The B-52's

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• Genre: New Wave
• Hometown: Atlanta
• The B-52's Website

About

The B-52's campy take on New Wave made them one of the more recognizable pop acts of the 1980s and '90s. With their bee-hives, thrift store shtick and Fred Schneider's nasally distinct narratives, the group made an imprint not only on nascent alt-rockers, but on the Top 40 charts, as well. The group's debut still packs a punch with its sci-fi surf party vibe and ridiculously brilliant pop songs like "Rock Lobster" and "52 Girls." By the time the group released Cosmic Thing in 1989, they had become a slickly-produced, yet still very odd pop act who achieved enormous success with tracks such as "Roam" and the wedding party staple, "Love Shack." Inactive since the mid-'90s, the group remain popular on commercial radio -- a remarkable feat considering the individual nature of their manic pop music.

- Jon Pruett