Editing Papa Don't Preach

{{Short description|1986 single by Madonna}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Papa Don't Preach
| cover      = Madonna, Papa Don't Preach cover.png
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Madonna]]
| album      = [[True Blue (Madonna album)|True Blue]]
| B-side     =
*"Pretender"
*"Ain't No Big Deal"
*"Think of Me"
| released   = June 11, 1986
| studio     = Channel Recording (Los Angeles, CA)<ref name="LinerTB" />
| genre      =  <!--Sourced in "Composition and release" section. Do not add unsourced genres -->
*[[Dance-pop]] 
| length     = {{ubl|4:29}}
| label      = * [[Sire Records|Sire]]
* [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]]
| composer   = Brian Elliot
| lyricist   = * Elliot
*[[Madonna]]
| producer   = 
* Madonna
* [[Stephen Bray]]
| prev_title = [[Live to Tell]]
| prev_year  = 1986
| next_title = [[True Blue (Madonna song)|True Blue]]
| next_year  = 1986
| misc       = {{External music video|{{YouTube|G333Is7VPOg|"Papa Don't Preach"}}}}
}}
"'''Papa Don't Preach'''" is a song by American singer [[Madonna]] from her third studio album, ''[[True Blue (Madonna album)|True Blue]]'' (1986). Written by Brian Elliot, it was produced by the singer and her collaborator [[Stephen Bray]]. In the United States, the song was released as the album's second single on June 11, 1986, whereas in most European countries, the release was five days later. A [[dance-pop]] track that mixes elements of [[Baroque pop|baroque]], [[post-disco]] and [[classical music]], its lyrics deal with [[teenage pregnancy]]. Elliot wrote it inspired by teen gossip he'd hear outside his recording studio. Originally intended for a singer named Christina Dent,  [[Warner Records|Warner Bros. Records]] [[Artists and repertoire|A&R]] executive Michael Ostin convinced Elliot to let Madonna record it instead. The singer then added and altered a few of the lyrics and received a songwriting credit.

Upon release, the song was lauded by critics, with praise being given to Madonna's vocals. Additionally, it became her fourth number one single in the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. "Papa Don't Preach" also topped the charts in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, and peaked within the top-five of multiple European countries. The accompanying music video, directed by [[James Foley (director)|James Foley]], shows the singer in her first "head-to-toe" image makeover, with a leaner, more muscular body. In it, Madonna plays a teenager who confesses her pregnancy to her father, played by actor [[Danny Aiello]]. The scenes are juxtaposed with shots of her dancing and singing in a small, darkened studio.

The song caused controversy because of its lyrical content and video. Women's organizations and others in the family planning field accused Madonna of promoting teenage pregnancy, while groups opposed to abortion saw the song as having a positive [[Anti-abortion movements|pro-life]] message. Madonna has performed "Papa Don't Preach" in five of [[List of Madonna concerts|her concert tours]], the last being 2019–2020's [[Madame X Tour]]. The single's performance at the [[Who's That Girl World Tour]] (1987) caused Madonna's first conflict with the [[Holy See|Vatican]], as she dedicated it to [[Pope John Paul II]], who urged Italian fans to boycott her concerts. In 2002, British personality [[Kelly Osbourne]] released a [[cover (music)|cover]] of the song, which received mixed reviews but achieved commercial success.

== Background and recording ==
{{Quote box|width=20%|align=right|quote="[The song] just fit right in with my own personal zeitgeist of standing up to male authorities, whether it's the pope, or the Catholic Church or my father and his conservative, patriarchal ways [...] that's why I thought it was so great".|source=—Madonna on why she was drawn to "Papa Don't Preach".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Scaggs |first1=Austin |author1-link=Austin Scaggs |title=Madonna looks back: The ''Rolling Stone'' interview |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/madonna-looks-back-the-rolling-stone-interview-197575/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=July 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725111155/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/madonna-looks-back-the-rolling-stone-interview-197575/ |archive-date=July 25, 2018 |date=October 29, 2009}}{{subscription required}}</ref>}}

Brian Elliot wrote "Papa Don't Preach".<ref name="Stereogum" /> Based on teen gossip he would hear outside his recording studio, which had a large front window that was used as mirror by schoolgirls from the Los Angeles' [[North Hollywood High School]], Elliot described the track as a "love song, maybe framed a little bit differently [...] about a young girl who found herself at a crossroads in life and didn’t know where to turn".<ref>{{cite news|title=Gossip Composite|date=September 18, 1986|work=[[The Dallas Morning News]] }}</ref><ref name="Sermon">{{cite web |last1=Goldstein |first1=Patrick |author1-link=Patrick Goldstein |title=Everyone has a sermon on 'Papa Don't Preach' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-31-ca-14823-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=July 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904081740/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-31-ca-14823-story.html |archive-date=September 4, 2019 |date=August 31, 1986}}{{subscription required}}</ref> In 1986, Elliot ―who'd previously attempted a singing career to no avail― was working and writing songs for Christina Dent, an upcoming singer signed up to [[Warner Records|Warner Bros. Records]].<ref name="Stereogum" /><ref name="IndependentStory">{{cite web |last1=Webb |first1=Robert |author1-link=Robert Webb |title=Story of the Song: Papa Don't Preach by Madonna |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/papa-dont-preach-madonna-b1922022.html |work=[[The Independent]] |access-date=July 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210919003029/https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/papa-dont-preach-madonna-b1922022.html |archive-date=September 19, 2021 |date=September 17, 2021}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Elliot then played the [[demo (music)|demos]] he'd created for Dent, among them "Papa Don't Preach", to Warner Bros. [[Artists and repertoire|A&R]] executive Michael Ostin.<ref name=Easlea1>{{harvnb|Easlea|2012|p=52}}</ref> Ostin had discovered "[[Like a Virgin (song)|Like a Virgin]]", and asked Elliot if he could play "Papa Don't Preach" to Madonna, who at the time was working on ''[[True Blue (Madonna album)|True Blue]]'', her third studio album, alongside [[Patrick Leonard]] and [[Stephen Bray]].<ref name=Easlea1 /><ref name="MusicBusinessWorldWide">{{cite web |last1=Roberts |first1=Dave |title='People have asked, can you write a hit? Answer: No. I mean obviously I can, but not because I've tried to' |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/patrick-leonard-people-have-asked-can-you-write-a-hit-answer-no-i-mean-obviously-i-can-but-not-because-ive-tried-to/ |work=[[Music Business Worldwide]] |access-date=June 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203101445/https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/patrick-leonard-people-have-asked-can-you-write-a-hit-answer-no-i-mean-obviously-i-can-but-not-because-ive-tried-to/ |archive-date=February 3, 2022 |date=February 3, 2022}}</ref><ref name=TaraTB1>{{harvnb|Taraborrelli|2002|pp=117–119}}</ref> Madonna heard and liked the song, so Ostin talked Elliot into letting her record it.<ref name="Stereogum" />  Elliot had been working with Dent for six months and was reluctant to let the song go to another artist, but he eventually gave in, finding the idea of Madonna recording one of his songs "hard to resist".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Bronson |first1=Fred |title=Chart beat |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=July 20, 2002 |volume=114 |issue=29 |page=4 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2002/BB-2002-07-20.pdf#page=4 |access-date=April 12, 2022 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923093146/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2002/BB-2002-07-20.pdf#page=4 |url-status=live }}</ref> Madonna's contribution was limited to a few altered and added-on lyrics, making "Papa Don't Preach" the only song on the album that she did not have a strong hand in writing; nonetheless, she managed to get a songwriting credit.<ref name="metz">{{harvnb|Metz|Benson|1999|p=48}}</ref>

"Papa Don't Preach", along with the rest of the ''True Blue'' album, was recorded at Los Angeles' Channel Recording studios.<ref name=mckeen1>{{harvnb|McKeen|2000|p=233}}</ref>  When they met at the studio, Madonna allegedly asked Elliot if she had "wrecked his song", and the two got into a brief discussion that was eventually resolved.<ref name=Easlea1 /> Personnel working on the song included Bray on keyboards and percussions, alongside [[Fred Zarr]] and [[Jonathan Moffett]]; [[David Williams (guitarist)|David Williams]], [[Bruce Gaitsch]] and John Putnam played guitars, while background vocals were provided by [[Siedah Garrett]] and Edie Lehmann.<ref name="LinerTB" /> Zarr had worked on Madonna's 1983 [[Madonna (album)|debut]], and she called him back to work on ''True Blue''.<ref name="bego1">{{harvnb|Bego|2000|pp=154–155}}</ref> When working on the song, Zarr came up with a string sequence while "doodling around" on an Emulator II synthesizer.<ref name="bego1" /> After Madonna heard it, she liked it and decided to use it as [[Introduction (music)|introduction]], putting it at the beginning of the song; Zarr, however, remained uncredited.<ref name="bego1" />

== Composition and release ==
{{listen
 | pos         = left
 | filename    = Madonna - papa don't preach.ogg
 | title="Papa Don't Preach"
 | description = 27 second audio sample of "Papa Don't Preach". In it, Madonna sings the chorus and rejects her father's "moralizing" ways, deciding she wants to keep her unborn child.<ref name="Rooksby" />
 | format      = [[Ogg]]
 }}
"Papa Don't Preach" is a [[dance-pop]] song with elements of [[Baroque pop|baroque]], [[post-disco]], [[classical music]] and "[[the Beatles|Beatles]]-style [[Psychedelic music|psychedelia]]".<ref name="Stereogum" /> According to the sheet music published by [[Alfred Music|Alfred Publishing Inc.]], it is set in the [[time signature]] of [[common time]], with a moderate [[tempo]] of 116 [[Tempo|beats per minute]].<ref name="Alfred">{{cite web |last1=Elliot |first1=Brian |title=Digital Sheet Music: Papa Don't Preach  |date=December 22, 2008 |url=https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0037601 |publisher=[[Alfred Music|Alfred Publishing]] |access-date=July 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228115924/https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0037601 |archive-date=December 28, 2008}}</ref> Written in the key of [[F minor]], Madonna's [[vocal range]] spans from F<sub>3</sub> to C<sub>5</sub>.<ref name="Alfred" /> She uses a "mature, centered" lower range, a contrast to her previous works.<ref name="fouz" /> Lyrically, it's about a teenage girl who reveals to her father that she is pregnant, and refuses to have an [[abortion]] or give the child up for adoption.<ref name="Bielen">{{harvnb|Bielen|1999|p=151}}</ref> It is constructed in a [[verse-chorus form]], with a [[Bridge (music)|bridge]] before the third and final chorus.<ref name="fouz" />

The song begins with a "[[Antonio Vivaldi|Vivaldian]]" orchestral string introduction that "sets the mood" before the drums kick in: Fm–E{{music|flat}}–D{{music|flat}}–Cm–D{{music|flat}}–E{{music|flat}}–Fm–D{{music|flat}}–E{{music|flat}}–Fm.<ref name="fouz" /><ref name="Rooksby">{{harvnb|Rooksby|2004|pp=21–22}}</ref> The strings then give way to "jittery, propulsive synth-bass and big, mechanized drums".<ref name="fouz" /><ref name="Stereogum" /> In the opening verse, the singer addresses her father directly, asking him to treat her as an adult, not a child; ''Papa, I know you're going to be upset/Cause I was always your little girl/But you should know by now, I'm not a baby''.<ref name="fouz" /> Madonna's vocals in the pre-chorus are "more dramatic, almost pained": ''The one you warned me all about'', she sings, ending nearly in cries when she pronounces the word ''please''.<ref name="fouz" /> In the chorus she states that she's decided to keep the child; ''Papa, don't preach, I'm in trouble deep/Papa, don't preach, I've been losing sleep/But I've made up my mind, I'm gonna keep my baby''.<ref name="Rooksby" /><ref name="Quayle" /> As the song goes on, the singer's vocals become "stronger", gaining a sense of "anguish an desperation".<ref name="Stereogum" />

The second verse has a doubtful Madonna imagining a possible future with the father of her child: ''He says that he’s going to marry me/We can raise a little family/Maybe we’ll be all right/It’s a sacrifice''.<ref name="Stereogum" /> She also feels pressure from her friends, who encourage her to not become a teen parent; ''My friends keep telling me to give it up/Saying I'm too young, I ought to live it up''.<ref name="Variousroe">{{harvnb|Cooper Owens|de Londras|Gutierrez-Romine|Schoen|Tillet|Wulf|2024|pp=223–224}}</ref> Also present in the song is an acoustic guitar, Spanish-inspired bridge, which was noted for being one of the earliest examples of the influence that [[Latin American music|Hispanic music]] had on Madonna's musical style.<ref name="fouz" /> The song ends with Madonna singing ''Don't you stop loving me, daddy'', as it [[Fade (audio engineering)|fades out]].<ref name="Sexton2">{{harvnb|Sexton|1992|p=57}}</ref> In ''Madonna's Drowned Worlds'', Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens perceived [[queer]] subtexts on the lyrics, as members of the [[LGBT community]] could relate to them when [[coming out]] to their parents.<ref name="fouz" /> In the United States, "Papa Don't Preach" was released as ''True Blue''{{'}}s second single on June 11, 1986.<ref>{{cite web |title=Madonna.com > Discography > Papa Don't Preach |url=http://madonna.com/discography/index/album/albumId/41/ |publisher=Icon: Official Madonna website |access-date=July 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102062510/http://madonna.com/discography/index/album/albumId/41/ |archive-date=January 2, 2010}}</ref> In most European countries, it was issued five days later.{{efn|See sources cited on "Weekly charts" section}} It was then added to Madonna's [[Greatest hits album|compilation albums]] ''[[The Immaculate Collection]]'' (1990) and ''[[Celebration (Madonna album)|Celebration]]'' (2009).<ref>{{cite AV media |people= Madonna|year=1990 |title=[[The Immaculate Collection]]|medium=LP, Vinyl, CD |publisher=[[Warner Bros. Records]] |id=9 26440-1}}</ref><ref name="Celebration" />

== Critical reception ==
{{quote box|width=25%|bgcolor=AliceBlue|quote="Arguably the best track from the ''True Blue'' album, ['Papa Don’t Preach'] gets straight to the heart of a lot of what makes Madonna, Madonna: sex, rebellion against the patriarchy, and a whole lot of Catholicism thrown in. It's a fantastic song, and it will always be one of Madonna’s best. It's no wonder it not only hit the No. 1 spot [of the Hot 100], but also spent two weeks there".|source=– ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine's Drew Mackie commenting on "Papa Don't Preach".<ref name=25TIC>{{cite web |last1=Mackie |first1=Drew |title=VIDEO: Madonna's ''Immaculate Collection'' Turns 25: All 17 Tracks Ranked |url=https://people.com/celebrity/madonnas-immaculate-collection-turns-25-all-17-tracks-ranked/ |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310010630/https://people.com/celebrity/madonnas-immaculate-collection-turns-25-all-17-tracks-ranked/ |archive-date=March 10, 2018 |date=November 10, 2015}}</ref>}}
Since its release, "Papa Don't Preach" has been acclaimed by critics.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Houghton |first=Cillea |date=June 22, 2023 |title=The meaning behind Madonna's polarizing hit, 'Papa Don't Preach' |url=https://americansongwriter.com/the-meaning-behind-madonnas-polarizing-hit-papa-dont-preach/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613130308/https://americansongwriter.com/the-meaning-behind-madonnas-polarizing-hit-papa-dont-preach/ |archive-date=June 13, 2024 |access-date=August 20, 2024 |work=[[American Songwriter]] |quote=The song drew critical acclaim}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=March 29, 1990 |title='Breathless' Madonna Headed for Chicago |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/03/29/breathless-madonna-headed-for-chicago/ |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821133511/https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/03/29/breathless-madonna-headed-for-chicago/ |archive-date=August 21, 2024 |access-date=August 20, 2024 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |quote=her songwriting, beginning with ”Papa Don`t Preach” in 1986, about teen pregnancy, has become increasingly introspective and has drawn critical acclaim}}</ref> On his review of ''True Blue'', ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s [[Davitt Sigerson]] wrote that, "only the magnificent 'Papa Don’t Preach' has the high-profile hook to match 'Like a Virgin', '[[Dress You Up]]' and '[[Material Girl]]'", and compared it to [[Michael Jackson]]'s "[[Billie Jean]]" (1983).<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Sigerson |first1=Davitt |title=Home > Music > Album reviews > ''True Blue'' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/true-blue-255348/ |author1-link=Davitt Sigerson |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816132851/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/true-blue-255348/ |archive-date=August 16, 2018 |date=July 17, 1986}}{{subscription required}}</ref> It was deemed "stunning" and a "masterstroke" by the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''{{'}}s Daniel Brogan and [[AllMusic]]'s [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]], respectively.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brogan |first1=Daniel |title=Madonna keeps faith with 'virgin' cause in ''True Blue'' |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-07-11-8602190622-story.html |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424021554/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-07-11-8602190622-story.html |archive-date=April 24, 2019 |date=July 11, 1986}}{{subscription required}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen Thomas |author1-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |title=Madonna > ''True Blue'' > Overview |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/true-blue-mw0000190762 |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |date=June 30, 1986 |archive-date=June 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602083327/http://www.allmusic.com/album/true-blue-mw0000190762 }}</ref> For ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'}}s [[David Browne (journalist)|David Browne]], "a 30-ish urban sophisticate singing in the voice of a pregnant teen [...] ought to sound ridiculous. With the help of collaborators like Stephen Bray and Patrick Leonard, though [...] [it] turns into a perfectly conceived pop record".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Browne |first1=David |author1-link=David Browne (journalist) |title=''The Immaculate Collection'' (1990) |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,318856,00.html |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070827152128/http://www.ew.com:80/ew/article/0,,318856,00.html |archive-date=August 27, 2007 |date=December 14, 1990}}</ref>

Adam Sexton, author of ''Desperately Seeking Madonna: In Search of the Meaning of the World's Most Famous Woman'', named it ''True Blue''{{'}}s "boldest" track, comparing it to "[[Bodies (Sex Pistols song)|Bodies]]" (1977) by [[Sex Pistols]], and [[Graham Parker]]'s "[[You Can't Be Too Strong]]" (1979).<ref name="Sexton1" /><ref>{{harvnb|Sexton|1992|p=202}}</ref> Sexton further pointed out that the melody was just as "insistently chugging" as the singer's previous singles "[[Into the Groove]]" and "Dress You Up" (1985), but the mood is "tense and claustrophobic".<ref name="Sexton1">{{harvnb|Sexton|1992|p=218}}</ref> On this note, John Quayle from the ''[[Observer–Reporter]]'' noted a departure from the "sugar-coatedness" of Madonna's past songs.<ref name="Quayle">{{cite news |last1=Quayle |first1=John |title=Madonna's new album is a winner; guitarist Buchanan still the best |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kGtiAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA19 |access-date=June 26, 2024 |work=[[Observer-Reporter]] |date=August 22, 1986 |page=C-3}}</ref> ''[[Slant Magazine]]''{{'}}s Sal Cinquemani said it was "undeniably more mature" than Madonna's previous works, further adding that, with songs like "Papa Don’t Preach", "[she] made the transition from pop tart to consummate artist, joining the ranks of the decade's icons like Michael Jackson and [[Prince (musician)|Prince]].<ref name="Slant">{{cite web |last1=Cinquemani |first1=Sal |title=Review: Madonna, ''True Blue'' |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/madonna-true-blue/ |work=[[Slant Magazine]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190204065840/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/madonna-true-blue/ |archive-date=February 4, 2019 |date=March 9, 2003}}</ref>

Caroline Sullivan from ''[[The Guardian]]'' opined it was the artist's "first socially controversial single, and one of her best tunes to boot [...] it wasn't her first attempt at a teenage persona (see 'Dress You Up'), but it was the most endearing".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sullivan |first1=Caroline |title=Top tracks you won't hear at Madonna's concert |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/jul/04/artsfeatures.madonna |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |date=July 4, 2001 |archive-date=March 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305232121/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/jul/04/artsfeatures.madonna }}</ref> Tom Breihan added that, "['Papa Don't Preach'] signaled that Madonna had enough juice to make a social-issue song that was ''also'' a stylistic left-turn".<ref name="Stereogum">{{cite web |last1=Breihan |first1=Tom |title=The Number Ones: Madonna's 'Papa Don't Preach' |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2111546/the-number-ones-madonnas-papa-dont-preach/columns/the-number-ones/ |work=[[Stereogum]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228134811/https://www.stereogum.com/2111546/the-number-ones-madonnas-papa-dont-preach/columns/the-number-ones/ |archive-date=December 28, 2020 |date=December 28, 2020}}</ref> He also said it proved "how Madonna, a technically limited singer, could always capture the feeling of a song", and referred to "Papa Don't Preach" as a "masterful piece of pop craftsmanship".<ref name="Stereogum" /> From ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[Stephen Holden]] praised the singer's vocals; "[she] sings it in a passionate, bratty sob that makes the plea immediate and believable".<ref name=HeartNYT>{{cite web |last1=Holden |first1=Stephen |title=Madonna goes heavy on heart |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/29/arts/madonna-goes-heavy-on-heart.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225000758/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/29/arts/madonna-goes-heavy-on-heart.html |archive-date=December 25, 2013 |author1-link=Stephen Holden |date=June 29, 1986}}{{subscription required}}</ref> [[Robert Hilburn]], writing for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', expressed that the "most obvious growth is in the control and character in Madonna's singing", and considered the lyrics to be "tailor-made for video.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hilburn |first1=Robert |author1-link=Robert Hilburn |title=Madonna is nobody's toy |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-06-ca-22875-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618200137/http://articles.latimes.com/1986-07-06/entertainment/ca-22875_1_true-blue |archive-date=June 18, 2012 |url-status=live |date=July 6, 1986}}{{subscription required}}</ref> "Papa Don't Preach" boasts "some of the strongest vocals Madonna ever recorded", according to author [[Matthew Rettenmund]].<ref name="rettenPDP">{{harvnb|Rettenmund|1995|pp=132–134}}</ref>

Writing for ''[[PopMatters]]'', Peter Piatkowski said it was an "idiosyncratic tune", that shared the "maturity and ambition" of previous single "[[Live to Tell]]".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Piatkowski |first1=Peter |title=35 years ago Madonna staged on her (first) bid for artistic credibility with ''True Blue'' |url=https://www.popmatters.com/madonna-true-blue-35atr |work=[[PopMatters]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210629134625/https://www.popmatters.com/madonna-true-blue-35atr |archive-date=June 29, 2021 |date=June 21, 2021}}</ref> Santiago Fouz-Hernández concluded the track was a "significant milestone in [Madonna]'s artistic career".<ref name="fouz">{{harvnb|Fouz-Hernández|Jarman-Ivens|2004|pp=60–61}}</ref> This sentiment was echoed by ''[[The Arizona Republic]]''{{'}}s Ed Masley, who perceived "more soul than was expected at the time" in Madonna's vocals, and referred to the song as a "richly orchestrated dance track".<ref name="AZCentral">{{cite web |last1=Masley |first1=Ed |title=The 35 best Madonna songs of all time, ranked |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/03/10/madonna-best-songs-ranked/72886076007/ |work=[[The Arizona Republic]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310134147/https://eu.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/03/10/madonna-best-songs-ranked/72886076007/ |archive-date=March 10, 2024 |date=March 10, 2024}}</ref> From website Albumism, Justin Chadwick said that "Papa Don't Preach" was, "arguably the most unforgettable of ''True Blue''{{'}}s many memorable moments".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chadwick |first1=Justin |title=Madonna's ''True Blue'' turns 35: Anniversary Retrospective |url=https://albumism.com/features/tribute-celebrating-35-years-of-madonna-true-blue |publisher=Albumism |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626184520/https://albumism.com/features/tribute-celebrating-35-years-of-madonna-true-blue |archive-date=June 26, 2021 |date=June 26, 2021}}</ref> In ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna'', Rikky Rooksby gave a mixed review: "The chorus is punchy enough, and there's a pleasant acoustic guitar solo, but as a whole, [the song] seems musically a trifle under-powered".<ref name="Rooksby" /> Negative criticism came from ''[[The Daily Iowan]]''{{'}}s Jeff Hamilton: "[Madonna] had a good year at the stores, but can anyone take her music seriously? [...] In terms of scrutable ideology ['Papa Don't Preach'] doesn't represent a change from 'Like A Virgin'".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hamilton |first1=Jeff |title=Albums promote style, not substance |journal=[[The Daily Iowan]] |date=December 18, 1986 |page=11 |url=https://dailyiowan.lib.uiowa.edu/DI/1986/di1986-12-18.pdf#page=11 |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923093151/https://dailyiowan.lib.uiowa.edu/DI/1986/di1986-12-18.pdf#page=11 }}</ref> The ''[[Record-Journal]]''{{'}}s Jim Zebora was also negative, referring to the song as "perfectly annoying".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zebora |first1=Jim |title=One torch doesn't light Madonna |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OPtHAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA29 |access-date=June 26, 2024 |work=[[Record-Journal]] |date=July 27, 1986 |page=29}}</ref>

=== Recognition ===
At the [[29th Annual Grammy Awards|29th Grammy Awards]], "Papa Don't Preach" was nominated for [[Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance|Best Female Pop Vocal Performance]], but lost to [[Barbra Streisand]]'s ''[[The Broadway Album]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hunt |first1=Dennis |title=Grammy nominations: Highs and lows – Winwood, Gabriel and Simon Garner Most Nominations |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-01-09-ca-2676-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106223902/http://articles.latimes.com/1987-01-09/entertainment/ca-2676_1_record-category/2 |archive-date=November 6, 2012 |url-status=live |date=January 9, 1987}}{{subscription required}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=29th Annual GRAMMY Awards |url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/29th-annual-grammy-awards |publisher=[[The Recording Academy]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923093149/https://www.grammy.com/awards/29th-annual-grammy-awards }}</ref> Furthermore, it's often referred to as one of Madonna's finest singles. The staff of ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' placed it on the 28th spot of the magazine's ranking of the singer's songs.<ref name="BB100">{{cite magazine |title=The 100 greatest Madonna songs: Critics' picks |url=https://www.billboard.com/media/lists/100-greatest-madonna-songs-list-8469835/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119200810/https://www.billboard.com/media/lists/100-greatest-madonna-songs-list-8469835/ |archive-date=November 19, 2021 |date=August 15, 2018}}</ref> On ''[[Parade (magazine)|Parade]]''{{'}}s ranking, where it came in at number 25, Samuel R. Murrian praised it for treating a "complicated subject with the humanity and gravity it merits", and having an "ace pop hook driving it".<ref name="paradesongsranked">{{cite web |last1=Murrian |first1=Samuel R. |title=We ranked the 100 best Madonna songs of all time |url=https://parade.com/897929/samuelmurrian/best-madonna-songs-ranked/ |work=[[Parade (magazine)|Parade]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816194656/https://parade.com/897929/samuelmurrian/best-madonna-songs-ranked/ |archive-date=August 16, 2019 |date=August 16, 2019}}</ref> Chuck Arnold, writing for ''Entertainment Weekly'', named it her 21st greatest song.<ref name="EW60">{{cite magazine |last1=Arnold |first1=Chuck |title=Madonna's 60 best singles, ranked |url=https://ew.com/music/2018/08/15/madonnas-60-best-singles-ranked/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815230537/https://ew.com/music/2018/08/15/madonnas-60-best-singles-ranked/ |archive-date=August 15, 2018 |date=August 15, 2018}}</ref> "Papa Don't Preach" also came in at number 21 on ''Slant Magazine''{{'}}s ranking, where Paul Schrodt wrote: "[It] may well be the only song about choosing ''not'' to have an abortion that also feels rebellious, even dangerous".<ref name="Slantyrank">{{cite web |title=All 82 Madonna singles ranked |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/all-82-madonna-singles-ranked/5/ |work=Slant Magazine |access-date=June 26, 2024|date=April 14, 2020 |archive-date=December 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211227220815/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/all-82-madonna-singles-ranked/5/ }}</ref>

For the ''[[HuffPost]]''{{'s}} Matthew Jacobs, "Papa Don't Preach" is Madonna's 14th best song, and its "sweeping string arrangement" one of "pop music's most engaging openings".<ref name="Huff">{{cite web |last1=Jacobs |first1=Matthew |title=The definitive ranking of Madonna singles |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-definitive-ranking-of-madonna-singles_n_5078934 |work=[[HuffPost]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406160303/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-definitive-ranking-of-madonna-singles_n_5078934 |archive-date=April 6, 2019 |date=March 10, 2015}}</ref> On the ranking of Madonna songs created by ''[[Gay Star News]]'', "Papa Don't Preach" was allocated the tenth spot.<ref name="GayStar">{{cite web |last1=Morgan |first1=Joe |title=The definitive ranking of Madonna's top 55 songs |url=https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/definitive-ranking-madonnas-top-55-songs150814/ |work=[[Gay Star News]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140818084316/https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/definitive-ranking-madonnas-top-55-songs150814/ |archive-date=August 18, 2014 |date=August 15, 2014}}</ref> From ''The Guardian'', [[Jude Rogers]] named it Madonna's fifth greatest song, praising her vocals and the "glorious string arrangement".<ref name="Guardian">{{cite web |last1=Rogers |first1=Jude |author1-link=Jude Rogers |title=Every one of Madonna's 78 singles – ranked! |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/aug/16/every-one-of-madonnas-78-singles-ranked |work=The Guardian |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816144826/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/aug/16/every-one-of-madonnas-78-singles-ranked |archive-date=August 16, 2018 |date=August 16, 2018}}</ref> Finally, Nayer Missim from ''[[PinkNews]]'' named it the third best song of the singer's discography: "A rare example of Madonna-as-storyteller [...] Unfairly dismissed (or claimed) as a pro-life anthem, its lyrics are much more personal, open and interesting than that".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Missim |first1=Nayer |title=Madonna at 60: Queen of Pop's 60 best singles ranked |url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/08/15/madonna-60-best-singles/ |work=[[PinkNews]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816163838/https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/08/15/madonna-60-best-singles/ |archive-date=August 16, 2018 |date=August 15, 2018}}</ref>

== Chart performance ==
On June 18, 1986, "Papa Don't Preach" was added to 174 of 226 pop reporting radio stations, which caused it to debut on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] at number 42.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Ellis |first1=Michael |title=Hot 100 Singles Spotlight |magazine=Billboard |date=June 28, 1986 |volume=98 |issue=26 |page=114 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1986/BB-1986-06-28.pdf#page=114 |access-date=July 17, 2024 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=May 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508074451/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1986/BB-1986-06-28.pdf#page=114 }}</ref> One month later, the song reached the sixth place of the chart, becoming Madonna's ninth consecutive top-ten single.<ref name="top10record" /> This made her the fourth female artist in the rock era to earn this amount of consecutive top-ten singles, behind only [[Brenda Lee]], [[Aretha Franklin]] and [[Donna Summer]].<ref name="top10record">{{cite magazine |last1=Grein |first1=Paul |title=Chart beat |magazine=Billboard |date=July 26, 1986 |volume=98 |issue=30 |page=6 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1986/BB-1986-07-26.pdf#page=6 |access-date=July 17, 2024 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=October 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023132929/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1986/BB-1986-07-26.pdf#page=6 }}</ref> "Papa Don't Preach" reached the Hot 100's first position on August 16, and spent two weeks there.<ref name="bbhot100" /> It was Madonna's fourth number-one, and her eighth consecutive top-five hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.<ref name="bbhot100" /><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Grein |first1=Paul |title=Chart beat |magazine=Billboard |date=August 2, 1986 |volume=98 |issue=31 |page=6 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1986/BB-1986-08-02.pdf#page=6 |access-date=July 17, 2024 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923093147/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1986/BB-1986-08-02.pdf#page=6 }}</ref> The single also reached the 16th and fourth position of the [[Dance Club Songs|Dance/Disco Club Play]] and [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary]] charts, respectively.<ref name="dance" /><ref name=ac /> By the end of 1986, it ranked 29th on the Hot 100.<ref name=BBend>{{cite magazine |title=Top Pop Singles |magazine=Billboard |date=December 27, 1986 |volume=98 |issue=52 |page=7 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1986/BB-1986-12-27.pdf#page=70 |access-date=July 17, 2024 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923093148/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1986/BB-1986-12-27.pdf#page=70 |url-status=live }}</ref> In October 1998, it was certified [[Music recording sales certification|gold]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) for shipment of 500,000 copies.<ref name="RIAA" /> In Canada, "Papa Don't Preach" debuted at number 53 of the ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' 100 Singles chart on July 5;<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Singles – Volume 44, No. 15, July 05 1986 |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0695&volume=44&issue=15&issue_dt=July%2005%201986&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=4dp17sl7hp9qmhhj3vmcenr836 |work=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]] |publisher=[[Library and Archives Canada]] |access-date=July 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309190310/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0695&volume=44&issue=15&issue_dt=July%2005%201986&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=4dp17sl7hp9qmhhj3vmcenr836 |archive-date=March 9, 2016}}</ref> one month later, it reached the top spot and remained there for two weeks.<ref name=canada /> On ''RPM''{{'}}s 1986 year-end chart, it came in at number 13.<ref name="canadaend">{{cite web |title=Top Singles – Volume 45, No. 14, December 27 1986 |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0760&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=4dp17sl7hp9qmhhj3vmcenr836 |work=RPM |publisher=Library and Archives Canada |access-date=July 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018052844/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0760&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=4dp17sl7hp9qmhhj3vmcenr836 |archive-date=October 18, 2012}}</ref>

In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at the 13th position of the [[UK Singles Chart|singles chart]] on June 28, and peaked at number one two weeks later.<ref name=uk /> It held the first spot for three consecutive weeks, and was present on the chart a total of 15 weeks.<ref name=uk /> "Papa Don't Preach" was certified gold by the [[British Phonographic Industry]] (BPI) in August 1986 for shipment of 500,000 copies.<ref name="bpi" /> According to ''[[Music Week]]'' magazine, over 629,386 copies of the single have been sold in the United Kingdom as of 2008.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Alan |title=The immaculate guide to 50 years of Madonna |url=http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=22&storycode=1035210 |work=[[Music Week]] |access-date=March 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080911221201/http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=22&storycode=1035210 |archive-date=September 11, 2008 |date=August 19, 2008}}</ref> The song was commercially successful across Europe as well, reaching the first spot of the charts in Belgium,<ref name=belfla /> Ireland,<ref name=irl /> and Norway.<ref name=nor /> It also peaked within the top-five in Austria,<ref name=aut /> France,<ref name=fra /> Germany,<ref name=ger /> the Netherlands,<ref name=dt40 /> Spain and Switzerland.<ref name="spain">{{cite book |last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st |date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref><ref name=swi /> "Papa Don't Preach" reached the first position of the [[European Hot 100 Singles]] chart, where it remained for 11 weeks.<ref name="euro">{{cite magazine |title=European Hot 100 Singles |magazine=[[Music & Media]] |date=September 20, 1986 |volume=3 |issue=37 |page=12 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M%26M-1986-09-20.pdf#page=7 |access-date=July 17, 2024 |archive-date=March 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322102722/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M%26M-1986-09-20.pdf#page=7 }}</ref> It also topped the charts in Australia, and reached the top-five in South Africa and New Zealand.<ref name=kent /><ref name=nzc /><ref name="southafrica">{{cite web |title=SA Charts 1969–1989: Acts m |url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_%28M%29.html |publisher=Rock.co.za |access-date=July 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040118125019/http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(M).html |archive-date=January 18, 2004}}</ref>

== Music video ==
=== Background ===
[[File:Danny Aiello.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Actor [[Danny Aiello]] (''picture'') played Madonna's father in the video.]]
The music video for "Papa Don't Preach" was directed by [[James Foley (director)|James Foley]], with whom the singer had previously worked on "Live to Tell".<ref>{{harvnb|Metz|Benson|1999|p=309}}</ref><ref name="RS20">{{cite magazine |title="Express Yourself: The Making of Madonna's 20 greatest music videos - 7. 'Papa Don't Preach' (1986) |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/express-yourself-the-making-of-madonnas-20-greatest-music-videos-140803/papa-dont-preach-1986-67234/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830142247/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/express-yourself-the-making-of-madonnas-20-greatest-music-videos-140803/papa-dont-preach-1986-67234/ |archive-date=August 30, 2018 |date=February 25, 2014}}</ref> Crew included David Naylor and [[Sharon Oreck]] on production, while [[Michael Ballhaus]] was in charge of [[Cinematographer|cinematography]].<ref name=TICVideo>{{cite video|people=Madonna|title=[[The Immaculate Collection (video)|The Immaculate Collection]]|medium= VHS|publisher=[[Warner Music Vision]]|date=1990}}</ref> Having just done the "glamorous and stylized" videos for "Material Girl" and "Like a Virgin", for "Papa Don't Preach", Madonna wanted to "tap into a [[working-class]] environment", and do something "a bit more grounded and 'drama'", thus Foley suggested filming on [[Staten Island]].<ref name="RS20" /> Shooting took three days, with the [[Staten Island Ferry|ferry]] being used for one; the director recalled that, "there were thousands of people and [[paparazzi]] and everything".<ref name="RS20" />  The singer chose actor [[Danny Aiello]] to portray her father in the visual.<ref name="RS20" /> Aiello recalled that he did not think of Madonna as a "music star or tabloid gossip queen. We were shooting a drama, so I viewed both of us through our characters".<ref name="Aiello" /> He also revealed that he agreed to star in the video as a favor to actor [[Sean Penn]]  ―Madonna's husband at the time― and because his daughter was a fan of the singer's.<ref name="Aiello">{{harvnb|Aiello|2015|p=180}}</ref> [[Alex McArthur]] ―whom Madonna had spotted in the 1985 film ''[[Desert Hearts]]''― was cast as her romantic interest.<ref name="McArthurPeople">{{cite web |title=Alex McArthur's silent sizzling in a video with Madonna has women crying 'who's that?' |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20094280,00.html |work=People |access-date=June 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403080837/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20094280,00.html |archive-date=April 3, 2016 |date=August 11, 1986}}</ref> "I was out in the garage working on my [[Harley-Davidson|Harley]] [...] I answered the phone and a voice said, 'Hi, this is Madonna. I would like you to be in my next video'", McArthur recalled.<ref name="McArthurPeople" /> The singer's friends, actresses [[Debi Mazar]], [[Bianca Hunter]] and dancer [[Erika Belle]], also participated.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Huff |first1=Lauren |title=Debi Mazar says 'it was like old times' joining longtime pal Madonna on stage at Italy concert |url=https://ew.com/debi-mazar-joins-madonna-on-stage-8407200 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=June 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128083326/https://ew.com/debi-mazar-joins-madonna-on-stage-8407200 |archive-date=November 28, 2023 |date=November 27, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Gabriel4">{{harvnb|Gabriel|2023|p=121}}</ref>

According to Samuel R. Murrian, the video marked Madonna's first "head-to-toe image makeover".<ref name="ParadeVids">{{cite web |last1=Murrian |first1=Samuel R. |title=We ranked Madonna's 21 greatest music videos of all time – Happy birthday to the Queen of Pop |url=https://parade.com/693059/samuelmurrian/we-ranked-madonnas-20-greatest-music-videos-happy-birthday-to-the-queen-of-pop/ |work=Parade |access-date=June 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817113009/https://parade.com/693059/samuelmurrian/we-ranked-madonnas-20-greatest-music-videos-happy-birthday-to-the-queen-of-pop/ |archive-date=August 17, 2018 |date=August 16, 2018}}</ref> No longer wearing heavy jewelry and make-up, she instead adopted a [[gamine]] look, similar to the one donned by [[Shirley MacLaine]] and [[Audrey Hepburn]] in the 1950s.<ref>{{harvnb|Voller|1999|p=24}}</ref><ref name="Clerk">{{harvnb|Clerk|2002|p=62}}</ref> Her body was also leaner and muscular.<ref name="mansour">{{harvnb|Mansour|2005|p=352}}</ref> The video's main storyline revolves around an [[Italian American]] teenager (Madonna) with an unexpected pregnancy who seeks the approval of her father.<ref name="james">{{harvnb|James|1991|pp=22–23}}</ref> Author David James noted that Madonna wanted to "make sure the world could see she'd been working out heavily, [and] no longer was a streetwise 'tramp'", thus additional footage of her singing was shot.<ref name="james" /> Foley explained how this idea came to be:
<blockquote>
We took the script literally from the lyrics of the song, and I remember having a moment's hesitation about doing that because most videos are not literal interpretations. But I just felt like it was something that tied into her desire to dip into the working-class world. [We] did have the idea that there should be a segment of the video where she was Madonna —not the character in the story— and that's where it cuts to the black and white stuff of her dancing around for the chorus.<ref name="RS20" />
</blockquote>

=== Synopsis ===
[[File:Madonna Papa Don't Preach video.jpg|thumb|alt=Refer to caption|Screenshot of Madonna in the "Papa Don't Preach" music video, sporting a new image. Author Georges-Claude Guilbert compared this new look to that of actresses [[Marilyn Monroe]], [[Jean Seberg]] and [[Kim Novak]].<ref name=Guil />]]

The video begins with shots of the New York City skyline, the [[Statue of Liberty]], and Staten Island Ferry.<ref name="mitchell">{{harvnb|Mitchell|2000|p=15}}</ref> Madonna, as a sixteen-year-old [[tomboy]]ish teenager in her first months of pregnancy, walks down the sidewalk with a "determined" gaze.<ref name="begovideo">{{harvnb|Bego|2000|pp=168–169}}</ref> She wears tight jeans, a striped boatneck sweater, and carries a leather jacket to her back; her blonde hair is done in a [[Pixie cut|pixie]] style.<ref name="rettenPDP" /><ref name="begovideo" /><ref name="Gabriel4" /> When she gets home, the story of her life as an only child raised by a single father (Aiello) is told through [[Flashback (narrative)|flashback]]s.<ref name="begovideo" /> The main story is intercut with footage of Madonna  singing and dancing against a black background.<ref name="begovideo" /> In these sequences, her appearance is more "glamorous": She wears a black [[bustier]] and [[pedal pushers]], her hair is slightly curled, her lips red, and her eyes "colorfully glossed and outlined".<ref name="begovideo" /><ref name="Gabriel4" /><ref name="Clerk" />

Another flashback shows the teenager, dressed in a black T-shirt with the caption "Italians do it better", meeting and being smitten by an attractive [[mechanic]] (McArthur).<ref name="begovideo" /><ref name="Gabriel4" /> In the next scene, she ditches her girlfriends to be with him.<ref name="mitchell" /> They spend a romantic evening together on the ferry, where they reflect upon their lives after spotting an elderly couple.<ref name="mitchell" /> As the clip goes on, the teenager ―now aware of her pregnancy― is determined to keep the baby, but is worried about the situation and having to break the news to her father.<ref name="Gabriel4" /><ref name="mitchell" /> She walks up a huge outdoor stone staircase from which the camera springs outward to pan the neighborhood.<ref name="rettenPDP" /> At home, she finally comes clean with her father, who is shocked and leaves the room to think about the situation.<ref name="mitchell" /> When he comes back, he breaks down, and the final scene is of a reconciliatory hug between father and daughter.<ref name="mitchell" />

=== Reception ===
Critical feedback towards the video was generally positive. Stephen Holden called Madonna's performance in the video "virtuoso [...] like Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean', the song and its video have an iconographic resonace that could push [her] career to an even higher plateau".<ref name="SeanPenn">{{cite web |last1=Holden |first1=Stephen |title=Madonna cleans up her act but her music remains 'true blue' to controversy |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-07-10-8602190126-story.html |work=Chicago Tribune |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008135027/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-07-10-8602190126-story.html |access-date=June 28, 2024 |archive-date=October 8, 2018 |date=July 10, 1986}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Author Mary Gabriel added that it shared the song's "dramatic tension" and themes: "Love, longing, excitement, confusion, isolation, fear ―but never shame.  And ''that'' was a breakthrough. In real teen pregnancies, the girls are the 'sinners' who carry their shame. Madonna's pregnant main character has none".<ref name="Gabriel4" /> Gabriel also added that Madonna began to be compared to fellow singer [[Bruce Springsteen]] for allegedly "speaking to working-class women and girls the way [Springsteen] spoke to working-class men and boys".<ref name="Gabriel4" />

{{Quote box|width=25%|align=left|quote="Tackling the subject of an unplanned pregnancy, ['Papa Don't Preach'] was heavy on storyline, and set Madonna out as an artist who could do serious as well as sexy and fun. It is a testament to her stardom at this point that the video brought much excitement simply because she had dyed her hair blonde".|source=—''[[The Independent]]''{{'}}s Ben Kelly on "Papa Don't Preach" in his list of Madonna's ten best music videos.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kelly |first1=Ben |title=Madonna at 60: The ten best music videos from the Queen of Pop |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/madonna-best-greatest-music-videos-top-vogue-like-virgin-prayer-material-girl-hung-up-a8482496.html |work=The Independent |access-date=July 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811084930/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/madonna-best-greatest-music-videos-top-vogue-like-virgin-prayer-material-girl-hung-up-a8482496.html |archive-date=August 11, 2018 |date=August 11, 2018}}{{subscription required}}</ref>}}

To the staff of ''Rolling Stone'', it marked the moment the singer began "treating the music video concept as more of a [[short film]] than promotional clip".<ref name="RS20" /> They also applauded Madonna's "rather unglamorous" new look.<ref name=RS10>{{cite magazine |title=Readers' Poll: The best Madonna videos of all time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-the-best-madonna-videos-of-all-time-14891/10-papa-dont-preach-217846/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=June 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008135028/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-the-best-madonna-videos-of-all-time-14891/10-papa-dont-preach-217846/ |archive-date=October 8, 2018 |date=August 29, 2012}}</ref> For Hal Marcovitz, author of ''The History of Music Videos'' (2012), it marked a "sharp departure" from what the public was used to seeing in Madonna's videos.<ref>{{harvnb|Marcovitz|2012|p=55}}</ref> Mark Bego added that, "not everyone could do such an about-face with their looks and not lose their audience. However, [Madonna] pulled it off ―as she would time and time again".<ref name="begovideo" /> This opinion was shared by ''Slant Magazine''{{'}}s Eric Mason, who pointed out the sharp contrast with the "glamorous extradiegetic Madonna of 'Material Girl'".<ref name="SlantBestVids">{{cite web |title=Madonna's 25 greatest music videos |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/madonna-greatest-music-videos-ranked/ |website=Slant Magazine |access-date=June 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006153013/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/madonna-greatest-music-videos-ranked/ |archive-date=October 6, 2022 |date=October 6, 2022}}</ref> The singer's look with the leather jacket and "Italians do it better" T-shirt is considered to be one of her most "iconic" and "unforgettable".<ref>{{cite web |last2=Parsley |first2=Aaron |last1=Shultz |first1=Cara Lynn |title=65 of Madonna's most unforgettable looks in honor of her birthday - 09. Daddy's Girl |url=https://people.com/madonna-best-style-moments-6221604 |website=People |access-date=July 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817001145/https://people.com/madonna-best-style-moments-6221604 |archive-date=August 17, 2023 |format=August 16, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Allaire |first1=Christian |title=Madonna's 40 best style moments—in honor of her 40 years in music |url=https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/madonna-40-years-best-fashion-moments |work=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]] |access-date=July 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230727162413/https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/madonna-40-years-best-fashion-moments |archive-date=July 27, 2023 |date=July 27, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Madonna's most iconic kooks throughout the years |url=https://www.billboard.com/photos/madonnas-most-iconic-looks-throughout-the-years-428558/7-may-1-1986/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=July 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413014155/https://www.billboard.com/photos/madonnas-most-iconic-looks-throughout-the-years-428558/ |archive-date=April 13, 2023 |date=July 21, 2015}}</ref> Mason concluded that, "in addition to igniting controversy over freedom of choice and teen pregnancy, Madonna continued to revolutionize the music video form by expanding its capacity for narrative".<ref name="SlantBestVids" /> At the [[1987 MTV Video Music Awards]], "Papa Don't Preach" won [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video|Best Female Video]], and was nominated for [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] and [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Overall Performance|Best Overall Performance]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Dupler |first1=Steven |title=Gabriel's 'Sledgehammer' sweeps MTV Awards |magazine=Billboard |date=September 26, 1987 |volume=99 |issue=39 |page=61 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1987/Billboard-1987-09-26.pdf#page=97 |access-date=June 30, 2024 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=January 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121011913/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1987/Billboard-1987-09-26.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title='Remember, it's not whether you win that counts, but where youu sit for the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards' - The finalists |magazine=Billboard |date=September 5, 1987  |volume=99 |issue=36 |page=58 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1987/Billboard-1987-09-05.pdf#page=56 |access-date=June 28, 2024 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=January 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122000846/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1987/Billboard-1987-09-05.pdf }}</ref>

Retrospective reviews have named it one of Madonna's best music videos. On the rankings created by [[TheBacklot.com|The Backlot]] and ''Parade'', it was named her sixteenth and fifteenth greatest video, respectively.<ref name="Backlot">{{cite web |last1=Virtel |first1=Louis |author1-link=Louis Virtel |title=Madonna's 55 best videos, in honor of her 55th birthday |url=http://www.newnownext.com/madonnas-55-best-videos-in-honor-of-her-55th-birthday/08/2013/ |publisher=[[TheBacklot.com|The Backlot]] |access-date=July 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309094829/http://www.newnownext.com/madonnas-55-best-videos-in-honor-of-her-55th-birthday/08/2013/ |archive-date=March 9, 2016 |date=August 16, 2013}}</ref><ref name="ParadeVid">{{cite web |last1=Murrian |first1=Samuel R.|title=We ranked Madonna's 20 greatest music videos—Happy birthday to the queen of pop! |url=https://parade.com/693059/samuelmurrian/we-ranked-madonnas-20-greatest-music-videos-happy-birthday-to-the-queen-of-pop/ |work=Parade |access-date=July 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817113009/https://parade.com/693059/samuelmurrian/we-ranked-madonnas-20-greatest-music-videos-happy-birthday-to-the-queen-of-pop/ |archive-date=August 17, 2018 |date=August 16, 2018}}</ref> [[Louis Virtel]], writing for the former, highlighted the singer's "serious Ciccone angst", and felt it was the "urgency in [her] performance [that] makes this video".<ref name="Backlot" /> In the ranking of Madonna videos created by ''Slant Magazine'', "Papa Don't Preach" came in at number 12.<ref name="SlantBestVids" /> Rocco Papa from [[Odyssey (publication)|The Odyssey]] highlighted its views of New York City, and named it the singer's fourth best music video.<ref name="Odyssey">{{cite web |last1=Papa |first1=Rocco |title=The 10 best Madonna music videos of all-time |url=https://www.theodysseyonline.com/top-10-madonna-videos |publisher=[[Odyssey (publication)|The Odyssey]] |access-date=July 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228184146/https://www.theodysseyonline.com/top-10-madonna-videos |archive-date=February 28, 2020 |date=July 30, 2019}}</ref> It also came in at number four on ''[[MRC (company)|Idolator]]''{{'}}s ranking; Mike Neid praised it for "showing off a more serious side of her artistry".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nied |first1=Mike |title=From 'Vogue' to 'Hung Up': Madonna's 25 best videos |url=https://www.idolator.com/7684356/madonna-25-best-videos-ranked |work=Idolator |access-date=June 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231122042157/https://www.idolator.com/7684356/madonna-25-best-videos-ranked?chrome=1 |archive-date=November 22, 2023 |date=August 16, 2018}}</ref> "Papa Don't Preach"  is considered one of the singer's most controversial music videos by ''HuffPost''{{'}}s Daniel Welsh, and Sal Cinquemani.<ref name="WelshHuffControversy">{{cite web |last1=Welsh |first1=Daniel |title=A timeline of Madonna's career in controversial videos |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/madonna-most-controversial-music-videos-timeline_uk_64dc81c1e4b06b5d9bad83be |work=HuffPost |access-date=July 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816085258/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/madonna-most-controversial-music-videos-timeline_uk_64dc81c1e4b06b5d9bad83be |archive-date=August 16, 2023 |date=August 16, 2023}}</ref><ref name="SalControversial">{{cite magazine |last1=Cinquemani |first1=Sal |title=Madonna's 9 most controversial videos, From 'Papa Don't Preach' to 'God Control' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/madonna-most-controversial-videos-8517781/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=July 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117020638/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/madonna-most-controversial-videos-8517781/ |archive-date=November 17, 2021 |date=June 26, 2019}}</ref> It can be found on Madonna's video compilations ''[[The Immaculate Collection (video)|The Immaculate Collection]]'' (1990) and ''[[Celebration: The Video Collection]]'' (2009).<ref name=TICVideo/><ref name=Celebration>{{cite web |title='Celebration' – Track listing for CD & DVD announced |url=https://www.madonna.com/news/title/celebration--track-listing-for-cd--dvd-announced |publisher=Icon: Official Madonna website |access-date=July 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102085012/https://www.madonna.com/news/title/celebration--track-listing-for-cd--dvd-announced |archive-date=January 2, 2010 |date=August 25, 2009}}</ref>

=== Analysis ===
Journalist [[Ellen Goodman]] referred to the video as a "commercial for teen-age pregnancy", and chastised Madonna for "glamorizing" said subject; "[her] boyfriend is a hunky dreamboat with a conscience and moral compass, while her father is loving, supportive and even-tempered". Goodman argued that few pregnant teenagers would find a similar support from their boyfriends and families. "This happily-ever-after image has about as much to do with the reality of adolescent motherhood as Madonna's (shapely) figure has to do with pregnancy", the journalist concluded, and asked Madonna to "call off the propaganda".<ref>{{harvnb|Hart|Phelan|1993|p=347}}</ref><ref name="Marcovitz">{{harvnb|Marcovitz|2012|p=58}}</ref> Fellow singer [[Cyndi Lauper]] added: "If you're a teen mother who wants to keep her baby [...] you're not going to look like Madonna [...] it ain't gonna be that easy. Fathers don't always come around to give you their blessing. The guy who knocked you up doesn't always hang around".<ref name="Lauper">{{harvnb|Lauper|2011|p=142}}</ref> In a 1993 study of Madonna's early music videos, "race and gender" were found to be factors in how teenagers interpreted the visual.<ref name="Teenageanalysis">{{harvnb|Jamieson|Rober|2008|p=84}}</ref> 50% of African American females and 43% of African American males saw "Papa Don't Preach" as being about a father-daughter relationship, as opposed to the 25% of white females and 22% of white males who saw it that way.<ref name="Teenageanalysis" /> Most white viewers perceived it to be about pregnancy.<ref name="Teenageanalysis" />

Susanne Hamscha, one of the authors of ''The Fiction of America: Performance and the Cultural Imaginary in Literature and Film'', argued that the clip oscillates between [[Liberalism|liberal]] and [[Conservatism|conservative]] ideology, private and public, feminism and patriarchy, and "female independence and the need for paternal approval".<ref name="Hamschar" /> Amy Robinson added that the topic of abortion is "explicitly" addressed in terms of the "private/public dive", and noted how Madonna's character "glorifies parental consent".<ref name="Hamschar">{{harvnb|Hamscha|2013|p=276}}</ref> In her book ''Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context'', Carol Vernallis compared the video of "Papa Don't Preach" to that of [[No Doubt]]'s "[[Don't Speak]]" (1995), as in both cases, the songs' music and lyrics offer "imprecise evocations of time", and allow the viewer to "fill the gaps" regarding the videos' plots.<ref name="Vernallis">{{harvnb|Vernallis|2004|pp=132–134}}</ref> "'Papa Don't Preach' does not say  for how long or how often Madonna dated, or when she became fully committed to her boyfriend [...] In 'Don't Speak', how long [[Gwen Stefani]] had a relationship with a member of the band and when she developed troubles is also uncertain", Vernallis wrote.<ref name="Vernallis" />

== Controversy ==
[[File:Madonna II A 10 (cropped)2.jpg|thumb|150px|left|The song's performance on the [[Who's That Girl World Tour]] (1987) marked Madonna's first conflict with the Vatican.<ref name=Buddenbaum />]]
As the popularity of the song and video increased in the United States, so did the criticism and support it received from groups concerned with pregnancy and abortion.<ref name="TNYTAbortion" /><ref name="Chapman">{{harvnb|Chapman|2010|p=33}}</ref> Conservatives saw Madonna advocating a [[Anti-abortion movements|pro-life]] stance; others, including woman's organizations and parents, criticized her for "promoting" teenage pregnancy.<ref name="Chapman" /> Feminist lawyer [[Gloria Allred]], spokeswoman of the [[National Organization for Women]] (NOW), angrily called for the singer to make a public statement or another record supporting the track's opposite point of view.<ref>{{cite web |title=Music-Rock news & notes |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LA&p_theme=la&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EF50FD8A0950E46&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |work=[[Los Angeles Daily News]] |access-date=July 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017101725/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LA&p_theme=la&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EF50FD8A0950E46&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |archive-date=October 17, 2012 |date=September 12, 1986}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Alfred Moran, executive director of New York City's [[Planned Parenthood]], went as far as to send out a "critical demo" to radio and TV stations, advising them to "think carefully" before playing the song or airing the video.<ref name="Gabriel5">{{harvnb|Gabriel|2023|pp=118–119}}</ref>  According to Moran, the song's message is that "getting pregnant is cool [a]nd having the baby is the right thing and a good thing and don't listen to your parents, the school, anybody who tells you otherwise —don't preach to me, Papa".<ref name="TNYTAbortion" /> He further told ''The New York Times'': "Everybody I've talked to believes [Madonna] has more impact on young teen-agers than any other single entertainer since the Beatles, that's what makes this particular song so destructive".<ref name="TNYTAbortion">{{cite web |last1=Dullea |first1=Georgia |title=Madonna's new beat is a hit, but song's message rankles |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/18/nyregion/madonna-s-new-beat-is-a-hit-but-song-s-message-rankles.html?sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=all |work=The New York Times |access-date=July 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127102017/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/18/nyregion/madonna-s-new-beat-is-a-hit-but-song-s-message-rankles.html?sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=all |archive-date=November 27, 2013 |date=September 18, 1986}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Conservative [[social worker]] Kathie Peters added that, "too many kids are getting pregnant. They don't know what they're getting into. I don't like the [song's] message".<ref name="TNYTAbortion" /> Prior to its release, the singer herself discussed the song with Stephen Holden:
<blockquote>
"'Papa Don't Preach' is a message song that everyone is going to take the wrong way. Immediately they're going to say I am advising every young girl to go out and get pregnant. When I first heard the song, I thought it was silly. But then I thought, wait a minute, this song is really about a girl who is making a decision in her life. She has a very close relationship with her father and wants to maintain that closeness. To me it's a celebration of life. It says, 'I love you, father, and I love this man and this child that is growing inside me'. Of course, who knows how it will end? But at least it starts off positive".<ref name=HeartNYT />
</blockquote>
In contrast, groups opposed to abortion applauded "Papa Don't Preach". [[Susan Carpenter-McMillan]], president of the [[California]] chapter of [[Feminists for Life]] (FFL), said that, "[abortion] is readily available on every street corner for young women. Now what Madonna is telling them is, 'hey, there's an alternative'".<ref name="TNYTAbortion" /> Brian Elliot himself allegedly said that, "if [Madonna] has influenced [pregnant] young girls to keep their babies, I don’t think that’s such a bad deal".<ref name="Stereogum" /> [[Tipper Gore|Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Gore]], co-founder of the [[Parents Music Resource Center]] (PMRC), and who two years earlier had condemned Madonna's single "Dress You Up", deemed "Papa Don't Preach" an "important song, and a good one, which discusses, with urgency, a real predicament which thousands of unwed teenagers face in our country [...] It also speaks to the fact that there's got to be more support and more communication in familiies about this problem".<ref name="Stereogum" /><ref name="TNYTAbortion" /> In this vein, [[Joyce Millman]] wrote in the ''[[The Phoenix (newspaper)|Boston Phoenix]]'': "['Papa Don't Preach'] is Madonna's finest three minutes, not merely because it addresses teen pregnancy, but because it suggests that a portion of the blame rests on parents' reluctance to discuss, not lecture, about sex".<ref name="Gabriel5" /> Mary Gabriel noted how in the 1980s, ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' and the subject of abortion were still "overwhelmed by the religious right, which shifted the focus to the ''[[fetus]]''. The woman carrying it became a troublesome bit player".<ref name="Gabriel5" /> With "Papa Don't Preach", Madonna "returned the woman to the center stage ―it became about what ''she'' wanted".<ref name="Gabriel5" />

Madonna herself did not comment on the song's use as a pro-life statement.<ref name="TNYTAbortion" /> Her publicist Liz Rosenberg released a statement saying that, "[she's] singing a song, not taking a stand [...] her philosophy is people can think what they want to think".<ref name="TNYTAbortion" /> The song's performance on 1987's [[Who's That Girl World Tour]] also caused controversy, as Madonna dedicated it to [[Pope John Paul II]].<ref name="WTGControversy">{{cite web |last1=Farber |first1=Jim |title=When it comes to controversy on tour, Madonna's been down this road |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2008/10/22/2008-10-22_when_it_comes_to_controversy_on_tour_mad.html |website=[[New York Daily News]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081023190357/https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2008/10/22/2008-10-22_when_it_comes_to_controversy_on_tour_mad.html |archive-date=October 23, 2008 |date=October 22, 2008}}</ref> The [[Holy See|Vatican]] publicly denounced the singer and John Paul II urged fans to boycott the concerts in Italy.<ref name=Buddenbaum>{{harvnb|Buddenbaum|2009|p=105}}</ref><ref name="WTGControversy" /> Georges-Claude Guilbert found it hard to believe that, "[Madonna] did not know that she was going to cause a huge controversy [...] With such a song and video, she was throwing in America's face the image of a country ravaged by the abortion debate, which is far from being resolved".<ref name=Guil>{{harvnb|Guilbert|2002|p=169}}</ref> In 2016, ''Spin'' magazine listed "Papa Don't Preach" among the most controversial songs of all time.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lentini |first1=Liza |title=The 15 most controversial songs of all-time |url=https://www.spin.com/2016/05/the-15-most-controversial-songs-of-all-time/ |work=Spin |access-date=July 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527130253/https://www.spin.com/2016/05/the-15-most-controversial-songs-of-all-time/ |archive-date=May 27, 2022 |date=May 17, 2016}}</ref>

== Live performances ==
[[File:Papa Don't Preach Seattle (cropped).jpg|thumb|Madonna singing the track on [[the MDNA Tour]] of 2012.]]
"Papa Don't Preach" has been included on five of Madonna's [[List of Madonna concerts|concert tours]]: Who's That Girl (1987), [[Blond Ambition World Tour|Blond Ambition]] (1990), [[Re-Invention World Tour|Re-Invention]] (2004), [[The MDNA Tour|MDNA]] (2012), and [[Madame X Tour|Madame X]] (2019―2020).  On the first one, she performed the song wearing a 1950s blue dress and a leather jacket.<ref name="WTG1">{{cite web |last1=Hilburn |first1=Robert |title=Tour Opens: It's true, Madonna is really good |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-29-ca-133-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=June 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514004511/http://articles.latimes.com/1987-06-29/entertainment/ca-133_1_madonna-tour-opens/2 |archive-date=May 14, 2014 |date=June 29, 1987}}{{subscription required}}</ref> The screen in the background projected images of Pope John Paul II, then-[[president of the United States]] [[Ronald Reagan]], the [[White House]], and the phrase "[[Safe sex]]".<ref name="WTG1" /><ref name="WTG2">{{cite web |last1=Snead |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Zamost |first2=Scott A. |title=New Madonna tour sets racy tone |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1987-07-02-8702190005-story.html |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123121513/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1987-07-02-8702190005-story.html |archive-date=January 23, 2019 |date=July 2, 1987}}</ref> Writing for ''The New York Times'', [[Jon Pareles]] pointed out that, at certain point in the performance, Madonna tilted her chin up to resemble the cover photograph for ''True Blue''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pareles |first1=Jon |author1-link=Jon Pareles |title=Pop: Madonna benefit for AIDS at the Garden |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/15/arts/pop-madonna-benefit-for-aids-at-the-garden.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311104529/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/15/arts/pop-madonna-benefit-for-aids-at-the-garden.html |archive-date=March 11, 2013 |date=July 15, 1987}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Two different performances can be found on the videos ''Who's That Girl: Live in Japan'', filmed in [[Tokyo]] on June, and ''[[Ciao Italia: Live from Italy]]'', filmed in [[Turin]] on September.<ref>{{cite video|people=Madonna |title=Who's That Girl: Live in Japan|medium=VHS|publisher=Warner Home Video|date=1987}}</ref><ref name="ciao">{{cite video|people=Madonna |title=[[Ciao Italia: Live from Italy]]|medium=VHS|publisher=Warner Home Video|date=1988}}</ref>

On the Blond Ambition World Tour, "Papa Don't Preach" was given a [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] theme. The stage was set up to resemble a candlelit [[cathedral]], while Madonna wore black [[vestments]].<ref name="WashingtonBAT">{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Joe |title=Madonna tour in vogue |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1990/06/08/madonna-tour-in-vogue/2a3ca790-4611-4ec7-8a54-59b228158aca/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240501142610/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1990/06/08/madonna-tour-in-vogue/2a3ca790-4611-4ec7-8a54-59b228158aca/ |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |date=June 7, 1990}}{{subscription required}}</ref><ref name="Orlando">{{cite web |title=Madonna embarks on a Tour de Force: her 'Blond Ambition' is a tough test for the competition |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1990/05/09/madonna-embarks-on-a-tour-de-force-her-blond-ambition-is-a-tough-test-for-the-competition/ |website=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217094036/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1990/05/09/madonna-embarks-on-a-tour-de-force-her-blond-ambition-is-a-tough-test-for-the-competition/ |archive-date=December 17, 2023 |date=May 8, 1990}}{{subscription required}}</ref> The number featured seven dancers, and the choreography mixed [[Contemporary ballet|modern]] and [[Classical ballet|classical]] [[ballet]], as noted by Mary Gabriel.<ref name="Gabriel3">{{harvnb|Gabriel|2023|p=186}}</ref> Carlton Wilborn, one of the dancers, played a priest Madonna interacted with.<ref name="WashingtonBAT" /> While reviewing the [[Houston]] concert, the staff of the  ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]'' highlighted the number's "joyous gospel and heavy gothic organ scorings".<ref name="Orlando" /> Performances of the song can be found in ''Blond Ambition Japan Tour 90'', taped in [[Yokohama]], and in ''[[Blond Ambition World Tour Live]]'', taped in [[Nice]].<ref name="yokohama">{{cite video|people=Madonna|title=Blond Ambition Japan Tour 90|medium=VHS|publisher=Warner-Pioneer Japan|date=1990}}</ref><ref>{{cite video|people=Madonna|title=[[Blond Ambition World Tour Live]]|medium=Laserdisc|publisher=Pioneer Artists|date=1990}}</ref>

[[File:Madonna Celebration Tour 2023 NYC (53398716370).jpg|thumb|left|Elements of "Papa Don't Preach" were incorporated to the performance of "[[Erotica (song)|Erotica]]" (1992) on [[the Celebration Tour]] (2023―2024).]]

For the song's performance on the Re-Invention World Tour, Madonna donned a plaid [[kilt]] and a black T-shirt that read "[[Kabbalah|Kabbalists]] Do It Better" ―a nod to the music video.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Walters |first1=Barry |title=Madonna Reinvents Herself |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/madonna-reinvents-herself-252287/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723171524/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/madonna-reinvents-herself-252287/ |archive-date=July 23, 2020 |date=May 25, 2004}}{{subscription required}}</ref> The number, which included a [[Ring a Ring o' Roses]] [[circle dance]], was praised for its "playfulness and innocence" by ''[[Newsday]]''{{'}}s Glenn Gamboa.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gamboa |first1=Glenn |title=Madonna not ready to quit |url=http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/nyc-1mad0617,0,7506643.story |work=[[Newsday]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040619014027/http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/nyc-1mad0617,0,7506643.story |archive-date=June 19, 2004 |date=June 18, 2004}}</ref> On the MDNA Tour, the "dark and apocalyptic" performance of "Papa Don't Preach" sees Madonna "manhandled and bound by military thugs".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gopalan |first1=Nisha |title=Madonna at Yankee Stadium: Concert Review |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/madonna-yankee-stadium-concert-review-lady-gaga-369114 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=July 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913004205/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/madonna-yankee-stadium-concert-review-lady-gaga-369114 |archive-date=September 13, 2012 |date=September 10, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Mervis |first1=Scott |title=Madonna is a 'girl gone wild' for Obama in Consol concert |url=http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/12312/1274997-501.stm |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110122808/http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/12312/1274997-501.stm |archive-date=November 10, 2012 |date=November 7, 2012}}</ref> Timothy Finn, for ''[[The Kansas City Star]]'', noted that it was the number that caused the "first big eruption" from the crowd.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Finn |first1=Timothy |title=Madonna gives Kansas City an everlasting hello |url=https://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/31/3893920/madonna-gives-kansas-city-an-everlasting.html |work=[[The Kansas City Star]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101234103/https://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/31/3893920/madonna-gives-kansas-city-an-everlasting.html |archive-date=November 1, 2012 |date=October 31, 2012}}</ref> The performances of the song at the November 19–20 shows in [[Miami]] were recorded and released in the ''[[MDNA World Tour (album)|MDNA World Tour]]'' [[live album]] (2013).<ref name="mdnavid">{{cite video|people=Madonna |title=[[MDNA World Tour (album)|MDNA World Tour]]|medium=CD, DVD, Blu-ray|publisher=[[Interscope Records]]|date=2013}}</ref>  "Papa Don't Preach" was one of the songs performed during Madonna's visit to ''[[The Late Late Show with James Corden]]'' in December 2016.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kelley |first1=Seth |title=Madonna twerks, vogues and talks kissing Michael Jackson in full Carpool Karaoke (Watch) |url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/madonna-carpool-karaoke-james-corden-watch-michael-jackson-1201937136/ |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209045107/https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/madonna-carpool-karaoke-james-corden-watch-michael-jackson-1201937136/ |archive-date=December 9, 2016 |date=December 8, 2016}}</ref>

On the Madame X Tour, Madonna sang the first verse and chorus of "Papa Don't Preach" against a backdrop of ''[[Susanna and the Elders (Artemisia Gentileschi, Pommersfelden)|Susanna and the Elders]]'' by [[Artemisia Gentileschi]], following an "impassioned tirade about abortion".<ref name="Gabriel2">{{harvnb|Gabriel|2023|p=316}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Stern |first1=Bradley |title=Madonna X-periments with 'The Madame X Tour' |url=https://www.papermag.com/madonna-madame-x-tour |website=[[Paper (magazine)|Paper]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231006010334/https://www.papermag.com/madonna-madame-x-tour#rebelltitem50 |archive-date=October 6, 2023 |date=September 20, 2019}}</ref> She additionally changed the lyric ''I'm keeping my baby'' to ''I'm not keeping my baby''.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Greenblatt |first1=Leah |title=Madonna brings freewheeling intimacy to Madame X tour |url=https://ew.com/concerts/2019/09/20/madonna-madame-x-tour-review-brooklyn/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=June 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921024709/https://ew.com/concerts/2019/09/20/madonna-madame-x-tour-review-brooklyn/ |archive-date=September 21, 2019 |date=September 20, 2019}}</ref> Selena Fragassi, from the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', applauded the singer for turning the song into a "platform for pro-choice beliefs".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fragassi |first1=Selena |title=10:45 p.m. start time very much in vogue (and worth the wait) when you're Madonna |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/17/20919268/madonna-review-chicago-madame-x-no-cell-phones |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018070214/https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/17/20919268/madonna-review-chicago-madame-x-no-cell-phones |archive-date=October 18, 2019 |date=October 17, 2019}}</ref>

The song's string introduction was used as [[coda (music)|coda]] during the performance of "[[Erotica (song)|Erotica]]" (1992) on [[the Celebration Tour]] (2023―2024).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Savage |first1=Mark |title=Madonna's Celebration Tour reviewed: The Queen of pop brings out her crown jewels |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-67098882 |publisher=[[BBC]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015041053/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-67098882 |archive-date=October 15, 2023 |date=October 14, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ragusa |first1=Paolo |title=In Madonna's 'Celebration Tour', a Pop star examines her past: Review |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/madonna-celebration-tour-pop-star-224723838.html |publisher=[[Yahoo!|Yahoo! Entertainment]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |date=December 14, 2023}}</ref> In the sequence, Madonna simulates being masturbated by a dancer wearing the [[Jean-Paul Gaultier]]-designed corset from Blond Ambition, and recreates "Papa Don't Preach"{{'}}s choreography from that tour.<ref name="BBCelebration">{{cite magazine|last1=Lynch |first1=Joe |title=The 17 best moments from Madonna's Celebration Tour opening night in London |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/madonna-tour-celebration-london-opening-night-best-moments/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015101939/https://www.billboard.com/lists/madonna-tour-celebration-london-opening-night-best-moments/ |archive-date=October 15, 2023 |date=October 14, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Matthews |first1=Martin |title=Madonna: The O2 Arena, London – Live Review |url=https://louderthanwar.com/madonna-the-o2-arena-london-live-review/ |work=[[Louder Than War]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209021913/https://louderthanwar.com/madonna-the-o2-arena-london-live-review/ |archive-date=December 9, 2023 |date=December 8, 2023}}</ref> Reviewing one of the [[Seattle]] concerts, Michael Rietmulder from ''[[The Seattle Times|The Times]]'' lamented the absence of the full song.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rietmulder |first1=Michael |title=Review: Madonna makes her theatrical, erotic return to Seattle after 12 years |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/review-madonna-makes-her-theatrical-erotic-return-to-seattle-after-12-years/ |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218221850/https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/review-madonna-makes-her-theatrical-erotic-return-to-seattle-after-12-years/ |archive-date=February 18, 2024 |date=February 18, 2024}}</ref>

== Covers ==
{{See also|List of cover versions of Madonna songs|List of Madonna tribute albums}}

=== Kelly Osbourne ===
[[File:Australias got Talent Judges (25625771952) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|In 2002, [[Kelly Osbourne]] (''pictured'') released a cover of "Papa Don't Preach" that was met with lukewarm critical reviews but achieved commercial success, reaching the top three in the United Kingdom and Australia.]]
A [[pop-metal]] cover of "Papa Don't Preach" was recorded by [[Kelly Osbourne]] in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gill |first1=Andy |title=Album: ''The Osbournes'' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-the-osbournes-180933.html |work=The Independent |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807014858/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-the-osbournes-180933.html |archive-date=August 7, 2021 |date=January 6, 2014}}</ref><ref name=Crawford>{{harvnb|Crawford|2013|pp=135}}</ref> In April of that year, MTV reported that Osbourne had recorded a "rough" demo of the song per her mother [[Sharon Osbourne|Sharon]]'s suggestion.<ref name="MTVKelly1">{{cite web |title=Kelly Osbourne collaborating with Incubus members on 'Papa Don't Preach' cover |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1453229/kelly-osbourne-collaborating-with-incubus-members-on-papa-dont-preach-cover/ |publisher=[[MTV]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929021533/http://www.mtv.com/news/1453229/kelly-osbourne-collaborating-with-incubus-members-on-papa-dont-preach-cover/ |archive-date=September 29, 2015 |date=April 2, 2002}}</ref><ref name="MTVKelly2">{{cite web |last1=Downey |first1=Ryan J. |title=Kelly Osbourne performing at MTV Movie Awards |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1454587/kelly-osbourne-performing-at-mtv-movie-awards/ |publisher=MTV |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405025647/http://www.mtv.com/news/1454587/kelly-osbourne-performing-at-mtv-movie-awards/ |archive-date=April 5, 2015 |date=May 30, 2002}}</ref> Produced by her brother [[Jack Osbourne|Jack]], it featured [[Incubus (band)|Incubus]] members [[Mike Einziger]] and [[Jose Pasillas]] on guitar and drums, respectively.<ref name="MTVKelly1" /> Executives for ''[[The Osbournes]]'' were impressed with the demo and requested a studio version, which would be included on a planned soundtrack to the series.<ref name="MTVKelly3">{{cite web |last1=Moss |first1=Corey |title=Kelly Osbourne's ready for her closeup with 'Papa Don't Preach' video |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1453639/kelly-osbournes-ready-for-her-closeup-with-papa-dont-preach-video/ |publisher=MTV |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226084426/http://www.mtv.com/news/1453639/kelly-osbournes-ready-for-her-closeup-with-papa-dont-preach-video/ |archive-date=December 26, 2014 |date=April 26, 2002}}</ref> According to Osbourne, series executives originally wanted her sister [[Aimee Osbourne|Aimee]] to record the song, but she declined and suggested Kelly do it instead.<ref name="MTVKelly3" /> Osbourne then re-recorded the song without the involvement of her brother or the Incubus members.<ref name="MTVKelly2" /> The rendition was included on ''[[The Osbourne Family Album]]'' soundtrack, and released as a single on August 13.<ref name="MTVKelly2" /><ref name=Crawford /> The following year, it was added as a [[hidden track|hidden bonus track]] to Osbourne's debut album ''[[Shut Up (Kelly Osbourne album)|Shut Up]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kelly Osbourne: ''Shut Up'' |url=https://www.popmatters.com/osbournekelly-shut-2496023581.html |work=PopMatters |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331172051/https://www.popmatters.com/osbournekelly-shut-2496023581.html |archive-date=March 31, 2022 |date=February 13, 2003}}</ref> Explaining the cover, Osbourne said, "I love Madonna. Who doesn't?"<ref name=MTVKelly4>{{cite web |last1=Mancini |first1=Rob |title=Osbournes unveil f—ing ''Family Album'' |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1453987/osbournes-unveil-f-ing-family-album/ |publisher=MTV |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102062621/http://www.mtv.com/news/1453987/osbournes-unveil-f-ing-family-album/ |archive-date=November 2, 2015 |date=May 15, 2002}}</ref>

To promote the release, Osbourne shot a music video in Los Angeles, under the direction of [[Marcos Siega]].<ref name=MTVKelly4 /> She also appeared on ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'', and sang the single live at the [[2002 MTV Movie Awards|MTV Movie Awards]], where her [[Ozzy Osbourne|father]] introduced her to the audience.<ref name="BBReviewKelly">{{cite magazine |last1=Taylor |first1=Chuck |title=Reviews & Previews: Singles |magazine=Billboard |date=June 15, 2022 |volume=114 |issue=24 |page=24 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2002/BB-2002-06-15.pdf#page=24 |access-date=June 25, 2024 |issn=0006-2510}}</ref><ref name="MTVKelly2" /> Critical reviews were generally mixed: For ''Billboard'', Chuck Arnold considered it an "aggressive [[post-punk]] anthem" that's "certainly good for three minutes of steering-wheel banging on the way to the market" and "could just make Ozzy one proud daddy".<ref name="BBReviewKelly" /> ''NME''{{'}}s Peter Robinson, on the other hand, said it made "precisely zero sense", and panned it as a "sorry mess [that's] barely distinguishable".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Robinson |first1=Peter |title=Kelly Osbourne featuring Incubus: Papa Don't Preach |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-nme-6691-319252 |work=NME |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123055500/https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-nme-6691-319252 |archive-date=January 23, 2021 |date=September 12, 2005}}</ref> From ''Entertainment Weekly'', Rob Brunner was also negative on his review, dismissing the cover as "unnecessary".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Brunner |first1=Rob |title=Music capsule review: Papa Don't Preach |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,254407,00.html |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080125095046/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,254407,00.html |archive-date=January 25, 2008 |date=June 3, 2002}}</ref>

Despite lukewarm reviews from critics, the cover was commercially successful: It peaked at number three in the United Kingdom and Australia, where it was certified platinum by the [[Australian Recording Industry Association]] (ARIA) for having sold over 70,000 units.<ref>{{cite web |title=Artist Chart History: Kelly Osbourne |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/12508/kelly-osbourne/ |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-date=March 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331172443/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/12508/kelly-osbourne/ }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kelly Osbourne – Papa Don't Preach (song) |url=https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kelly+Osbourne&titel=Papa+Don%27t+Preach&cat=s |publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503155310/https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kelly+Osbourne&titel=Papa+Don%27t+Preach&cat=s |archive-date=May 3, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2002 |url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/2002/singles-chart |publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026130308/https://www.aria.com.au/charts/2002/singles-chart |archive-date=October 26, 2020}}</ref> Furthermore, Osbourne's rendition of "Papa Don't Preach" reached the top 40 in Austria, Germany, Italy, and New Zealand, the top 20 in Sweden, and the top 10 in Ireland and Finland.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kelly Osbourne – Papa Don't Preach (song) |url=https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kelly+Osbourne&titel=Papa+Don%27t+Preach&cat=s |publisher=[[Sverigetopplistan]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707103139/https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kelly+Osbourne&titel=Papa+Don%27t+Preach&cat=s |archive-date=July 7, 2012 |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kelly Osbourne – Papa Don't Preach (song) |url=http://irish-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kelly+Osbourne&titel=Papa+Don%27t+Preach&cat=s |publisher=[[Irish Recorded Music Association]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012122037/http://irish-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kelly+Osbourne&titel=Papa+Don%27t+Preach&cat=s |archive-date=October 12, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kelly Osbourne – Papa Don't Preach (song) |url=https://finnishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kelly+Osbourne&titel=Papa+Don%27t+Preach&cat=s |publisher=[[YLE]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503000217/https://finnishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kelly+Osbourne&titel=Papa+Don%27t+Preach&cat=s |archive-date=May 3, 2014 |language=fi}}</ref>

=== Other artists and versions ===
In 1986, American singer [["Weird Al" Yankovic]] incorporated "Papa Don't Preach" into "[[List of "Weird Al" Yankovic polka medleys#Polka Party!|Polka Party!]]", one of the polka medleys taken from his [[Polka Party!|album of the same name]].<ref>{{cite web |title="Weird Al" Yankovic: Parodies & Polkas |url=http://www.weirdal.com/parodypolkas.htm |publisher=Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Website |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070113231432/http://www.weirdal.com/parodypolkas.htm |archive-date=January 13, 2007}}</ref> Danny Aiello, who played Madonna's father in the music video, released "Papa Wants The Best For You", an [[answer song]] written by [[Artie Schroeck]], told from a father's point of view.<ref name="PapaWants">{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Liz |title=Papa gets second chance in new video |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19861022&id=jmoeAAAAIBAJ&pg=6710,2137407 |access-date=July 27, 2024 |work=[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]] |date=October 22, 1986 |page=102 |archive-date=March 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322102716/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19861022&id=jmoeAAAAIBAJ&pg=6710,2137407 }}</ref> According to the actor, the father and daughter from "Papa Don't Preach" seemed "unable to talk to one another about something that is going to change their lives forever", thus he decided to make his own statement.<ref name="PapaWants" /> Aiello recorded a video for the song, and even asked Madonna to participate, but she turned the offer down.<ref name="RS20" /> In 1987, Dutch [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band Angus released a rendition of the song under the title "Papa Don't Freak!".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Tracking |magazine=Music & Media |date=July 11, 1987 |volume=4 |issue=27 |page=8 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1987/M&M-1987-07-11.pdf#page=5 |access-date=June 28, 2024}}</ref> That same year, Canadian singer [[Céline Dion]] sang the track on a Canadian sketch show, wearing a blonde wig and a black strapless getup like the one Madonna wore on the video.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bartelds |first1=Jaap |title=Very vintage: Céline Dion zingt Madonna's 'Papa Don't Preach' |url=https://www.winq.nl/very-vintage-celine-dion-zingt-madonnas-papa-dont-preach/272987 |work=[[:nl:Winq|Winq]] |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225224939/https://www.winq.nl/very-vintage-celine-dion-zingt-madonnas-papa-dont-preach/272987 |archive-date=February 25, 2024 |language=nl |date=January 17, 2024}}</ref>

In 2002, French–Dutch group [[Mad'House]] did a [[Eurodance]] take on the song for their album ''Absolutely Mad''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mad'House > ''Absolutely Mad'' > Overview |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/absolutely-mad-mw0000227345 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130415043101/https://www.allmusic.com/album/absolutely-mad-mw0000227345 |archive-date=April 15, 2013 |date=September 3, 2002}}</ref> One Year later, Irish band [[Picturehouse (band)|Picturehouse]] sang it for the first ''[[Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 1|Even Better Than the Real Thing]]'' covers album.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 1'' |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/even-better-than-the-real-thing-vol-1/1596342347 |publisher=[[Apple Music]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |date=November 28, 2003 |archive-date=March 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331202120/https://music.apple.com/mx/album/even-better-than-the-real-thing-vol-1/1596342347 }}</ref> "Papa Don't Preach" was [[sample (music)|sampled]] at the beginning of American singer [[Mario Winans]]' song "Never Really Was" (2004).<ref>{{cite web |title=Single: Mario Winans – Never Really Was |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/find_out/specials/reviews/newsid_3591000/3591466.stm |publisher=[[CBBC (TV channel)|CBBC]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503003907/http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/find_out/specials/reviews/newsid_3591000/3591466.stm |archive-date=May 3, 2014 |date=August 30, 2004}}</ref> Renditions of the song for tribute albums include one by Brook Barros on ''The Music of Madonna'' (2005), and a [[jazz]] version on Bo.Da's '' Plays Madonna in Jazz'' (2007).<ref>{{cite web |title=Brook Barros > ''The Music of Madonna'' > Overview |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-music-of-madonna-mw0001158061 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=June 25, 2024 |date=October 17, 2005 |archive-date=April 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420055413/https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-music-of-madonna-mw0001158061 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bo.Da' > ''Plays Madonna in Jazz'' > Overview |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r1039414 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=June 25, 2024 |date=February 19, 2017 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923093150/https://www.allmusic.com/album/plays-madonna-in-jazz-mw0001093362}}</ref> In 2009, [[Dianna Agron]] sang the track on "[[Hairography]]", the eleventh episode of American television series ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Berk |first1=Brett |title=The gay guide to ''Glee'': Episode 11, "Hairography" |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2009/11/the-gay-guide-to-glee-episode-11-hairography |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |access-date=June 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413164431/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2009/11/the-gay-guide-to-glee-episode-11-hairography |archive-date=April 13, 2016 |date=November 25, 2009}}</ref> Ten years later, Palestinian artist and activist Shahd Abusalama released "Madonna Don't Go", a parody that addressed the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]] and urged the singer to pull out of performing at the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2019|Eurovision Song Contest]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kelleher |first1=Patrick |title=Madonna urged to boycott Eurovision with Papa Don't Preach parody |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2019/05/14/madonna-urged-boycott-eurovision-papa-dont-preach-parody/ |work=[[PinkNews]] |access-date=July 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220203931/https://www.thepinknews.com/2019/05/14/madonna-urged-boycott-eurovision-papa-dont-preach-parody/ |archive-date=February 20, 2023 |date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>

== Track listing and formats ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

*'''US 7" single'''<ref>{{cite AV media|people=Madonna|title=Papa Don't Preach|year=1986|type=US seven-inch single liner notes|publisher=Sire Records|id=728660}}</ref>
#"Papa Don't Preach"&nbsp;– 4:27
#"Pretender"&nbsp;– 4:28

*'''UK 7" single'''<ref>{{cite AV media|people=Madonna|title=Papa Don't Preach|year=1986|type=UK seven-inch single liner notes|publisher=Sire Records|id=928 636-7}}</ref>
#"Papa Don't Preach"&nbsp;– 4:27
#"Ain't No Big Deal"&nbsp;– 4:12

*'''Japan 7" single'''<ref>{{cite AV media|people=Madonna|title=Papa Don't Preach|year=1986|type=Japanese seven-inch Single liner notes|publisher=Sire Records|id=9205030}}</ref>
#"Papa Don't Preach" (Radio Edit)&nbsp;– 3:47
#"Think of Me"&nbsp;– 4:54

*'''International [[CD Video]] single'''<ref>{{cite AV media|people=Madonna|title=Papa Don't Preach|others=Madonna|date=1986|type=International CD video single liner notes|publisher=Sire Records|id=9 25681-2}}</ref>
#"Papa Don't Preach"&nbsp;– 4:27
#"Papa Don't Preach" (Extended Remix)&nbsp;– 5:43
#"Pretender"&nbsp;– 4:28
#"Papa Don't Preach" (Video)&nbsp;– 5:00
{{col-2}}

*'''US 12" Maxi-single'''<ref name="PDP12">{{cite AV media|people=Madonna|title=Papa Don't Preach|date=1986|type=US twelve-inch maxi lingle liner notes|publisher=Sire Records|id=9204920}}</ref>
#"Papa Don't Preach" (Extended Remix)&nbsp;– 5:43
#"Pretender"&nbsp;– 4:28

*'''European limited edition 12" single'''<ref>{{cite AV media|people=Madonna|title=Papa Don't Preach|date=1986|type=European 12-inch limited single liner notes|publisher=Sire Records|id=020492}}</ref>
#A1."Papa Don't Preach" (Extended Version)&nbsp;– 5:45
#B1."Ain't No Big Deal"&nbsp;– 4:12
#B2."Papa Don't Preach"&nbsp;– 4:27

*'''Germany CD Maxi-single (1995)'''<ref>{{cite AV media|people=Madonn|title=Papa Don't Preach|date=1995|type=German CD maxi-single liner notes|publisher=Sire Records|id=721986}}</ref>
#"Papa Don't Preach" (Extended Version)&nbsp;– 5:45
#"Ain't No Big Deal"&nbsp;– 4:12
#"Papa Don't Preach"&nbsp;– 4:27

*'''Digital Single (2024)'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Papa Don't Preach - Single |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/papa-dont-preach-single/1750987324 |publisher=[[Apple Music]] |access-date=July 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240612124728/https://music.apple.com/us/album/papa-dont-preach-single/1750987324 |archive-date=June 12, 2024 |date=June 11, 1986}}</ref>
#"Papa Don't Preach"&nbsp;– 4:28
#"Ain't No Big Deal"&nbsp;– 4:13
#"Papa Don't Preach" (Extended Remix)&nbsp;– 5:42
{{col-end}}

== Credits and personnel ==
Credits and personnel are adapted from the ''True Blue'' album liner notes, and the US twelve-inch single liner notes.<ref name="LinerTB">{{cite AV media |people= Madonna|year=1986 |title=[[True Blue (Madonna album)|True Blue]]|medium=LP, Vinyl, CD |publisher=Sire Records |id= 925442-2}}</ref><ref name="PDP12" />

* Brian Elliot&nbsp;– Music and lyrics
* [[Madonna]]&nbsp;– additional lyrics, producer, lead vocals
* [[Stephen Bray]]&nbsp;– producer, keyboards, synth bass, drums, percussion 
* [[Reggie Lucas]]&nbsp;– producer of "Ain't No Big Deal"
* [[David Williams (guitarist)|David Williams]]&nbsp;– rhythm guitar
* [[Bruce Gaitsch]]&nbsp;– electric guitar
* John Putnam&nbsp;– acoustic guitar, electric guitar
* [[Fred Zarr]]&nbsp;– additional keyboards
* [[Jonathan Moffett]]&nbsp;– percussion
* Billy Meyers&nbsp;– string arrangements
* [[Siedah Garrett]]&nbsp;– background vocals
* Edie Lehmann&nbsp;– background vocals
* [[Herb Ritts]]&nbsp;– photography
* Jeri McManus&nbsp;– design

== Charts ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

=== Weekly charts ===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1986)
!Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name="kent">{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/08/22/madonna-preaches-her-message-to-appreciative-worldwide-audience/|title=Madonna Preaches Her Message to Appreciative Worldwide Audience|date=August 22, 1986|last=DeKnock|first=Jan|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=July 5, 2024|archive-date=October 24, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024171944/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-08-22/entertainment/8603030190_1_preach-higher-love-papa }}{{subscription required}}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
{{single chart|Austria|4|artist=Madonna|song=Papa Don't Preach|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=aut}}
|-
{{single chart|Flanders|1|artist=Madonna|song=Papa Don't Preach|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=belfla}}
|-
!scope="row"|Brazil ([[Pro-Música Brasil|ABPD]])<ref name="Brazilpeak">{{cite magazine|url=http://files.revistapelo.com.ar/pdf/276.pdf|title=Charts: Simples|magazine=[[:es:Pelo (revista)|Pelo]]|page=7|date=1986|access-date=July 5, 2024|language=es|number=276|archive-date=March 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320162642/http://files.revistapelo.com.ar/pdf/276.pdf }}</ref>
|align="center"|9
|-
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|1|chartid=0710|artist=Madonna|song=Papa Don't Preach|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=canada}}
|-
!scope="row"|Denmark (IFPI)<ref name="denmarkfinnish">{{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M%26M-1986-08-16.pdf|title=TOP 3 in EUROPE|page=16|work=Music & Media|date=August 16, 1986|access-date=July 5, 2024|volume=3|issue=32|archive-date=February 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214222451/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M%26M-1986-08-16.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
!scope="row"|El Salvador ([[Associated Press|AP]])<ref name="LA">{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3k1fAAAAIBAJ&dq=Madonna&pg=PA19&article_id=1018,4113930|title=Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica|newspaper=[[La Opinión (Argentina)|La Opinión]]|date=August 18, 1986 |access-date=July 5, 2024|page=19|language=es|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
|align="center"|2
|-
!scope="row"|[[European Hot 100 Singles]] (''[[Music & Media]]'')<ref name=euro />
|align="center"|1
|-
!scope="row"|European Airplay Top 50 (''Music & Media'')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M%26M-1986-09-13.pdf|title=European Airplay Top 50|page=4|work=Music & Media|date=September 13, 1986|access-date=July 5, 2024|archive-date=September 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923093149/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M&M-1986-09-13.pdf }}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
!scope="row"|Finland ([[Suomen virallinen lista]])<ref name="denmarkfinnish" />
|align="center"|1

|-
{{single chart|France|3|artist=Madonna|song=Papa Don't Preach|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=fra}}
|-
{{single chart|West Germany|2|artist=Madonna|song=Papa Don't Preach|songid=1465|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=ger}}
|-
!scope="row"|Guatemala ([[Associated Press|AP]])<ref name="LA"/>
|align="center"|1
|-
!scope="row"|Greece (IFPI)<ref name="greece">{{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M%26M-1986-10-11.pdf|title=TOP 3 in EUROPE|page=14|work=Music & Media|date=October 11, 1986|access-date=July 5, 2024|volume=3|issue=40|archive-date=August 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821191421/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M%26M-1986-10-11.pdf }}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
!scope="row"|Iceland ([[RÚV]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ruv.is/persona/madonna|publisher=[[RÚV]]|title=Madonna Chart History|date=March 22, 2016|access-date=July 4, 2024|archive-date=December 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171211001211/http://www.ruv.is/persona/madonna }}</ref>
| 2
|-
!scope="row"|Italy (''[[Musica e dischi]]'')<ref name="Europe">{{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M%26M-1986-08-02.pdf|title=TOP 3 in EUROPE|pages=11, 14|work=Music & Media|date=August 2, 1986|access-date=July 5, 2024|volume=3|issue=30–31|archive-date=March 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321160931/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M%26M-1986-08-02.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
!scope="row"|Japan ([[Oricon Singles Chart]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/162927/products/620607/1/|title=ハング・アップ|language=ja|publisher=[[Oricon]]|access-date=July 5, 2024|archive-date=March 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321160930/https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/162927/products/620607/1/ }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|36
|-
{{single chart|Ireland2|1|artist=Madonna|song=Papa Don't Preach|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=irl}}
|-
{{single chart|Dutch40|2|artist=Madonna|song=Papa Don't Preach|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=dt40}}
|-
{{single chart|Dutch100|1|artist=Madonna|song=Papa Don't Preach|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=dt100}}
|-
{{single chart|New Zealand|3|artist=Madonna|song=Papa Don't Preach|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=nzc}}
|-
{{single chart|Norway|1|artist=Madonna|song=Papa Don't Preach|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=nor}}
|-
! scope="row"| Panama ([[UPI]])<ref>{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jElcAAAAIBAJ&dq=Las+canciones+m%C3%A1s+populares+en+Latinoam%C3%A9rica&pg=PA20&article_id=1103,90148|title=Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica|newspaper=[[La Opinión (Los Angeles)]]|language=es|access-date=21 September 2024|date=1 September 1986}}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
!scope="row"|Portugal ([[Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa|AFP]])<ref name="portugal">{{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M%26M-1986-09-27.pdf|title=TOP 3 in EUROPE|page=14|work=Music & Media|date=September 27, 1986|access-date=July 5, 2024|volume=3|issue=38|archive-date=August 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821191322/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M%26M-1986-09-27.pdf }}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
!scope="row"|Spain ([[Productores de Música de España|AFYVE]])<ref name="spain" />
|align="center"|4
|-
{{single chart|Sweden|6|artist=Madonna|song=Papa Don't Preach|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=swe}}
|-
{{single chart|Switzerland|2|artist=Madonna|song=Papa Don't Preach|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=swi}}
|-
!scope="row"|South Africa ([[Radio Orion]])<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(M).html |title= South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969–1989 Acts (M) |publisher= Rock.co.za |access-date= July 5, 2024 |archive-date= September 27, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180927225419/http://rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(M).html }}</ref>
|4
|-
{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|1|artist=Madonna|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=uk}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|1|artist=Madonna|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=bbhot100}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|16|artist=Madonna|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=ac}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|4|artist=Madonna|rowheader=true|access-date=July 5, 2024|refname=dance}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboarddancesales|1|artist=Madonna|rowheader=true|access-date=December 23, 2024}}
|-
!scope="row"|US [[Cashbox (magazine)|''Cash Box'' Top 100 Singles]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1986/CB-1986-08-16.pdf|title=Cashbox Top 100 Singles|date=August 16, 1986|access-date=July 5, 2024|work=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]|archive-date=July 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719201201/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1986/CB-1986-08-16.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|US [[Contemporary hit radio|CHR]] & Pop (''[[Radio & Records]]'')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gghunt.utasites.cloud/charts/madonna.html|title=Madonna|website=[[Radio & Records]]|access-date=December 16, 2022}}</ref>
|1
|}
{{col-2}}

=== Year-end charts ===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Chart (1986)
! Position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia (Kent Music Report)<ref name="Kent">{{Cite book|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|last=Kent|first=David|title-link=Kent Music Report|author-link=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W |year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref>
| 9

|-
!scope="row"| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)<ref>{{cite web |title=Jahreshitparaden 1986 |url=http://austriancharts.at/1986_single.asp |publisher=Hung Medien |access-date=July 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041021194730/http://austriancharts.at/1986_single.asp |archive-date=October 21, 2004 |language=de}}</ref>
| 21
|-
!scope="row"| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)<ref>{{cite web |title=Jaaroverzichten 1986 |url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1986 |publisher=Hung Medien |access-date=July 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212100800/http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1986 |archive-date=December 12, 2013 |language=nl}}</ref>
| 6
|-
! scope="row"| Brazil (Brazilian Radio Airplay)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://maistocadas.mus.br/1986/ |title=Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 1986 |date=March 26, 2018 |access-date=September 14, 2023 |publisher=Crowley Broadcast Analysis |language=pt}}</ref>
| 70
|-
!scope="row"| Canada Top Singles (''RPM'')<ref name="canadaend" />
| 13
|-
!scope="row"| Denmark (Hitlisten)<ref name="m&m" />
|6
|-
!scope="row"| European Hot 100 Singles (''Music & Media'')<ref name="m&m" />
|1
|-
!scope="row"| France (SNEP)<ref name="frayearend">{{cite web |title=Top – 1986 |url=http://www.top-france.fr/html/annuel/1986.htm |publisher=[[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique]] (SNEP) |access-date=July 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140619003229/http://www.top-france.fr/html/annuel/1986.htm |archive-date=June 19, 2014 |language=fr}}</ref>
|35
|-
!scope="row"| Italy (''Musica e dischi'')<ref name="m&m">{{cite magazine |title=Top 10 Best Selling Singles |magazine=Music & Media |date=February 14, 1987 |volume=4 |issue=6 |page=20 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1987/M%26M-1987-02-14.pdf#page=11 |access-date=July 5, 2024 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923093152/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1987/M%26M-1987-02-14.pdf#page=11 }}</ref>
|6
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1986 |url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1986 |publisher=[[Dutch Top 40]] |access-date=July 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418014033/https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1986 |archive-date=April 18, 2015 |language=nl}}</ref>
|9
|-
!scope="row"| Netherlands (Single Top 100)<ref>{{cite web |title=Jaaroverzichten 1986 |url=http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1986&cat=s |publisher=Hung Medien |access-date=July 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919201055/http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1986&cat=s |archive-date=September 19, 2011 |language=nl}}</ref>
| 13
|-
!scope="row"| New Zealand (RIANZ)<ref>{{cite web |title=End of Year Charts: 1986 |url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1986-12-31 |publisher=RMNZ |access-date=July 5, 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120082116/http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/singles?chart=3875 |archive-date=November 20, 2015}}</ref>
| 13
|-
!scope="row"| Norway (VG-lista)<ref name="m&m" />
|9
|-
!scope="row"| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref>{{cite web |title=Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1986 |url=http://hitparade.ch/year.asp?key=1986 |publisher=Hung Medien |access-date=July 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010423203645/http://hitparade.ch/year.asp?key=1986 |archive-date=April 23, 2001 |language=de}}</ref>
| 14
|-
!scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Copsey |first1=Rob |title=Official Top 40 best-selling songs of 1986 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-top-40-best-selling-songs-of-1986__32911/ |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=July 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416214526/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-top-40-best-selling-songs-of-1986__32911/ |archive-date=April 16, 2021 |date=April 16, 2021}}</ref>
| 8
|-
!scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref name=BBend />
| 29
|-
!scope="row"|US 12-inch Sales Singles (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Dance Sales Singles/Albums 1986 (Top Dance Singles) |url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/archivesearch/article_display/855390 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=July 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008123239/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/archivesearch/article_display/855390 |archive-date=October 8, 2012 |date=December 31, 1986}}</ref>
| 29
|-
!scope="row"|US Dance/Disco Club Play (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Year-end charts: Dance Club Songs |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/dance-club-songs |magazine=Billboard |access-date=July 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822074617/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/dance-club-songs |archive-date=August 22, 2019 |date=1986}}</ref>
| 43
|-
!scope="row"|US ''Cash Box'' Top 100 Singles<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Year end poll – 1986 |magazine=Cash Box |date=December 27, 1986 |volume=50 |issue=28 |page=48 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1986/CB-1986-12-27.pdf#page=48 |access-date=July 5, 2024 |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923093152/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1986/CB-1986-12-27.pdf#page=48 }}</ref>
|18
|-
!scope="row"| West Germany (Media Control)<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts |url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1986 |publisher=Ofizielle Deutsche Charts |access-date=July 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509001156/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1986 |archive-date=May 9, 2015 |language=nl}}</ref>
| 18
|}

=== Decade-end charts ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
!scope="col"| Chart (1980–1989)
!scope="col"| Position
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)<ref>{{cite web |title=Home / Bijzondere lijsten / Decenniumlijst: 80's |url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/decenniumlijst-80-s |publisher=Dutch Top 40 |access-date=July 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530164438/https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/decenniumlijst-80-s |archive-date=May 30, 2013 |language=nl}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|75
|}

=== All-time charts ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
!Chart (1958–2018)
!Position
|-
!scope="row"|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Hot 100 turns 60! |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100-60th-anniversary/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=July 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803021324/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100-60th-anniversary/ |archive-date=August 3, 2018}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|579
|}
{{col-end}}

== Certifications and sales ==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for "Papa Don't Preach"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Belgium|type=single|artist=Madonna|title=Papa Don't Preach|award=Gold|relyear=1986|salesamount=100,000|salesref=<ref name="musicmedia19861227" />|certref=<ref name="musicmedia19861227">{{cite magazine |title=European Gold & Platinum Awards 1986| magazine=Music & Media |date=December 27, 1986 |volume=3 |issue=51/52 |page=33 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M%26M-1986-12-27.pdf#page=16 |access-date=July 18, 2024 |archive-date=August 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821191600/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M%26M-1986-12-27.pdf#page=16 }}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|artist=Madonna|title=Papa Don't Preach|type=single|award=Silver|source=infodisc|relyear=1986|certyear=1986|access-date=April 10, 2022|refname="snep"|salesamount=300,000|salesref=<ref name="frayearend" />}}
{{Certification Table Entry |region=Japan ([[Oricon]] Charts) |nocert=yes |salesamount=34,410|salesref=<ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. |location=[[Roppongi]], Tokyo |publisher=[[Oricon Charts]] |date=2006 |isbn=4-87131-077-9}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Madonna|title=Papa Don't Preach|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1986|certyear=1986|id=4988-2003-1|access-date=April 9, 2022|refname="bpi"|salesamount=651,000|salesref=<ref name="TrueBlueUKSales">{{cite web |last1=Myers |first1=Justin |title=Madonna's Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/madonna-s-official-top-40-biggest-selling-singles__8266/ |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=July 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150308043127/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/madonna-s-official-top-40-biggest-selling-singles__8266/ |archive-date=March 8, 2015 |date=March 7, 2015}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Madonna|title=Papa Don't Preach|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1986|certyear=2024|access-date=July 18, 2024|refname="RIAA"}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

== See also ==
{{div col}}
* [[List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1980s]]
* [[List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1986|List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number ones of 1986]]
* [[List of number-one singles of 1986 (Canada)]]
* [[List of Cash Box Top 100 number-one singles of 1986|List of ''Cash Box'' Top 100 number-one singles of 1986]]
* [[List of European number-one hits of 1986]]
* [[List of number-one hits of 1986 (Italy)]]
{{div col end}}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin|30em}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Aiello
 |first=Dany
 |author-link=Danny Aiello
 |title=I Only Know Who I Am When I Am Somebody Else: My Life on the Street, On the Stage, and in the Movies
 |publisher=[[Gallery Publishing Group|Gallery Books]]
 |year=2015
 |isbn=9781476751917
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Bego
 |first=Mark
 |author-link=Mark Bego
 |title=Madonna: Blonde Ambition
 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield|Cooper Square Press]]
 |year=2000
 |isbn=978-0-8154-1051-5
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Bielen
 |first=Kenneth G.
 |title=The Lyrics of Civility: Biblical Images and Popular Music Lyrics in American Culture
 |publisher=[[Routledge]]
 |year=1999
 |isbn=0-8153-3193-2
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Buddenbaum
 |first=Judith M.
 |title=Scandals in American History: Religious Scandals
 |publisher=[[ABC-Clio]]
 |year=2009
 |isbn=978-0-313-34688-0
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Chapman
 |first=Roger
 |title=Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and Voices
 |publisher=[[M. E. Sharpe]]
 |year=2010
 |isbn=9780765622501
}} 
*{{Cite book
 |last=Clerk
 |first=Carol
 |title=Madonnastyle
 |publisher=[[Music Sales Group|Omnibus Press]]
 |year=2002
 |isbn=0-7119-8874-9
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last1=Cooper Owens
 |first1=Deirdre
 |author-link1=Deirdre Cooper Owens
 |last2=de Londras
 |first2=Fiona
 |author-link2=Fiona de Londras
 |last3=Gutierrez-Romine
 |first3=Alicia
 |last4=Schoen
 |first4=Johanna
 |last5=Tillet
 |first5=Salamishah
 |author-link5=Salamishah Tillet
 |last6=Wulf
 |first6=Karin
 |title=Roe v. Wade: Fifty Years After
 |publisher=[[University of Georgia Press]]
 |year=2024
 |isbn=978-0820365695
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Crawford
 |first=Sue
 |title=Sharon Osbourne: Unauthorized, Uncensored - Understood
 |publisher=[[Michael O'Mara Books]]
 |year=2013
 |isbn=9781782432029
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Easlea
 |first=Daryl
 |title=Madonna: Blond Ambition
 |publisher=Backbeat Books
 |year=2012
 |url=https://archive.org/details/madonnablondambi0000easl
 |url-access=registration
 |isbn=9781617130342
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last1=Fouz-Hernández
 |first1=Santiago
 |last2=Jarman-Ivens
 |first2=Freya
 |title=Madonna's Drowned Worlds
 |publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing|Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.]]
 |year=2004
 |isbn=0-7546-3372-1
 |url=https://archive.org/details/madonnasdrownedw0000unse
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Gabriel
 |first=Mary
 |title=Madonna: A Rebel Life
 |publisher=[[Hachette Livre|Hachette UK]]
 |year=2023
 |isbn=978-0316456449
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Guilbert
 |first=Georges-Claude
 |author-link=Georges-Claude Guilbert
 |title=Madonna as Postmodern Myth
 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company|McFarland]]
 |year=2002
 |isbn=0-7864-1408-1
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Hamscha
 |first=Susanne
 |title=The Fiction of America: Performance and the Cultural Imaginary in Literature and Film
 |publisher=Campus Verlag
 |year=2013
 |isbn=978-3-593-39872-3
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last1=Hart
 |first1=Lynda
 |last2=Phelan
 |first2=Peggy
 |title=Acting Out: Feminist Performances
 |publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]]
 |year=1993
 |isbn=0-472-06479-7
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=James
 |first=David
 |title=Madonna: Her complete story - An unauthorized biography
 |publisher=Publications International
 |year=1991
 |isbn=0451822404
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last1=Jamieson
 |first1=Patrick
 |last2=Rober
 |first2=Daniel
 |title=The Changing Portrayal of Adolescents in the Media Since 1950
 |year=2008
 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]
 |isbn=978-0190451103
}} 
*{{Cite book
 |last=Lauper
 |first=Cyndi
 |author-link=Cyndi Lauper
 |title=Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir
 |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]
 |year=2011
 |isbn=978-1-4391-4785-6
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Mansour
 |first=David
 |title=From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century
 |publisher=[[Andrews McMeel Publishing]]
 |year=2005
 |isbn=0-7407-5118-2
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Marcovitz
 |first=Hal
 |title=The History of Music Videos
 |publisher=Greenhaven Publishing LLC
 |year=2012
 |isbn=9781420509762
}} 
*{{Cite book
 |last1=Metz
 |first1=Allen
 |last2=Benson
 |first2=Carol
 |title=The Madonna Companion: Two Decades of Commentary
 |publisher=[[Music Sales Group]]
 |year=1999
 |isbn=0-8256-7194-9
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Mitchell
 |first=Jolyon P.
 |title=Visually Speaking: Radio and the Renaissance of Preaching
 |publisher=[[Westminster John Knox|Westminster&nbsp;– John Knox Press]]
 |year=2000
 |isbn=0-664-22244-7
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=McKeen
 |first=William
 |author-link=William McKeen
 |title=Rock and Roll is Here to Stay
 |publisher=[[W. W. Norton & Company]]
 |year=2000
 |isbn=0-393-04700-8
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Rettenmund
 |first=Matthew
 |author-link=Matthew Rettenmund
 |title=Encyclopedia Madonnica
 |publisher=St. Martin's Press
 |year=1995
 |isbn=0-312-11782-5
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Rooksby
 |first=Rikky
 |title=The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna
 |publisher=Omnibus Press
 |year=2004
 |isbn=0-7119-9883-3
 |url-access=registration
 |url=https://archive.org/details/madonnacompleteg0000rook
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Sexton
 |first=Adam
 |title=Desperately Seeking Madonna: In Search of the Meaning of the World's Most Famous Woman
 |publisher=[[Random Penguin]]
 |year=1992
 |isbn=0-307-48374-6
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Taraborrelli
 |first=Randy J.
 |author-link=J. Randy Taraborrelli
 |title=[[Madonna: An Intimate Biography]]
 |publisher=Simon & Schuster
 |year=2002
 |isbn=0-7432-2880-4
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last1=Vernallis
 |first1=Carol
 |title=Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context
 |publisher=[[Columbia University Press]]
 |year=2004
 |isbn=978-0-231-11799-9
}}
*{{Cite book
 |last=Voller
 |first=Debbi
 |title=Madonna: The Style Book
 |publisher=Omnibus Press
 |year=1999
 |isbn=0-7119-7511-6
}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* {{Discogs master|34801|Papa Don't Preach|type=single}}

{{Madonna songs}}
{{Kelly Osbourne}}
{{MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1986 songs]]
[[Category:1986 singles]]
[[Category:2002 debut singles]]
[[Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles]]
[[Category:Cashbox number-one singles]]
[[Category:European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles]]
[[Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:Kelly Osbourne songs]]
[[Category:Madonna songs]]
[[Category:MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Australia]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Belgium]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Italy]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Norway]]
[[Category:Oricon International Singles Chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles]]
[[Category:UK singles chart number-one singles]]
[[Category:Songs about abortion]]
[[Category:Songs with feminist themes]]
[[Category:Songs written by Madonna]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Madonna]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Stephen Bray]]
[[Category:Songs about fathers]]
[[Category:Sire Records singles]]
[[Category:Warner Records singles]]
[[Category:Music video controversies]]
[[Category:Obscenity controversies in music]]
[[Category:Music videos directed by James Foley]]
[[Category:Music videos shot in the United States]]