Rolling Stone: How Madonna’s “Into The Groove” Summed Up The History of Dance Music With One Song

[Rosita The chihuahua 351]

 

This week our hosts Brittany Spanos and Rob Sheffield look at an Eighties dance-floor classic, from one of the all-time biggest pop legends: Madonna’s “Into The Groove.” It wasn’t Madonna’s first single (that was “Everybody”) or her first hit (that would be “Holiday”), but “Into The Groove” is the one that instantly evokes Madonna in her raw, gritty early days. It’s a cheap, fast, in-your-face disco anthem that hits as hard as punk rock, from the hungry young Madonna, aiming to sum up the whole history of dance music in one song. “Into The Groove” is still the song at the heart of her lifelong bond with the club scene and the dance community. It’s the one that where she sings right into your ear: “You can dance, for inspiration.” For this episode Brittany and Rob are joined by one of the most brilliant music writers around, Suzy Exposito, a longtime journalist for Rolling Stone and the L.A. Times. They break down the song’s impact on club culture, including the goth world (the dancing boy in the music video became an iconic goth figure in himself!). They’ll also seek to answer the questions of why we’re all so obsessed with this song? Why does it loom so large over Madonna’s other hits? Why is it the gateway drug that hooks so many generations of Madonna fans? Take a listen to find out!

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[Leona Helmsley 9,418]

Into the groove encloses perfectly the 80s...... the hedonistic 80s........ the desire to dance, have fun and live......... love so much this song and this era of Madonna...........

[Rosita The chihuahua 351]

8 minutes ago, Leona Helmsley said:

Into the groove encloses perfectly the 80s...... the hedonistic 80s........ the desire to dance, have fun and live......... love so much this song and this era of Madonna...........

This morning I was listening to the You Can Dance remix of Everybody... so good, so funky..... ITG also had a amazing YCD mix 

[Leona Helmsley 9,418]

3 minutes ago, Rosita The chihuahua said:

This morning I was listening to the You Can Dance remix of Everybody... so good, so funky..... ITG also had a amazing YCD mix 

love that compilation too!!!! the M's songs of the 80s are divine......... she has lived through so many eras and times ....... and all intresting!!!!

[Rosita The chihuahua 351]

4 minutes ago, Leona Helmsley said:

love that compilation too!!!! the M's songs of the 80s are divine......... she has lived through so many eras and times ....... and all intresting!!!!

Agree <3

[Leona Helmsley 9,418]

3 minutes ago, Rosita The chihuahua said:

Agree <3

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[A. A. Aardvark 4,842]

Summed Up The History of Dance Music With One Song

[WokeUpInMedellin 1,557]

I find it so funny that they chose this song as one of her best songs. I love it, but it's a bit vapid!

[Rosita The chihuahua 351]

4 hours ago, WokeUpInMedellin said:

I find it so funny that they chose this song as one of her best songs. I love it, but it's a bit vapid!

The guys who lived in the clubs at 80s maybe have a better opinion about it

[MikeyK 687]

13 hours ago, A. A. Aardvark said:

Summed Up The History of Dance Music With One Song

I mean these are the same people that said Britney Spears’s Blackout is the most influential album of the 21st century. They like to be hyperbolic.

[MikeyK 687]

9 hours ago, WokeUpInMedellin said:

I find it so funny that they chose this song as one of her best songs. I love it, but it's a bit vapid!

Into The Groove is one of the most transcendent “lose yourself in the music and dancing” tracks of all time. It’s definitely a highlight of her discography, especially the first few years.

[A. A. Aardvark 4,842]

7 hours ago, MikeyK said:

I mean these are the same people that said Britney Spears’s Blackout is the most influential album of the 21st century. They like to be hyperbolic.

no
just bollocks

all depends what you this is dance music

 

[Drownedboy 1,676]

I love the IC version!

[MaDöner Kebab 6,878]

Ugh Into The Groove is so overrated honestly. It’s great but idk it doesn’t carry the Madonna essence for me.

I suppose it would be different if I had lived through the time where it was released, so obviously my perception of it is a bit warped.

But in my opinion she has so many more songs that embody her personality, her vibe, her music way more than ITG.

[Voguerista 11,815]

I love Into The Groove, but I would have picked Holiday for that time period instead! But all of the songs mentioned were such great dance songs for that period. I loved them all. 

[Leona Helmsley 9,418]

10 hours ago, MikeyK said:

I mean these are the same people that said Britney Spears’s Blackout is the most influential album of the 21st century. They like to be hyperbolic.

it is.........

[A. A. Aardvark 4,842]

1 hour ago, MPowered said:

Ugh Into The Groove is so overrated honestly. It’s great but idk it doesn’t carry the Madonna essence for me.

I suppose it would be different if I had lived through the time where it was released, so obviously my perception of it is a bit warped.

But in my opinion she has so many more songs that embody her personality, her vibe, her music way more than ITG.

have you seen goths RUN ?

 

[WokeUpInMedellin 1,557]

2 hours ago, MPowered said:

Ugh Into The Groove is so overrated honestly. It’s great but idk it doesn’t carry the Madonna essence for me.

I suppose it would be different if I had lived through the time where it was released, so obviously my perception of it is a bit warped.

But in my opinion she has so many more songs that embody her personality, her vibe, her music way more than ITG.

I agree. Although I would say it does still carry the Madonna essence for me. But it's kind of basic vs. her more artistic work.

[Rosita The chihuahua 351]

Nothing personal, but why don't some people just enjoy these good things they say about Madonna? It always seems like a competition to impose your opinion, and if it were just that that would be fine, but they end up depreciating incredible work that won over a large part of the fan base. Life is too short to be so bitter. Be kind 

[mouse 436]

ITG is the essence of Madonna. It's pop, fresh, super well produced and it gets into your head and it makes you want to dance. And it's  connected directly to Susan. What a crazy period ! 
The you can dance version is a work of art. And how many artists were inspired by this title:

It's definitely in my top 3.
I was 11 when it came out but I still remember how much it was played and appreciated.

[MaDöner Kebab 6,878]

1 hour ago, Rosita The chihuahua said:

Nothing personal, but why don't some people just enjoy these good things they say about Madonna? It always seems like a competition to impose your opinion, and if it were just that that would be fine, but they end up depreciating incredible work that won over a large part of the fan base. Life is too short to be so bitter. Be kind 

I'm just fed up with non-fans ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS writing stupid articles and basically ignoring ANYTHING she released aside from Like A Virgin or True Blue and pretending the rest doesn't exist or wasn't as good.

Whenever there is a ranking of her discography it's always the Like A Virgin songs ranking at the top and that's when you know the article was written by a non-fan or someone who shunned Madonna after her first popularity peak in the 1980s. They never truly understood or acknowledged her versatility as an artist. and Into The Groove PERFECTLY embodies the "I don't care about Madonna but that basic little song she dropped in 1985 is cute" crew.

Most Madonna fans would never ever place Like A Virgin at the top of their list.

[Rosita The chihuahua 351]

11 minutes ago, MPowered said:

I'm just fed up with non-fans ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS writing stupid articles and basically ignoring ANYTHING she released aside from Like A Virgin or True Blue and pretending the rest doesn't exist or wasn't as good.

Whenever there is a ranking of her discography it's always the Like A Virgin songs ranking at the top and that's when you know the article was written by a non-fan or someone who shunned Madonna after her first popularity peak in the 1980s. They never truly understood or acknowledged her versatility as an artist. and Into The Groove PERFECTLY embodies the "I don't care about Madonna but that basic little song she dropped in 1985 is cute" crew.

Most Madonna fans would never ever place Like A Virgin at the top of their list.

Let's put it this way: understand that LAV was for young Madonna fans at the time like Paparazzi or Bad Romance was for Little Monsters at the time... Gaga released incredible music later, but the impact and nostalgia count a lot in what we PERSONALLY rate it as best.

[DiegoLCL 5,057]

5 minutes ago, MPowered said:

I'm just fed up with non-fans ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS writing stupid articles and basically ignoring ANYTHING she released aside from Like A Virgin or True Blue and pretending the rest doesn't exist or wasn't as good.

Whenever there is a ranking of her discography it's always the Like A Virgin songs ranking at the top and that's when you know the article was written by a non-fan or someone who shunned Madonna after her first popularity peak in the 1980s. They never truly understood or acknowledged her versatility as an artist. and Into The Groove PERFECTLY embodies the "I don't care about Madonna but that basic little song she dropped in 1985 is cute" crew.

Most Madonna fans would never ever place Like A Virgin at the top of their list.

I get and share your frustation, but the podcast was about influential dance music. I mean, of course she got to do more refined songs in the 90s and 00s but when it comes to being influential there's no way people will overlook the 80s songs. These early 80s songs made her become a cultural phenomenon for a reason.

When it comes to pure dance songs it was either Into the Groove, Holiday or, if we push it, Lucky Star. I'm glad they went with Into the Groove insted of Holiday since she wrote the song and there's more information about it around to make a podcast than Lucky Star.

[Rosita The chihuahua 351]

18 minutes ago, DiegoLCL said:

Entendo e compartilho sua frustração, mas o podcast era sobre dance music influente. Quero dizer, é claro que ela fez músicas mais refinadas nos anos 90 e 2000, mas quando se trata de ser influente, não há como as pessoas ignorarem as músicas dos anos 80. Essas músicas do início dos anos 80 fizeram dela um fenômeno cultural por um motivo.

Quando se trata de músicas puramente dançantes, era Into the Groove, Holiday ou, se forçarmos, Lucky Star. Estou feliz que eles tenham escolhido Into the Groove em vez de Holiday, já que ela escreveu a música e há mais informações sobre isso para fazer um podcast do que Lucky Star.

Agree

[androiduser 2,465]

35 minutes ago, MPowered said:

I'm just fed up with non-fans ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS writing stupid articles and basically ignoring ANYTHING she released aside from Like A Virgin or True Blue and pretending the rest doesn't exist or wasn't as good.

 

I know hardcore fans will disagree, but I think it's largely because Madonna's work in the 90's and 2000's was often based on / inspired by  already existing underground music, so it's more logical to acknowledge the artists who originated the sound before Madonna. Madonna's music in the early 80's was less referential.