After the release of "Like a Virgin", Stephen Holden from "The New York Times" commented: "No phenomenon illustrates more pointedly how pop music history seems to run in cycles than the overnight success of the 24-year-old pop siren known as Madonna. The month before Christmas, Madonna's second album, "Like a Virgin" sold more than two million copies. Teen-agers were lining up in stores to purchase the album the way their parents had lined up to buy Beatles records in the late 60's." Madonna proved she was not a one-hit wonder with the release of the album which sold 12 million copies worldwide at the time of its release. In 2016, "Billboard" ranked at number nine in the list of Certified Diamond Albums From Worst to Best. "Like a Virgin" was placed at fifth at Album of the Decade by "Billboard"—the highest peak by a female performer.