Today in Madonna History: March 3, 1989

March 3, 2018 By Jay in 1989, March Tags: Like A Prayer (Single), Like A Virgin (Single), Patrick Leonard 1 Comment

On March 3 1989, Madonna’s Like A Prayer single was released.

“Like A Prayer is a very important song to me. I felt the impact that it was going to make. That song means a lot more to me than Like A Virgin. I wrote it and it’s from my heart. It’s a very spiritual song. I think I was much more spiritually in touch with the power of words and music by the time I started recording the song and the album.”

Patrick Leonard had this to say about Like A Prayer:

“I think there was a point when we realized that it was the title track, and the lead track, and it was going to be a powerhouse. It became obvious that there was something unique about it. And that somehow we made this thing work: with its stopping and starting, and a minimalistic rhythmic thing, and the verses, and these bombastic choruses, and this giant choir comes in. This is ambitious, you know?”

Today in Madonna History: December 30, 1989

December 30, 2017 By Jay in 1989, December Tags: Charts, Dear Jessie, Like A Prayer (Album), Oh Father, UK 1 Comment

On December 30 1989, Dear Jessie peaked at number-five on the UK singles chart. The track was released as the fourth single from Like A Prayer in Europe (with the exception of France which instead opted to service the North American/Japanese fourth single, Oh Father) and as the fifth single in Australia.

Dear Jessie was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard and was inspired by Leonard’s young daughter, Jessie, with whom Madonna had developed a special connection.

The psychedelia-infused reflection on childhood fantasy and innocence was particularly poignant within the context of the Like A Prayer album’s sequencing, with its segue into Oh Father offering a stark musical and emotional contrast that is perhaps one of the most effective in Madonna’s body of work.

Today in Madonna History: December 23, 1989

December 23, 2017 By Jay in 1989, December Tags: Canada, Cherish, Express Yourself, Like A Prayer (Single), RPM Magazine, Top Singles of 1989 1 Comment

On December 23 1989, RPM Magazine published Canada’s Top Singles of 1989. The listing included the following Madonna singles:

#1 – Like A Prayer
#8 – Express Yourself
#9 – Cherish

Today in Madonna History: October 4, 1989

October 4, 2017 By Jay in 1989, October Tags: Deborah Feingold, On the Cover of a Magazine, People Magazine 2 Comments

On October 4 1989, Madonna was featured on the cover of People magazine, with the headline, “20 Who Defined A Decade.”

We’re taking this opportunity to show off some adorable photos from 1983 of Madonna, taken by Deborah Feingold in New York.

Today in Madonna History: September 6, 1989

September 6, 2017 By Jay in 1989, September Tags: Awards, Express Yourself, George Michael, MTV Video Music Awards, Presenter, Video Vanguard Award 1 Comment

On September 6 1989, Madonna presented the Video Vanguard Award to George Michael at the 6th annual MTV Video Music Awards at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, California. Madonna also performed her hit Express Yourself during the show.

Today in Madonna History: August 5, 1989

August 5, 2017 By sonicboy19 in 1989, August Tags: Charts, Express Yourself, Hot Dance Singles Sales, Remix Videos 8 Comments

On August 5 1989, Madonna’s Express Yourself spent its third week at #1 on Billboard’s Maxi-Single Sales chart (then known as the 12-Inch Single Sales chart) in the US.

With various Shep Pettibone remixes being used to promote the single on radio and in its accompanying video, the wide exposure and popularity of the Express Yourself remixes would allow the 12″ single to hang on to the top spot for a fourth and final consecutive week in the August 12th issue of Billboard. By the time it bowed out a month later it had spent a total of twelve weeks on the Maxi-Single Sales chart.