Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was the dance floor; the singer wrote it while watching a Latin American man to whom she was attracted.

It was later added to the 1985 international re-issue of her second studio album, Like a Virgin (1984), and in her compilations You Can Dance (1987), The Immaculate Collection (1990), Celebration (2009), and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022).

While no official music video was shot, a compilation made up of scenes from Desperately Seeking Susan was created to accompany the release, and received heavy rotation on MTV.

It has been covered and sampled by many artists, notably Australian singer Dannii Minogue, who released a mashup of "Into The Groove" and her 2003 single "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling".

Having turned down Diane Keaton, Melanie Griffith, and Kelly McGillis, Seidelmen decided to cast Madonna, whom she had met in the "downtown music scene", and felt had an "interesting buzz".

[5][6] While shooting one scene at Danceteria nightclub, a dance song was needed and Madonna suggested "Into the Groove", so she and Bray modified some of the demo's lyrics and recorded the track.

[8] Recording took place at Sigma Sound Studios of the process, Bray recalled that he would first work on the song's "rib cage and the skeleton [music]", and Madonna would take care of the "last things like the eyebrows and the haircut [lyrics]".

[8] The singer's friend Erika Belle, who was present during the recording sessions, remembered that, at one point, Bray was facing difficulties with the bridge of the song, as the melody he had come up with was not syncing with the rest of the composition.

[8] Due to contractual label reasons, "Into the Groove" was not included on the official Desperately Seeking Susan soundtrack, but was instead added to the 1985 international re-issue of Madonna's second studio album, Like a Virgin (1984).

[12] By his part, author Marc Andrews felt the lyrics' theme of "dance floor liberation" works as a call to all minorities, specifically the gay community.

[3] From AllMusic, Stacia Proefrock opined it was an "infectious, fluffy dance-pop confection that drew legions of fans, as well as considerable backlash from those supposedly too sophisticated to be able to enjoy her music".

[25] "The absolute best Madonna single ever released [...] simply because it epitomizes exactly why she’s maintained such a long and significant career… she’s cool [...] ['Into the Groove'] is her ultimate anthem, even if she herself doesn’t want to believe it.

Although 'Holiday' is technically her most popular and mainstream song, recognizable to everyone the world over, 'Into the Groove' is the hit that maintains the essence of what makes Madonna so amazing—she’s cooler than you, and you know it".

She is commanding you to [...] Sounding totally at home amid woodblock percussion and sunset synths, [her] voice bursts with the optimism of early evening", the review read.

[32] Matthew Jacobs from HuffPost placed the song at the tenth position in his ranking of Madonna's singles, calling it her "finest pre-'Vogue' dance-floor anthem".

[35] In 2018 it was named the singer's 9th greatest single by Entertainment Weekly's Chuck Arnold, who opined that, "Madonna may have never truly conquered the acting world [...] but she definitely made some killer movie music", citing "Into the Groove" as an example.

[37] According to the staff of Rolling Stone in 2016, it's the singer's second best single; "it still sounds like a low-budget demo – those breakbeats, the desperate edge in her voice when she drones, 'Now I know you're mine' – but that raw power is what makes it her definitive you-can-dance track".

[53][54] It became the fourth 12" single to be certified gold after Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand's "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" (1979), Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks" (1980), and Frankie Smith's "Double Dutch Bus" (1981).

[63] In Australia, "Angel"/"Into the Groove" reached the top of the Kent Music Report chart and ended the year as the second best-selling single of 1985.

[74] Despite naming it "basic" and "nowhere near as high-concept" as Madonna's previous music videos, author James King wrote in Fast Times and Excellent Adventures: The Surprising History of the '80s Teen Movie that the clip proved "just how striking Desperately Seeking Susan is visually", comparing it to "Purple Rain" (1984) by Prince and the Revolution.

[11] Madonna has performed "Into the Groove" on seven of her concert tours: Virgin (1985), Who's That Girl (1987), Blond Ambition (1990), Re-Invention (2004), Sticky & Sweet (2008―2009), Rebel Heart (2015―2016), and Celebration (2023―2024).

[85][86] On the Blond Ambition World Tour, following a speech about condoms and safe sex, Madonna sang "Into the Groove" while "bumping and grinding through some Lambada steps" with a male dancer;[87][88] she wore a black mini-dress trimmed and stitched with a stuffed West African stork called the marabou.

[91][92] "Into the Groove" was given a Scottish theme and remixed with a "more complex beat" for the Re-Invention World Tour: the number had the singer and troupe dressed in kilts, a live bagpiper, drum corps, and a recorded appearance by Missy Elliott.

[97] A "pumping club mix" of the song, that sampled Newcleus' "Jam on It" (1984), and The Sugarhill Gang's "Apache" (1981), was sung on the Sticky & Sweet Tour.

[98][99] Madonna wore 1980s-styled gym shorts, played Double Dutch, and danced on a pole mounted on a mobile DJ booth, while the backdrop screens showed artwork by artist Keith Haring.

[108][109] Billboard's Joe Lynch opined that, "the maracas might have been a little much, but the crisp Spanish guitar successfully made the songs sound newly organic".

[110] The performance at the March 19–20, 2016 shows in Sydney's Allphones Arena was recorded and released in Madonna's fifth live album, Rebel Heart Tour (2017).

[111] A punk-themed "Into the Groove" was done on the Celebration Tour;[112] the performance sees Madonna in chains, corset and a short black skirt, surrounded by dancers dressed as "punk rock clubgoers of [her] early NYC days".

[117] The song was recorded by Dale Bozzio, former lead singer of American new wave band Missing Persons, for 2000's Virgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna, Vol.

[121][122] In "Puppet Master" (2013), the seventh episode of the fifth season of American television series Glee, the song was performed by Lea Michele, Naya Rivera, Demi Lovato, and Adam Lambert.