LESSON TRANSCRIPT

Advanced Audio Blog S2 #5

Top 10 American Songs: Like a
Virgin

# 5
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T op 10 American Songs—"Like a Virgin," Madonna
In early 1984, with an album and two hit singles under her belt, Madonna was well
known but not a superstar. T hat all changed when she released "Like a Virgin."
Overnight it made Madonna a household name and its success became the
foundation for her illustrious career.
"Like a Virgin" was written by T om Kelly and Billy Steinberg and selected for
Madonna by Michael Ostin, who was working at Warner Bros Records at the time.
T hough initially reluctant, Madonna's producer Nile Rodgers agreed to have her record
the song.
Musically, it's a dance number like most of the songs in Madonna's catalogue. It has a
distinctive bassline which plays throughout the song. T he beat doesn't change and
plays in a continuous rhythm while Madonna sings in a high register. Her voice
switches between low and high tones, but most of the song is sung in a high tone.
T he lyrics of the song did cause a lot of controversy at the time. On the one hand, the
use of the word "virgin" in the title caused social groups to request the banning of the
song. On the other hand, it solidified Madonna's image as a fashion icon.
T he music video for "Like a Virgin" is among Madonna's most famous. Madonna
appears in a white wedding dress and roams around a palace and rides around
Venice in a gondola. T here is a lot of erotic symbolism in the video, like the man in a
lion mask. It was ranked number 61 on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Videos.
Even with all the controversy, the song was appreciated by critics and audiences.
"Like a Virgin" became Madonna's first number 1 single in the US, staying atop the
Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks. It also reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart.

ENGLI S HCLAS S 101.COM ADVANCED AUDI O BLOG S 2 #5 - T OP 10 AMERI CAN S ONGS : LI KE A VI RGI N 2