Love Shack

"Love Shack"
Cover art for U.S. editions
Single by The B-52's
from the album Cosmic Thing
B-side	Channel Z
Released	June 20, 1989
Genre	Pop rock,[1] dance-rock[2]
Length	5:21
Label	Reprise
Writer(s)	Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland, Cindy Wilson
Producer(s)	Don Was
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
The B-52's singles chronology
"Channel Z" (1989) "Love Shack" (1989) "Roam" (1990)
"Debbie" (1998) "Love Shack '99" (1999) "Funplex" (2008) Audio sample file info · help

"Love Shack" is a single by pop-rock band The B-52's. Originally released in 1989 from their album Cosmic Thing, the single was the band's biggest hit song and first million-copy seller.^[3] It was also the band's first song to reach the Billboard Top 40 charts, peaking at number 3,^[4] also reaching number 2 on the UK Singles Chart, and was number 1 for eight weeks in Australia, number 1 for 4 weeks in New Zealand, number 1 in the Republic of Ireland and also number 1 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Produced by Don Was,^[5] the song's inspiration was a cabin around Athens, Georgia, complete with tin roof, where the band conceived "Rock Lobster", a single from their first album; it is often said to have been located off "the Atlanta Highway", as the first verse implies. B-52's singer Kate Pierson lived in the cabin in the 1970s, and the cabin existed until 2004, when it burned down.^[4] "Tin roof...rusted," wailed by lead singer Cindy Wilson, was originally an outtake added to the track, and is perhaps the song's most memorable line. Fred Schneider also provides some memorable lines, including his notable boast of having a Chrysler that is "as big as a whale" and "seats about twenty". It has come to mean many things to different listeners.^[6]

The drag queen RuPaul can be seen dancing in the music video that was directed by Adam Bernstein and shot at the home and studio of ceramic artists Philip Maberry and Scott Walker.^[7] The song was a comeback of sorts following the band's decline in popularity in the early 1980s coupled with the death of their guitarist, Ricky Wilson, in 1985.^[8]

The song received a number of accolades following its release. Named as one of the 365 Songs of the Century in 2001,^[9] the video for the song received an award from MTV as the Best Group Video, and was named the Best Single of 1989 by Rolling Stone.^[3] Additionally, it was ranked #246 in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.^[10]

Track listing

The single release contained various tracks depending on the country it was released in. The United States had a B-side of "Roam", a song that would later reach number 3 as well, and other countries had singles with either "Channel Z" or a live version of "Rock Lobster" as the B-side.^[11] In 1998 and 1999, the single was released again with a number of remixes, including one by DJ Tonka, but the re-release did not chart in the United States, although it did enter the United Kingdom charts.^[12]

UK single

1. "Love Shack" (Single Version) — 4:20
2. "Love Shack" (LP Version) — 5:21

US 12" single / CD maxi-single

1. "Love Shack" (12" Remix) — 8:00
2. "Love Shack" (Remix/Edit) — 4:07
3. "Channel Z" (12" Rock Mix) — 6:24
4. "Love Shack" (12" Mix) — 6:10
5. "Love Shack" (A Capella) — 3:56
6. "Love Shack" (Big Radio Mix) — 5:31

Charts

Chart (1989-1990) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[13] 1 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[14] 12 Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[15] 9 Canada (RPM 20 Dance Singles)[16] 8 Canada (RPM 30 Retail Singles)[17] 3 Canada (RPM 100 Singles)[18] 5 France (SNEP)[19] 42 Ireland (IRMA)[20] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[21] 18 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[22] 15 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[23] 1 UK (Official Charts Company)[24] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[25] 3 US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[25] 7 US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[25] 11 US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[25] 1

Chart (1999) (Love Shack '99) Peak position UK (Official Charts Company)[24] 66 End-of-year chart (1989) Position US Billboard Hot 100[26] 47 End-of-year chart (1990) Position US Billboard Hot 100[27] 78

In popular culture

• Love Shack was played in the third season finale of Full House, where Stephanie danced to the song at the "We Love Our Children" telethon.^[28]
• Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Chipettes covered the song for their 1996 album Club Chipmunk: The Dance Mixes.
• In a 2015 episode of The Muppets, "Pig Out", the song is performed by Gonzo, Rizzo, and Pepe.
• The Simpsons parodied the song in the episode E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt) with a song titled "Glove Slap" over a montage of Homer challenging Springfield residents to a duel with gloves, as well as the end credits. This parody was sung by the B-52s, who also sang the original version.
• The song is heard in the 1991 film, "Frankie and Johnny," when Johnny interrupts Frankie's bowling league, vying for her affections, to her dismay.

See also

• Number one modern rock hits of 1989
• List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1980s
• List of number-one singles of 1990 (Ireland)
• List of number-one singles in 1990 (New Zealand)

References

1. Wilkerson Daily Corporation, ed. (1990). The Hollywood Reporter, Volume 315, N° 1 to 17.
2. "The B-52s". B-52s. Retrieved 28 July 2013. "From groundbreaking songs like "Rock Lobster," ... to chart-topping hits like "Love Shack" ... the B-52s' unforgettable dance-rock tunes start a party every time their music begins."
3. David Mansour, From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century. Andrews McNeel Publishing, 2005.
4. "B-52’s ‘Love Shack’ burns down". The Associated Press. Today.com. 16 December 2004. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
5. Fred Bronson. Billboard's Hottest Hot 100 Hits. Watson-Guptill, 2003.
6. "Love Shack by The B-52's". Songfacts. Tonemedia.com. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
7. The Story Behind "Love Shack" by the B-52's, jefblocker.com, 2 March 2012
8. Richie Unterberger, Samb Hicks, Jennifer Dempsey. Music USA: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides, 1989.
9. "Songs of the Century". Archives.cnn.com. Cable News Network LP, LLLP. 7 March 2001. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
10. "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time". Rolling Stone. April 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
11. "The B-52s Unofficial Discography: Love Shack". Theb52s.de. Retrieved 24 January 2007.
12. "The B-52s Unofficial Discography: Love Shack 99". Theb52s.de. Retrieved 24 January 2007.
13. "Australian-charts.com – The B-52's – Love Shack". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
14. "Ultratop.be – The B-52's – Love Shack" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
15. "Love Shack - B-52'S". VRT (in Dutch). Top30-2.radio2.be. Retrieved 28 July 2013. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 9
16. "Dance/Urban - Volume 51, No. 10, January 20, 1990". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
17. "Retail Sales - Volume 51, No. 7, December 16, 1989". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
18. "Top Singles - Volume 51, No. 7, December 16, 1989". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
19. "Lescharts.com – The B-52's – Love Shack" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
20. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". IRMA. Retrieved 28 July 2013. Only one result when searching "Love shack"
21. "Nederlandse Top 40 – The B-52's - Love Shack search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
22. "Dutchcharts.nl – The B-52's – Love Shack" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
23. "Charts.org.nz – The B-52's – Love Shack". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
24. "B-52's". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
25. "Cosmic Thing awards at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
26. "Billboard Top 100 - 1989". Billboard. The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
27. "Billboard Top 100 - 1990". Billboard. The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
28. "Stephanie's dance to Love Shack Baby". YouTube. April 29, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2015.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics