Izdavač: Ostalo
Žanr: Pop
Poreklo: Strani izvođač

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Studio album by Madonna
Released March 20, 1989
Recorded September 1988 – January 1989
Studios
Johnny Yuma Recording, Burbank
Saturn Sound, Sherman Oaks
Ocean Way, Hollywood
Paisley Park, Chanhassen
Genre Pop
Length 51:16
Labels
SireWarner Bros.
Producers
MadonnaPatrick LeonardStephen BrayPrince
Madonna chronology
You Can Dance
(1987) Like a Prayer
(1989) I`m Breathless
(1990)
Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on March 20, 1989, by Sire Records. It saw Madonna continue to work with the producers Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray, with whom she had collaborated on her previous album True Blue (1986), and the soundtrack for the 1987 film Who`s That Girl. The musician Prince also collaborated on the record, co-writing and co-producing one of the tracks alongside Madonna. Her most introspective release at the time, Like a Prayer is a pop record with elements of rock and dance-pop. Its lyrics deal with personal themes she had been too afraid to approach on previous albums: her Catholic upbringing, her troubled marriage to actor Sean Penn, the death of her mother, and her relationship with her father.

Upon its release, Like a Prayer received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised its introspective tone, cohesiveness, and Madonna`s increased artistic maturity. Commercially, it was an international success, reaching the top of the charts in 20 countries. Certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, Like a Prayer has sold over five million copies in the US and 15 million copies worldwide. Six singles were released from the album: the title track, `Like a Prayer`, became Madonna`s seventh number-one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, while `Express Yourself` and `Cherish` both peaked at number two, and `Keep It Together` became a top-ten hit.

The album was promoted on Madonna`s third concert tour, 1990`s Blond Ambition World Tour, which visited cities in Asia, North America, and Europe. In retrospective reviews, Like a Prayer has been noted as a turning point in Madonna`s career; she began to be seen as a serious artist rather than a mere pop star. Critics and authors also noted the album`s influence on the subsequent work of female singers. Often referred to as one of the greatest albums of all time, Like a Prayer has been included in several musical reference books and best-of lists, including Rolling Stone`s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and Apple Music`s 100 Best Albums.

Background
`Because in Catholicism you are a born sinner and you`re a sinner all your life. No matter how you try to get away from it, the sin is within you all the time. It was this fear that haunted me; it taunted and pained me every moment. My music was probably the only distraction I had`.

— Madonna talking about her Catholic upbringing, one of the themes that shaped Like a Prayer.[1]
1988 was a quiet year on the recording front for Madonna. Following the lack of critical and commercial success of her 1987 film Who`s That Girl, she acted in the Broadway production Speed-the-Plow. However, unfavorable reviews once again caused her discomfort. Her marriage to actor Sean Penn ended and the couple filed for divorce in January 1989.[2] Madonna had also turned 30, the same age at which her mother had died, and thus experienced more emotional turmoil.[3] `I wouldn`t say [turning 30] was traumatic [...] [but] [it] was the age my mother was [when she died]. I just flipped because I kept thinking, `I`m now outliving my mother", she recalled.[4]

As the new decade was approaching, the `greed is good` mentality of the mid-1980s was starting to fade away because of Black Monday. The rise of rap acts like Public Enemy and Run-DMC, and alternative rock bands like Faith No More and Jane`s Addiction, changed the public mood; Madonna came to the conclusion that she had to move away from teen appeal and the `commercial gloss` of her previous works if she wanted to reach more mature audiences and secure longevity in the music industry.[5] She wanted her new sound to be `instinctive rather than calculating`, and knew her next record had to be `vibrant, challenging, and different`.[5][6]

Realizing that it was time to show a `darker, more spiritual side` of her, Madonna took a `more sophisticated approach`; she revealed that, `in the past I wrote a lot of songs that [revealed my inner self], but I felt they were too honest or too frightening or too scary and I decided not to record them`.[7][8] Thoughtfully, she sifted through her personal journals and diaries, and began considering her options. She had certain matters on her mind, including her troubled relationship with Penn, her family, the loss of her mother, and even her belief in God; `What was it I wanted to say? I wanted [the album] to speak to things on my mind`, she explained.[9]


Like a Prayer track listing[32]
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. `Like a Prayer` 5:41
2. `Express Yourself`
MadonnaStephen Bray
MadonnaBray
4:39
3. `Love Song` (with Prince)
MadonnaPrince
MadonnaPrince
4:52
4. `Till Death Do Us Part` 5:16
5. `Promise to Try` 4:21
6. `Cherish` 5:03
7. `Dear Jessie` 4:20
8. `Oh Father` 4:57
9. `Keep It Together`
MadonnaBray
MadonnaBray
5:03
10. `Spanish Eyes` 5:15
11. `Act of Contrition` 2:19
Total length: 51:16
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album`s liner notes.[32]

Musicians

Madonna – lead vocals, backing vocals, additional synthesizers
Patrick Leonard – acoustic piano, Hammond B3 organ, clavinet, synthesizers
Stephen Bray – synthesizers
Jai Winding – synthesizers
Geary Lanier – clavinet
Prince – guitars, vocals
Bruce Gaitsch – guitars, acoustic guitar
Dann Huff – guitars
Chester Kamen – guitars
David Williams – guitars
Russ Powell - guitars
Marcos Loya – requinto guitar, backing vocals
Randy Jackson – bass
Guy Pratt – bass
Jonathan Moffett – drums
Jeff Porcaro – drums
John Robinson – drums
Luis Conte – percussion
Paulinho da Costa – percussion
Joe Porcaro – marimba
Sandra Crouch – tambourine
David Boruff – brass section
Dick Hyde – brass section
Chuck Findley – brass section, horn arrangements
Steven Madaio – brass section
Joe Mayer – French horn
Richard Todd – French horn
Larry Corbett – concertmaster
Bill Meyers – string arrangements and conductor
Suzie Katayama – cello
The Andraé Crouch Choir – backing vocals
Rose Banks – backing vocals
Donna De Lory – backing vocals
Lynne Fiddmont – backing vocals
Niki Haris – backing vocals
Marilyn Martin – backing vocals
Ali Nadirah – backing vocals
Production and design

Madonna – producer
Patrick Leonard – producer
Stephen Bray – producer
Prince – producer
Bill Bottrell – sound engineer, mixing
Heidi Hanschu – sound engineer
Eddie Miller – sound engineer
Stephen Shelton – sound engineer
Michael Vail Blum – additional engineer
Stacy Baird – assistant engineer
Robert Salcedo – assistant engineer
Joe Schiff – assistant engineer
Bob Ludwig – mastering at Masterdisk (New York City, New York)
John Good – drum technician
Harry McCarthy – drum technician
Ivy Skoff – production coordinator
Herb Ritts – photography
Jeri Heiden – art direction
Margo Chase – logo design
Freddy DeMann – management
Melissa Crow – management
Elisa Lane – management