The B-52s

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    are a New Wave Band out of Athens, Georgia, the same birthplace of REM. They are most well-known for their quirky Sci-fi themed songs and beehive hairdos worn by the female members. The members are:

    • Fred Schneider - vocals, cowbell, toy piano, glockenspiel
    • Kate Pierson - vocals, keyboards, maracas
    • Keith Strickland - guitar, drums, keyboards, programming, backing vocals
    • Cindy Wilson - vocals, tambourine, bongos
    • Ricky Wilson (deceased) - guitar
    Discography:
    • The B-52's (1979)
    • Wild Planet (1980)
      • both albums were later released as a single album called The B-52s/Wild Planet
    • Party Mix (1981)--Remix Album
    • Mesopotamia (1982)--EP produced by Talking Heads member David Byrne
      • Both were later released as a single album called Party Mix/Mesopotamia
    • Whammy! (1983)
    • Bouncing off the Satellites (1986)
    • Cosmic Thing (1989)
    • Good Stuff (1992)
    • Time Capsule: Songs For A Future Generation (1998)--Greatest Hits album
    • Nude on the Moon(2002)--A 2-disc anthology of previously recorded songs from between 1979-1998
    • Funplex (2008)
    • With the Wild Crowd(2012)--Live album

    The B-52s provides examples of the following tropes:
    • A Good Name for a Rock Band: They're named after Kate and Cindy's trademark beehive hairdos.
    • Author Existence Failure: Ricky Wilson died of AIDS in 1986, during recording of Bouncing Off the Satellites
    • Beehive Hairdo: Was one of the band's calling cards in the 70s and 80s via Cindy and Kate.
    • Call-and-Response Song: Pretty much most of their entire discography is this, with Kate and Cindy doing the response parts.
    • Cloudcuckoolander: All five members, but Fred seems the goofiest.
    • Cool Car: Fred describes one in "Love Shack": I got me a Chrysler, it's as big as a whale"
    • Cut Song: Originally Whammy included a cover of Yoko Ono's "Don't Worry" without her consent. Under threat of lawsuit, it was replaced on subsequent copies by a re-recording of "There's A Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon).", but was still labelled as "Don't Worry." Fortunately, if you want to hear the cover, then YouTube is your friend.
    • Did Not Do the Research: Shamelessly admitted in the song "Mesopotamia".
    • The Eighties
    • Precious Puppies: "Quiche Lorraine" is actually about a poodle who runs away from Fred Schneider, dumping him for a Great Dane. Fred gets his revenge by throwing away the key to her kennel.
    • Exactly What It Says on the Tin: "Cake", "Housework" and "Wig".
    • Greatest Hits Album: Time Capsule: Songs For A Future Generation, released in 1998. Also has two new songs exclusive to it: "Debbie" and "Hallunicating Pluto".
    • Intercourse with You: "Strobe Light", "Good Stuff", Deviant Ingredient" and "Love in the Year 3000."
    • Instrumentals: "Work That Skirt", "Follow Your Bliss", and "The World's Green Laughter"
    • Large Ham: Fred Schneider. Give him a mic and he will ham it up, even if the song doesn't need it.
    • List Song: "52 Girls" is mostly a list of girl names.
    • Mind Screw: "Detour Thru Your Mind"
    • New Wave
    • The Nineties
    • Non-Appearing Title: "Legal Tender", "Moon 83". And by definition, all their instrumental songs count.
    • Protest Song: "Juicy Jungle" and "Channel Z"
    • Repurposed Pop Song: "Junebug" was used in a Target commercial. They also used the intro to "52 Girls".
    • Self-Titled Album: Like many bands, their debut was this.
    • Signature Song: "Rock Lobster", or arguably "Love Shack".
    • Shaped Like Itself: "There's A Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)"
    • The Something Song: "Song For a Future Generation", "Theme For a Nude Beach" also qualifies, since a song is also a theme.
    • Title-Only Chorus: "Rock Lobster"
    • Unusual Euphemism: "Strobe Light" has one: "Let me kiss your tummy/Let me kiss your pineapple!"
    • Vocal Tag Team: Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, and Cindy Wilson.