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The B-52s are an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synthesizer bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, percussion), Ricky Wilson (guitar, vocals), and Keith Strickland (drums, guitar, keyboards, vocals). Ricky Wilson died of AIDS-related illness in 1985, and Strickland permanently switched from drums to lead guitar. The band has also added various auxiliary members for albums and live performances.

The B-52s have had many hits, including "Rock Lobster", "Planet Claire", "Party Out of Bounds", "Private Idaho", "Whammy Kiss", "Summer of Love", "Wig", "Love Shack", "Roam", "Funplex", and "(Meet) The Flintstones". They have been nominated for three Grammy Awards, twice for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group in 1990 and 1991, and for Best Alternative Music Album in 1992. A 2023 Las Vegas residency was announced in November 2022.

The group evoked a "thrift-shop aesthetic", in Bernard Gendron's words, by drawing from 1950s and 1960s pop music, rock-and-roll, and camp/kitsch culture. Schneider, Pierson, and Wilson sometimes use call-and-response-style vocals (Schneider's often humorous and camp Sprechgesang contrasting with Wilson and Pierson's melodic harmonies), and their guitar- and keyboard-driven instrumentation is their trademark sound, which was also set apart from their contemporaries by the unusual guitar tunings Ricky Wilson used on their earlier albums.

History

1976–1979: Formation and early years

The group formed in 1976 when Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson (her elder brother), Pierson, Strickland, and Schneider held an impromptu jam session after sharing a flaming volcano drink at a Chinese restaurant in Athens, Georgia. When they first jammed, Strickland played guitar and Ricky Wilson played congas. They later played their first concert (with Wilson on guitar) in 1977, on North Milledge Avenue in Athens, at a Valentine's Day party for their friends. The venue later became a private residence.

The name "B-52s" comes from a particular beehive hairdo resembling the nose cone of the aircraft, which Pierson and Cindy Wilson wore in performances during the band's first decade. Other names the band considered were the Tina-Trons and Fellini's Children. Strickland suggested the name after a dream he had of a band performing in a hotel lounge. In the dream, he heard someone whisper in his ear that the band's name was "the B-52s".

The band's quirky take on the new-wave sound of its era was a combination of dance and surf music set apart from their contemporaries by thrift-store chic and the unusual guitar tunings Ricky Wilson used.

The band's first single, "Rock Lobster", recorded for DB Records in 1978, was an underground success, selling over 2,000 copies, which led to gigs at CBGB and Max's Kansas City in New York City. Both this version of "Rock Lobster" and its B-side, "52 Girls", are different recordings from those that appear on the band's 1979 debut album and the early version of "52 Girls" is in a different key.

The re-recorded version of "Rock Lobster" was also released as a single, and in the UK and Germany, it was backed with an instrumental version of "Running Around", a non-album track at the time. (A vocal re-recording of this appears on the band's second album, 1980's Wild Planet.) The buzz the record created in the UK meant their first show in London at the Electric Ballroom was packed and attended by UK pop stars, including Sandie Shaw, Green Gartside from Scritti Politti, and Joe Jackson. In Canada, released on the Warner Bros. label, the single went from cult hit to number one on the RPM-compiled national chart on May 24, 1980. John Lennon credited the song with inspiring his return to writing music.

1979–1982: The B-52s, Wild Planet, and Mesopotamia

In 1979, the B-52s signed contracts as they flew over to Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, to record their debut studio album, with Island Records founder Chris Blackwell producing. The band was surprised by Blackwell's recording methods; he wanted to keep the sound as close as possible to its live sound, so he used almost no overdubs or additional effects.

Released on July 6, 1979, The B-52's contained re-recorded versions of "Rock Lobster" and "52 Girls", six originals recorded solely for the album, and a cover of the Petula Clark hit "Downtown". The album was a major success, especially in Australia, where it reached number three on the charts alongside its three singles: "Planet Claire", "Rock Lobster", and "Dance This Mess Around". In the U.S., the single "Rock Lobster" reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while the album was certified platinum by the RIAA. In 1980, John Lennon called the B-52s his favorite band and specifically cited "Rock Lobster" as an inspiration for his album Double Fantasy (1980).