The B‐52’s

Happy Pride Month everyone. The first time I checked out the B-52's, I considered myself straight, and I didn't get it, but now, I am gay and I love it. Is this a coincidence; possibly, but you never know. This is basically gay secret agent punk made by people dressed like Rockabilly stars. It may be my favorite New Wave album as well. It's kind of funny in a camp way, but the energy here and just the whole presentation is pretty much completely unique. And the songs in here are fun, weird and playfully spooky. It's a wholly unique expression of New Wave, other bands sounded like a combination of things; this sounded like a singular, bewildering thing, one still very much indebted to punk. It's also incredible that all the members of this band managed to stumble into the way that they sing, Fred Schneider's vocals alone are worth the price of admission. Which isn't to say that Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson aren't pulling their weight here, for example, the vocalizations on Rock Lobster are absolutely irreplaceable, and push a mutant surf rock song into immortality(an unbelievably good bassline helps too). There's just such a consistent type of goofiness here that B-52's arrived at, and stayed at for the whole album, and it's incredible. And, very importantly, it never overshadows the songs. The sound here is just incredibly iconic, and the execution is a blast. This is pretty much perfect at being what it is. The slight punk edge here grounds the weird humor of this album and the result is a real classic.

Strangely enough, despite me being the King of Boingoloids and a bit of a spud, I've never listened to the B-52s. Actually they're quite good

This is just my opinion but Rock Lobster blows, worst song on the record honestly. The rest of the album wasn't bad though I don't feel the need to revisit this ever again.

How this is on a list of albums you MUST hear before you die is beyond my comprehension.

So much fun. Got me boogying and a groovying. There really is no band like the b-52s and they're very good at what they do

Rock lobstah.

I know nothing about the B-52s as people but I can only imagine they would have been insufferable.

It was a nice listen which contextualized to what it aims to be, a quirky and fun indie record, makes it be a worthy addition to the list. What separates it from other records of its ilk is that this one contains some highlights (like 'Rock Lobster') which make it standout ever slightly.

7/10 [KEEP]

Love this band and the launch point for their career, “Rock Lobster,” which is a shockingly popular song for its vast experimentation and singular sound. The rest of the album is quite a bit less subversive and as such doesn’t affect me.

I was born the same month this album came out. I live less than 2 hours from Athen, GA. I feel cosmically connected. Fun album. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've always found their sound to border between catchy and obnoxious. It's undeniably catchy, but am I enjoying it most of the time, no not really.

I loved rock lobster as a child. I knew all the lyrics and would sing it by heart. Unfortunately, not only does the song Rock Lobster not age well for an adult palate, but the rest of the songs are annoying and just kinda chant along. I'll give them extra points for having fun but they were annoying while doing it. 1.5/5 -> 2/5

From the album cover alone, you can already tell that The B-52's don’t take themselves too seriously, and that immediately gives you a sense that The B-52's is going to be a fun listen.

And it absolutely is. The album is packed with humour, personality, and energy, and it sounds completely different from a lot of the music coming out in the late 70s. There’s a weirdness and individuality to it that makes it stand out straight away. It mixes new wave, surf rock, pop, and dance music into something that feels playful, colourful, and genuinely fresh.

What really works is the energy running through the whole album. The music has a brilliant rhythm to it, the vocals are eccentric in the best possible way, and everything feels carefree and full of life. It’s not trying to be deep or overly serious — it just wants you to have fun, and that attitude makes the album incredibly easy to enjoy.

Even when the songs are silly, there’s something really catchy and memorable about them. It feels like a band fully embracing their own strange identity and having a great time doing it.

Favourite tracks: “Rock Lobster” is a brilliant, fun, catchy tune and easily the standout for me

Least favourite tracks: Nothing on the album is terrible — it’s consistently entertaining throughout

Album artwork: Great album cover. I love how the image pops against the bright yellow background — it perfectly matches the quirky energy of the music

Felt like I could of enjoyed this if there lyrics were better and the singers could sing, the vocals just felt like a bit of a novelty throughout the album

I’ve also clearly never heard the full 7 min version of Rock Lobster

1.5

Generally a three star album but Rock Lobster adds a star on its own

The kitchiness isn't really my vibe but there's undeniably some good songwriting here. In terms of the compositions and the actual instrument work there's a lot to love, it's mainly just some of the quirky vocals that drag the record down for me, like the scatting (if that's even how to describe it, IDK) on Rock Lobster. I've never really listened to an album that sounded so cool yet so annoying at the same time. It's a weird feeling.

Favourite tracks: 52 Girls, Lava

Yessssssss.

Brilliantly weird, fun, and catchy. Pop music stripped back to an elemental form with delightful results. Love it.

When I was three years old I loved Planet Claire. Listening to this music now, I never realized they had a very 1960's surfer vibe and some punk as well. Really strange unique voices and I like the girls' harmonies. Giving this five stars for my three-year-old self and to balance out the one star my co-worker gave it.

This was fun as hell. Super weird but never in a way that felt overbearing or forced and several absolutely banging songs too.

Fav Songs: Rock Lobster, Lava, 6060-842, Hero Worship

Least Fav: Downtown

8.6/10

Pretty fun and goofy.

I don't mess with Fred Schnider's vocals, which is my main dislike about the album as a whole. There's a lot of potential here but it's delivered in such an empty and unfinished way, that the whole record sounds cartoony and bare. Most songs run way too long for their own good, and just keep repeating the same ideas. I don't get the B-52s fuss whatsoever, but I still mess with some songs on side B to an extent. I just wish they could flesh out more ideas into a song to keep it engaging. The female vocalists are out of this world though.

i had low expectations due to only knowing love shack but this was actually a very good album