RockLists.com
Cover of The B‐52’s by The B-52's
Cover: The B‐52’s

Song · The B-52's

“Rock Lobster” by The B-52's

From the album The B‐52’s (1979)

“Rock Lobster” by The B-52's appears on 87 radio countdowns from 27 stations between 1988 and 2026. It was first released in 1979 on the album The B‐52’s. Its best result is #5 on the Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994). In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #743 alternative song of 2005, #47 alternative song of all time and #243 of the '80s.

87countdowns
27stations
#5best position
0#1 finishes
4top 10 finishes
1988–2026years charted

Watch

The B-52's - Rock Lobster (Official Music Video)

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

"Rock Lobster" was the B-52's' calling card twice over: first as their debut release on DB Records in April 1978, then re-recorded a year later for their self-titled debut album, which came out on Warner Bros. in the US and Island in Europe and Japan. It's the song that got the whole career rolling, and one listen explains why.

Ricky Wilson's guitar twangs out a wiry, looping riff, Kate Pierson's Farfisa and bass synthesizer bubble underneath, Keith Strickland keeps a relentless beat on drums and percussion, and Cindy Wilson rattles a tambourine. Fred Schneider barks the lead like a deranged beach-party emcee, while Pierson and Cindy Wilson answer with shrieks and squeals straight out of a drive-in creature feature. Chris Blackwell produced it, with Robert Ash co-producing and engineering.

It's party music from another planet, and it reached some unlikely ears: John Lennon said hearing it was what made him decide to make records again in 1980, after five years away. Rolling Stone later put it on its list of the 500 greatest songs, and Athens, Georgia even named its pro hockey team the Rock Lobsters.

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
2005 85 CD101 Columbus, OH CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2005 101

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1988 33 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) 496
1988 12 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1988 13 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of All-Time (1988) 200
1989 21 91X 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) 191
1989 31 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1989 14 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1989 14 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1989) 100
1990 21 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1990 8 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1990) 100
1991 13 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) 302
1991 16 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1991 20 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1991 77 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1991) 100
1992 6 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1992 10 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1994 30 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 5 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 32 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1995 79 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 22 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1996 84 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 15 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 39 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1997 244 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
1998 41 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 15 Channel 104.9 Channel 104.9 Top 101 Songs of the '80s (February 1999) 104
1999 144 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 74 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 15 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 300 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 300
1999 40 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 72 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 25 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 1266 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 148 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 21 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 1256 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 22 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 1261 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 329 WFPK WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time 2000
2001 95 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 14 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 1260 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 246 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 35 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 1245 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 89 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 355 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 1245 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 28 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 1233 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 958 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2005 67 96.5 The Buzz 96.5 The Buzz Top 96 of the 70s & 80s 96
2006 29 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 196 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 36 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2006 17 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Resurrection Songs (December 2006) 107
2008 75 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 405 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 318 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 410 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 120 WYEP WYEP 913 Essential Songs 913
2009 436 WXPN WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) 885
2010 414 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2010 315 WXPN WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) 885
2011 419 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2012 75 WYEP WYEP Top 500 Songs Countdown 500
2012 320 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2013 422 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 420 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 386 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2016 629 WYEP WYEP 913 Countdown 2016 913
2018 181 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 1008 WYEP WYEP Big Spring Countdown 2019 1017
2019 1008 WYEP WYEP Labor Day Weekend Countdown 2019 1099
2020 435 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2021 846 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2022 184 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s 908
2022 170 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2022 57 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2023 46 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2023 890 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2024 498 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2024) 1043
2024 86 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049
2025 21 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs 800
2026 347 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180
2026 589 KXT KXT 917 Song Countdown 917

Charting alongside it in 2005

Best songs of 2005 →
  1. 1Best of YouFoo Fighters
  2. 2Feel Good Inc.Gorillaz
  3. 3Beverly HillsWeezer
  4. 4The Hand That FeedsNine Inch Nails
  5. 5HolidayGreen Day
  6. 6Speed of SoundColdplay

Comments

Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Rock Lobster" by The B-52's.

Be kind and stay on topic. Guidelines

No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.