The B-52's

Eschewing everything but the pursuit of fun, Athens, GA's B-'52s burst onto the New Wave scene in 1979. Their mix of '50s/'60s kitsch and pure pop instincts produced some classic campy tunes ("Rock Lobster", "Private Idaho"). The band's popularity hit new peaks a decade later with the release of COSMIC THING and the huge hits "Love Shack", "Roam", and "Deadbeat Club", showing how fully the group had penetrated the pop-culture landscape.

• pop