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Cover of Cosmic Thing by The B-52's
Cover: Cosmic Thing

Song · The B-52's

“Love Shack” by The B-52's

From the album Cosmic Thing (1989)

“Love Shack” by The B-52's appears on 79 radio countdowns from 28 stations between 1989 and 2026. It was first released in 1989 on the album Cosmic Thing. Its best result is #1 on the 91X Top 91 Songs of 1989. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #5 alternative song of 1989, #206 alternative song of all time and #14 of the '80s.

79countdowns
28stations
#1best position
1#1 finishes
6top 10 finishes
1989–2026years charted

Watch

The B-52's - Love Shack (Official Music Video)

Video from YouTube (RHINO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Love Shack" came off Cosmic Thing, the B-52's' fifth album, released on Reprise in 1989, and it's the party that brought the band back from the brink. Their popularity had slipped in the mid-'80s, and guitarist Ricky Wilson had died in 1985; this was the song that put them back on top.

Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland and Cindy Wilson wrote it together, and Don Was produced it with a loose, rollicking, dance-rock bounce. Strickland's guitar twangs and jangles, Pierson adds keyboards, guests Sara Lee on bass and Charley Drayton on drums keep the floor shaking, and the Uptown Horns blast away like the house band at a backwoods jukebox joint. On top, Schneider, Pierson and Wilson trade lines and pile on harmonies like guests shouting across a crowded room. It's pure B-52's: kitschy, sweaty, joyous and slightly unhinged.

It topped the charts in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, went to No. 2 in the UK and gave the band their first US top-40 hit at No. 3 on the Hot 100. Adam Bernstein's video won an award at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards, and the song has been a concert staple ever since.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1989 2 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1989 107
1989 1 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1989 90
1989 6 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1989 105

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 53 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of the 1980s 200
1989 11 91X 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) 191
1989 6 WFNX WFNX Top 101 Songs of the Decade (December 1989) 101
1990 42 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1990 88 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1990) 100
1991 29 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 216 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1991 491 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1991) 500
1992 498 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1992 73 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1994 81 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 70 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1996 77 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1996 342 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1997 425 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
1998 37 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1998) 100
1999 79 Channel 104.9 Channel 104.9 Top 101 Songs of the '80s (February 1999) 104
1999 304 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 211 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 111 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 181 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 48 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 69 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 669 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 531 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 297 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 669 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 299 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 674 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 268 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2001 337 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 674 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 800 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 674 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 471 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 386 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 674 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 189 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2004 498 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2005 418 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 673 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 240 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2005 3 WFPK WFPK Top 100 Party Songs 100
2006 375 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2006 215 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2007 503 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2007 115 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2008 504 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 520 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 662 WYEP WYEP 913 Essential Songs 913
2009 139 WXPN WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) 885
2010 530 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2010 67 WXPN WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) 885
2011 546 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2012 219 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 565 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 583 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 409 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2018 456 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 970 WYEP WYEP Big Spring Countdown 2019 1017
2019 970 WYEP WYEP Labor Day Weekend Countdown 2019 1099
2020 294 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2021 50 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2021 107 WYEP WYEP 2021 Labor Day Countdown 168
2022 366 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2022 125 97.1 The River River 500 (2022) 500
2022 191 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2023 25 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s 850
2023 721 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2023 402 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2023 105 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 800 Songs About Places 800
2024 60 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049
2025 9 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs 800
2026 55 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s 498
2026 383 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180
2026 425 KXT KXT 917 Song Countdown 917

Charting alongside it in 1989

Best songs of 1989 →
  1. 1Love SongThe Cure
  2. 2StandR.E.M.
  3. 3Here Comes Your ManThe Pixies
  4. 4She Drives Me CrazyFine Young Cannibals
  5. 6Personal JesusDepeche Mode
  6. 7So AliveLove and Rockets

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