Madonna - Into The Groove

What this video is

Released in July 1985 at the apex of first-wave Madonna-mania, 'Into the Groove' was written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray and served as a centerpiece of the film Desperately Seeking Susan, itself a defining artifact of New York's downtown bohemian culture. The promotional clip — assembled from the film's scenes — represents an early, resourceful model of synergy between cinema and MTV promotion. The…

Why it matters

A landmark of 1980s synth-driven dance-pop, 'Into the Groove' merges the liberation theology of the dance floor with mass-market pop accessibility. Its promotional clip pioneered the film-to-MTV pipeline, demonstrating how theatrical footage could be repurposed as effective chart promotion. The…

The director

Susan Seidelman (b. Dec 11, 1952, Philadelphia) is an American director/producer who rose to prominence with Smithereens (1982) — the first independent American film accepted into competition at Cannes — and Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). She later…