"Like A Prayer" stands as one of her best songs, brilliantly written and produced, combing rock, pop, dance, and even gospel music. The video is a career landmark as well, courting controversy while exploring many deeply significant issues. Madonna certainly wasn't the only person to speak out against racial prejudices, but she was the only person with the balls to dance in front of burning crosses to prove her point. The "Like A Prayer" video, her last video helmed by longtime collaborator Mary Lambert, showed Madonna in a church, watching as a black Jesus statue cries, only to see it come to life. Later she witnesses some (white) men attacking a woman, and the same man who plays the black Jesus comes out to the woman's aid just as the police arrive. Seeing a black man with a wounded white woman, they immediately arrest him. Madonna comes to his defense, however. The video also includes scenes where Madonna kisses the black Jesus on an altar, combining about as many taboos as possible -- interracial love, the link between religion and sexuality, not to mention the religious significance of Madonna's own name. Finally earning respect from critics as well as record buyers, in all aspects "Like A Prayer" stands as one of Madonna's biggest masterpieces.

The controversy surrounding "Like A Prayer" was enough to affect her recent $5 million deal to advertise for Pepsi. She filmed a commercial using "Like A Prayer" as the music, but as soon as Pepsi saw the "Like A Prayer" video they pulled the plug on the ad campaign, airing the commercial only a handful of times while still making Madonna $5 million richer.