The Best Version of Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’ Isn’t the 1 You Know

Madonna‘s “Like a Virgin” is undoubtedly one of the best dance songs of the 1980s. However, the hit version of the song is not the best version out there. The Material Girl created a better recording of “Like a Virgin” that turns the original song on its head. While the newer “Like a Virgin” is available for purchase, it hasn’t garnered much attention.

Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’ is more layered than it might seem on 1st listen

It’s impossible to remember now, but Madonna was not always a risque artist. Her first album, Madonna, included some G-rated hits such as “Holiday,” “Borderline,” and “Lucky Star.” She only became scandalous when she put out “Like a Virgin,” and the lyrics of that song were telling. Virginity loss is traditionally seen as a loss of innocence, and “Like a Virgin” was Madonna’s transition into a sexual provocateur.

Of course, there’s still a bit of innocence in the song. Madonna’s vocals are girlish and the lyrics of “Like a Virgin” betray someone who has some doubts about their sexuality. She has to be “thawed out.” That lack of confidence is part of what makes the song compelling.

When Madonna embraced nu disco for her Confessions Tour, she revamped the tune with a stronger backbone. The production makes the song sound confident and ecstatic. It’s one of the best moments of Madonna’s glorious career.

Madonna took the song to another level with an incredible live performance

Of course, the song Confessions Tour redux of “Like a Virgin” has to be understood in light of the live performance that accompanied it. For the tour, the Queen of Pop got on a leather horse harness that moved around like a carousel. The image alone is bizarre, provocative, and intriguing. 

That’s what Madonna was best at: surprising us. Her performance of “Like a Virgin” could have been allegorical, kinky, or simply meaningless. Regardless, she created an indelible image. Her unexpected take on “Like a Virgin” might not be as famous as when The Beatles played “Don’t Let Me Down” on a rooftop, but it stands as one of the best live performances ever.

Why the Queen of Pop connected with ‘Like a Virgin’

During a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone, the Queen of Pop revealed what she thought of “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl” when she first heard them. “I liked them both because they were ironic and provocative at the same time but also unlike me,” she said. “I am not a materialistic person, and I certainly wasn’t a virgin, and, by the way, how can you be like a virgin? I liked the play on words, I thought they were clever. They’re so geeky, they’re cool.”

Madonna was asked if she expected “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl” to become hits. “No,” she revealed. “They just resonated with me. I’ve never been a good judge of what things are going to be huge or not. The songs that I think are the most [stupid] songs I’ve written, like ‘Cherish’ and ‘Sorry,’ a pretty big hit off my last album, end up being the biggest hits. ‘Into the Groove’ is another song I feel [stupid] singing, but everybody seems to like it.”

It took decades, but Madonna finally found the full potential of “Like a Virgin.”