Heaven Is a Place on Earth

"Heaven Is a Place on Earth"
Single by Belinda Carlisle
from the album Heaven on Earth
B-side "We Can Change"
Released September 1987[1]
Format CD single, 7" single, 12" single
Recorded 1987
Genre Pop
Length 4:06 (Album version)
3:35 (Radio mix)
Label MCA Records
Writer(s) Rick Nowels, Ellen Shipley
Producer Rick Nowels
Certification Silver (BPI)
Belinda Carlisle singles chronology
"Since You've Gone"
(1986)		 "Heaven Is a Place on Earth"
(1987)		 "I Get Weak"
(1988)
Music sample
"Heaven Is a Place on Earth"

"Heaven Is a Place on Earth" is the title of a song recorded by Belinda Carlisle, the lead singer of The Go-Go's. Written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, and interpolating the aria "Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh'" from Johann Sebastian Bach's Christmas Oratorio, it hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on December 5, 1987, becoming Carlisle's only U.S. chart-topper with or without The Go-Go's. A month later it hit number one on the UK Singles Chart and held the spot for two weeks. The song reached number one in many other countries, among them Switzerland, Ireland, Sweden, South Africa and Norway. The song also reached number three in Germany, number two in Australia, and number six in Italy. It is widely considered to be Carlisle's signature song because of its success on the charts and its continued relevance today. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Contents

Track listing

  1. "Heaven Is a Place on Earth"
  2. "We Can Change"
  3. "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" (Heavenly version)
  4. "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" (A cappella version)

Music video

The promotional video was directed by Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton and features an appearance of Carlisle's husband Morgan Mason. It also features children wearing black masks and a cape while each of them holding an illuminated plastic globe. Carlisle appeared wearing a sampo and later changed to a black off-the-shoulder blouse. The video was partially filmed at Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park in Valencia, California, on the Spin Out ride.

Production

Carlisle's backup vocalists on the track include songwriters Nowels and Shipley as well as Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas and songwriter Diane Warren. It also featured Thomas Dolby on keyboards.

Charts

Chart Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 75)[2] 10
Canadian Adult Contemporary (RPM)[3] 5
Canadian Top Singles (RPM)[4] 3
Germany (Media Control AG)[5] 3
Ireland (Irish Singles Chart)[6] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[7] 7
Netherlands (Mega Single Top 100)[8] 7
New Zealand (RIANZ)[9] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[10] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[11] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 1
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[13] 1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[14] 7
US Billboard Hot 100[15] 1

Cover versions

Sampling

See also

References

  1. ^ Strong, M. C. (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books Ltd. p. 329. ISBN 0-86241-385-0. 
  2. ^ "Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth – Austriancharts.at" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Hung Medien.
  3. ^ "Adult Contemporary - Volume 47, No. 12, December 26, 1987". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.8412. Retrieved July 25, 2011. 
  4. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 47, No. 11, December 19, 1987". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.8678. Retrieved July 4, 2011. 
  5. ^ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche - musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  6. ^ "Irish Singles Chart – Search for song". Irish Recorded Music Association. http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement. Retrieved July 4, 2011. 
  7. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 7, 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Stichting Nederlandse Top 40.
  8. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth" (in Dutch). Mega Single Top 100. Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
  9. ^ "Charts.org.nz – Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth". Top 40 Singles. Hung Medien.
  10. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth". VG-lista. Hung Medien.
  11. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth". Singles Top 60. Hung Medien.
  12. ^ "Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth – swisscharts.com". Swiss Singles Chart. Hung Medien.
  13. ^ "Archive Chart" UK Singles Chart. The Official Charts Company.
  14. ^ "Belinda Carlisle Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Adult Contemporary Songs for Belinda Carlisle. Prometheus Global Media.
  15. ^ "Belinda Carlisle Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot 100 for Belinda Carlisle. Prometheus Global Media.

External links

Preceded by
"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes		 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
December 5, 1987		 Succeeded by
"Faith" by George Michael
Preceded by
"Always on My Mind" by Pet Shop Boys		 UK number-one single
January 16, 1988 – January 23, 1988		 Succeeded by
"I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany
Preceded by
"Always on My Mind" by Pet Shop Boys		 Eurochart Hot 100 Singles number-one single
January 30, 1988 – February 6, 1988		 Succeeded by
"Always on My Mind" by Pet Shop Boys
Belinda Carlisle
Studio albums
Compilations
Singles
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