Like a Virgin is the second studio album by singer Madonna. The album peaked at number one on Billboard Music Chart's pop albums chart and number ten on the R&B charts. A remastered version of the album was released in 2001.
Two of Madonna's most enduring and famous songs, "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl", are found on this album. Upon release in 1984, the song "Like a Virgin" became somewhat controversial for its theme and for Madonna's performances of it. Madonna debuted the song "Like a Virgin" on the first annual MTV Video Music Awards. In this performance, Madonna rolled on the floor in a white wedding dress, exposing her panties and garter belt, all the while wearing a belt that read "Boy Toy".
By the time Madonna's debut album was released in 1983, she already had enough material to put together another album; because of the success of Madonna, however, it was not until November 12, 1984 that Sire Records released her second album Like a Virgin. Nile Rodgers was chosen by Madonna as the producer of the album, mostly due to his work with David Bowie on his album Let's Dance. Like a Virgin built on the sound and image that Madonna had created in her debut album, which was very much disco and pop-oriented. Madonna dedicated the album to "all the virgins of the world".
The albums title track was her first number one hit song. The album's second single, "Material Girl", earned Madonna her nickname of "Material Girl" from the media. Originally, "Into the Groove" was not included on the album. The song was an early recording slated to appear on her debut album, but was dropped at the last minute. It later resurfaced in Madonna's 1985 film, Desperately Seeking Susan and became a worldwide hit. Subsequently, Warner Bros. Records included it on Virgin's European tracklisting.
The album was a huge success on the charts, but the critics were not really convinced of Madonna's skills and described her as an "unimportant annoying one-hit-wonder" with a voice similar to "Minnie Mouse on helium".[citation needed] The award shows largely snubbed Like a Virgin; although she did receive a few nominations at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards, she lost each of them.
The photography for the sleeve was shot by Steven Meisel who would become a regular collaborator. In 1992 he shot all the photographs for the infamous book SEX.