"Cherish" | ||||||||
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Single by Madonna | ||||||||
from the album Like a Prayer | ||||||||
B-side | "Supernatural" | |||||||
Released | August 1, 1989 | |||||||
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Recorded | 1988 | |||||||
Genre | Pop | |||||||
Length | 5:03 | |||||||
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Madonna singles chronology | ||||||||
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"Cherish" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer (1989). It was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, and was released by Sire Records as the album's third single on August 1, 1989. "Cherish" was built around the themes of love and relationship, with William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet being one of the major inspirations. The track also included a line from "Cherish" by the 1960s band The Association. Musically constructed as a doo-wop style pop song, it is regarded as a light-hearted track by critics and includes instruments such as drum machine, percussions, keyboards and a saxophone. Lyrically, it speaks of Madonna's devotion to her lover, and her promise to be always by his side. "Cherish" was included on Madonna's greatest hits compilations The Immaculate Collection (1990) and the two-disc edition of Celebration (2009).
After its release, the song received positive feedback from reviewers, who were surprised by the change of content and the lighter image of Madonna's music, unlike her previous singles from Like a Prayer which incorporated themes such as religion and sexuality. They compared the lyrics of the song to words spoken by Juliet, in William Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet. "Cherish" was a commercial success, reaching the top-ten of the charts in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom and the combined European chart. On the Billboard Hot 100, "Cherish" became Madonna's 16th consecutive top-five single, setting a record in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.