Madonna
Songwriter Billy Steinberg wrote "Like a Virgin" about his own emotional recovery after ending a difficult relationship. He wrote it from a male perspective. Madonna transformed it by changing one word, shifting to a female perspective that centered female desire. Nearly every major label passed on the song before Warner Bros. took it to Madonna. At the 1984 MTV VMAs, she performed it emerging from a giant wedding cake. Her dress rode up when she dove for a lost shoe. Her manager initially thought her career was over. The song went to number 1 and held that position for six consecutive weeks.
In our deep dive into Like a Virgin, we trace the song from a male songwriter's heartbreak to the performance that redefined what a pop star could be, and what it reveals about how far a single changed word can travel.
