Belinda Carlisle, The #100 Female Artist of the Rock Era*

She first gained fame as the lead singer with the Go-Go's, who became the first self-contained, all-girl group to make it big. By self-contained, we mean a group that writes its own songs, plays its own instruments and charts its own course. Belinda Carlisle then ventured out on a solo career and did extremely well in both the United States and the U.K. 

Carlisle was born in Hollywood and was a cheerleader at Newbury Park High School in Thousand Oaks, California.  Carlisle was a drummer briefly for the punk band the Germs.  Soon after leaving that group, Belinda co-founded the Go-Go's with friends Margot Olavarria, Elissa Bello and Jane Wiedlin.  Guitarist Charlotte Caffey, bassist Kathy Valentine and drummer Gina Schock soon replaced Olavarria and Bello.  The Go-Go's became the first all-female band to write their own music and score a #1 album, Beauty and the Beat, and they went on to sell 2.5 million albums.

In 1984, Belinda appeared in the movie Swing Shift with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.  

Carlisle's first solo release Belinda was recorded in 1986 on I.R.S. Records.  The album went Gold, thanks largely to the international smash "Mad About You", which reached #1 in Canada, #3 in the U.S. and the Top 10 in Australia.  Andy Taylor of Duran Duran played a guitar solo on the track:

Belinda released her second album Heaven on Earth in 1987.  The first single, "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" was a worldwide smash, reaching #1 in the United States, the U.K., Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland, topping out at #2 in Australia and peaking at #3 in both Canada and Germany.

Famed songwriter Diane Warren contributed to Belinda's third major hit, "I Get Weak", which reached #2 in the U.S.

"Circle In The Sand" hit the Top 10 in the U.S., U.K. and Germany.

"Circle In The Sand" wrapped up her four Top 10 career songs, although she did hit #11 in 1989 with "Leave A Light On". 

 In 2009, Carlisle performed in the London production of Hairspray and her autobiography, Lips Unsealed,  was #27 on the New York Times Best Seller list in 2010.  In 2011, Carlisle and the Go-Go's received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Also in 2011, Belinda announced the creation of an accessories line at the department store Bergdorf Goodman in New York City entitled "Belinda".  Carlisle has done several reunion tours with the Go-Go's, and recorded a new song in 2013 for the release of her Greatest Hits package. 

 Carlisle charted nine hits and sold two million albums in her career.