Madonna - Like A Prayer

In the year 1989, pop sensation Madonna gave birth to one of her highest-selling hits ever, "Like A Prayer". Shortly after the dance hit was released on radio MTV featured Madonna's controversial music video.

The questionable video was directed by Mary Lambert, who had previously teamed up with Madonna to create videos for Madonna's hits "Borderline" and "Like A Virgin."

"Like A Prayer" music video features Madonna witnessing a white man stabbing a white woman in an alley. The white man runs away and a black man quickly runs to the rescue. Shortly after the black man arrives, so do the police. The black man is wrongly accused and arrested. This violent scene causes Madonna to literally run to church and pray about the situation.

While praying at this church, Madonna walks up to an African-American wax figure that is believed to be Jesus. She softly kisses his foot and the figure comes to life and instantly starts brushing her shoulders and consoles her.

The lyrics play "Just like a prayer, your voice can take me there, Just like a muse to me, you are a mystery, Just like a dream, you are not what you seem, Just like a prayer, no choice you voice can take me there" as she dancing with a robe-dressed choir.

The music video is controversial because it later displays Madonna dancing in front of several large crosses that happen to be set aflame. Burning crosses are largely connected to symbolize the hatred of African-Americans in the Ku Klux Klan. The video also shows Madonna asleep in one of the pews being awakened by the Jesus figure kissing her on the lips.

Obviously all the controversy made the video more popular to the viewers as it went on to be recognized by MTV as one of the "Most Groundbreaking Music Videos Of All Time."