NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 12: Madonna speaks onstage during the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards at … (+)
Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” is a hit that never really goes away. Even if it’s nowhere to be found on the charts around the world, the tune is etched into the hearts and minds of millions of people. Every now and then, a special occasion reminds even more people how much they love the song, and they respond by consuming it again in large quantities.
This week, “Like a Prayer” is once again a hit, thanks to an impressive sales total. The single sold in large numbers after being featured in the film Deadpool and WolverineThe film’s immense popularity has led to an astonishing increase in purchases of the decades-old cut, which is now considered a classic.
Last week, “Like a Prayer” sold nearly 2,400 copies in the U.S. alone. This figure was reported by Luminate, the company that collects sales and streaming data. Billboard is then used to create the weekly charts.
2,400 is a huge number of sales for a song that has been doing so well for so long. It is also a massive increase from the week before, when its connection to Deadpool and Wolverine was just beginning to help the fate of the cuts.
The final track picture, “Like a Prayer,” sold just over 400 copies across America. Madonna’s hit saw a sales increase of almost 450% from one week to the next. This is a sure sign that interest in the song was skyrocketing, and it can easily be linked to the immense success of Deadpool and Wolverine.
Luminate reports that “Like a Prayer” sold 1.24 million digital copies over its run. The song’s total sales are likely much higher, as it was purchased by countless fans across the country—and the world—for decades before platforms like iTunes were introduced.
Madonna almost returned to the Digital Song Sales charts this week, as “Like a Prayer” sold almost well enough to make the list. The song is the 26th best-selling song in the US during this period, but Billboard The country’s best-selling album chart only has 25 spots, and if just a few more fans had bought a copy, the legendary singer might have been back on the all-genre charts.
