While The B-52's remained in a self imposed hiatus, member Keith Strickland began composing on his own. He would later meet with Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, and Cindy Wilson, and play them the music for each of them. This would result in them agreeing to try and write together again.
Ironically, their biggest hit, Love Shack, wasn't initially going to be used for 1989's Cosmic Thing. It was the last to be recorded and added, refined from a fifteen minute unfinished piece. The end result was a number three hit single, which spent twenty-seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. This was followed by the single, Roam, which also reached number three, and spent twenty weeks on the charts. Deathbeat Club would be the third and final single, which became a minor hit, peaking at number thirty. Channel Z, which was actually the first single released from the album, became a number one hit on Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, driven by its popularity on alternative and college radio stations.
Cosmic Thing would be the bands first release on Reprise Records, and pave their way to mainstream success. As such, one would be forgiven if they didn't know of The B-52's existence until 1989. This was certainly aided by the music videos for Love Shack and Roam, which found steady rotation on MTV. Everybody seemed to know the party anthem (Love Shack), from kids to adults, and it was everywhere over the following years, since then becoming a legacy in its own right to the era of 80's music.
So, with the bar set extremely high, today we dive into their final, and most critically acclaimed album, 1989's Cosmic Thing. Let's go!
Usually, when listening to an album for a Retro Spin, I type as I hear it, trying to capture specific moments. With the exception of this opening paragraph, I actually just sat back, and took the time to let everything play out. When it was done, I took a short nap.
Upon waking up, I then said to myself, "Okay, self. What do you actually remember from that album that stood out?" The answer was Love Shack, Roam, and Topaz. While I don't think it will necessarily involve taking a nap, I think what I definitely need to do for future listening sessions is simply focus on hearing what is coming through the speakers, walk away, and come back later to then say, "What needs to be added to my shuffle?" The reason being that there is so much filler in rotation for me that I skip most of it.
Cosmic Thing, in comparison to prior albums from The B-52's felt a little hollow. Like something was missing in the spirit of it all, and it's clear what was. Even the band knew it because after its release and touring, Cindy Wilson stepped away for two reasons. The first being that she was still processing the loss of her brother, and former guitarist, Ricky Wilson. The second was that she was in a period of her life where she said her clock was ticking. She wanted to have a family, and take the time to raise her children.
With her blessings, The B-52's continued on, bringing in new singer, Julee Cruise, to fill in for her on tours. When they returned to the studio for 1992's Good Stuff, it would be as a trio with just Schneider, Pierson, and Strickland. While Wilson would rejoin the group in 1996, they wouldn't record their next and subsequent final studio album, 2008's Funplex.
The B-52's embarked on a farewell tour in 2022, closing out in Athens, Georgia in January 2023. Upon completion, the conducted a residency show at The Venetian Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada, which was still ongoing as of this writing (in March 2025).
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS August 27, 1983 |
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS August 27, 1988 |
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