Tragedy, Togetherness & Rock Lobster: The B-52's Story

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If you know the B-52s you probably know them from one of two songs. The surreal sea life-themed post-punk of “Rock Lobster” from 1978 or the raucous permanent karaoke-staple “Love Shack” a decade later. Emerging during the apex of New York Punk, The B-52s had the look of a retro-future that never came, skyhigh beehive wigs and primary colour polyester. And they sounded as if Dick Dale, The Shangri-Las and Edward Lear formed a band after getting really into Yoko Ono. They gave off an air of novelty, billed themselves as the ultimate party band and yet their influence on the realm of alternative rock is staggering. Kitsch and queer-icons in equal measure, this is why The B-52s Are More Important Than You Think.

#theb52s #newwave #musicdocumentary

Fact-checking by Chad Van Wagner.

00:00 Introduction
00:49 The Early Days of The B-52's
06:36 Creating Rock Lobster
15:23 Wild Planet & The 1980s
20:53 The Return of The B-52's & Love Shack
27:49 The Overwhelming Impact of The B-52's

Soundtrack
Luar - Citrine ()
Jesse Gallagher - The Golden Present
Luar - Anchor ()

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Sources
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