Update: The 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be televised by HBO starting Saturday, November 20th at 8:00 p.m. PST. If you miss that, HBO typically runs it a few more times after the premiere date. Stay tuned for a post on the show.
They wrote their own songs and played their own instruments. They’re the most successful all-woman rock band of all time. And now, the Go-Go’s are going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their enduring popularity, energetic live shows, and lasting influence, particularly for women in rock, stamped their ticket to Cleveland.
The band formed in L.A. in 1978. They were punk, playing at legendary venues, such as The Masque, Whisky a Go Go, and San Francisco’s Mabuhay Gardens. After a couple of personnel changes in ’78-’79, the core lineup of the band was set: Charlotte Caffey (lead guitar), Belinda Carlisle (lead vocals), Gina Schock (drums), Kathy Valentine (bass guitar), and Jane Wiedlin (rhythm guitar). Their debut album in 1981, Beauty and the Beat, remains a new wave classic with singles “Ours Lips Are Sealed” and “We Got the Beat” leading the way. It’s a pop masterpiece, with some gritty L.A. punk lyrics, musically wrapped in a Southern Californian sheen.
Vacation was the band’s next album in 1982. While not as successful as the debut, the title song was huge. MTV had them on heavy rotation at this point which increased their popularity. Talk Show was their third release and added two more hits to their collection with “Head Over Heels” and “Turn to You.” Drug use, differences over musical direction, and internal lawsuits over fair pay derailed the band in 1985. They had a couple reunions in the 1990s, coming together for special concert appearances. Since 1999, they have steadily toured keeping the fun alive.
I missed seeing them in their heyday, but glad I did finally in 2012. The Psychedelic Furs opened the show. I was thinking that they should have been the headliners. But the Go-Go’s surprised me. The band was tight, high energy, and Carlisle’s vocals were supreme. The winery amphitheater was a highlight, too.
The Go-Go’s have been the subject in two other mediums; theater and film. First, the play, Head Over Heels, initially performed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2015, and then a much different version on Broadway in 2018. It’s a jukebox musical comedy highlighting the band’s songs and lyrics. Second, The Go-Go’s, a Showtime documentary focusing on the early years and ending in grand fashion in 2019 with their reunion and a new song, “Club Zero.” I wonder if this film clinched their selection to The Hall. It certainly lays out in telling archival footage the band’s struggles, historic musical achievements, and continuing impact. And also, that they’re just plain fun to listen to.
The 36th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place October 30th. The HBO telecast is usually shortly thereafter, typically premiering on a Saturday (no date for the telecast at this time). Also, being inducted this year are the Foo Fighters, Tina Turner, Carole King, Jay-Z, and Todd Rundgren. Stay tuned for a special post on the event after it airs.