What category are the B 52's ???

Question

In what category off music would you put the B52’s, and are there any similar groups?

Answer 1

Southern-fried New Wave. (made it up myself)

Let's see... I think I used to think of them as Talking Heads gone South. Devo, I thought was even weirder.

They reminded me a little of The Tubes, but with stranger arrangements and lyrics. Then there was X, an L. A. band, but X's lyrics reflected the L.A. experience, a more urban, more "sophisticated" sound.

There were a lot of groups experimenting with the rise of less expensive electronic synthesizers (in comparison to Pink Floyd's Moogs and the like). Second-generation video games had influences, also (The Pretenders' song, "Space Invaders", for example).

I seem to remember songs by Gary Numan, The Motels, The Vapors, Laurie Anderson, maybe Gary Numan and a few other groups had songs with "weird" sounds incorporated in them. Most of it seemed to have vanished by '83 as groups became more "mainstream" or disappeared.

Answer 2

on sirius satellite, they're deemed "first wave" as in part of "new wave" of early 80's. They are kind of different than some of the others, but check out Psych Furs.

Answer 3

Classic Rock.

Devo.

Answer 4

I always thought they were Disco, but now that I think of it, they are right on the border of Disco and 70's Rock...good question...