Into the Groove

THE ARTS DESK – BEST BOOKS OF 2025

An epic compendium of stories and trivia from the 80s music scene

'It's almost indecently entertaining' The Mail on Sunday

'Justin Lewis tells pop's never-ending story brilliantly' David Quantick

The eighties was one of the most innovative periods in the history of pop music – and even forty years on remains one of the best-loved, championed by radio, television, advertisements, theatre and films, with many of the acts still performing and recording.

Into the Groove is a tale of pop and circumstance. It charts the global story of pop music month by month from January 1980 to December 1989, highlighting a variety of events and tracing the career paths of many noteworthy pop acts around the world, including Annie Lennox, A-ha, Roxette, Prince, Madonna, Kraftwerk, David Bowie, Whitney Houston, Sugarcubes – and many more. It celebrates genres of all kinds – the enduring and the faddish, the mainstream and the underground, from post-punk to acid house, from heavy rock to electronic, from hip hop to teen pop – showcasing many of the decade's key recordings, figures and events, while also revealing plenty of intriguing lesser-known stories to create a wry and diverse musical tapestry.

The perfect gift for any music lover or eighties aficionado, Into the Groove is an endlessly entertaining homage to the 1980s music scene.

'A treasure chest of pop riches ... I loved this book!' Samira Ahmed

'Forensic, forthright and downright unputdownable' Ian Wade

REVISIT THE ULTIMATE DECADE IN MUSIC HISTORY

· 1980: Blondie's Debbie Harry sings 'Call Me' with the Muppets on their TV variety series.

· 1981: Kicking off with 'Video Killed the Radio Star' by Buggles, MTV in the US becomes the first 24-hour TV music station in the world.

· 1982: Newcomers Culture Club replace an unavailable Shakin' Stevens for their Top of the Pops debut.

· 1983: The compact disc and the karaoke machine are launched in the UK.

· 1984: Rick Rubin's new Def Jam record label specialises in a mix of hip hop and rock, introducing LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys.

· 1985: Duran Duran, Madonna, Phil Collins and U2 are among the dozens of artists appearing at Live Aid for Africa, which raises millions to ease famine relief.

· 1986: 'Love Can't Turn Around' and 'Jack Your Body' become the first House records from Chicago to cross over into the mainstream.

· 1987: In Australia, Neighbours actor Kylie Minogue records her first single – with a cover of 'The Loco-Motion'.

· 1988: Seventeen-year-old MC Lyte, with Lyte as a Rock, becomes the first ever female rapper to release a full album.

· 1989: Members of New Order, The Smiths and Pet Shop Boys join forces for Electronic's single 'Getting Away with It'.