Into the Groove

‘Into the Groove is a history of 1980s pop music, something the world probably needs more than it realises … Like much of the music it describes … it’s almost indecently entertaining … Pages of stories, anecdotes and fascinating facts … Lewis writes well and lovingly on this ridiculous decade.’ The Mail on Sunday

‘Into the Groove is beautifully researched and scrupulously presented – but Lewis’s undoubted expertise is worn lightly, and this very much isn’t a list of number 1s, or who was awarded what type of metallic disc. It’s a human story of how pop music changed over the course of a decade, more important in the everyday lives of normal people than the comings-and-goings of governments and politicians. It’s not just music history, it’s history history, light of touch and all the better for it.’ The Arts Desk

‘Justin Lewis tells pop’s never-ending story brilliantly. Every day he writes the book, and the book is amazing.’ David Quantick, Emmy Award-winning writer and novelist

‘‘With Into the Groove, Justin shows that there was so much more to eighties pop beyond the headlines of Wham!, Band Aid and SAW, and nudges the spotlight on to the one-offs and the semi-forgotten leaps forward. Forensic, forthright and downright unputdownable, the perfect pop book for anyone who came of age (or indeed anybody else) during pop’s giddiest and most experimental decade.’ Ian Wade, author of 1984: The Year Pop Went Queer

‘Like a treasure chest of pop riches … I loved this book!’ Samira Ahmed, journalist and broadcaster

‘Into The Groove is a brilliantly detailed topography of probably the greatest of all pop decades, the 1980s, whose music even those unborn back then still live with and love on a daily basis. Invaluable both for pop fans and pop historians.’ David Stubbs, music journalist



‘A brilliant read’ Paul Ross, talkSPORT Extra Time

‘A delightful, curious compendium, full of flipsides to pop’s glossiest decade.’ Jude Rogers

‘I loved this book, and it reminded me of how much I loved the 1980s. Beautifully put together. Much like the decade, I rattled through at great speed, and was sorry when it was over.’ Gideon Coe

‘This has got more Eighties pop facts than you can shake a Walkman at … Even if you’re a confirmed vinylista, I guarantee there be will be facts in here that you didn’t know.’ Daily Mail

Justin Lewis is a writer, researcher and editor, who grew up during the 1980s, and even started writing and presenting for local radio before the decade ended. His most recent book is Don’t Stop the Music: A Year of Pop History, One Day at a Time (2023, Elliott & Thompson). He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of popular music and a deep understanding of what makes it such a passion for so many people. He has been an editor, writer and contributor to various print and online music publications for more than 30 years, including The Guinness Book of Hit Singles and The Rough Guide to Rock. He lives in Swansea, in Wales.