Frivolity Break: 28 Years of Into the Groove by Madonna

Thanks to BoyCulture for pointing out this little pop culture nugget. I was a Madonna fan from the beginning, or as near to the beginning as a high school sophomore in Whitehall, Ohio can get. From the days of Holiday--when we didn't even know what she looked like (unbelievably, many thought she was black)--through Lucky Star, Borderline, Like a Virgin and Material Girl, I was in full-blown Madonnamania. And then she started releasing them practically two at a time, with album cuts and soundtrack songs coming right after the other. Crazy for You came from the Vision Quest soundtrack, quickly followed by Angel from the Like a Virgin album, quickly followed by this track, a song that never even had a proper release.

Into the Groove came from the Desperately Seeking Susan movie, perhaps Madonna's one critically lauded performance (and the critics hedged by saying she was basically playing herself). I, and probably lots of other fans, bought Into the Groove on the 12" single, which was actually the B-side to Angel. The song occurred right in the middle of Madonna's first heyday, while she was still a "Boy Toy," and unashamed pop star. Being taken seriously as an artist didn't seem to be a goal yet. She was just sexy and fun. So, while Into the Groove didn't chart on the top 40, it was a #1 dance track, and remains one of Madonna's best remembered songs. And it's been around for twenty-eight years.

Happy 50th Birthday, Madonna!

It's something of a shock when you realize that most of your favorite music artists seem to be over 50. This year, Prince turned 50, Michael Jackson is on the cusp, and Madonna--one of my long-time favorites--turned 50 yesterday. Amazingly, she's stayed relevant, and continues to churn out hit albums and singles.

But my favorite Madonna tunes and videos will always be those she produced between 1983 and around 1990 or so. There are exceptions, like Deeper and Deeper, Don't Tell Me, Hung Up and a few others. But for me, anything from her first greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, or almost any track from True Blue, Like a Prayer and I'm Breathless still make me just as happy as they did when they came out.

Here are a few of my favorite Madonna videos, all from my favorite Madonna era (or eras--she seemed to have a different incarnation with each album). Yes, I've posted them before, but since YouTube has left all of these videos available, I couldn't resist posting them again in honor of the Material Girl's milestone birthday. Enjoy.