Rock Lobster

"Rock Lobster" is a song written by Fred Schneider and Ricky Wilson, two members of the B-52's. It was twice recorded and released as a single, first by DB Records as their debut release in April 1978, and again the following year for the band's self-titled debut album on Warner Bros. Records.

The song launched the band's career and became one of their signature tunes. "Rock Lobster" was well-received by critics, and went on to place at No. 147 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list in December 2004. The song also inspired the name of Athens, Georgia's ice hockey team, the Rock Lobsters.

Composition and themes
The original DB Records single version has a duration of 4:37, and is faster in tempo and more "raw" than the 1979 single version, basically due to lower sound quality and the absence of a bassline. It has the same lyrics as the re-recorded version, but with more lines during the sequence that lists marine animals. The 1979 single version is edited down from the album version, which lasts about seven minutes and contains an additional verse.

According to a "Behind the Vinyl" video with B-52's singer Fred Schneider for CHBM-FM, the song was mostly inspired by the 2001 Club in Atlanta, where instead of having a light show, the club projected a slide show with pictures of puppies, babies, and lobsters on a grill.

The song's lyrics describe a beach party while mentioning both real and imagined marine animals ("There goes a dogfish, chased by a catfish, in flew a sea robin, watch out for that piranha, there goes a narwhal, here comes a bikini whale!"), with absurd noises accompanying each, provided by Kate Pierson on the higher-pitched sounds and Cindy Wilson the lower-pitched ones. The chorus features Pierson and Wilson singing a long "ahhh" at an ascending pitch, followed by Schneider exclaiming the phrase "rock lobster!".

"Rock Lobster" is written in the key of C minor (with a raised fourth in the chorus) and is in common time. Instruments used in the music include a baritone-tuned surf-style Mosrite electric guitar, a Farfisa combo organ, and drums. Pierson played the song's bassline on a Korg SB-100 synthesizer in the 1979 version.

Reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called the song "incredibly infectious" and "memorable". Cash Box called it a "silly yet utterly enjoyable affair." Record World said that "The dance-oriented -rock band from Georgia has already charmed critics and cults. This quirky, intriguing cut from their self-titled LP should do the same for AOR-pop fans."

Chart performance
The version of "Rock Lobster" released by Warner Bros. was the band's first single to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached No. 56. A major hit in Canada, the single went all the way to No. 1 in the RPM national chart. "Rock Lobster" reached #37 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1979; when reissued as a double A-side with "Planet Claire" in 1986, it peaked at No. 12. In Australia, it peaked at No. 3 in 1980.

In popular culture
On January 26, 1980, the band appeared on Saturday Night Live, where they performed "Rock Lobster" and "Dance This Mess Around".

In the spring of 1980, John Lennon, whose post-Beatles music career had been on hiatus for nearly five years while focusing on raising his son Sean, was prompted to record again after hearing "Rock Lobster". According to Lennon, "it sounds just like Ono's music, so I said to meself, 'it's time to get out the old axe and wake the wife up!'" His return to the studio led to the release of 1980's Double Fantasy, which would be his final album. At a 2002 B-52's concert in New York, Ono joined the band on stage for the performance of this song.

The song appears in the Family Guy episodes "The Cleveland–Loretta Quagmire" (in which Peter plays it on guitar), and "Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q" (as "Iraq Lobster").

It also appears in the 2008 movie The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie (as "Rock Monster").

Early Commodore Amiga 500 units had "B52/ROCK LOBSTER" etched on the main circuit board.

The song is playable in the video games Donkey Konga, Rock Band 3, and Just Dance 4.

Panic! at the Disco sampled the song's guitar riff for their song "Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time" from their fifth studio album Death of a Bachelor (2016).

Athens Rock Lobsters
On May 15, 2024, it was announced that the city of Athens, Georgia - where The B-52's were formed - would name their Federal Prospects Hockey League team the Rock Lobsters, honoring the song and the band. The decision came after an online poll that began in April of 2024 closed with two options for a team name: The Rock Lobsters or the Classic City Panic. The former was the winner of a runoff poll, where it won over the latter by 565 votes. A large internet following also helped promote voting for the Rock Lobster option. A design contest was also held for the team's mascot, which has yet to be officially revealed.