Beauty And The Beat

Aye, the 5 star rating system strikes again. This grew on me over a few listens, and I got used to Belinda Carlisle’s voice which was a bit irritating at first. Some nice punchy wee tunes on here which I enjoyed but don’t find particularly memorable. 3.5

I just could not make myself listen to it

Albums like this are why I keep going (almost 600 in). 100% unexpected. Solid 4 stars.

The Go-Go’s! A band I’m aware of as important to music history, but I couldn’t have named one of their songs before today (I recognized We Got the Beat, but didn’t know it was a Go-Go’s song). Forcing functions like this are what excites me about the 1001 albums list. I’m broadening my music knowledge, baby. As an album, this is full of cohesive but enjoyably distinct songs. It’s new wave, yes, but the most bubblegum pop version of new wave I’ve encountered. That being said, after two full listens logged, I’m having fun, but it’s not sticking with me as much as I would have hoped. I think I kept hoping for a centerpiece anthem that never arrived.

Rating this one higher for its influence more than for my personal enjoyment of it. Overall I felt a little lost realizing I had moved to the next track, but it was fun, and almost campy in sound. The bops went-went hard and those I cranked up the volume. It’s so 80s, but this soon into the decade, the Go-Gos are iconic

Rating higher for its influence. Know some of these songs through their covers more than the originals (Hilary Duff’s Our Lips Are Sealed for example, lol), so don’t have as much nostalgia for these. We Got The Beat is amazing, but can’t give 5 stars when Skidmarks On My Heart exists (horrible).

Cannot think about this album without feeling so nostalgic. Our Lips Are Sealed with Mary-Kate and Ashley - iconic. Really loved this album!

Really loved this. Anything that gets me dancing around the house is a 5/5. Perfect blend of new wave and pop. Feels timeless. Fave song: How Much More TIL: they are the first (and still the only!) all female band that wrote their own songs to reach the top of the charts

If the Runaways are the cool older sister out getting into trouble, The Go-Go’s are the good younger sister. Nice 80’s quasi-punk/new wave pop.

Surprisingly goes harder than I thought it would, it's not entirely bubblegum. Sort of proto-pop-punk and overall enjoyable. More nuance than I anticipated

banger album

This is pure fun. The lyrics might not stand out, but the energy and sound are fantastic. Catchy, upbeat, and just a blast to listen to from start to finish.

Fun Album. My drum teacher used to be the drum tech for Gina, the Go-Go's drummer..

It's a fun album. It's...also not for me! But i felt fabulous while listening.

Irresistibly fun and cute! The lack of variety between tracks brings it down a few notches for me.

Actually pretty good

Fun and predictable. Not bad but not earth shattering.

Fantastic 80's pop! So many hits on that album, a fun listen

V fun

When they slow down and get some dirt under their fingernails, this band is pretty cool. The fun poppy bops aren't for me. But overall I'm glad this was on the list.

My ears are ring-ing

Fun, but nothing to write home about.

Very enjoyable, post punk pop. Contains some great songs

"our lips are sealed" and "we got the beat" are in my "oh whats that song called" hall of fame

Surprisingly good

Starts with a bang, but not as exciting from there. Still, it's enjoyable and I did quite like Skidmarks On My Heart...I will listen to this occasionally for the remainder of my years. No doubt

not for me.

Mukavaa tyttöenergiaa bändin muodossa. Jotain proto-punkkia tämä kai on?

would be an easy 5 if Vacation was on this album too

Slightly maddening but kinda fun anyway.

A rollicking, fun album

"Beauty and the Beat" is the debut album by California new wave band the Go-Go's. New wave, pop rock, post-punk and surf rock are the Wiki-listed genres. Yeah, I don't know about the surf rock but everything else fits. The album was critically acclaimed and noted as one of the cornerstones of American new wave. The bandmembers included Belinda Carlisle (lead vocals), Charlotte Caffey (lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Gina Schock (drums), Kathy Valentine (bass, backing vocals) and Jane Wiedlin (rhythm guitar, backing vocals). The album reached #1 in the US and stayed there for six weeks. Jane Wieldlin and the Specials' and Fun Boy Three's Terry Hall wrote "Our Lips Are Sealed" about their relationship and reaction to it. The drum beat, the rhythm guitar, the keyboard melody, the bass and Belinda Carlisle's vocals come in. That's how you start a song. a great bass sound, a poppy dance beat and catchy. When you say an early 80's song, this one pops to mind immediately. Fun Boy Three also recorded a version which is nowhere near the level of this version. They speed it up on "How Much More." Nice backing vocals and a catchy guitar chorus. A great deeper cut. She wants to be that girl whose shoulder that guy's head is on. "This Town" has a darker tone with a low-key guitar. It's a tongue-in-cheek song about how glamorous the LA/Hollywood life is and what's really underneath it. Side two kicks off with their other big hit "We Got the Beat." A rumbling beat and layers of guitars and bass. Another catchy song. The third single, "Automatic," is slower. An eerie guitar and an ominous bass line. Caffey rips off a guitar solo. Emotionless relationship? Emotionless sex? I don't know but the musical tone fits the stark single-phrase lyrics. The background of the Go-Go members was punk and that comes through listening to this entire album as they do a great job fusing punk/post-punk with their pop sensibilities. In a lot of the songs, the guitars have a darker post-punk edge and tone. The producers, Richard Gottehrer and Rob Freeman, did a nice job keeping the bass loud in the mix which really drives the music. The lyrics cover relationships, dancing, partying and Los Angeles. This is a really good album and more than just the two songs that you've heard. A solid recommendation.

Enjoyable 80s yeah yeah yeahs

I've only ever heard We Got the Beat from this record, and while it is a great song, honestly it might be one of the weaker tracks. The three songs before it, Tonite, Lust to Love, and This Town are a pretty damn good run of three, with their post-punk urgency. You can also hear how influential they are, drawing a direct line to Kathleen Hanna projects like Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, and Sleater-Kinney. Dunno if I'm surprised by this album being so good, but I definitely wasn't expecting a slight post-punk vibe. Plus, I'm a sucker for some good bass, and Kathy Valentine is providing that in spades. But all the members are at peak form here. Side note: Aside from We Got the Beat, I've mostly only known them from Jane Wiedlin being on VH1 in the 2000s constantly? Don't remember much other than I think I had a crush on her, but it's weird I remember that, haha.

*Beast

Beauty and the Beat is a fun, energetic album from start to finish. There’s not a bad track on the album; it’s catchy, upbeat, and confidently delivered. That said, it’s not really my kind of vibe. I can appreciate the charm and songwriting, but it doesn’t fully click with me personally. Still, a strong and undeniably enjoyable debut.

It was a band that I never heard of before, nor did I know any songs. It was okay, but quite forgetable. Nothing really sticked out, or caught my attention for very long.

Funky I like

Decent

This had some classics and some songs that probably deserved to be classics. Honestly, this surprised me because I have never considered listening to The Go-Go's. These are the types of albums that I'm hoping to find more of in the 1001 list.

I was a little confused by the obsession that music publications have with this album. Not only is it on this list but its also on the Rolling Stones top 500. But after relistening to the album I kinda get it. It's just 80s pop goodness. You gotta be a real prude not to love songs like "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got The Beat". Plenty of other fun songs here as well. This isn't a revolutionary album or anything but its catchy and fun and definitely deserves some level of praise. Favorite track: We Got The Beat

This albums is great! The Go-Go’s have the garage rock grime, they have the peppy pop, they’ve got the surf-rock vibes. Great energy from start to finish. Listening to this brought back good memories of a buddy I played hockey with. Anytime we won, he would insist on playing The Go-Go’s, Vaction in the locker room. Sadly, Kurtis passed away early this year so The Go-Go’s will always have a spot in my heart. RIP Kurty. 4 stars

classic early 80s girlpop. very valley girl. classic The Go-Gos and a must listen for any lover of 80s music, pop ballads, and female musicians. has punk influence, the new wave charm of the decade, and the album at no point feels stale or same-y. even gets a little bit surf rock with the guitar riffs

Just a great production, with smooth lyrics.

Didn't realize this was as early as it was. I like it as a precursor to 90s girl alt. Don't love all the unison though. Ironically, 80s girl groups have never been my jam.

Had potential, but too poppy for my liking.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Bright and energetic, but not enough to hold my interest. I got through the whole album though. Good for what it is, but can’t see me revisiting it.

This album would slap if I was a 14 year old who just finished school for the summer. I'm not, but it's fun to try and enjoy the album as if I was. What are half of these songs about

Better than what I expected, if not a little too gentle at times. Bands like Lush and Belly clearly drawn from this

Probably the best girls band after The Runaways. Very dynamic and full of young energy.

A little too gentle for my taste, but they're certainly catchy and dynamic. I especially liked when their sound get more surf and guitar oriented.

Surprisingly enjoyable. It's not going to warp reality, but it was a fun listen.

Not really a Go-Go's guy

2/5 - everyone’s 5 star reviews have surprised me, as this is simplistic and quite boring. I really wanted to like this as I’m having a bit of a new wave phase at the moment, and I have been in love with Kim Wilde’s debut album for years, so I know I am capable of liking music like this, but this album was far off the mark for me. This Town reminded me a lot of Our Town by Kim Wilde… Standout tracks: - Our Lips Are Sealed: 3.5/5 (Hilary and Hailey Duff did a cover of this and I prefer that version 😭) - Skidmarks On My Heart 3.5/5

This was really pretty good. Go Go’s were huge when I was 10ish. I knew all the hits, but can’t say I ever listened to the whole album. Great early 80s California new wave.

Было на удивление хорошо, только я не слушаю женские группы толком

Fun, upbeat and the right length for what it is. I wouldn't say that this is an amazing album but one that should be listened to if you like music history to see the progression from disco to 80s pop music. I liked this album and knew several tracks, most likely won't list to it ever again though. 6.4/10 102/1001

Kinda fun.

This was fun! A few recognizable songs here so I enjoyed those. Probably wouldn’t listen again but I appreciate 80s pop.

Quite enjoyed this against the odds. It’s very jangly new wave which is usually a death sentence for me, but I enjoyed the bass guitar throughout and there are a lot of great bits of guitar work and catchy hooks. Better than feared but not exactly troubling my all-time favourites.

This album was decent, I thought it was quite unique and interesting as it wasn't like much other music I have listened to before. It was also interesting listening to an all Female band which I have never really listened to before.

Great, another new wave album. I feel like this list should be retitiled "600 New Wave albums to listen to before you die, plus a few other things here and there." This one starts upbeat and chirpy. Great. First track is like a candy high. But it actually gets better. This Town is pretty good, and there are some other tracks that might grow on me if I listened to them more.

Super fun

Really cool record!

super super fun....can hit on some surprisingly effective punky edges even more than a lot of other new wave, and flirting with moments of darkness as well, but mostly just sweet and kickass Ramones In The Early 80s For The Girls, emphasizing the bubblegum roots with gleaming glittery Teeth. the aesthetic focus on california is also distinguishing i think, if not for total uniqueness than certainly for the quality of what it delivers. just wall to wall great songs...we got the beat made me light up in recognition immediately, but i dont know from what, surely it was in a movie montage or something!

Good times to the max!

Startlingly jangly and grating, but the hits are the hits

Fun! Short! Excellent qualities especially 600+ albums in!

uuuh sure why not

classic new wave, iconic

Really fun punk album masquerading as pop genius.

Pretty good. Even their slower songs are very upbeat and catchy.

This album is an absolute gem. The Go-Go's are such an underrated all girl band, and this album has that irresistible 80's vibe from start to finish. Belinda Carlisle is on fire- her vocals are so fun. Upbeat and impossible to sit still in my chair.

Fantastic 80’s album. Great energy throughout the whole album.

Lame

Very poppy, fun, upbeat, summer vibes. It lacks depth in my opinion. Not that it's meant to have much. It's meant to be fun. "Lust to love" was the surprising one to me. I enjoyed it along with the singles, lips are sealed and we got the beat, which are also solid. The rest were forgettable.

I have to admit I was first introduced to Our Lips Are Sealed by the Hilary and Haylie Duff version, not the Go-Go’s version. 3.5 rounded down to 3.

Bought this when it came out. Liked it a lot then and still do. A nice debut with two monster hits that are still fun to sing along with on the radio. 3.5 rounded up to 4 because the documentary was very good.

I knew the two hits, obviously. And I kinda expected the rest of the album to be poppy filler. It’s so much more interesting than that. I loved “Tonite” and every other new-to-me song was solid. The two hits are undeniably fun but they are not what I love about this album, which is its punk insouciance. (Although I do think “we got the beat” benefits from the context of the whole album, which seems to draw out elements of that song I hadn’t focused on before.) I thought about 5 but I think it’s merely a solid 4. Also I think if I had bought this album in 1981 and then Belinda Carlisle made “heaven is a place on earth” six years later, I would have rioted.

no

77/100.

So poppy and upbeat

Decent but not something I can get into really

83% Best: Our Lips Are Sealed; Tonite; We Got The Beat; Fading Fast Must-Hear? Sure

It’s been years since I heard this record, and when it popped up here, I really couldn’t remember it apart from the two hits. I always liked Belinda Carlisle’s voice, and there are plenty of Go Go’s and Belinda Carlisle songs I like. But there are only two of those on this record. It’s not that the record is bad, but it doesn’t offer a ton outside of those two songs; there are a lot of mediocre and filler tracks. I guess I can understand why this record was highly touted for its time (though I am scratching my head at Wikipedia’s assertion that this was an early new wave record), but it maybe it’s a little forgettable by now. 2.7/5 - have to round up

Fun poppy album. I’m sure had I been alive during this albums hay day I would have been all over it.

The Go-Go's are great fun. This album is cheerful, snappy, well played, and feels very influential to female-led rock and rock in general when compared to more modern bands like Metric or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. We Got the Beat is definitely the best song here and it stands the test of time well, but I also liked Our Lips Are Sealed and Automatic.

no kuul, aber chli langwiilig.. chli es schlechters abba

At first I didn't like this album but as the years have gone by I began to love this album. Part pop punk, part new wave, it's an album that gets better with age.

gostei

The two singles are really stand out tracks but nothing on the album that hurts my ears. I had listened to this a lot as a kid as it was one of the few tapes my sister had and it would be on in the background a lot. The nostalgia factor for me makes this a positive 3 star review instead of a 2 star I'll never listen to this again.

Uno bueno que no conocía

Kind of boring. The first half of the album is for sure the best half. Fav Track: You Can't Walk In Your Sleep

Me ha gustado muchísimo y no esperaba nada de él.

A fun little collection of bops. Automatic was my favorite. Nothing life changing but it wasn't trying to be.

Fun and catchy with plenty of hooks. Better than most of the new wave crap we've had to suffer through.

Really enjoyed this. The Go Go's are a band I have always meant to spend some time with but never managed. Liked this album alot but in fairness, I could listen to Belinda Carlisle recite an insurance policy and love it. Cool songs and hooks. Good way to spend half an hour or so.

Think I'm a Go-Go's fan

Just didn’t do it for me

Sure this was influential. But just was so bored throughout

It would be easy to write off this band as the token easy pop girl group inclusion, and I has that impression too. Until Lust to Love reached my ears. I went back to start with refreshed, unbiased ears, and was really impressed. Both the playing, songwriting and production is on point. And the run from track 2-7 is not easily beaten.

I dunno this didn't grab me but it wasn't bad.

Fun 80’s party/dance music. Good to see a successful girl band

I like it! Female punk rock, lively for sure. Listened again and thought of the Ramones - female version. May be a stretch, but still a fun listen.

pop Breeders

Some good songs some ok ones

Catchiest debut ever? The Go-Go's set the bar for pop-laden new age - unfortunately way too high for the heaps of less talented bands that followed.

Why would you want to release a new wave-record after listening to this? Do you really think you can improve the formula? Pff…

Shocked at how good this is. Just a solid pop punk album. New Wave condensed and perfected here

Girl pop. Completely average.

Enjoyed this. Strong vocals and some great tracks

I did try to get into this a number of years back but never really did. I’m not completely sure why as on the face of it this should have been something I liked back then. There’s something about the songs that didn’t quite grab me. My suspicion is that these songs would be great live but perhaps don’t quite have the same ‘punch’ on record. That’s not to say they are bad songs though and it was good without being outstanding. I would say I may not leave it so long before revisiting again but I suspect I will.

Rock, new wave, post-punk? Nope, it’s pure pop music and a pretty solid effort too. I wanted to really like it because of the excellent cover of Our Lips Are Sealed by The Wedding Present, but unlike the cover version, these tracks lack any edge.

It’s nice enough isn’t it. Pleasant post punk poppy rock stuff. Some nice harmonies and some decent songs, nothing to really blow your socks off mind. Tip of the hat to ‘skidmarks on my heart’ as a track name.

Awesome debut album

Call it a New Wave classic, call it a pop classic, play it for a lot of fun songs to bounce to.

Such a classic!

Fun album, really enjoyed it! Just don't think there's really a bad song on it. One of two albums since doing this that I've actually added to my music too. REMINDS ME OF 13 GOING ON 30 😭 (one of their songs features on the soundtrack) Highlights: Our Lips Are Sealed, This Town, We Got the Beat

A fun album! Another one I think I’d enjoy more with more listens Favourites: Our Lips are Sealed, This Town

Had not heard alot of the songs on this album. Fun listen

This album is so much fun, the vocals and the harmonies are perfect. An incredible debut album! I’m not sure if any other Go-Go’s albums are on the 1001 list but I sure hope so! Fav songs: This Town, We Got The Beat, Automatic (this song was different from the others but I think it came at the right time in the album and broke it up a bit)

If you've heard We Got The Beat, you've basically heard the entire album. Not returning.

Great album. Wish they were still together

Fun, short and sweet. Didn't love every track but enough good tracks and it didn't overstay its welcome.

I can't decide between a 3 and a 4. This was light, poppy, and concise. It kind of reminds me of The Bangles but I didn't like The Bangles. I like the instruments a lot especially in Can't Stop the World, Lust to Love, and Automatic. There really isn't a bad song though. At worst, the choruses can get a little bit repetitive and the voice a little tiring, but I'm not hating. It's a quick listen, so there's no need to skip. I can see this being so much fun in the 80s.

Greit popalbum, men vender nok ikke tilbake til det.

Too easily dismissed as throwaway pop music, this is a great achievement for the five women from LA's punk scene--the first #1 album of music entirely composed and performed by women. What's amazing to me (who heard it on the radio as a kid when it was first released) is that it took so long to achieve this. It's a great album, not a bad track; but let's hear it for Jane Weidlin, Belinda Carlisle, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock, and Kathy Valentine.

It is very much about the singles here. They are great. Our lips are sealed is a true classic. The whole album is average though

Sure? As someone who wore out a Go-Go’s Greatest Hits cassette in the 90s, I’m here for this, but other than the novelty of the all-girl band, it’s just an ok album surrounded by a hit song. I get that 1001 albums has to be a long list, but does that mean that every Taylor Swift album makes it? Or Radiohead? Or The Rolling Stones?

A solid, fun album. If not something I’ll come back to a lot, it’s an undeniably fun and well made album with two massive hits.

Fav songs *Our lips are sealed (obviously) *We got this beat *Lust to love 7/10, potential vinyl purchase

“Can we listen to the Talking Heads?” “We have new wave at home” New wave at home: Highlights: Fading Fast Automatic

Really solid album with some good songs. Catchy and energetic. I like this one.

Nope

I fully expected this to be in here solely due to one massive hit, but it surprised me. I still think it could have used more diversity, but not bad at all. Favorite Track: "We Got The Beat".

Shit Sandwich

I haven't been able to dedicate as much time as I'd like, but I was pleased with the opening to this record. We've got the Beat and Lips are Sealed are the immediately recognizable hits. I think I prefer the latter. When I think of we've got the beat I imagine there must be a Simpsons episode Milhouse or Ralph or someone getting punched by Nelson while that song plays in the background. The record is upbeat and fun. I enjoy the vocalization layers across the tracks. There is a certain sound where maybe they step up a half tone or something - it reminds of that 52 girls song I like (what is that sound called, psychedelic?). I guess they started punk and became pop stars. While listening I am reminded of poppier sounding Clash songs I like, such as "Lost in the Super Market" (How Much More comes to mind). I enjoy Lust to Love. Is it a stretch to compare it (slightly) to Patti Smith's 1978 song "Because the Night"? It came out 3 years prior and even mentions Lust ("Because the night belongs to lovers, because the night belong to lust). I could see Automatic leaving some unimpressed, but I like the break from some of the more upbeat songs. I like the music dropping with just a vocal and beat and the little riff coming back. I may have found some of the end of the record repetitive but I am listening while driving home with work thoughts stuck in head, which tends to have a negative impact on listening experience. Overall, enjoyed. Go Go-Gos!

Solid 4/4.5, We Got the Beat is overshadowed by quite a bit here

Perfect early 80s poprock. Enjoyed it more then I thought I would.

So good! The two singles are unstoppable and "Skidmarks on My Heart" was a mixtape staple back then. I just read that Belinda Carlisle's tenure as the drummer for the Germs was cut short because she had mono - the most adorable LA punk anecdote ever!

Everybody knows the twin hits, but the strength of this album lay in its deep cuts — the icy new wave of "Automatic," the surf rock of 'Skidmarks On My Heart," the uptempo post-punk of "Tonite," the wistful "Lust to Love," etc. I find most of them more interesting than the hits, but there's really not a bad tune to be found. The band is peppy, energetic and fully in command. I'm left trying to remember why I ever parted with my copy of this LP back in the day.

I think I'm going to go on a deep Go-Go’s listening spree, heck yeah this stuff.

Better than expected. I learned from the recent documentary that what broke the group up was not drug or alcohol abuse by some members, but that some of the gals that didn't write many/any songs wanted songwriting split evenly 5 ways and Jane who did the heavy lifting for songwriting thought this unfair.

"Our Lips Our Sealed" is one of the all-time greatest opening-tracks-on-a-debut-album. And that bass line. Just perfect. This entire album is bouncy, happy pop-punk perfection.

The songs are all good, but they all kind of run together. Not much tempo/style change. But still, solid album.

Great listening all the way through. Punk yet popy and melodic. Not a bad track in the bunch.

It was ok but a bit samey. Belinda Carlisle has a great voice though.

Fine. It was a lot for a whole album

Wow this was fun. The two singles - My Lips Are Sealed & We Got The Beat - were the highlights but there basically wasn't a bad song. Early 80s New Wave girl group, super high energy, almost a surf rock vibe going on. Loved it

A fun poppy punky album. Feels quite basic for todays standards, but all songs were catchy. No skips.

Fun.

I'm a sucker for poppy rock. The songs definitely start to blend together. But We Got The Beat is such a bop. Couple of weird songs (looking at you Automatic). Skidmarks on My Heart is the unexpected fave.

bangers bops love it 4.5 stars

I got the beat !

Like

Fun and energetic

Didn’t know Belinda Carlisle was a punk

A nice change of pace (still within the rock genre of course). A varied album, a bit repetitive in lyrics but the emotion packed into them makes up for it. Very fun, 4.5 stars rounded. down. Close to 5, but lacking some of the emotional oomph for this genre - More rock :( at least it's more like pop-rock - Actually, this isn't like the rock we've heard. More like 'band music'. I'm enjoying it! - Easily 3 stars, probably needs a deeper listen to earn more - On second listen, I like it more! A little too simple, but short enough to get away with it. I would listen to this again - Honestly, lyrically reminds me of Sabrina Carpenter. Big breakups, hookups culture, dumb boys, etc

Nice listen. Fun beats.

This was a pretty alright album, nothing exciting happened but it wasn't bad. Overall, a bit meh but it was fine having it in the background while doing other stuff.

Our Lips Are Sealed and We Got the Beat: phenomenal 80's tunes. The rest of the album was...um...mediocre 80's tunes?

The sound of a certain time period in my life

Little buzz of pop joy here. Opening track - Alex the Seal - is familiar and a pretty good tune. This was fun - nothing too serious but liked the vibe.

A perfect pop album.

This was fun. A solid '80s album.

surprised how much I liked it. I expected bland bubblegum pop but I think I had this misconception because of their femme vocals (and because We Got the Beat and Our Lips are Sealed have been used in women-focused commercials and covered by tween Disney stars). In particular on the song This Town if you replace the lead and backing vocals, it could easily be a Green Day song; YCWIYS reminds me of The Matches' Papercut Skin. The name Skidmarks on My Heart is definitely not bubblegum pop lol. Love the drama and enunciation on Automatic (a la shiver with antici..PAtion). Fav songs: This Town, Fading Fast, Automatic, You Can't Sleep Walk if You Can't Sleep (bonus: Head Over Heels which played I didn't realize the album ended)

While the Go-Gos may seem quaint or "cute", they were anything but, and the enduring quality of their music speaks to that.

This is fun and pleasant, with great songwriting. I feel like Sleater-Kinney must have listened to this a lot.

Interesting album, very 80’s reminds me of Blondie in terms of their vocals. Not likely to listen to it again.

i get it

Fun bops & fun album cover

Only listened to 'We Got the Beat' before, but I've been missing out on the full album! What a bop!

Girly summer bops. What's not to like?

Fun album

The hits are great; the rest is fine.

Very fun album, but yet again nothing very interesting

Pas mal pour un album punk d'un groupe tout féminin, me rappelle un peu les Pixies dans leurs albums les plus propres. Ne réécouterais pas en entier mais certains morceaux oui

Fun, upbeat, pop-punk. Really enjoyable. Favorites: How Much More, Tonite, This Town

Know the singles. The rest of the album is like Glam Punk. Likes it.

Great album, gets better every time I listen to it

Fun!

Boring, hard to listen to. Why would anyone need to hear this before they die!?

How Much More of this is there? I was Fading Fast until I heard this. I have the Lust to Love this album.

Classic 80s band!!!!

Really good album

Actually liked everything other than their 2 most popular songs.

Had fun with it. Got Janice up and dancing around.

Better than expected

Went into this wondering how much it would have in common with the classic Loona yyxy EP, beauty&thebeat - and I don't know, I think there's some kind of weird sunny girl pop vibe that they both have?? Anyway this was good, I'd never heard any of it before which is odd in a way because it fits in so well with a lot of the kind of music I listen to all the time. I guess sometimes you just miss stuff! I'm gonna say 3 but I really mean 3.5.

First time hearing. Lots of fun. Held together as an album. Good pop.

FIYAH!!

A bit on the backburner for a long time and so glad I finally heard this. So infectious and so much more than a perceived 80s pop album.

Album 781 of 1089 The Go-Go's - Beauty And The Beat (1981) Rating : 3.5 / 5 Always loved the hits and the rest isn't bad, either. Good album.

Sophomore year in college this album came out. Every girl I knew loved this album and it was a great conversation starter and usually paid off. Brought back good memories listening today.

meh

Listened before?: Some! Loved it. Quick and fun and exactly right for a certain kind of mood!

Nein! Mag ich nicht! Klingt alles gleich!

Definitely more of a new wave fan than punk fan, but I like where these songs sit, drifting back and forth between the two. There's a lot of fun to be had here, even apart from the astronomical hits that we all heard a million times, "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got The Beat". "Skidmarks On My Heart" is a bop, as the kids say. We've always needed to hear from the women in the world and it's been great to have this coming into our ears for the last 44 years.

Fun! Vey 80s! Go ladies! Not the most musically complex or wowing album, but definitely deserves a spot on this list of must-hear albums.

Yet another reason to love the 80's. Power pop, pop-punk, punk-pop, garage rock... whatever you wanna call it, the Go Go's did it as well as anyone. Yet another one of the first records I owned (I was 8 in 1981), Beauty and the Beat might be a perfect album. It's punk sensibility made it unique among it's early 80's peers, it's influence on women in rock cannot be over stated, and it is high in the running for greatest ever debut album. Plus, it's just endlessly catchy and listenable from front to back, like forever and ever amen...5

Long time listener, first time caller.. I've heard the singles a bazillion times and expected the rest of the album to be carried by those tunes. I was pleasantly surprised with this album

That was surprisingly fun!

Joyful new wave album by all girls band The Go-Go's suppose it was influential to the rest of the acts of the decade and Green Day a decade later. Loved it.

Every song sounds the same. It's cool for the first half but drags bad in the second. 4.5/10

Great poppy new wave

Great classic pop rock that you can still hear the influence of on a lot of modern indie rock

Not for me

Better than anticipated!

Poppy, early punky, girl rock. I know this was trend setting and popular when it came out, and it has been a common anthem since for girly power, but I'm neither a girl nor really into crack jack pop. If I wanted to listen to something similar to this I would probably just listen to Cindy Lauper as she's way more complex musically and has deeper lyrics.

Kommer seg halvveis uti

Just some really fun pop rock. Would love to be a woman in '81 just gettin turnt up with my bitches to this record. 7.5/10

Favorite: Fading Fast Least Favorite: Automatic

Up there with the best of the punk/new wave explosion of the 70s/80s.

Pretty good. Skidmarks on my heart is a very interesting song title. The song is still catchy though.

I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. I of course knew We Got the Beat and Our Lips Are Sealed going in, and I expected that the rest of this album would be more of the same flavor, but not as good (and hence not singles), but I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of flavor and unexpectedly funky chord progressions and even some odd time in at least one song. The production quality was also excellent. I was bopping along the entire time and ended up listening twice because I enjoyed it so much. I don't love Belinda Carlisle's vocal flavor (although she is a great talent technically) after about 3 or 4 songs, so I'm giving it four stars.

Sorry these seemingly nice ladies. I took one listen and had to cut it off. “We got the beat,” is a classic and I will acknowledge that but I will not be returning. Thank you for your service

This album is sooo upbeat and happy. I loved it. My knowledge of The Go-Go's was very limited but this is so fun. The bassist and drummer are both FANTASTIC. Blew me away. "You Can't Walk In Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep)" kept making me think of "Walk Like an Egyptian" lolol. "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got The Beat" are huge hits I loved. Actual 3.5. Liked Songs: "Our Lips Are Sealed" , "How Much More" , "Lust To Love" , "We Got The Beat" , "Fading Fast" , "You Can't Walk In Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep)" , "Can't Stop The World"

liked songs: most of them Very good new wave stuff. 3.75

Fun and catchy

☀︎j’aime pas tant sa voix pis ça sonne tout pareil ☀︎quand même une bonne vibe

This is a simple and catchy 'new wave' album, and for what it is, I honestly surprised that a liked that much, because, from what I had to heard from this list of this genre, I usually dislike it. But this is a very consistent album, and kind of fun. Not more to say than it is great.

Poppy, hooky, upbeat album. Makes me question why Belinda Carlisle left to go solo? From what I can tell she did exactly the same sort of stuff when she left. Maybe it was just greed? On reflection if she'd stayed with the Go Go's I think they would have been huge. Much better than her solo career. (I may be being simplistic here... they probably all fucking hated each other) 3½

This was fun, if a bit fleeting

This was a surprising bop. Good fun old fashioned 80s girl pop and I loved it! Our lips are sealed was so much fun and the album just kept that vibe the whole way through!

Pretended I was in montages while listening to most of this album. That is not a bad thing

Light, sweet and fluffy like cotton candy. One step removed from bubble gum music of the 60s and 70s.

I knew a lot more of these songs than I initially thought I did. This is a really great album. Everything here is really catchy while maintaining the rhythmic baselines and drumming as expected of new wave. The guitar solo on Skidmarks On My Heart is really great. Favorites were Our Lips Are Sealed, Lust To Love, We Got The Beat, Fading Fast, and Skidmarks on My Heart.

love 🩷

Another boring new wave album that at least is an all girl group I'm a fan of that but a lot of these songs just kind of sound the same little to no variation 5/10 Favourite: None Least Favourite: This Town

Sounds like an early pop punk record. Really fun vibes. I thought it was really good and my wife enjoyed it too.

Fun listen, catchy pop songs with a punky element.

Our Lips Are Sealed 4.1 How Much More 3.4 Tonite 3.5 Lust to Love 3.7 This Town 3.6 We Got the Beat 4 Fading Fast 3.6 Automatic 3.4 You Can't Walk in Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep) 3.2 Skidmarks on My Heart 3.4 Can't Stop the World 3.4 Score: 3.572727273

Rock, Pop, 1981 -> 3

Classic rock-chicks!!!!

This remains a seminal album of new wave, punk pop of the 80s. It smells like Coppertone

Liked every song except for the hits, at least liked them better

Pas l'album rock du siècle, ni même de la décennie, ni même de l'année, ni même du mois. Peut-être du jour, mais c'est déjà pas si mal.

A fun one! A good consistent energy and tons of solid hooks throughout. Can start to all sound a bit the same but probably ends before it becomes too much. 7/10

Sounds like early 2000s indie, surprisingly from the 80s

Catchy, light,frothy, fun

lust to love and automatic were my favs

Our lips are sealed - It is alright, a bit catchy. 6.5/10 How much more - Really do not like the vocals, even tho I use to like a bit fussy vocals. 5/10 Tonite - Annoys me that it is spelled incorrectely. 6.5/10 Lust to love - This is the best one so far. 7/10 This town - Same as ''how much more''. 5.5/10 We got the beat - If every song was like this one, the album would actually be decent. 6.5/10 SPEED ROUND!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fading fast - 6/10 Automatic - 8/10 You can't walk in your sleep - 6/10 Skidmarks on my heart - 6.5/10 Can't stop the world - 7/10 Thank god that is over.

Interesting that this was the 2nd best selling album of 1982 after...Asia. The era of the 80's superstars had not really begun. Pleasant stuff. Belinda Carlisle forever.

vibes

The debut album from The Go-Go's, this thing is full of catchy melodies and solid, steady rock songs. Its a fun album. There are songs about life, love, and kicking ass. The guitar parts are pretty notable on this album; I really liked the guitar riff on "Lust to Love," and there's a nice slower solo on "This Town," for examples. Anyone who hasn't lived under a rock knows "We Got The Beat" and maybe because I played it so many times in one of the Rock Band games it's kind of lost its luster for me, but its easy to see why that one was a hit single. It holds up. My standouts are "Our Lips Are Sealed" - it's so damn catchy - "Automatic" - loved the stop and go style - and "You Can't Walk In Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep)" - such a catchy jam, although rhyming sleep with sleep so much is sending me. This is a pretty solid album. A few of the songs don't really do a whole lot for me, but its still a fun listen through as a whole.

So-so album.

Tonite and Lust To Love are standouts. I enjoyed this album and think that I will like it more with more listens. A less angry Sleater-Kinney?

Boring

Really fun. Kind of bratty, almost pop punk. A really fun listen.

Very 80s the non singles didn’t stand up to the quality of the hits

I was surprised to see it described as New Wave instead of pop, because I thought NW would be more experimental and electronic sounds (plus I thought of their hits as pop songs).

New wave but all-female. LETS GOOOOO

Nieee

New wave e helt ok

One of my Favorites! 4/5 #musicsky #albumsky #AlbumADay

I needed this album today. So grateful to have some joyful music. We recently inherited a box of records, and this was in it. I listened to it for the first time about a month ago. It's a certified bop, and I'm 100% here for it. Didn't know it was on this list, but super glad to see it.

Bleh

A bit generic eighties...

Kind of interesting but it wasn't strong enough for me to want to listen to on my own

This is a fantastic album

Jesus, what a monster in my college years. Every girl wanted to be a Go-Go, and the boys just followed the girls. This was not in my wheelhouse at the time, but not gonna lie, I listened. Five seconds into Our Lips Are Sealed, my wife is up and dancing. She apparently saw these gals open up for the Police in the 80's. Damn! A different era, a better time.

I love Our Lips Are Sealed and was hoping the album would be great but the rest of the tracks didn't stand out as much as I hoped. 3.5

Pure cheesey album. I really enjoyed it lmao Somehow I knew most of these songs? Bangers 4 ⭐️

Upbeat girls rock enjoyed it

Came into this one knowing one song, came out of it enjoying a lot of them. We Got The Beat surprisingly was not my clear favorite on here, which was a pleasant surprise.

Super fun New Wave. A great listen front to back, more than just the singles.

A first time listen. Very enjoyable.

Really enjoyable. Catchy, bright, great guitar lines - slightly surfer rock. Can see they clearly influenced the likes of Lush.

It was interesting to listen girl band group. Definitely sounds like music from the eighties, sound like Spice Girls a little bit. Not that I don't like female artists, on the contrary, but it isn't really my music style, but if I had to relisten to the album, it'll be a pleasure. While you're ridin, during some holidays, it would be good to listen that type of music genre.

Really enjoyed this album

A banger from start to finish. I didn’t know what to expect only having heard the hits but I was optimistic from those and it did not disappoint. When you need an album to get you going and keep you going.

“We Got the Beat” by the Go-Gos First album I don’t recognize, though I do know “We Got the Beat.” Love the album cover, feels very Rococo? Or at least sunbleached. Looking forward to some ‘80s. 1 Bit of an overexposed mix, but I like the sunny guitars. Oh, totally recognize the hook! Catchy as hell. Wish the bassline was a little less plucky. Always thought they were saying “I love Lucille” lol. Pre-chorus is perfect too, love that they interrupt choruses to come back to it. Great song! 2 Wow, dreamy! Love these guitars, good layers super well mixed. A lot warmer than the first track. I think I need to drive in a covetable with long hair to this album. 3 Still fun, and I like the chorus— but the verses are pretty forgettable, and the crash cymbal pisses me off something fierce, it’s way too frequent and flat. 4 Bass line’s great, but lyrics are pretty corny. One thing I’ll say though is that these are pop songs that don’t overstay their welcome, which I appreciate— they still feel complete and whole but are succinct all the same. 5 Okay so I think the vocals are still great, but the limited range is pretty obvious when listening to an album. There’s songs seems like they’d shine brighter as singles, but sequentially they feel pretty samey. I do not care about “This town,” I’m afraid. Guitar solo was pretty weak. Like how the drums are mixed, bass is still really good, meh overall though. 6 Oh yeah this song is iconic for a reason— the bass and keys play off of each other in a really cool way, her range really stretches in a fun way (love the offer register growl) and the drums propel everything forward. Phenomenal song, no notes. 7 But like, see how much less this tried to be its own thing than the previous song? Super forgettable. 8 Oh ok love this, love the tempo change and creepy crawly bass and drums and she says every syllable in “automatic,” and that one time where she pauses for a totally silent moment Newfie saying it again— it’s super fun and distinct and I appreciate the change of pace. I even think the fade-out works pretty well to end the song, despite my predisposition to dislike the choice! Yay 9 It’s fine, I like the guitar getting a little surfier. One of the better songs from this formula they gave but still kinda forgettable. I just wish they’d yell something, or have a weird lyric or solo, or something that marks this as different! 10 “They say get a mechanic / I say get a shrink” is a crazy good line on a song comparing love to a race. The lyrics on this do what I was talking about with the previous song, it feels like it has its own personality way more because of the goofy car and heart lyrics, and there are less general abstractions like “towns” and “nights” and “worlds.” 11 Feels like the tone of a closer, so that’s good—but just forgettable again. Bass lines hood, drums and guitar are formulaic, vocals are fine but nondescript besides her distinct timbre, which wears thin over an album. Really wish more songs stretched her vocal capabilities like “We Got the Beat” or even “Automatic” did. It’s good collection of ‘80s pop songs that I would say is a weak album as a whole, but the highs are high.

Solid album with some excellent bangers.

It was fun!

Not my usual beat but I would enjoy in a girl summer vibe.

Fun

I liked all of the songs

A record that feels like a mix between a new-age album and a pop rock album, but does neither particularly well. It’s super unremarkable fare.

Fun but a bit mediocre imo

Essential 80s listening.

It was entirely fine. I can’t find any criticisms. I wasn’t very excited about it though.

Great female lineup - enjoyed their sound a lot

Nice album, but not something I'll keep in mind.

Meh

There weren't many things out there like the Go-Go's in 1981--trust me, I was there. A fun album, with a great lead-off song,, "Our Lips are Sealed."

Pop punk fun, especially the singles. Lips and The Beat are both absolute classics. Some others here are a bit more throwaway, but overall this is happy stomp through bouncy intelligent 80s pop.

Our Lips Are Sealed is a half decent way to go about starting your recording career. The rest of the album was pleasant, if a little plodding.

Great hit singles

This lightweight album is not rough enough to be punk and not weird enough to be avant-garde, but instead takes an overly-safe middle path. Aside from "Our Lips Are Sealed" (better done by Fun Boy Three), there's not much to get excited about here.

Pretty good, if a bit samey. Just a bit of punkiness in there.

pleasant

Maybe at one point I would’ve found this cool but the project has made me more critical 3/5

8/10 A breath of fresh air. Good music, good vocals, good harmonies. Just good. Best: We Got the Beat

I wouldn't mind if any of these songs came on the radio, but the album is a little too poppy for me to really get into.

Not my favorite type of music, fun and easy listening though.

Extremely 80s. Fun female fronted pop. They’re playing Coachella and honestly pretty excited to see their set.

The vocal performances are a little all over the place, but it does make me want to take an aerobics class. Mission accomplished I suppose. Standout track is: “Tonite”

This album takes me back to my college days and my pivot in my musical preferences towards this genre - what was called new wave at the time but really would be the alternative genre of today. It gets 5 stars just for the nostalgia alone.

It’s not the richest sound ever but this is a fine pop record

I only knew the radio staple Our Lips Are Sealed going into this. By today's standards this is fairly plain, but I was thinking it would have been fairly groundbreaking back in 81. Then I looked at albums released in 81 and I'm not so sure about that. Overall this is a solid album, but I wouldn't say it's amazing.