Heaven Is a Place on Earth

"Heaven Is a Place on Earth" is a song 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 Heaven on Earth 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.

For the Japanese anime movie, see Hayate the Combat Butler! 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"
ReleasedSeptember 14, 1987[1]
Recorded1987
StudioOcean Way, Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length
  • 4:06 (album version)
  • 3:53 (radio edit/7-inch)
  • 5:59 (The Heavenly Version/12-inch)
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Rick Nowels
Belinda Carlisle singles chronology
"Since You've Gone"
(1986)		 "Heaven Is a Place on Earth"
(1987)		 "I Get Weak"
(1988)
Music video
"Heaven Is A Place On Earth" on YouTube

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".[2]

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.

Composition

The song is performed in the key of E major, with a tempo of 123 beats per minute in common time. Carlisle's vocals span from E3 to D♯5. In the final chorus of the song, the key shifts up a tone to F♯ major.[3][4]

Production

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

Chart performance

"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, 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 the United Kingdom.

Music video

The promotional music video for the song was directed by actress Diane Keaton and includes an appearance by Carlisle's husband Morgan Mason. 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.

Television

The song was featured in Black Mirror in the 4th episode of season 3, "San Junipero".

It was also featured in The Handmaid’s Tale in the 9th episode of season 3, "Heroic".

It featured at the end of the 4th episode of the Channel 4 drama It's a Sin, penned by Russell T Davies.

Track listing
  1. "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" – 4:06
  2. "We Can Change" – 3:45
  3. "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" (The Heavenly version) – 5:59
  4. "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" (a cappella version) – 3:49

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[44] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] Gold 601,000[46]

^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

References
  1. Strong, M. C. (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books Ltd. p. 329. ISBN 0-86241-385-0.
  2. "The 19 greatest key changes in music history". ShortList. October 1, 2017. Archived from the original on January 14, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  3. Shipley, Ellen. "Belinda Carlisle "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" Sheet Music in A Major (transposable) - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  4. "Heaven Is a Place On Earth - Belinda Carlisle". Spot On Track. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 55. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. "Austriancharts.at – Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  7. "Ultratop.be – Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  8. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8678." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  9. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 8412." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  10. "Top 3 in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5 no. 11. March 12, 1988. p. 18. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved March 8, 2020 – via American Radio History.
  11. "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5 no. 7. February 13, 1988. p. 16. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  12. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  13. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 10". DV (in Icelandic). February 12, 1988. p. 44. ISSN 1021-8254. Retrieved September 1, 2020 – via Timarit.is.
  14. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Heaven Is a Place on Earth". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  15. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Belinda Carlisle" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  17. "Charts.nz – Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth". Top 40 Singles.
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  19. "Notowanie nr 307" (in Polish). January 23, 1988. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
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  21. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  22. "Swedishcharts.com – Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth". Singles Top 100.
  23. "Swisscharts.com – Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth". Swiss Singles Chart.
  24. "Belinda Carlisle: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  25. "Belinda Carlisle Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  26. "Belinda Carlisle Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  27. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending December 5, 1987". Cash Box. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  28. "Offiziellecharts.de – Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
    • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  30. "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  31. "Top 100 Singles of '87". RPM. Vol. 47 no. 12. December 26, 1987. p. 5. ISSN 0315-5994 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  32. "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Singles 1988". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on February 4, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
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  34. "Top 100 Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49 no. 10. December 24, 1988. p. 9. ISSN 0315-5994.
  35. "1988 Year End Eurocharts – Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 52/1. January 1, 1989. p. 30. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
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  41. Scaping, Peter, ed. (1991). "Top 100 Singles: 1988". BPI YearBook 1989/90. London: British Phonographic Industry. pp. 64–65. ISBN 978-0-9061-5410-6.
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  44. "Canadian single certifications – Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth". Music Canada. December 23, 1987.
  45. "British single certifications – Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth". British Phonographic Industry. January 10, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  46. Copsey, Rob (January 11, 2018). "Official Charts Flashback: Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is A Place On Earth". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on February 17, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
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