When we started 1984 with Prince and Tina Turner dominating the charts, but from October onwards, the world became the stage for a single artist: Madonna. She had been known since 1982 and was increasingly popular, but with Like a Virgin, Madonna became the most famous and photographed woman on the planet (alongside Princess Diana), with a multitude of girls copying her wardrobe, makeup, and hair. Nothing that pleased the parents, after all, there were lace, bras, bracelets, and other provocative clothes. Nothing compared to the shock of hearing her singing that she was ‘like a virgin’. That’s right, 40 years ago Madonna became a cultural phenomenon.

Amazing how four decades passed so quickly. Like a Virgin is not the best of Madonna’s discography, but as her second album, it is significant. It contains no less than three of her biggest hits to date – Like a Virgin, Material Girl, and Dress You Up – and, in a second batch, it also included Into the Groove. In other words, quality that stands the test of time.

Madonna always had the ambition to be the most famous person on the planet and her debut album, although selling well (and with hits like Everybody, Borderline, and Holiday), did not have a unified sound (multiple producers) and did not put her at number one place on the charts, which was necessary. Therefore, when it came time to record, she chose none other than Nile Rodgers, from the band Chic, to produce the album. After all, with Niles producing Let’s Dance, David Bowie was having success at the time.

Just like Madonna would do, the singer brought her own compositions to the studio, no less than six of the 10 tracks. She recorded three songs by others and one cover, with Angel being the only one of the originals that survives the test of time. From True Blue onwards, Madonna established herself as a producer and songwriter, perhaps that’s why to this day, when she has to play the songs from Like a Virgin, she changes them so much and doesn’t always seem excited. After all, she doesn’t like sharing attention.

Recorded at the famous Power Station, Like a Virgin was based on Chic musicians: in addition to Niles, Bernard Edwards (bass) and Tony Thompson (drums) are on several tracks. Love Don’t Live Here Anymore is powerful because of them. Everyone was impressed by Madonna‘s focus and professionalism, whose perfectionism impressed those who didn’t know her yet.

Although her songs were ‘approved’, none of them had single potential, which is why Like a Virgin was so well received. The star’s voice has a lot of effect, but his malice is perfect for the duplicity of the lyrics. Another hit, Material Girl – which Madonna came to hate because although the message is anti-materialist, they still call her that today – also used a robotic voice repeating the chorus and Dress You Up, which was the last track to be added to the album, danceable and lightweight, which Madonna later used to open her shows. The three were brilliantly explored in the album’s only videos: Like a Virgin recorded in Venice, with Madonna dancing in a gondola; Material Girl remaking Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Dress You Up, with Madonna singing live and promoting the Virgin Tour.

But what was even more striking about Like A Virgin was Madonna’s partnership with fashion photographer Steven Meisel, who worked with her on images that are now iconic. Here the singer began her pop and art signature, as well as her sexy and provocative image, dressed as a bride on the cover, lying on the bed with a bouquet on her lap, heavy makeup, and alluding to the fetish of purity and sin. On the back cover, in black, with the bed unmade and satin sheets, Madonna is already a dominating woman, no longer the bride who, instead of virtue, sends the message of desire. Furthermore, his belt buckle and the words “Boy Toy”, caused discomfort among conservatives. And look, she was still an almost chaste Madonna!

From the cover of Like a Virgin onwards, Steven Meisel would become a regular collaborator with Madonna. This work was fundamental in establishing ‘Madonna fashion’, the epitome of cool in the 1980s, also considered one of the liberating and most influential images in pop culture and fashion, immortalizing Madonna.

With Like a Virgin, Madonna broke the barrier and broke the record as the first female album in history to sell more than five million copies in the United States and is still one of the best-selling albums of all time, surpassing the 21 million mark. of copies worldwide.

From 1984 onwards, Madonna became the biggest international star, directly on the radio and on MTV, which she knew how to exploit like few others. In 2023, the album was selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Although it was recorded in April 1984, the record company held the album until the end of the year to give Madonna a better chance, frustrating the star tremendously. Like a Virgin was on the top of the chart in less than six months, being the most played in 1985. In September 1984, Madonna made history at the first MTV Video Music Awards, singing the title song, appearing on stage on top of a giant wedding cake dressed as a bride and wearing the now famous “Boy Toy” belt, simulating an orgasm at the end of the performance.

After being on the cover of Time magazine and making her film debut, Madonna achieved the stardom she wanted, but more importantly she managed to establish herself as an icon. At 24 years old, she was a woman in control of her life and sexual career, inspiring teenagers around the world, proving to have versatility even outside the dance floor, Like a Virgin was considered one of the best of the decade and the main one by a female artist. Musically it is not the high point of the artist that Madonna is today, but it paved the way. And most importantly, it was the work that placed Madonna on the throne, still today maintaining her recognition as Queen of Pop.

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