Beauty and the Beat is the debut album from Californian
new wave band
The Go-Go's. Released in 1981 on the
I.R.S. Records label, the album was preceded by the
single and
signature song "
We Got the Beat", which became a massive club hit in Europe and, later, the United States. When the album was eventually released, it steadily climbed the
Billboard 200 chart, ultimately peaking at
number one, where it remained for six consecutive weeks. The
LP sold in excess of two million copies and reached
double platinum status, making it one of the most successful debut albums of all time. Critically acclaimed, it has been described as one of the "cornerstone albums of American new wave".