Less Than Zero

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The B-52's

Plays on LTZ: (historical total not available beyond this vault's episode folders)

Tracks played

Research

The B-52's — Rock Lobster

First recorded and released on DB Records in April 1978 (the label's very first release), then re-recorded for the band's self-titled debut album on Warner Bros., July 1979. Written by Fred Schneider and Ricky Wilson. Recorded on a shoestring budget of around $700 at Mountain Studios in Atlanta; a key on Kate Pierson's Farfisa organ didn't work. The iconic bass line was played by Pierson on a Korg SB-100 synth, not a bass guitar. Pierson and Cindy Wilson's fish noises are a tribute to Yoko Ono. John Lennon heard the song playing in a Bermuda disco in 1979 and it inspired him to break his five-year recording hiatus. Rolling Stone ranked it number 147 on their 500 Greatest Songs list. The band name comes from the beehive hairstyles worn by Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, resembling the nose cone of a B-52 bomber.