Like a Prayer (song) incorporates Gospel music. It features background vocals from a choir and also a rock guitar. The lyrics contain liturgical words, but they have dual meanings of sexual innuendo and religion. "Like a Prayer" was acclaimed by critics, and was also a commercial success. It was Madonna's seventh number-one single on the United States' "Billboard" Hot 100, and topped the singles charts in many other countries, including Australia, Canada, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. "Rolling Stone" listed "Like a Prayer" among The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The music video, directed by Mary Lambert, portrays Madonna as
Like a Prayer (album) Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of three million units. After the advent of the Nielsen SoundScan era in 1991, the album sold a further 575,000 copies. "Like a Prayer" has sold over 4 million copies in the United States. In Canada, the album debuted at number two on the RPM Albums Chart on May 1, 1989. It remained on that position during four weeks, before dropping to the third position the week of May 29, 1989. The album was present for a total of 37 weeks on the chart, and was certified five times