My B-52's Top Ten Countdown
The B-52s are a genre onto themselves. Despite being endlessly influential and beloved by both the underground and mainstream, there has never really been another act that sounds quite like The B-52s. The B-52s self titled debut from 1979 truly sounded out of this world, as if it had been beamed down from a distant planet of aliens who had only learned what Americana pop culture was by watching '50s B films and listening to early '60s pop and surf music. The other really unique aspect of The B-52s was that all five members fell somewhere on The LGBTQ spectrum, Kate being a Lesbian, Cindy being Bi-Sexual and the three boys, Fred, Keith and Ricky, all being gay. At a time when being Queer in music was not tolerated, all 5 members were out and proud (except Keith who would not come out fully until the early 90s.)
The group's music is filled with lots of Queer signifies from a song about their love of wigs, to the high amount of camp that shines bright in everything they do. The group's actual music changed and evolved throughout the course of their career, but everything still felt a piece because The B-52s made music that was always their own no matter how weird or how commercial they got at various points.
Still you can divide the group's career into 2 phases more or less with their 2 best albums anchoring each era. First there is the debut, which is an acknowledged new wave classic that was followed up by Wild Planet one year later and is considered the group's third best album overall. After that they got a little more pop and many fans and critics write off their 83 and 86 albums, but they both have some really fun songs like Songs for a Future Generation and Wigs. It was around this time though that Ricky died of AIDS and the group's future felt uncertain. Eventually The B-52s re-grouped and under the guidance of producer Don Was, the B-52s ended up making their other great album (and my favorite by them) Cosmic Thing. The B-52s went from a cult group, to one of the biggest bands in the world overnight and it was well deserved. Cosmic Thing is a perfect example of a group going more pop but doing it well and staying true to who they are in the process. It was beloved by critics and audiences alike and it seemed like the group had a huge second wind but then Cindy left out of the blue in the early 90s to start a family. The B-52's soldiered on as trio in the early 90s releasing the album Good Stuff, which was good but not great, and they kept their name in the pop culture zeitgeist by doing theme songs to Rocco's Modern Life and the Flintstones Movie.
After that Cindy rejoined by the late 90s but they only put out one more album, 2008's Funplex which sounds like a cross between their debut and Cosmic Thing, but with louder and more up to date production. There's been no new music since then, but the band has been touring non stop. Keith eventually stepped back from the group leaving the B-52's a trio again, but this time with Fred, Kate and Cindy. They did a huge 40th anniversary world tour in 2019 that I was lucky enough to catch when it came to D.C. While the group says they will slow down on the live performances now, they still plan to perform, put out a 40th anniversary documentary and book and even record some new music finally.
The B-52's are pretty much a musical institution by this point that everyone who has a passing knowledge of pop music knows to some extent. Still it's not surprising that most people only know a few of their big hits so if you are new to The B-52's or are only passingly familiar with the group then this list is a good starter guide. It's not a definitive list, but this gives you a good idea of who the B-52s were and how their sound evolved over time.
10. Planet Claire
The opening track to The B-52's 1979 self-titled debut sets the tone for both the album and who this band is. It's a weird yet compellingly hypnotic track that shows how seeped in 50s B Movie and Sci-fi The B-52s were. New Wave was a shot in the arm for rock that opened up both the possibilities of what rock could sound like while giving many of the real weirdos and outsiders a platform in music denied to them before.
09. Song for a Future Generation
The B-52s 1983 album Whammy saw the group integrate a lot more synths and keyboards into their sound, which caused some fans to be turned off. That said, it does contain some of the catchiest songs they ever did. Case in point Song a for a Future Generation. The main synth and guitar loop gets stuck in your brain fast and while it's glossier than any songs from their first 2 albums, Songs for a Future Generation is still bursting at the seams with personality. This is especially true when each member of the group gives their astrological sign and a short rundown of what their favorite hobbies and foods are. It's both silly and endearing while also re-confirming how obsessed Queer people are with astrological signs. Seriously ever since joining Twitter it feels like every 3 to 4 posts from the Gays are about astrology signs! I've never met a group of people more devoted to astrological signs than the Queers. Maybe that's our replacement for religion?
08. Juliet of the Spirits
The group's 2008 Comeback album Funplex sounded like a cross between Cosmic Thing and their debut, while being their most sexual album they had ever made. That said, the highlight of the album is Juliet of the Spirits, because it's all about the girl's vocal harmonies, which is the best thing about the group period. When I saw The B-52s live recently they did a set in the middle of 3 songs that only Kate and Cindy sang in, including Juliet of the Spirits. It was easily the high point of the show and proved that the girl's still harmonize beautifully.
07. Deadbeat Club
The final single off 1989's Cosmic Thing was another top 40 hit and it was another showcase for Kate and Cindy's one of a kind vocal harmonies. It's also a rare reflective song for the group where they leave behind the camp and just deliver a lovely pop song about their past. Deadbeat Club was also part of the middle set of the group's concert where only Kate and Cindy sang. If you watch the music video look out for cameos from Athens Georgia's other most beloved band R.E.M.
06. Topaz
We have hit the block of this countdown where it's all about the girl's vocal harmonies. Topaz is a deep cut off Cosmic Thing that could have been a hit single had it been released. The B-52s are many things, but they are never more lovely and emotionally stirring then when they put Cindy and Kate front and center like they are here on Topaz.
05. Private Idaho
The most beloved song off the group's 1980 sophomore album saw The B-52s double down on the surf rock influence of Rock Lobster. At the same time Private Idaho feels more accessible and poppy than Rock Lobster which is probably why it was my favorite song from their early albums for a long time. In particular Kate and Cindy's vocal harmonies, which I have showered with praise throughout this countdown, feels like it's starting to come into it's own on this song in particular.
04. Good Stuff
The title track and first single off the group's 1992 album Good Stuff is probably the group's last big radio hit, as it became their final #1 alternative rock hit and final top 40 pop hit. It's also the first and only album they ever did without Cindy. I feel because Cindy wasn't on this album the group has kind of left this song behind once she rejoined the group in the late 90s. Still if you love LOVE SHACK, then you should enjoy Good Stuff as well. It's another ridiculously catchy sing along song with plenty of hooks to spare. It also features some hot sax at the end and we all know how much I love that. Also because it's a #1 alternative rock hit from 1992 I have included this song on many 90s Alternative Timeline mixes and played it on my college Radio show and post college online radio station Dougystyle's Alternative a lot. As a result Good Stuff is easily one my most heavily rotated songs by the B-52s songs of the past 15 years.
03. Rock Lobster
For many Rock Lobster is the definitive song by The B-52s. At nearly 7 minutes it's a dizzying exploration of the absurd through the lens of the beach, ocean and sea creatures. As one Queer pop star said recently about this song you can't decide to just make a quirky cool song and say it's good, it has to come naturally. Over 40 years after its initial release few songs have retained their endearing mix of cool and weird like Rock Lobster has. A friend of mine who loves to karaoke says Rock Lobster is his favorite karaoke song ever. Many of my close friends love this song and album. I also learned in the past 2 years that my husband loves this song to death and it's one of his favorite songs of all time. Rock Lobster is still just as cutting edge and addictive now as it was in 1979.
02. Love Shack
Few songs are as endearing and beloved as Love Shack, which is now required by U.S. law to be played at every wedding ever, especially if you want to fill up the dance floor fast. Love Shack is one of the greatest calls to the dance floor ever recorded and that's because of how inclusive it feels. Young or old, gay or straight, boy or girl, rock or pop, everyone cannot resist the siren call of Love Shack once it starts playing. In 1989 Love Shack finally gave The B-52s their long overdue across the board smash and ever since then it feels like the song has become a permanent fixture of our greater culture at large. Love Shack is that rare pop song that is truly a shared experience in that it not only helps us all forget about our troubles, but how it also instantly connects all of us together whenever it comes on. Love Shack is the definition of a timeless anthem.
01. Roam
No other song seems to encapsulate all the different genres of music I love more than Roam. Roam came off a 1989 album but was released as a single in 1990 where it became a #6 alternative rock hit and a #3 pop hit. It's an upbeat pop/rock song that is truly equal parts rock and pop, all anchored by the stunning vocal harmonies of Kate and Cindy. I liked Roam when I first heard it, but over the years I began to slowly realize how much I loved it. No matter what mood I was in over the years I was always ready to hear Roam. I never ever skipped it whenever it came on the radio, mix CDs, my iPod or Spotify. Roam has also made its way on to countless mixes because of how inter-sectional it is within my music taste. I've included it on countless mixes for the 80s, 90s, Classic Rock, Alternative Rock, pop divas, dance parties, pump up rock, work out music and just recently it's squeezed it's way into another sub category for me: Queer Pop. No other song captures my schizophrenic taste in music like Roam does and that's probably why I never ever tire of it. Every second of Roam is perfection though special shout out to Keith during the bridge/guitar solo because every time Roam hits the 2:36 mark I get goosebumps. The girl's harmonies, which have always been my favorite thing about The B-52s, are phenomenal on Roam. Kate and Cindy truly hit their peak here. When I got married I told the DJ he could play Love Shack, but not before he played Roam because it was that important to me and to his credit he did just that. Roam is not just the best song The B-52s ever did, it might just be the best pop song ever written in all honesty. Pop Music doesn't get much better than Roam.
