Josh		 Belgian Flemish VRT Top 30 number-one single
May 5, 1990		 Succeeded by
"What's a Woman?" by Vaya Con Dios
Preceded by
"Vattene amore" by Amedeo Minghi and Mietta		 Italian Singles Chart number-one single
May 12, 1990 – May 19, 1990		 Succeeded by
"Vattene amore" by Amedeo Minghi and Mietta
Preceded by
"Alright" by Janet Jackson		 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single
May 19, 1990 – May 26, 1990		 Succeeded by
"The Power" by Snap!
Preceded by
"Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor		 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number one single
May 19, 1990 – June 2, 1990		 Succeeded by
"Hold On" by Wilson Phillips
Preceded by
"Walk on the Side" by Jamie J. Morgan		 New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single
May 25, 1990 – June 9, 1990		 Succeeded by
"Eagle Rock" by Daddy Cool
Preceded by
"All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" by Heart		 Canadian RPM Singles Chart number one single
June 16, 1990 – June 30, 1990		 Succeeded by
"It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette

Notes

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