Like a Prayer (album) except in Finland and Italy, where it peaked at number six. It ended Madonna's string of 16 consecutive top five singles in the United States. "Dear Jessie" was released as the fifth single from "Like a Prayer" on December 10, 1989. The release of "Dear Jessie" was limited to the United Kingdom, certain other European countries, Australia and Japan. Upon its release, "Dear Jessie" received mixed reviews from critics, who complained about the overdone fantasy imagery of the song, but complimented its composition. The track was a moderate success commercially, reaching the top 10 in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Livin' on a Prayer second-hardest hit state after New York, suffering hundreds of casualties among both WTC workers and first responders – the band performed an acoustic version of this song for New York. Bon Jovi performed a similar version as part of the special "". In 2006, online voters rated "Livin' on a Prayer" No. 1 on VH1's list of The 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s. More recently, in New Zealand, "Livin' on a Prayer" was No. 1 on the C4 music channel's show "U Choose 40", on the 80's Icons list. It was also No. 1 on the "Sing-a-long Classics List".