Beauty and the Beat actually came out in 1981.

The rumor I heard way back, is that they couldn't play their instruments, so were not very good live, but they got things up to speed ;)  Not sure how true all that is.

This is live in 1981:

They sound pretty good to me.

This is a good one too.  It could have just been a rumor, because they were an all girl band.

Wikipedia

The Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978.[1] They made history as the first, and to date only, all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts.[2]

Sad that it took 27 years into the rock era to have an all female band top the charts.

Then again, how many have done it since?

The Bangles and... Anyone else?

I think there are a lot of female bands that write their own music currently, because there are so many bands now ;)

True, I'm wondering if any other all-woman bands have topped the Billboard album charts.

Is it possible it hasn't happened in a generation?

Belinda Carlisle

The Go Gos split in May 1985; this song was her biggest hit, in late 1987:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven_Is_a_Place_on_Earth

Jane Wiedlin (this is so 80's)

Blue Kiss (one of my favorite songs of that time)

Great song. Today I learned she's an ordained minister and has no children:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Wiedlin

I really like her voice.  I have this album on cassette somewhere.

I like her voice, too. Ever heard World on Fire?

No, I hadn't heard it, I'm only familiar with her first album.

Oh, I think "Rush Hour" is one of her best songs, too: