Released July 6, 1979 Label Warner Bros. | Length 39:14 Producer Chris Blackwell | |
Recorded 1978–1979 at Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas Genre New wave
post-punk
dance-rock | ||
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).
Contents
The B-52's peaked at number 59 on the Billboard 200, and "Rock Lobster" reached number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100. 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. 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.
Critical reception
Critical reception for The B-52's was generally favorable; critics praised the album's kitschy lyrics and party atmosphere. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, stating that "Unabashed kitsch mavens at a time when their peers were either vulgar or stylish, the Athens quintet celebrated all the silliest aspects of pre-Beatles pop culture -- bad hairdos, sci-fi nightmares, dance crazes, pastels, and anything else that sprung into their minds -- to a skewed fusion of pop, surf, avant-garde, amateurish punk, and white funk." Rolling Stone also gave the album 5 out of 5 stars, concluding that "On The B-52's, the best little dance band from Athens proved that rock & roll still matters if it's about sex and hair and moving your body. Even if you have to shake-bake shake-bake it like a Shy Tuna." Music critic Robert Christgau initially awarded the album with an "A-", though he later upgraded the album's rating to an "A," commenting that he is "more delighted with their rhythms, which show off their Georgia roots by adapting the innovations of early funk (a decade late, just like the Stones and Chicago blues) to an endlessly danceable forcebeat format." Slant gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, stating that "(l)ike any over-the-top act, The B-52's wears thin, but the band successfully positioned themselves as pop-culture icons—not unlike the musical antiquities they emulated."
The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Track listing
All tracks written by The B-52's, except where noted.