Which album by Madonna was the first album by a female to sell over 5 million copies in the US?

By the end of August 2008, the song "Like a Virgin" was a record that had sold more than 21 million copies worldwide. It would become one of the best-selling albums of all time. By July 1985, "Like a Virgin" became the first album by a female artist to be certified for sales of 5 million units in the United States.

"Like a Virgin", the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna (b. August 1958 in Bay City, MI), was released in November 1984 by Sire Records. Following the success of her self-titled debut album, Madonna wanted to become the record producer of her next album. Her label however did not give her the artistic freedom she wanted. She chose Nile Rodgers instead to produce her second album due to his work with David Bowie.

Madonna would write 6 songs on the record album, 5 of which feature Steve Bray as her co-writer. This very successful album was recorded at Power Station Studio in New York. Rodgers enlisted the help of his former Chic band members Bernard Edwards, a bassist, and Tony Thompson, a drums player. Jason Corsaro, the record's audio engineer, persuaded Rodgers to use digital recording, a new technique introduced at that time.