My Belinda Carlisle Top 10
Belinda Carlisle has had 2 successful careers, first as the lead singer of The Go-Go's and then as a solo star. She's also had separate success in America and the U.K. In the U.S. she found a lot of success with The Go-Go's and her first solo album but was ignored over in the U.K. Her 1987 album Heaven on Earth changed all that where she became an international superstar and topped the charts around the world including the U.S. and the U.K. After that though her success in American began to decline but her success in the U.K. continued well into the 90s.
I've decided to combine both her solo hits and hits with The Go-Go's on one list since they go hand in hand for me whenever I listen to Belinda. I also did it because as much as I love Belinda, she has a smaller amount of songs I listen to regularly compared to say Madonna, Britney Spears or Kim Petras. Still the 10 songs on this list are all solid bops and I listen to them all the time and as much as anything by my other favorite pop divas. This list is not definitive though it does contain the majority of her U.S. hits and some of the U.K. hits as well. During the 80s Belinda was a star and these songs are good reminder why she was one of the biggest female pop singers of her time.
10. Live Your Life Be Free
By the time Belinda's 1991 album Live Your Life Be Free was released she was a much bigger star in the U.K. than the U.S. Live Your Life be Free failed to chart on the U.S. billboard 200 albums chart, it spun off no Top 40 hits and was her first album to not go gold. In the U.K. though the album hit #7 and went gold and the title cut became a #12 hit. The song features heavy guitars throughout and is probably Belinda's most rocking song since her days with The Go-Go's. At first glance the song appears to be another love song, but when I saw Belinda Carlisle live at club G-A-Y in 2007 she said this song was about the LGBTQ community. Belinda said the song was dedicated to our community and our right to be happy and to love who we want. I liked the song before the concert but I liked it even more after seeing her live once the song took on a new meaning for me.
09. Leave a Light On
Belinda's last top 20 hit in the U.S. but a #4 hit in the U.K. in 1989. Leave a Light On is a solid pop song with lots of rock instrumentation. While Belinda's solo career was glossier than when she was with The Go-Go's, it still had a lot of rock influence which I found appealing since I am both a rock and pop fan in equal measure. The guitar solo is definitely a highlight of the song and it should be because it's provided by none other than George Harrison himself! If a Beatle gives you the seal of approval than you know you've made it.
08. Circle in the Sand
This is Belinda's best ballad and a big fan favorite. My friend Jen also says it's her favorite song by Belinda. In many ways this song recalls classic girl group songs from the early 60s but with updated 80s production. The song is very atmospheric and evocative thanks to that 80s production. It's definitely one of her best produced songs since that production adds such an alluring element of mystery and romance. Circle in the Sand is also about the end of summer and Dougystyle loves songs about the summer.
07. Vacation
I was first made aware of this song thanks to Rugrats in the late 90s. The character of Angelica sings this song in an episode fittingly called Vacation. It wasn't until I watched The Go-Go's Behind the Music episode in 2000 that I realized it was not written for Rugrats but by The Go-Go's. This was the lead single off the group's second album and it's their second biggest hit overall. Like most of their hits, it's got a big bouncy beat to it and a chorus that you can't help but sing along to. Pop music doesn't get much more fun than Vacation.
06. Head Over Heels
Head over Heels was the lead single off The Go-Go's third and final album Talk Show and it was also the group's last significant hit. I really like the piano on this song a lot. The way the hand claps come in during the chorus is a genius addition to the song too. My favorite part though is that piano solo in the middle! That's some wicked piano playing right there.
05. We Got the Beat
We Got the Beat was The Go-Go's biggest U.S. hit (#2) and it's pretty much their signature song as a result. While it's a great pop song, We Got the Beat also showcases what a great rock band The Go-Go's were. The drumming in particular on this song is fantastic and really driving this song forward right from the start. The surf guitars during the bridge are also a great touch that helps elevate the song to the next level. Belinda also gives a knockout vocal where she musters up as much energy and passion as she possibly can. We Got the Beat is all adrenaline and it's bursting with energy from start to finish. If this song doesn't get you moving or singing along you must be dead on the inside.
04. Heaven is a Place on Earth
Heaven Is a Place on Earth was Belinda's commercial peak as it not only gave Belinda her first #1 hit in the U.S. it also finally broke her over in the U.K. where the song also reached #1. The main chorus "Ooo baby do you know that's worth Ooo heaven is a place on earth" is one of the catchiest and most memorable choruses in pop music history. The song also features Belinda's most passionate vocal performance since We Got the Beat. The production is also pitch perfect but a lot glossier than The Go-Go's. In fact, Heaven is a Place on Earth feels like the first real solo hit from Belinda since the production really helps separate the song from her past hits. Heaven is a Place on Earth felt like a new start for Belinda Carlisle and it remains her biggest and most beloved hit to date.
03. Mad About You
Belinda's first solo hit is a big personal favorite of mine. It mixes her pop and rock influences wonderfully as we get some good guitar work (especially that guitar solo which I love) with some catchy synth parts sprinkled throughout the song. In a lot of ways this song feels like her transition song between the new wave rock of The Go-Go's and the slicked-up pop diva music that was just around the corner. When I moved to D.C. I was happy to find that the light rock station LOVES playing this song so I heard it quite a bit on the radio throughout most of the 2010's which was OK by me!
02. I Get Weak
My favorite solo song by Belinda. I just love the way this one sounds. It's got guitars on it but they are juxtaposed with the high gloss production that grabs me right from the start. The key changes throughout are fantastic and there's so many different melodies overlapping throughout the song. Belinda also gives another great vocal performance particularly when she sings "I Get Weak" really passionately. This is one of those songs that has me from its first note until it's last. One of my favorite pop diva songs of all time. I absolutely adore I Get Weak.
01. Our Lips Are Sealed
The song that got me into The Go-Go's initially and the song that broke them into the top 20 back in 1981. I was hooked on Our Lips Are Sealed from the moment I first heard it being used in the commercials for The Go-Go's Behind the Music special on VH1. Like most of The Go-Go's singles it's a perfect pop song delivered by a great rock band. The drumming once again kicks things off in a memorable fashion. In fact, I love the opening to this song where that drumming gives way to the guitar and then that synth line and when they are all added together it feels like pop bliss. It's one of my favorite openers to a pop song ever, but it just gets better from there with an instantly memorable chorus that is matched by verses that are just as catchy. The peak though might be that bridge where Jane Weildin sings "Hush my darling don't you cry" right before we jump back into that perfect chorus. In the years since Our Lips Are Sealed has been declared not just The Go-Go's best song, but one of the best songs in pop music history. Belinda says when she first heard Our Lips Are Sealed, she knew it was going to be a hit and she was not wrong. Our Lips Are Sealed is the kind of song that's so good that it's used as a barometer for all pop songs that came after it. Our Lips Are Sealed sounds just as good today as it did nearly 40 years ago.
