“Beneath the Blue Sky” and “Yes or No.”
Both of the latter songs were written or co-written
by Wiedlin, whose evolution as a songwriter and per-
former led her to want to sing lead on some of the
group’s efforts. As Carlisle did not play an instru-
ment, however, the question of what role she could
play in songs she did not sing was a vexatious one.
Tension between Wiedlin and Carlisle, combined
with serious drug use on the part of some members
of the group, led Wiedlin to leave the group. She was
replaced briefly by Paula Jean Brown, but the group
was unable to continue, and it broke up altogether
in 1985.
Impact The Go-Go’s, with their fun-loving yet hard-
edged California sound, are such a key part of the
musical legacy of the 1980’s that it is hard to remem-
ber they recorded only three albums in that decade.
Despite not being overtly political, they represented
a major breakthrough for women in rock and for
feminism in general during a decade often inimical
to both.Further Reading
Gaan, Gilliam.She’s a Rebel: The Histor y of Women in
Rock. Seattle: Seal Press, 1992.
Gehman, Pleasant.Escape from Houdini Mountain.
San Francisco: Manic D Press, 2001.
Rettenmund, Matthew.Totally Awesome 80’s: A Lexi-
con of the Music, Videos, Movies, TV Shows, Stars, and
Trends of That Decadent Decade. New York: St. Mar-
tin’s Griffin, 1996.
Nicholas BirnsSee also Feminism; Music; Music videos; New Wave
music; Pop music; Women in rock music; Women in
the workforce.422 Go-Go’s, The The Eighties in America
The Go-Go’s attend the Grammy Awards ceremony in 1982. Visible from left: Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, and Belinda Carlisle.(AP/
Wide World Photos)