Into the Groove
"Into the Groove" is a song by American singer Madonna, featured in the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan. Written and produced with Stephen Bray, it was inspired by the dance floor and Madonna's attraction to a Puerto Rican man. Built around synthesizers, drum machines, and double-tracked vocals, the song features sexual innuendos and functions as an invitation to dance. Originally written for producer Mark Kamins, Madonna later decided to use the track in a scene from the film that required a dance number—though it was not included on the official soundtrack. Instead, it appeared on the international 1985 reissue of her second studio album Like a Virgin, and later on her compilations You Can Dance, The Immaculate Collection, Celebration, and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones.
In the United States, "Into the Groove" was not released as a commercial single, making it ineligible for the Billboard Hot 100. Instead, it was issued as the B-side to the 12-inch maxi-single of "Angel", the third official single from Like a Virgin. This release —billed as "Angel/Into the Groove"— topped Billboards Dance Singles Sales chart. Internationally, the song achieved major commercial success. It was released in the United Kingdom on July 15, 1985, and became Madonna's first number-one single there —where it remains her best-selling to date. It also topped the charts in Ireland, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Critics responded positively to the track, with Billboard naming it the best dance single of the 1980s in a readers' poll. Although no official music video was produced, a montage of scenes from Desperately Seeking Susan received regular rotation on MTV. Madonna has performed "Into the Groove" on seven of her concert tours, the most recent being the Celebration Tour. It has been covered and sampled by numerous artists, including Dannii Minogue, whose 2003 single "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" marked the first time Madonna officially approved a sample of one of her songs.
Background and recording
"Into the Groove" was written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray in 1984. Living in Manhattan's East Village at the time, Madonna claimed to have rushed the writing process, motivated by her attraction to a Puerto Rican neighbor. Inspired by the liberating nature of the dance floor and her background as a dancer, she described the track as a reflection of self-expression through music. The track was initially conceived for Cheyne, a teenage protégé of DJ Mark Kamins, with a demo funded by Kamins himself. Around the same time, director Susan Seidelman cast Madonna in the film Desperately Seeking Susan, drawn by her growing profile in New York’s downtown music scene. While filming a scene at Danceteria, a dance song was needed; Madonna suggested "Into the Groove" and, together with Bray, reworked the lyrics and structure of the original demo for inclusion in the film. Kamins was angered by the decision, as Madonna had not informed him she planned to use the song herself. She later defended the move, saying, "I'm tough, I'm ambitious and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, that's okay".Recording took place at New York's Sigma Sound Studios. Bray developed the song's instrumental base, while Madonna handled the final lyrical elements. During a creative impasse with the bridge, Madonna spontaneously sang the line "Live out your fantasy here with me", which solved the musical issue. Though featured in Desperately Seeking Susan, the song was excluded from the official soundtrack due to contractual restrictions; Madonna was signed to Sire Records, while the soundtrack was issued through Varèse Sarabande, a Universal Music label. "Into the Groove" was instead included in the 1985 international reissue of Madonna's second studio album Like a Virgin, and later appeared on several of her compilations, including You Can Dance, The Immaculate Collection, Celebration, and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones.
Composition and remixes
Musically, "Into the Groove" has been noted a dance-pop track characterized by its upbeat tempo, synth-driven production, and layered vocals. The song opens with a spoken line from Madonna, followed by a drumbeat and prominent synth bassline. Its refrain features double-tracked vocals and heightened treble, while a counterpoint synth line adds contrast to the main melody. In the bridge —"Live out your fantasy here with me"— Madonna sings in a lower vocal register, complementing the higher main vocal. According to the sheet music published by Alfred Publishing Inc., the song is set in common time with a moderate tempo of 116 beats per minute, in the key of C minor, and follows a chord progression of Cm7–B/C–Cm7–A.Lyrically, "Into the Groove" is an invitation to dance, layered with sexual innuendo and themes of self-liberation. Author Rikky Rooksby noted the lyrics appeal to shy girls, especially through the line "At night I lock the door so no one else can see", which he interpreted as revealing a contrast between Madonna's provocative image and a more private persona. Marc Andrews and Clive Barker have both emphasized the song's role in celebrating dance floor freedom, particularly for marginalized communities like the LGBTQ+ audience. Barker further interpreted the song's bridge as blurring the boundary between reality and fantasy.
The song has been remixed and reinterpreted multiple times. A notable early remix by Shep Pettibone appeared on Madonna's 1987 remix album You Can Dance, incorporating extended instrumental breaks and added vocal overdubs. Pettibone later collaborated with Goh Hotoda for another version featured on The Immaculate Collection. In 2003, a mashup titled "Into the Hollywood Groove" —combining "Into the Groove" with Madonna's single "Hollywood"— was created for a Gap advertisement featuring Missy Elliott, and later included on Remixed & Revisited. Elements of this particular version were used in live performances during Madonna's Re-Invention and Celebration concert tours. A shortened remix incorporating stuttering vocal effects appeared on the 2022 compilation Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones.
Critical reception
"Into the Groove" has received widespread critical acclaim since its release. Early praise came from NME, which ranked it the 18th best single of 1985, and author Rikky Rooksby, who called it Madonna's "first great" song. Critics hailed its infectious energy and dance-floor appeal: J. Randy Taraborrelli emphasized its "infectious" quality, while Clive Barker and Simon Trussler identified it as the first disco-anthem of the 1980s. David Browne described it as an "ebullient, wonderfully pushy hit", and Toby Cresswell praised its blending of pop sensibility with subcultural allure. Writers such as Dawn Keetley and John Pettigrew called it "mesmerizing", and Stacia Proefrock from AllMusic highlighted its mass appeal despite critical skepticism. PopMatterss Enio Chola deemed it "the absolute best Madonna single ever released", adding that it "epitomizes exactly why she's maintained such a long and significant career".Retrospective rankings have continued to affirm the song's legacy. Slant Magazine listed it as Madonna's third best single and one of the greatest dance songs of all time. Rolling Stone placed it at number 121 on its 2021 list of the 500 greatest songs of all time and later ranked it 91st on its list of top dance songs. Blender emphasized the track's commanding invitation to dance, and The Guardians Nosheen Iqbal called it Madonna's "hottest summon to the dancefloor". The song has featured prominently in various "best of" lists by Entertainment Weekly, HuffPost, The Guardian, and TheBacklot.com, with critics highlighting its cultural significance and irresistible production.
The single has also been recognized by music historians and scholars. Billboard named it the best dance single of the 1980s in a reader poll. Writers such as Andrew Unterberger and Nayer Missim lauded its ability to merge themes of music, sex, love, and dance into one seamless expression of pop joy. "Into the Groove" was included in both 1001 Songs: You Must Hear Before You Die by Robert Dimery, as well as Bruce Pollock's Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock & Roll Era.
Chart performance
Although "Into the Groove" became a major hit in the United States, it was never released as a commercial A-side single by Warner Bros. Records. Instead, it appeared as the B-side to the 12-inch maxi-single of "Angel", rendering it ineligible for the Billboard Hot 100 or Hot Singles Sales charts. Despite this, the release —billed as "Angel/Into the Groove"— reached number one on both Billboards Dance Club and Dance Singles Sales charts. It also peaked at number 19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. On July 30, 1985, the maxi-single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping one million units in the US ―the requirement for a gold single prior to 1989― becoming the fourth 12-inch single to achieve this milestone, following Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand's "No More Tears ", Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks", and Frankie Smith's "Double Dutch Bus". By year's end, it had sold over 600,000 copies and was ranked 12th on Billboards year-end Dance Club chart.Internationally, "Into the Groove" was released as a commercial single and achieved widespread success. In the United Kingdom, it was released on July 15, 1985. It debuted at number four on the UK Singles Chart —the highest-ever debut for a female artist at the time— and reached number one the following week, holding the top position for four weeks. During its run, Madonna also occupied the second spot with a re-release of "Holiday", becoming the first female artist in UK chart history to simultaneously hold the top two positions. Certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry, "Into the Groove" ended 1985 as the third best-selling single of the year in the UK, behind Jennifer Rush's "The Power of Love", and "I Know Him So Well" by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson. It remains one of Madonna's highest-selling singles in the country, with 1.4 million total units, including 907,500 pure sales as of 2025. The song also topped the charts in Australia, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, and placed in the top three in France, West Germany, and Switzerland. Its performance in Japan was more modest, barely entering the top 40.