Formed in the 70’s, the B-52’s were ahead of their time in some ways, with a hip new alternative sound that rocked the college town of Athens, GA (their hometown). They played in the underground for sometime, and followed that by working their way to playing shows at CBGB’s, where they picked up some attention from New York City press agents. The B-52’s have a very recognizable sound that combines funk, rock, and new wave. With their funky, “out-there” beats, and obscure, wacky lyrics, they became a club favorite. Their songs were catchy and easy to dance along to, and although they may have a “poppy” sound, the B-52’s lyrics were far from it, telling bizarre stories about lobsters who like to rock out.What I like about the B-52’s is how their opening note alone makes them easy to tell apart from other bands. With Kate Pierson’s and Cindy Wilson’s awesomely powerful vocals, and Fred Schneider’s quirky voice added into the mix, the songs become pure camp and fun. Some awesome songs recorded by the B-52’s that have gained massive notoriety are “Love Shack” and “Rock Lobster.” These songs just make you want to dance the night away. However, as you are getting your groove on, you should pause for a moment and take in the lyrics of these masterpieces, for some of them have deep social commentary like this quote from Rock Lobster: “We were at the beach, everybody had matching towels, somebody went under a dock, and there they saw a rock. It wasn’t a rock, it was a rock lobster.” Well, okay, it’s not Shakespeare but it’s silly, campy and fun, much like their better known song, “Love Shack.” “Bang, bang on the door, baby, bang bang you’re what?… Tin roof, rusted! Love Shack, baby Love Shack!” No one really understands what the “Tin roof, rusted” part means, but people still sing along with it and love the song, which just goes to show you that good music doesn’t have to make a whole lot of sense, as long as it has a good beat, and sounds funky and fun.