Featured on The Immaculate Collection, “Into the Groove” is in the prestigious hall of fame of “perfect pop songs.” The qualification for entering is, when you ask someone which part of the song is the hook, everyone gives you a different answer. I refuse to believe in anything being perfect, but some things are closer than other, and “Into the Groove” is one of them.

I recommend the full 4:45-minute version of “Into the Groove” over the edited version featured on this compilation. The easiest way to get it, to my knowledge, is as a bonus track on some versions of Like a Virgin.

General consensus is that listening to The Immaculate Collection is preferable over Madonna’s studio albums. While that’s mostly true, the albums occasionally contain gems that make them worthwhile for anyone starstruck by this collection’s highlights. It’s certainly the greatest entry point to show a curious listener what Madonna is capable of and why she is or was such a sensation.