The B-52's (album)

The B-52's
Cover art by Tony Wright
Studio album by The B-52's
Released	July 6, 1979
Recorded	1978–1979 at Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas
Genre	New wave post-punk[1] dance-rock[2]
Length	39:14
Label	Warner Bros. (US) Island (UK)
Producer	Chris Blackwell
The B-52's chronology
The B-52's (1979) Wild Planet (1980)
Singles from The B-52's
"Rock Lobster" Released: April 1978 "Planet Claire" Released: July 6, 1979 "Dance This Mess Around" Released: 1979

The B-52's is the eponymous debut album by the Athens, Georgia-based new wave band The B-52's. The kitschy lyrics and mood, and the hook-laden harmonies helped establish a fanbase for the band, who went on to release several chart-topping singles. The album cover was designed by Tony Wright (credited as Sue Ab Surd).

The B-52's peaked at number 59 on the Billboard 200,^[3] and "Rock Lobster" reached number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[4] In 2003, the television network VH1 named The B-52's the 99th greatest album of all time. Shortly before his death, John Lennon said he enjoyed the album.^[5] In his 1995 book, The Alternative Music Almanac, Alan Cross placed the album ninth on the list of 10 Classic Alternative Albums. In 2003, the album was ranked number 152 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.^[6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	A[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
Rolling Stone Album Guide	[9]
Smash Hits	5/10[10]

Critical reception for The B-52's was generally favorable; critics praised the album's kitschy lyrics and party atmosphere.^[1][11]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by The B-52's, except where noted. 

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Planet Claire"	Henry Mancini,[12] Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland	Schneider, Pierson	4:35
2.	"52 Girls"	Jeremy Ayers, Ricky Wilson	Pierson, Wilson	3:34
3.	"Dance This Mess Around"		Schneider, C. Wilson	4:36
4.	"Rock Lobster"	Schneider, R. Wilson	Pierson, Schneider, C. Wilson	6:49

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Lava"		Pierson, Schneider, C. Wilson	4:54
2.	"There's a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)"		Pierson, Schneider, C. Wilson	4:54
3.	"Hero Worship"	Robert Waldrop, R. Wilson	C. Wilson	4:07
4.	"6060-842"	Pierson, Schneider, Strickland, R. Wilson	Pierson, Schneider, C. Wilson	2:48
5.	"Downtown" (Petula Clark cover, 1964)	Tony Hatch	Pierson, C. Wilson	2:57
Total length:				39:14

Personnel

• Fred Schneider – vocals, cowbell, toy piano, walkie talkie, keyboard bass
• Kate Pierson – vocals, Farfisa organ, keyboard bass, guitar
• Keith Strickland – percussion, drums, "Planet Claire" sounds
• Cindy Wilson – vocals, bongos, tambourine, guitar
• Ricky Wilson – guitars, smoke alarm

Production

• Chris Blackwell - Producer
• Ted Jensen of Sterling Sound - Mastering

Charts and certifications

Chart performance Album Chart (1980) Peak position U.S. Billboard 200 [3] 59 UK Albums Chart 22 Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart 3 Singles Single Chart (1980) Position "Planet Claire/Rock Lobster/Dance This Mess Around" Billboard Club Play Singles [4] 24 "Rock Lobster" Billboard Hot 100 [4] 56

Certifications Region Certification Sales/shipments Australia (ARIA)[13] Platinum 50,000^^ United States (RIAA)[14] Platinum 1,000,000^^ ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

External links

• The B-52's at Discogs (list of releases)
• The B-52's at Myspace (streamed copy where licensed)
• The B-52's (Adobe Flash) at Radio3Net (streamed copy where licensed)

References

1. Erlewine, Stephen. The B-52's The B-52's > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 22 March 2004.
2. "The Definitive Guide to Dance-Rock". Spin 21 (10). October 2005.
3. The B-52's > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums at AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2004.
4. The B-52's > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles at AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2004.
5. imdb.com
6. Levy, Joe; Steven Van Zandt (2006) [2005]. "152 | The B-52's - The B-52's". Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (3rd ed.). London: Turnaround. ISBN 1-932958-61-4. OCLC 70672814. Archived from the original on 3 April 2010. Retrieved 8 Aug 2011.
7. Christgau, Robert (September 3, 1979). "Christgau's Consumer Guide: The B-52's Pick Hit". The Village Voice. Retrieved 13 January 2012. Relevant portion posted with a new rating at "The B-52's: The B-52's > Consumer Guide Album". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 31 March 2006.
8. Blashill, Pat (October 16, 2003). "The B-52's The B-52's > Review". Rolling Stone (933). Archived from the original on 20 Jun 2007. Retrieved 22 Mar 2004.
9. Considine, J.D. (2004). "The B-52's". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. London: Fireside. pp. 67–68. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
10. Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (August 9–22, 1979): 25.
11. Carson, Tom (September 20, 1979). "The B-52's: The B-52's Music Reviews". Rolling Stone (300). Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
12. Mancini is credited as a co-author of "Planet Claire" on reissues of the album due to the song's use of the bass line from Mancini's "Peter Gunn."
13. "Sale 40 - Lot 489: Australian Record Industry Association Award For The B-52's". Australian Recording Industry Association. Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles. 2011. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
14. "American album certifications – The B-52's". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH