Madonna’s song “Like a Virgin” gave her a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with the title track of her second studio album. The single reached the top in December 1984 and stayed there for six weeks.
Written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, the song was produced by Nile Rodgers. Madonna’s performance transformed the composition into a defining statement of her early career. Its suggestive title and presentation attracted attention, but the record’s strong melody and polished pop production also drove its broad commercial success.
The song is often confused with “Material Girl,” which appeared on the same album. “Material Girl” became one of Madonna’s signature recordings but did not reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Like a Prayer” and “Vogue” were later Madonna chart-toppers.
The single established Madonna as a major American pop force rather than merely a rising club performer. It also helped make Like a Virgin one of the landmark albums of the 1980s. Madonna later accumulated many more No. 1 singles, but this was the breakthrough title among them.