I'm a Madonna fanatic as you all must know, but I always hated this album!
I always believed it was inferior in comparison 2 the Madonna album (Top 5 Madonna album...)

Because of my near overdose of COADF, I decided 2 give it a try. My conclusion:

This must be the only album, in which Madonna was a studio puppet and did what the record company wanted! Maybe she wanted 2 succed in the business! Machiavelli would be proud! Production is dated but it still has some gems in it:

Material Girl
Like a Virgin
Love Don't Live Here Anymore
Into the Groove {From the Film Desperately Seeking Susan} (I'm European... )
Dress You Up
Shoo-Bee-Doo (A new favorite of mine)


[Edited 12/19/05 3:00am]
[Edited 12/19/05 3:01am]

For years,I totally dismissed this album.I considered it to be lightweight,trendy,mid-80s pop music...catchy and fun but not very substantial or deep.But in recent years,I've given it another chance and I really enjoy it."Angel" is one of Madonna's most underrated singles."Material Girl" is alot of fun,and "Dress You Up" is an excellent dance track.I even like the ballad "Shoo Bee Doo".I give Madonna credit because this album sounds very different from the debut album.


Not my favorite Madonna album,but it's decent.It's the album that made her a superstar.

MadonnaMatronika said:

Idiota creatura!!!

best song is easily "dress you up." then "stay" which is one of madge's best all time album tracks. and i dont care what anyone says i love "shoo be doo" and its sax solo.

badujunkie said:

No,the best song is "Angel"

I love that little laugh she does,before the first verse.

DavidEye said:

Yes, that song is a classic.

Dress You Up is the SHIT, too! I'm not a fan of the title track or Material Girl, though. In fact, I like the smaller hits from this record. And Into The Groove, if it's the right pressing

DavidEye said:

"angel" is a die hard fan classic for sure.

Yeah. Worst ever.

As an album it's awful, I could never listen to it straight without skipping. It's odd, i dislike MG and LAV the 2 most successful singles on this album and of her career.

I do love Angel, DYU and Stay.
I also enjoy Over and Over.

Overall, not essential

you guys are mad. this is a cool album

jayaredee said:

We are soul sisters.

the album isn't one of her best,but her first classic music video came from this project: "Material Girl"

DavidEye said:

I don't know about that...I would say the simple but memorable "Lucky Star" is her first classic.

It's worth the price of admission just for "Angel" alone.

Here are my thoughts on Like a Virgin.

3.5 stars

Throughout 1983 and most of 1984, Madonna slowly gathered momentum with each successive single from her eponymous debut. The stage was set for a massive breakthrough, which was delivered with the blockbuster album Like a Virgin. Bolstered by some perfect pop singles that would become her anthems, Like a Virgin is a serviceable album typical of 80s pop artists: heavy on the hits and coated with filler.

To ascend to her throne, Madonna enlisted the help of a number of writers as well as super-producer Nile Rogers to polish her sound at the expense of the grit that gave her first album so much charm. Regardless, the formula worked, launching Madonna's career into the stratosphere on the heels of such monstrous hits as the title track and the bouncy "Material Girl". Already a multi-media juggernaut, Madonna's imprint on society was cemented in stone with the videos for these tracks, which feature our heroine frolicking seductively in a wedding dress and parading around in an homage to Marilyn Monroe's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", respectively. The lesser known hits (but still hits, mind you), "Angel" and "Dress You Up" offer relentless melodies and pep and really shine.

The remainder of the album is a hit or miss affair. "Over and Over" leaps out as the album's most energetic and uplifting track, while a cover of "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" proves to be Madonna's first successful ballad. Unfortunately, the other tracks are much, much worse. "Shoo-Bee-Doo" is embarrassingly unforgivable saccharine and stands as one of her weakest efforts to date. "Pretender" and "Stay" are only marginally better, both vapid pop-by-numbers offerings that could have been sung by anyone. It is worth noting that the album would have greatly benefited from the inclusion of the B-side to "Angel", "Into the Groove", which sees Madonna revisit her affinity for club bangers. The track immediately received much more attention than its A-side and would easily tower over the entire album if present.

In effect, Like a Virgin works better as an era than an album, per se. It was monumentally successful in achieving its goal of mass appeal, selling over 10 million copies in the US alone and established Madonna as an icon of pop. The singles and videos are unforgettable, but ultimately the album does not hold together very well as a whole. Ever the chameleon, Madonna would soon completely transform both her image and her style to set even more trends with the subsequent album, the more mature True Blue. As a result, Like a Virgin looms large as the only document of her bubblegum megastardom.

Moonbeam said:

"Pretender"'s great!

GangstaFam said:

She should be ped for that line: "He's a pretender, that fish that got away" That always makes me cringe.
[Edited 12/19/05 8:44am]

VoicesCarry said:

I love everything about that song, lyrics included.

GangstaFam said:

I agree! I love Pretender. In act, I think it's my favorite track off that disc.

A couple great pop songs:
Angel
Stay
Dress You Up

A decent song:
Pretender

Songs I never need hear again:
Like a Virgin (unless it's the Blonde Ambition version)
Material Girl

Sounded like a good idea, but really not good at all:
Love Don't Live Here Anymore

:
Shoo-Bee-Doo

Coulda been the theme song for Degrassi Junior High:
Over and Over

VinnyM27 said:

What about "Borderline" ?

RipHer2Shreds said:

I just saw "Degrassi" recently because I rented the "Jay and Bob" special. Not a bad show so I wouldn't take that as an insult. "Over and Over" is great!

MikeMatronik said:

damn, you're making want to break my copy out, in fact i'm going to when i get home. by the way, do you like this singer from the early 80's called Alisha? i like her much more than Madge but it's pretty much the same vibe. remember all night passion? that's my jam yo!

by the way, like a virgin is the best album cover ever! that shit is hot!!

Cheek said:

LAV is solid but not my favorite of hers. My favorite songs are:

Angel
Like A Virgin
Over And Over
Dress You Up
Shoo-Bee-Doo
Into The Groove

This album has dated horribly.. by far, one of her worst efforts, despite being her most famous/successful.

Although... "Dress You Up" and "Angel" ARE oodles of fun (the latter had to grow on me first, however).

CHIC0 said:

U should have written:

Criatura idiota!!!!

MikeMatronik said:

CHIC0 said:

American tend 2 think portuguese uses the inverted phrase construction...