Leadership topic - The Go-Go’s

The Go-Go’s came out of the Los Angeles punk scene in 1978, a group of broke friends with no musical training. Belinda Carlisle and Jane Wiedlin started the band, Charlotte Caffey joined 2 months later, Gina Schock was on drums by 1979 and Kathy Valentine took up the bass around 1980. They named it at a Denny’s on Sunset Boulevard.

In 1982 Beauty and the Beat went to number 1 and stayed there 6 weeks, making them the first all-female band to write their own songs, play their own instruments and top the US album chart. They voted on their decisions and shared the credit. In 2021 they went into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2026 the Library of Congress added Beauty and the Beat to the National Recording Registry.

The Go-Go’s are on leadingWithMusic for empower: 5 women who backed each other before anyone else would, in an industry built for 1 star.