Cherish (Madonna song)
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"Cherish" is a pop song written by American singer Madonna and Patrick Leonard for Madonna's fourth album Like a Prayer (1989). The song was produced by Madonna and Leonard and received a positive reception from music critics. The song was released as the third single in the summer of 1989 (see 1989 in music) and reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and the United States, where it became Madonna's seventeenth top ten single. It reached the top twenty in Canada and the top thirty in France.
Music video
"Cherish" featured a black and white music video that was directed by Herb Ritts and was filmed in the summer of 1989 in Los Angeles. In the video Madonna splashes in low tide in a black button-up dress. She flexes her muscles, poses playfully, and cavorts with a little merchild, who seems to have lost his way from a school of nearby mermen.
Herb Ritts was one of Madonna's preferred photographers at that time and is best known for his photograph of Madonna on the cover of her 1986 album True Blue. In "Cherish" Ritts makes his photographs come to life, smoldering as they show Madonna reclining in the surf. According to fans and critics, his greatest achievement in the video was perfectly capturing Madonna's free spirit. When she told Ritts she wanted him to direct the Cherish video, Ritts reportedly tried to talk her out of it saying, "But I'm a still photographer. I don't know anything about film." Undaunted, Madonna replied simply, "Well you have a few weeks to learn."
The video also features model Tony Ward, one of Madonna's ex-lovers. He makes his first appearance along side Madonna in this video by playing one of the mermen. He has also appeared in the music videos for "Justify My Love" and "Erotica".
Chart performance
On August 1 1989, "Cherish" was released in the United Kingdom. The song became Madonna's twenty-first top ten single when it peaked at number three in its second week on the singles chart, and spent a total of eight weeks in the top seventy-five. Outside of the UK, the song was also successful. It reached number two in Japan and number four in Australia, becoming Madonna's sixteenth top ten single. The single sold considerably well in many territories being certified gold in Australia and silver in the UK.In the United States, it debuted at number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100, before rising to a peak position of number two in its eighth week. Unlike previous Madonna singles "Cherish" was not a dance hit and did not make an appearance on the dance chart, but was an adult contemporary hit, becoming one of the singles that helped Madonna emerge as the number one adult contemporary singles artist of 1989.
Charts