It can sometimes be tempting to write off the '80s as a decade of bouncy pop that worked no more than deep on the surface. However, peel back the layers of any one of the decade's great glossy songs, and you'll always find not just great music, but great stories.
A great example can be found at Belinda Carlisle "Heaven is a place on earth," which hit no. 1 in December. 5, 1987, and was the biggest single anthem of the decade ever produced.
Her career in music began a decade ago, when she was signed to the role of drummer for Germs, only to contract mononucleosis and prevent her from actually performing with the famous LA punk band. Undeterred by misfortune, she reappeared almost immediately, this time as the vocalist and founding member of the influential all-female band. Go-Go's in 1978
Often remembered as the ultimate New Wave pop band, the Go-Go initially grew out of a more hardcore scene. Carlisle grew up in straitened circumstances in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles, and the no-holds-barred spirit of the punk sound that was sweeping across America appealed to her from England, as it did to the rest of the group.
At the time, she and guitarist Jane Wiedlin were "living in a punk-rock community in an old Hollywood apartment building," playing gigs at infamous venues like Whiskey a Go Go and the Masque, Carlisle said. the Eagles in 2021.
They emerged as a female group making their way through a male-dominated music scene. She said, "We just had a blast; it was a girls' club." Watchman in 2021. "No men allowed, no boyfriends. We had girls on the road, female management."
Watch Belinda Carlisle perform in concert
By 1981, Go-Go's opened for shelves as their debut album, beauty and a beatAnd the It went double platinum and topped the US charts for six weeks. They became superstars, while also serving as an inspiration to girls everywhere: The Go-Go were the first all-female band to have a chart-topping album, and they're still the only band to write their own songs and play their own instruments. accomplish this feat.
Their initial run ceased in 1985, however, and the Go-Go split up. Carlisle embarked on a solo career and her debut album, Belinda Well done. It was certified gold and the first single, "Mad About You", reached no. 3 on the charts. But Carlisle wasn't yet a household name, despite fronting one of the decade's hottest bands and achieving success most musicians could only dream of.
This all changed with the September 1987 release of "Heaven Is a Place on Earth", the first lead single from their second album. The single reached the top of the US charts two months later, then reached the top of the UK charts in January, repeating the feat in many countries around the world.
Suddenly, the song was on the radio everywhere and Carlisle was starring in a music video directed by the actress. Diane Keaton. It all happened so quickly, that she passed on to her husband "if it was real or if I was dreaming," she said in her 2010 autobiography. Unsealed lips. "It looked like a mistake."
As her husband reminded her, Carlyle was there because she had put in years of hard work. It's blatantly evident in the song that catapulted her to stardom.
"Heaven Is A Place On Earth" was written by Rick Nowels and Elaine Shipley (who also sing backup vocals on the track), along with songwriter Diane Warren, Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & Papas, and Chyna Phillips of Wilson Phillips. The result is a perfectly choreographed and executed piece of '80s power pop.
Watch Belinda Carlisle's video on "Heaven is a Place on Earth"
The song opens with Carlisle - her voice is so angelic and impressive - singing the chorus, borrowed from background singers in the chorus and a few beats on a bass drum. "Oh baby, do you know what it's worth?she asks,Oh, heaven is a place on earth. In heaven, they say, love comes first - we'll make heaven a place on earth. "
So the question is about the value of love itself, and the answer is the promise I made: their love is so strong that it will turn earth into heaven. Once the listener registers this, "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" kicks in with that classic '80s sound that repetition and radio play may dull in familiarity but can never really diminish. It's all here: big, sweeping guitar chords backed by a synthesizer, a straight snare-driven drum beat, and Andy Summers- Lead guitar work connected to the style.
Beyond that, Belinda Carlisle's voice is playful, matching a suitably ethereal quality that contrasts her roots in the punk scene with a sensibility that equals any sound in her career.
"Heaven Is A Place On Earth" remains Carlisle's signature song, and rightly so. It's one of the best no. 1 song from the 80's. But this is more than just a great song. It also represents the hidden complexities of this decade. Heaven is a Place on Earth shows how the era's best artists worked their way through scenes and genres to create pop music masterpieces.
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