So why is The Go-Go’s Beauty and the Beat on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
The Go-Go’s have a knack for producing songs that perfectly bridge catchy early ‘80s pop with driving, new wave beats.
I’ll start quickly by pointing out two spectacular songs that aren’t included on Beauty and the Beat: “Vacation,” off of the album by the same name from 1982, and “Head Over Heels,” from the 1984 album, Talk Show.
But it’s The Go-Go’s 1981 debut album, Beauty and the Beat, that consistently captures Belinda Carlisle and crew at their very best.
“We Got The Beat” is The Go-Go’s best song and remains the band’s most popular to this day – at least, that is, if Spotify has a say in it in terms of the number of plays the song has seen to date (78 million and counting as of this writing). It’s got a killer hook and super singalong-able chorus that’s ideal for a party, drive, or event of any size, time, or place.
I love that “Our Lips Are Sealed” layers in a gorgeous, melodic hook into The Go-Go’s driving beat/new wave model, and it’s one of my most favorite songs from the 1980s. Carlisle and the band’s vocals are just perfect on this one as well: sunshiny and hopeful-sounding, somehow.
And that optimistic, driving sound pops out on “Can’t Stop The World,” which boasts yet another standout and catchy chorus.
You would think a song title such as “Skidmarks On My Heart” – which, it must be pointed out, is a fantastic song title – would be much more at home on a late ‘80s hair metal album versus a Go-Go’s record. Nonetheless, it’s a really fun and catchy deep cut.
Some stats & info about The Go-Go’s – Beauty and the Beat
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, Pop Music, New Wave
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – #400
- All Music’s rating – 4.5 out of 5 stars
- When was Beauty and the Beat released? 1981
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #341 out of 1,000
The Go-Go’s Beauty and the Beat on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from The Go-Go’s Beauty and the Beat that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Can you hear them? They talk about us, telling lies – well, that’s no surprise.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.