The B-52s

Blending surf-rock tropes with ’50s kitsch imagery and a party vibe, The B-52’s were among the most distinctive New Wave bands to emerge in the late 1970s.

Led by Fred Schneider’s animated vocal style, the band released a string of off-kilter singles, including “Rock Lobster,” “Private Idaho,” and “Love Shack.” • The Athens, Georgia, band is said to have formed in 1976 after the musicians shared a “flaming volcano” cocktail at a local Chinese restaurant.

Jam sessions soon led to their first single, 1978’s “Rock Lobster,” an underground success that landed The B-52’s a gig at CBGB in New York.