Song · The B-52's
“Legal Tender” by The B-52's
From the album Whammy! (1983)
“Legal Tender” by The B-52's appears on 13 radio countdowns from 6 stations between 1983 and 2003. It was first released in 1983 on the album Whammy!. Its best result is #65 on the KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1983. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #86 alternative song of 1983 and #2,074 alternative song of all time.
Watch
Video from YouTube (RHINO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Legal Tender" leads off Whammy!, the B-52's third album, and as the first single cut loose from it in 1983 it made plain that the band had rewired its sound for the occasion. This is a bright, bouncing thing built on synthesizers, a drum machine and hand claps, with Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson sharing the lead like two neighbors hatching a scheme over the back fence.
The scheme, it turns out, is counterfeiting: the song's heroes kit out a basement with heavy gear and start printing their own money, their cheerful answer to inflation and prices that won't stop climbing. Steven Stanley produced and engineered it for Warner Bros., and the video put Pierson and Wilson in a parade of wigs in every shape and shade. On the Whammy! tour Keith Strickland handled the synthesizer and the band added horns.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 65 | KROQ Los Angeles, CA | KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1983 | 107 |
| 1983 | 70 | 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana | 91X Top 91 Songs of 1983 | 91 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 302 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) | 496 |
| 1988 | 193 | Live 105 | Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) | 501 |
| 1989 | 175 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) | 495 |
| 1989 | 426 | WOXY 97X | WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) | 500 |
| 1990 | 193 | Live 105 | Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) | 299 |
| 1991 | 127 | Live 105 | Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) | 302 |
| 1996 | 347 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) | 500 |
| 1998 | 350 | KROQ | KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) | 488 |
| 1999 | 782 | 107.7 The End | The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 1077 |
| 2002 | 1090 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2003 | 1663 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Legal Tender" by The B-52's.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.