This article needs additional citations for verification .(March 2022) |
"Heaven Is a Place on Earth" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Belinda Carlisle | ||||
from the album Heaven on Earth | ||||
B-side | "We Can Change" | |||
Released | September 14, 1987 [1] | |||
Studio | Ocean Way (Hollywood) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
| |||
Label | MCA | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Rick Nowels | |||
Belinda Carlisle singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Heaven Is a Place on Earth" on YouTube |
"Heaven Is a Place on Earth" is a single by American singer Belinda Carlisle from her second studio album, Heaven on Earth (1987). Written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, the song was released as the lead single from the album on September 14, 1987, and it reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on December 5, 1987, becoming Carlisle's only US chart-topper to date. A month later it peaked at number one in the United Kingdom, where it held the top spot of the UK Singles Chart for two weeks. In Australia it peaked at number 2. It is considered to be Carlisle's signature song.
The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1988, but lost out to Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)". In 2017, ShortList's Dave Fawbert listed the song as containing "one of the greatest key changes in music history". [4]
In 2015, Carlisle re-recorded the song as an acoustic ballad. This version appeared on her album Wilder Shores (2017), which combines acoustic tracks with world beats and traditional Sikh chants.
Sheet music for "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" sets the key of E major (D major for the pre-chorus), with a tempo of 123 beats per minute in common time (sheet music originally published in the key of A major). Carlisle's vocals span from E3 to D♯5. During the final chorus of the song, the key modulates to F♯ major. [5] [6]
Carlisle's backup vocalists on the song include songwriters Nowels and Shipley as well as Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas, Chynna Phillips of Wilson Phillips, and songwriter Diane Warren. It also features Thomas Dolby on synthesizers.
A review in Pan-European magazine Music & Media described "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" as being "a truly uplifting song, sporting an enjoyable and irresistible chorus". [7] Jerry Smith of British magazine Music Week deemed the song a "glossy, and ultimately very commercial, number", and a potential hit. [8]
"Heaven Is a Place on Earth" reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number seven on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was also a number-one hit in the United Kingdom, topping the UK Singles Chart for two weeks. The single also reached number one in many other countries, among them Switzerland, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Sweden, South Africa and Norway. It also reached number three in Germany and Canada, number two in Australia, and number six in Italy. It reached gold status in Canada and platinum status in the United Kingdom.
The promotional music video for the song was directed by actress Diane Keaton and includes an appearance by Carlisle's husband Morgan Mason. [9] It features children wearing black masks and capes, and holding illuminated plastic globes. Carlisle appears wearing a strapless dress and later changes to a black off-the-shoulder blouse. The video was partially filmed at Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park in Valencia, California (now Santa Clarita, California), on the now-defunct Spin Out ride.
7-inch and cassette single [10] [11]
US and Canadian 12-inch single [12]
UK, European, and Australian 12-inch single [13] [14]
Japanese 12-inch single [15]
| UK CD single [16]
Australian cassette single [17]
|
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [59] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [60] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [61] sales since 2009 | Gold | 50,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [62] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [63] original physical release | Silver | 250,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [64] digital release | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
The song appears in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), [65] Love & Other Drugs (2010), [66] and the Black Mirror episode "San Junipero" (2016), [67] and it is sung by the protagonist June Osbourne in the Handmaid’s Tale episode “Heroic” (2019). [68] The song is referenced in Lana Del Rey's 2011 debut single "Video Games". [69] The artist as well as the song are referenced in "Belinda Says", from Canadian band Alvvays' 2022 album Blue Rev .
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer and songwriter. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist.
"Take My Breath Away" is a song written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock for the 1986 film Top Gun, performed by American new wave band Berlin. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 1986.
"Always on My Mind" is a ballad written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James, first recorded by Brenda Lee and first released by Gwen McCrae in March 1972. Lee's version was released three months later in June 1972. The song has been a crossover hit, charting in both the country and western and pop categories. Elvis Presley's recording was the first commercially successful version of the song.
"Waiting for a Star to Fall" is a song by American pop music duo Boy Meets Girl in 1988, written by the duo's members, Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill. They wrote the song after witnessing a falling star at a Whitney Houston concert and originally offered the song to Houston, but Arista Records CEO Clive Davis rejected it. American singer Belinda Carlisle then recorded a demo of the song but denied its inclusion on her 1987 album Heaven on Earth, so Rubicam and Merrill decided to record and release the song themselves.
"Never Gonna Give You Up" is a song by English singer Rick Astley, released on 27 July 1987. Written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, it was released by RCA Records as the first single from Astley's debut studio album, Whenever You Need Somebody (1987). The song became a worldwide hit, initially in the United Kingdom in 1987, where it stayed at the top of the chart for five weeks and was the best-selling single of that year. It eventually topped charts in 25 different countries, including the United States and West Germany, and winning Best British Single at the 1988 Brit Awards. The song is widely regarded as Astley's most popular, as well as his signature song, and it is often played at the end of his live concerts.
"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" is a song co-written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond and recorded by American rock band Starship for their second studio album, No Protection (1987). It is a power ballad duet featuring vocalists Grace Slick and Mickey Thomas and is the theme to the romantic-comedy film Mannequin.
"Circle in the Sand" is a song recorded by American singer Belinda Carlisle for her second studio album, Heaven on Earth (1987). It was written by Rick Nowels, who also produced it, and Ellen Shipley. "Circle in the Sand" was the third single released from Heaven on Earth in May 1988. It reached number seven, becoming Carlisle's fourth and last top-10 hit in the United States. It also charted at number five in Canada, ending the year as the country's 69th-most-successful single.
The solo discography of Belinda Carlisle, an American pop singer, contains eight studio albums, 11 compilations and six video albums. Her singles discography features 32 physical releases, eight digital-only and five promotional releases. She has also made nine other appearances and 31 music videos.
"Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" is a song written by composers Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin. It was originally recorded by American singer and guitarist George Benson for his 1985 studio album 20/20, released by Warner Bros. Records. This original version was produced by co-writer Masser, and was released as a single in Europe only in 1985. In 1987, Hawaiian singer Glenn Medeiros released a version, which became a worldwide success.
Heaven on Earth is the second solo studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle. It was released on October 5, 1987, by MCA Records. Three singles reached the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100, including the number-one single and Carlisle's signature song "Heaven Is a Place on Earth". The album has been certified triple Platinum in the United Kingdom and Platinum in many countries, including the United States.
"Tell It to My Heart" is a song performed by American singer, songwriter and actress Taylor Dayne, originally made by Louisa Florio, released in July 24, 1987 as her first single from her first album, Tell It to My Heart (1988). The single was Dayne's first major exposure, and she soon became known for her up-tempo, dance-oriented music. The song was written by Chappell Music staff songwriter Seth Swirsky and Ernie Gold. Swirsky almost did not deliver the song to his publisher after he and his girlfriend decided it was not good enough.
Runaway Horses is the third solo studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle, released on October 3, 1989, by MCA Records. The album features songs written by Rick Nowels, Ellen Shipley, Charlotte Caffey and a song co-written by Carlisle herself. The album contains an array of guest artists, including George Harrison and Bryan Adams.
"You Came" is a song by English singer Kim Wilde from her sixth studio album, Close (1988). It was released on 4 July 1988 as the album's second single. The song was written by Wilde and Ricky Wilde, after the birth of his first child, Marty.
"Leave a Light On" is a song written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, produced by Nowels for American rock singer Belinda Carlisle's third solo studio album, Runaway Horses (1989). It was released as the album's lead single in September 1989; in Japan, "(We Want) The Same Thing" was issued as the lead single concurrently with "Leave a Light On" the following month. The single narrowly missed the top 10 in the United States, peaking at number 11. It fared better elsewhere, reaching the top five in several countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The song's music video was directed by Peter Care.
"I Get Weak" is a song by American singer Belinda Carlisle from her second studio album, Heaven on Earth (1987). Written by Diane Warren and produced by Rick Nowels, the song was released as the second single from Heaven on Earth in January 1988. "I Get Weak" reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, number four on Canada's RPM 100 Singles chart, and number 10 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Boys (Summertime Love)" is a song by Italian singer Sabrina, released in May 1987 as the third single from her self-titled debut studio album (1987). The song topped the charts in France (where it became the first number-one single by an Italian singer since 1984) and Switzerland, while peaking within the top five in Austria, Belgium, Finland, West Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden.
"Runaway Horses" is a song by American singer Belinda Carlisle. It was released as the fourth single from her third album, Runaway Horses (1989), in February 1990. "Runaway Horses" reached the top 50 in Australia and the United Kingdom. The music video was directed by Greg Masuak.
"Vision of You" is a song by American singer Belinda Carlisle, released as the fifth single from her third solo album, Runaway Horses (1989). The song was released on May 14, 1990, in the United Kingdom and reached number 41. A year later, it was remixed and re-released on 12-inch vinyl with a live version of "Heaven Is a Place on Earth", but this release charted lower, at number 71.
"Always Breaking My Heart" is the second single from American singer Belinda Carlisle's sixth studio album, A Woman and a Man (1996). The song was written by Per Gessle from Swedish band Roxette, and a demo of the song recorded by Gessle was later released as a B-side of his single "Do You Wanna Be My Baby?", as well as the 2009 reissue of Crash! Boom! Bang! (1994). Released on September 9, 1996, "Always Breaking My Heart" peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart and number 50 in Australia. It remains Carlisle's final UK top-10 hit.
"World Without You" is a song by American musician and singer Belinda Carlisle, released in August 1988 by Virgin Records as the fifth single from her second album, Heaven on Earth (1987). The song was written by Diane Warren and produced by Rick Nowels. It peaked at number 34 on the UK Singles Chart and number 21 in Ireland. A music video using concert footage was produced to promote the single.