Angel (Madonna song)
Encyclopedia
"Angel" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna
from her second studio album Like a Virgin
. It was released on April 10, 1985 by Sire Records
as the third single
from the album. Written by Steve Bray and Madonna, it was one of the first songs developed for the project and, according to Madonna, was inspired by a girl who is saved by an angel, and she falls in love with Him. "Angel" was released as a 12" single with "Into the Groove
" in some countries and charted likewise. A music video was initially planned for the release, but was later cancelled. Instead a promotional video comprising clips from her previous videos was released in the United Kingdom.
Musically "Angel" consists of three chord ascending hook, which serves for the verse and chorus. It has vocal harmonies beneath the main chorus and the lyrics repeat the angel-like image of Madonna's saviour. Critics gave mixed review of the song, with one group denoting it as a classic while the others felt it was sub-par compared to the other Madonna singles. "Angel" became Madonna's fifth consecutive top-five single on the Billboard Hot 100
and reached the top of its dance charts. It was also able to reach number-one in Australia and the top-five of the charts in Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom. Madonna has performed the song only once, on her Virgin Tour
in 1985.
and released worldwide on April 10, 1985. Madonna explained to Bray that she wanted a stronger, more pop-oriented album, hence the songs should reflect that. One of the first songs that they developed was "Angel". Madonna commented that the song was about a girl, who was "in depression over something. An angel appeared and healed her soul, making her fall madly in love with Him. [...] It's something that I felt when I was young. I thought it would make for an interesting story if I wrote that [experience] as a song on my record." The song was recorded as early as April 1984, but the whole project was held off, much to Madonna's frustration, by the continuing sales of her self-titled debut album, which had by then sold over a million copies in United States. She had decided to release "Angel" as the initial single from the album, but changed her mind, after the recording of the title track "Like a Virgin
" was complete. "Angel" was ultimately released as the third single, and included the song "Into the Groove
", from Madonna's 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan
, on the B-side of the 12-inch maxi-single.
Madonna had initially planned to release a music video for "Angel", but later decided to go against it, as at that time, there were already five Madonna music videos on-rotation in the music channels and were being broadcast continuously. Hence, Warner Bros. and Madonna felt that adding another video to the already saturated channels, might not be in her favour. A promotional video, containing scenes from the music videos of "Burning Up
", "Borderline
", "Lucky Star", "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl
" was made by Warner Bros. Records
and aired in the United Kingdom. The video was included on the promotional-only video compilations It's That Girl and She's Breathless.
, panning from left to the right. The song is built on an ascending hook
consisting of three chord
sequence, which serves for the verse and chorus
. It consists of a constant 8th rhythm throughout the song, making it sound similar to the songs of the band Machine. Vocal harmonies
are also added beneath the main chorus. It is a two-bar phrase song, and laughter is again added as the song slowly fades out
. Madonna sings in her lower register at the beginning, and shifts to the higher one in the line "I can see it in your e-e-e-eyye-e-s". The line was taken from the song "Death Disco
" (1979), by the British musical group Public Image Ltd. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, by Alfred Publishing, the song is set in the time signature
of common time, with a medium tempo
of 120 beats per minute
. It is composed in the key of G major
, with Madonna's voice spanning from the high-note of G3 to the low-note of B4. The song has a basic sequence of Dm7–Em7–F–Dm7–Em7–F as its chord progression
. The lyrics continuously repeat the angel-like image of Madonna's saviour.
synthesizer line that opens 'Angel' was indeed classical Madonna." John Leland
from Spin
called it a rehash of Madonna's previous single "Lucky Star" (1984), with "an even lamer melody and punch. [...] 'Angel' is Nile Rodgers doing what he does best: turning crass product into cash product." Stephen Thomas Erlewine
from Allmusic called the song "an excellent standard-issue dance-pop." Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
called the song sugary. While reviewing the album in 1995, Dave Karger from Entertainment Weekly
felt that the song comes off as a bit repetitious and immature. Alfred Soto of Stylus Magazine
commented that "'Angel' is a particular stunner, certainly the apex of Rodgers' post-Chic skills. [...] It does a better job than the two big singles of delineating the boundaries of Madonna's determined shallowness, an act that confounds Philistines today and made the appreciation of her musical skills a lot harder than it took these critics to dismiss Cyndi Lauper as the real charlatan." Nancy Erlich from Billboard
called the song "romantic, uncontroversial techno-pop. [...] [Madonna's] reign continues as '85's premier media obsession."
at forty-eight on the issue dated April 27, 1985, while her previous single "Crazy for You
" was at number-two on the chart. After ten weeks, "Angel" reached a peak position of five on the chart. The song tied Madonna with Olivia Newton-John
, as the female artist with most top-five hits on the Hot 100 at that time. It was ranked at seventy-five on the year end chart for 1985. "Angel" debuted at on the Hot Adult Contemporary Chart for the issue dated May 11, 1985, and reached a peak of five. The song debuted at forty on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart on June 1, 1985, and reached the top after three weeks. It also charted on a number of Billboard charts, such as reaching the top of the Hot Dance Singles Sales
and the Hot Black Singles
chart at position seventy-one. On July 30, 1985, "Angel" and "Into the Groove" was together certified gold
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) for the shipment of one million copies across United States—the requirement for a gold single prior to 1989. It was the first 12-inch single
to be certified gold, since Frankie Smith
's "Double Dutch Bus" (1981). "Angel/Into the Groove" placed at 81 on the year-end chart for 1985, with Madonna becoming the top pop artist for the year.
In Canada, the song debuted at eighty on the RPM
issue dated May 4, 1985. After eight weeks, the song reached a peak of five on the chart. "Angel" was present on the chart for twenty-five weeks and ranked 56 on the 1985 RPM Year-end chart. The song was released in the United Kingdom with "Burning Up
" as its B-Side, and debuted at ten on the UK Singles Chart
on September 9, 1985. It reached a peak of five next week, and was present for a total of twelve weeks on the chart. The song was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) for the shipment of 200,000 copies of the single across United Kingdom. According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 205,000 copies there. In Australia, "Angel" charted as a combined single with "Into the Groove" and reached the top of the Kent Music Report
chart. It was the second highest selling single of 1985 in Australia. The song reached the top-twenty in the charts of Belgium, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles.
; it was the fifth song of the setlist. Madonna wore a blue see-through crop-top, revealing her characteristic black bra. She also had lacy leggings and crucifixes around an ear and her neck. As she finished the vigorous performance of "Everybody", the lights were dimmed and the introduction music of the song started. Rotating lights fell on the stage. Madonna appeared sitting on top of the stairs and gradually descended. During the intermediate bridge, she and her dancers moved energetically around the whole stage, as white balloons fell on them from above. Madonna continued singing as the lights were dimmed again. She finished the performance and disappeared behind the wings for a costume change. "Angel" did not appear in the final home video release Live – The Virgin Tour.
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
from her second studio album Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 1984 by Sire Records. It was re-released worldwide in 1985, with the inclusion of the bonus track "Into the Groove". In 2001, Warner Bros. Records released a remastered version with two bonus...
. It was released on April 10, 1985 by Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
as the third single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the album. Written by Steve Bray and Madonna, it was one of the first songs developed for the project and, according to Madonna, was inspired by a girl who is saved by an angel, and she falls in love with Him. "Angel" was released as a 12" single with "Into the Groove
Into the Groove
"Into the Groove" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan. It was featured on the 1985 re-issue of her second studio album, Like a Virgin, and released on July 23, 1985 by Sire Records as the album's fourth single outside North America...
" in some countries and charted likewise. A music video was initially planned for the release, but was later cancelled. Instead a promotional video comprising clips from her previous videos was released in the United Kingdom.
Musically "Angel" consists of three chord ascending hook, which serves for the verse and chorus. It has vocal harmonies beneath the main chorus and the lyrics repeat the angel-like image of Madonna's saviour. Critics gave mixed review of the song, with one group denoting it as a classic while the others felt it was sub-par compared to the other Madonna singles. "Angel" became Madonna's fifth consecutive top-five single on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and reached the top of its dance charts. It was also able to reach number-one in Australia and the top-five of the charts in Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom. Madonna has performed the song only once, on her Virgin Tour
The Virgin Tour
The Virgin Tour is the debut concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna. The tour supported her first two studio albums, Madonna and Like a Virgin . Although, initially planned for an international audience, the tour was restricted within United States and Canada only. Warner Bros. decided...
in 1985.
Background
"Angel" was written by Madonna and Steve BrayStephen Bray
Stephen Bray is an American songwriter, drummer, and record producer from Detroit. Bray is best known for his collaboration with Madonna.Bray began studying music through private instruction in Detroit, and continued his education at Berklee College of Music in Boston.Bray owns and operates Saturn...
and released worldwide on April 10, 1985. Madonna explained to Bray that she wanted a stronger, more pop-oriented album, hence the songs should reflect that. One of the first songs that they developed was "Angel". Madonna commented that the song was about a girl, who was "in depression over something. An angel appeared and healed her soul, making her fall madly in love with Him. [...] It's something that I felt when I was young. I thought it would make for an interesting story if I wrote that [experience] as a song on my record." The song was recorded as early as April 1984, but the whole project was held off, much to Madonna's frustration, by the continuing sales of her self-titled debut album, which had by then sold over a million copies in United States. She had decided to release "Angel" as the initial single from the album, but changed her mind, after the recording of the title track "Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin (song)
"Like a Virgin" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. It was released on November 6, 1984 by Sire Records, as the first single from the album. The song appears on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...
" was complete. "Angel" was ultimately released as the third single, and included the song "Into the Groove
Into the Groove
"Into the Groove" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan. It was featured on the 1985 re-issue of her second studio album, Like a Virgin, and released on July 23, 1985 by Sire Records as the album's fourth single outside North America...
", from Madonna's 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan
Desperately Seeking Susan
Desperately Seeking Susan is a 1985 American comedy-drama film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Rosanna Arquette and Madonna.-Plot:...
, on the B-side of the 12-inch maxi-single.
Madonna had initially planned to release a music video for "Angel", but later decided to go against it, as at that time, there were already five Madonna music videos on-rotation in the music channels and were being broadcast continuously. Hence, Warner Bros. and Madonna felt that adding another video to the already saturated channels, might not be in her favour. A promotional video, containing scenes from the music videos of "Burning Up
Burning Up
"Burning Up" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her self-titled debut album. It was released as the album's second single on March 9, 1983, in some countries as a AA side single with "Physical Attraction"...
", "Borderline
Borderline (song)
"Borderline" is a song by American pop singer Madonna from her self-titled debut album. It was released on February 15, 1984 as the fifth single from the album, by Sire Records. Written and composed by producer Reggie Lucas, the song received remix treatment from Madonna's then boyfriend John...
", "Lucky Star", "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl
Material Girl
"Material Girl" is a song performed by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on January 30, 1985, by Sire Records, as the second single from her second album Like a Virgin. It also appears slightly remixed on the 1990 greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, and in its...
" was made by Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
and aired in the United Kingdom. The video was included on the promotional-only video compilations It's That Girl and She's Breathless.
Composition
"Angel" begins with a laugh and an echoEcho (phenomenon)
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener some time after the direct sound. Typical examples are the echo produced by the bottom of a well, by a building, or by the walls of an enclosed room and an empty room. A true echo is a single...
, panning from left to the right. The song is built on an ascending hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
consisting of three chord
Three-chord song
A three-chord song is a song whose music is built around three chords that are played in a certain sequence. Perhaps the most prevalent type of three-chord song is the simple twelve bar blues used in blues and rock and roll....
sequence, which serves for the verse and chorus
Chorus effect
In music, a chorus effect occurs when individual sounds with roughly the same timbre and nearly the same pitch converge and are perceived as one...
. It consists of a constant 8th rhythm throughout the song, making it sound similar to the songs of the band Machine. Vocal harmonies
Vocal harmony
Vocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are sung at the same time as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical choral music and opera and in the popular styles from...
are also added beneath the main chorus. It is a two-bar phrase song, and laughter is again added as the song slowly fades out
Fade (audio engineering)
In audio engineering, a fade is a gradual increase or decrease in the level of an audio signal. The term can also be used for film cinematography or theater lighting, in much the same way ....
. Madonna sings in her lower register at the beginning, and shifts to the higher one in the line "I can see it in your e-e-e-eyye-e-s". The line was taken from the song "Death Disco
Death Disco
"Death Disco" is a song by Public Image Ltd. The record was released in both 7" and 12" single formats with a "1/2 mix" of the song and "Megga mix" on the 12" version...
" (1979), by the British musical group Public Image Ltd. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, by Alfred Publishing, the song is set in the time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
of common time, with a medium tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 120 beats per minute
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
. It is composed in the key of G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
, with Madonna's voice spanning from the high-note of G3 to the low-note of B4. The song has a basic sequence of Dm7–Em7–F–Dm7–Em7–F as its chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
. The lyrics continuously repeat the angel-like image of Madonna's saviour.
Critical reception
Rikky Rooksby, author of Madonna: the complete guide to her music, commented that "Angel" is a song "that is less than even the sum of its parts." Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens, authors of Madonna's drowned worlds: new approaches to her cultural transformations, felt that "the pizzicatoPizzicato
Pizzicato is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of stringed instrument....
synthesizer line that opens 'Angel' was indeed classical Madonna." John Leland
John Leland (journalist)
John Leland is an author and has been a New York Times journalist since 2000. During a stint in 1994, he was editor in chief of Details magazine...
from Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
called it a rehash of Madonna's previous single "Lucky Star" (1984), with "an even lamer melody and punch. [...] 'Angel' is Nile Rodgers doing what he does best: turning crass product into cash product." Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
from Allmusic called the song "an excellent standard-issue dance-pop." Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
called the song sugary. While reviewing the album in 1995, Dave Karger from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
felt that the song comes off as a bit repetitious and immature. Alfred Soto of Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
commented that "'Angel' is a particular stunner, certainly the apex of Rodgers' post-Chic skills. [...] It does a better job than the two big singles of delineating the boundaries of Madonna's determined shallowness, an act that confounds Philistines today and made the appreciation of her musical skills a lot harder than it took these critics to dismiss Cyndi Lauper as the real charlatan." Nancy Erlich from Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
called the song "romantic, uncontroversial techno-pop. [...] [Madonna's] reign continues as '85's premier media obsession."
Chart performance
After its release, "Angel" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at forty-eight on the issue dated April 27, 1985, while her previous single "Crazy for You
Crazy for You (song)
"Crazy for You" is a song by American singer Madonna for the 1985 film Vision Quest. It was released on March 2, 1985, by Geffen Records as the first single from the soundtrack album of the film, and later included on the ballads compilation Something to Remember...
" was at number-two on the chart. After ten weeks, "Angel" reached a peak position of five on the chart. The song tied Madonna with Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
, as the female artist with most top-five hits on the Hot 100 at that time. It was ranked at seventy-five on the year end chart for 1985. "Angel" debuted at on the Hot Adult Contemporary Chart for the issue dated May 11, 1985, and reached a peak of five. The song debuted at forty on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart on June 1, 1985, and reached the top after three weeks. It also charted on a number of Billboard charts, such as reaching the top of the Hot Dance Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes...
and the Hot Black Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart at position seventy-one. On July 30, 1985, "Angel" and "Into the Groove" was together certified gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) for the shipment of one million copies across United States—the requirement for a gold single prior to 1989. It was the first 12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
to be certified gold, since Frankie Smith
Frankie Smith
For the football player of the same name see Frankie Smith .Franklyn Leon "Frankie" Smith is an American funk musician and R&B/soul songwriter.-History:...
's "Double Dutch Bus" (1981). "Angel/Into the Groove" placed at 81 on the year-end chart for 1985, with Madonna becoming the top pop artist for the year.
In Canada, the song debuted at eighty on the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
issue dated May 4, 1985. After eight weeks, the song reached a peak of five on the chart. "Angel" was present on the chart for twenty-five weeks and ranked 56 on the 1985 RPM Year-end chart. The song was released in the United Kingdom with "Burning Up
Burning Up
"Burning Up" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her self-titled debut album. It was released as the album's second single on March 9, 1983, in some countries as a AA side single with "Physical Attraction"...
" as its B-Side, and debuted at ten on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on September 9, 1985. It reached a peak of five next week, and was present for a total of twelve weeks on the chart. The song was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI) for the shipment of 200,000 copies of the single across United Kingdom. According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 205,000 copies there. In Australia, "Angel" charted as a combined single with "Into the Groove" and reached the top of the Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
chart. It was the second highest selling single of 1985 in Australia. The song reached the top-twenty in the charts of Belgium, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles.
Live performance
The song was performed as part of Madonna's 1985 The Virgin TourThe Virgin Tour
The Virgin Tour is the debut concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna. The tour supported her first two studio albums, Madonna and Like a Virgin . Although, initially planned for an international audience, the tour was restricted within United States and Canada only. Warner Bros. decided...
; it was the fifth song of the setlist. Madonna wore a blue see-through crop-top, revealing her characteristic black bra. She also had lacy leggings and crucifixes around an ear and her neck. As she finished the vigorous performance of "Everybody", the lights were dimmed and the introduction music of the song started. Rotating lights fell on the stage. Madonna appeared sitting on top of the stairs and gradually descended. During the intermediate bridge, she and her dancers moved energetically around the whole stage, as white balloons fell on them from above. Madonna continued singing as the lights were dimmed again. She finished the performance and disappeared behind the wings for a costume change. "Angel" did not appear in the final home video release Live – The Virgin Tour.
Track listing and formats
- US / AUS 7" Single
- "Angel" – 3:40
- "Angel" (Dance Mix Edit) – 4:56
- US / AUS 12" Single
- "Angel" (Extended Dance Remix) – 6:15
- "Into the Groove" – 4:43
- UK / EU 7" Single
- "Angel" – 3:40
- "Burning Up" (Alternate Version) – 4:48
- UK / EU 12" Single
- "Angel" (Extended Dance Remix) – 6:15
- "Burning Up" (Alternate Version) – 4:48
Credits and personnel
- MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
– writerSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, background vocals - Steve BrayStephen BrayStephen Bray is an American songwriter, drummer, and record producer from Detroit. Bray is best known for his collaboration with Madonna.Bray began studying music through private instruction in Detroit, and continued his education at Berklee College of Music in Boston.Bray owns and operates Saturn...
– writer - Nile RodgersNile RodgersNile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, guitars - Jimmy Bralower – drum programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
- Rob Sabino – bass synthesizer, assorted synthesizers
- Curtis King – background vocals
- Frank Simms – background vocals
- George Simms – background vocals
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
Charts
| Chart (1985) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australia Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... |
1 |
| Belgian VRT Top 30 VRT Top 30 The VRT Top 30 or Radio 2 Top 30 is a Belgian record chart that runs on the VRT, more specifically on Radio 2. The list is the new version of the old BRT Top 30, that changed along with the media group's name in 1992.... |
18 |
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
5 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
46 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 Singles | 14 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
31 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
3 |
| Japanese International Singles Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
5 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
2 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
17 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
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| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
5 |
| US Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1985) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia Kent Music Report | 2 |
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart | 56 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 81 |
External links
- Madonna – "Angel" music video Time WarnerTime WarnerTime Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...