The B-52’s came together in the mid-70s over a mutual love of music, fun and “these flaming volcano drinks.” Their slightly bizarre fusion of surfy beach rock, Motown harmonies and sci-fi styling was an improbable blueprint for international hit-makers, but their catalogue of ultimate party anthems – like “Rock Lobster”, “Planet Claire” and “Love Shack” – are more than just fun; they’re a perfectly measured balance of kitsch and pop, so catchy they get stuck in your head for days while you try and figure out what a ‘Limburger’ is.
The B-52's singer, Kate Pierson recently filmed this interview for Top 2000 a gogo where she reflects on how the band’s breakout smash hit – now-signature song, “Love Shack” from 1989's Cosmic Thing came to be – inspired by a ‘party’ cabin of sorts in Athens, Georgia where the singer lived during the 1970s, which was rumoured to have previously belonged to Love Guru, ‘DundaWhalla’. Watch Below:
The Story Behind The Song: The B-52's | “Love Shack”
"Love Shack" went on to become one of The B-52’s biggest hits. Commercially, the single topped the charts in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand and reached number two and three in the UK and the US respectively, making it their first international Top 10 hit.
“We didn’t have a goal of what we wanted to sound like when we started out,” the B-52’s Keith Strickland told Rolling Stone in a 2018 interview. “We just knew we wanted it to be fun.”
The B-52's kitschy and ironic brand of New Wave is irresistibly unique, timeless and joyous. Listen to The B-52’s on Spotify:
Listen to The B-52’s on Apple Music:
