[1] Except for short periods when other musicians joined briefly, the band has had a relatively stable lineup consisting of Charlotte Caffey on lead guitar and keyboards, Belinda Carlisle on lead vocals, Gina Schock on drums, Kathy Valentine on bass, and Jane Wiedlin on rhythm guitar.

A first for an all-female band writing their material and playing their instruments, the LP topped the Billboard album chart and remains an achievement yet to be matched.

[2][3] Beauty and the Beat is considered one of the "cornerstone albums of US new wave" (AllMusic), having broken barriers and paved the way for a host of other new American acts.

[16] They shared a rehearsal space with the Motels and Carlisle, under the name "Dottie Danger", had briefly been a member of punk rock band the Germs.

Charlotte Caffey (lead guitar, keyboards, background vocals) was added later in 1978, and in the summer of 1979, Gina Schock replaced Bello on drums.

The Go-Go's subsequently spent half of 1980 touring England, earning a sizable following and releasing the demo version of "We Got the Beat" on Stiff Records, which became a minor UK hit.

[17] In December 1980, original bassist Olavarria fell ill[18] and was replaced with Kathy Valentine, who had played guitar in bands such as Girlschool and the Textones.

Their debut album, Beauty and the Beat, was a surprise hit: it topped the U.S. charts for six weeks in 1982 and eventually received a double platinum certification.

Personality conflicts and creative differences within the group were also taking a toll, as were drug addiction problems for some band members.

The band sought a replacement, selecting Paula Jean Brown (of Giant Sand) as their new bass guitarist, with Valentine moving to rhythm guitar.

This lineup debuted at the 1985 Rock in Rio festival, playing two shows, but Carlisle and Caffey soon realized their hearts were no longer in the group and decided to disband the Go-Go's in May 1985.

In 1990, the Go-Go's classic lineup (Caffey, Carlisle, Schock, Valentine, and Wiedlin) reunited to play a benefit concert for the California Environmental Protection Act, a 1990 ballot initiative.

The band also entered the studio with producer David Z to re-record a cover of "Cool Jerk" for a greatest hits compilation.

[citation needed] In 1994, the same lineup got together again to release a two-disc retrospective entitled Return to the Valley of The Go-Go's, featuring three new recordings.

[23] In 1997, Schock sued the other group members, claiming that she had not been adequately paid for her contributions since 1986 and that a songwriting agreement with Caffey had been breached.

Green Day's lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong co-wrote the only released single, "Unforgiven", which peaked at No.

[24] Also in 2001, the Go-Go's, along with artists Elton John, Billy Joel, David Crosby and Paul Simon, performed at the concert "An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson" at Radio City Music Hall, hosted by the TNT network.

Written by Charlotte Caffey, Kathy Valentine, and Jane Wiedlin, the track was recorded in Los Angeles for the show, which premiered on Sept. 19 on the network.

[31] On May 24, Valentine sued her former bandmates for "breach of fiduciary duty and abuse of control...in an attempt to deprive [her] of her position and interest in the group".

[37] Valentine rejoined the band to perform their first show together as a quintet in six years at New York's Bowery Ballroom on January 31, 2018, to announce the Broadway dates of their new musical, Head Over Heels.

[47] After playing six US dates in March 2022 (in Reno and several stops in California),[48] the band announced plans for a 2022 UK tour with Billy Idol to start in June 2022.

[52] The band reunited in Sacramento on February 7, 2024 to be inducted into the California Hall of Fame,[53] and "played a short, rowdy, acoustic set" at the afterparty.

[54] On October 21, 2024, the band announced via their official Instagram page that they were reuniting to play the Cruel World Festival, which will be held on May 17, 2025 in Pasadena, CA.