We Got the Beat
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| “We Got the Beat” | |||||
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| Single by Go-Go's from the album Beauty and the Beat |
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| B-side | "Can't Stop the World" | ||||
| Released | 1981, 1982 | ||||
| Format | 7" single | ||||
| Recorded | 1981, 1982 | ||||
| Genre | Pop New Wave |
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| Length | 2:32 | ||||
| Label | Stiff Records (1981) I.R.S. Records (1982) |
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| Writer(s) | Charlotte Caffey | ||||
| Producer | Richard Gottehrer Rob Freeman |
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| Go-Go's singles chronology | |||||
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"We Got the Beat" is a song recorded by the American rock band Go-Go's. Written by the group's lead guitarist Charlotte Caffey, the band recorded the song in 1982 and it was released as a single in the UK on Stiff Records. This single release brought the Go-Go's underground credibility in the UK and managed to climb to number 35 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart due to the popularity of the song in clubs as an import.
The following year the Go-Go's re-recorded the song for their debut album Beauty and the Beat. Released as the album's second single, "We Got the Beat" became the Go-Go's biggest hit, spending three weeks at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, behind Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'N Roll". It was during the song's time in the U.S. top ten that Beauty and the Beat topped the U.S. Billboard 200.
Clocking in at only two-and-a-half-minutes, the song is instantly recognizable by its drumming intro. Lyrically the song is a simple ode to dancing to a good beat, hanging out and looking cool. "We Got the Beat" also namechecks various popular dance moves such as the Pony, the Watusi and Go-Go dancing (which could also be interpreted as a self-reference). The song's music video received heavy airplay on MTV at the time and consisted of a simple live concert performance of the song and gained further exposure by being used in the opening sequence of the Cameron Crowe film Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
It is also one of the playable tracks in Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s.
[edit] In popular culture
The song was parodied as "We Got the Bee" for the DreamWorks Animation film Bee Movie.
[edit] Charts
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
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| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 35 |
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 7 |
[edit] Legacy
The song was used an an episode title of the hit teen show Degrassi: The Next Generation. The episode focused on the character Manny's debutante ball.
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