Love Shack

"Love Shack" is a single by American new wave band The B-52's from their 1989 album Cosmic Thing. It was released on June 20, 1989 and produced by Don Was. The song was a comeback of sorts for the band following their decline in popularity in the mid-1980s and the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson in 1985.[3]

For the 2010 film, see Love Shack (film).
"Love Shack"
Cover art for US editions
Single by The B-52's
from the album Cosmic Thing
B-side"Channel Z"
ReleasedJune 20, 1989
Recorded1988
StudioDreamland Recording Studios (West Hurley, New York)
Genre
Length
  • 5:21 (album version)
  • 4:16 (single version)
  • 3:55 (radio edit)
LabelReprise
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Don Was
The B-52's singles chronology
"Channel Z"
(1989)		 "Love Shack"
(1989)		 "Roam"
(1989)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help
Music video
"Love Shack" on YouTube

"Love Shack" is considered the band's signature song and has been a concert staple since its release. Commercially, the single topped the charts in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand and reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 (becoming their first top-forty hit), and number five on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart. It also became a top-twenty hit in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Background

The inspiration for the song was "a cabin around Athens, Georgia," with a tin roof, where the band conceived "Rock Lobster", a single from their debut album. The cabin was said to have been located off the Atlanta Highway near Athens. B-52's singer Kate Pierson lived in the cabin in the 1970s, and it burned down in December 2004.[4] Cindy Wilson's line "tin roof rusted" was originally an outtake from a jamming session, where Wilson continued her line while the tape had stopped.[5]

Music video

The music video was directed by Adam Bernstein and shot at the home and studio of ceramic artists Philip Maberry and Scott Walker in Highland, New York.[6][7]

Commercial performance

The single was the band's biggest hit song as well as their first million-copy seller.[8] It was the band's first song to reach the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number three in November 1989.[9] It also reached number five in Canada,[10] number two in the United Kingdom,[11] and number one in Australia (eight weeks),[12] Ireland (one week)[13] and New Zealand (four weeks),[14] as well as on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart (four weeks).[15]

Awards and accolades

The song has received several accolades:

Track listings

The single release contained different tracks in different countries of release. Some countries, including the United States, had singles backed with "Channel Z", while other releases included a live version of "Rock Lobster" as the B-side.[18] A reissue single in the US paired it with the follow-up single "Roam". In 1998 and 1999, the single was released again with a number of remixes, including one by DJ Tonka. Although the re-release did not chart in the United States, it did enter the UK Singles Chart.[19]

UK single

  1. "Love Shack" (Single Version) — 4:20
  2. "Love Shack" (LP Version) — 5:21

US 12" single / CD maxi-single

  1. "Love Shack" (12" Remix) — 8:00
  2. "Love Shack" (Remix/Edit) — 4:07
  3. "Channel Z" (12" Rock Mix) — 6:24
  4. "Love Shack" (12" Mix) — 6:10
  5. "Love Shack" (A Capella) — 3:56
  6. "Love Shack" (Big Radio Mix) — 5:31

Charts and certifications
  • "Love Shack" was played in the third-season finale of Full House, where Stephanie danced to the song at the "We Love Our Children" telethon.[40]
  • The song was covered in Glee's third season episode "Heart." The episode, broadcast on Valentines Day, used the song to close the show. The cover, primarily performed by Darren Criss and Chris Colfer, was cited as the highlight of the episode by several critics, and a "rousing" end to the episode.[41][42]
  • The song was lip synced in 2016 on the television show Lip Sync Battle by American basketball player Shaquille O'Neal.[43] Since O'Neal commonly goes by the nickname "Shaq," host LL Cool J pointed out that O'Neal was essentially singing a "love song to himself."[43]

See also

References
  1. Wilkerson Daily Corporation, ed. (1990). The Hollywood Reporter, Volume 315, N° 1 to 17.
  2. "B-52s". WOLX-FM. From groundbreaking songs like "Rock Lobster," ... to chart-topping hits like "Love Shack" ... the B-52s' unforgettable dance-rock tunes start a party every time their music begins.
  3. Richie Unterberger, Samb Hicks, Jennifer Dempsey. Music USA: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides, 1989.
  4. "B-52's 'Love Shack' burns down". Today. Associated Press. December 16, 2004.
  5. Pevos, Edward (June 5, 2018). "The B-52s talk Michigan, 'Love Shack' and the origin of 'Tin Roof, Rusted'". Booth Newspapers.
  6. Pond, Steve (July 30, 2014). "Emmy Nominated Director's Strange Trip: From Sir-Mix-a-Lot's 'Baby Got Back' to 'Fargo'". TheWrap.
  7. STEINBERG, CLAUDIA (May 1, 2003). "HOUSE PROUD; Thrill Rides on the Color Wheel". The New York Times.
  8. David Mansour, From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century. Andrews McNeel Publishing, 2005.
  9. "The B-52s Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  10. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6660." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  11. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  12. "Australian-charts.com – The B-52's – Love Shack". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  13. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love Shack". Irish Singles Chart.
  14. "Charts.nz – The B-52's – Love Shack". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  15. "The B-52s Chart History (Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  16. Allen, Jamie (March 8, 2001). "Songs of the Century". CNN.
  17. "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time". Rolling Stone. April 2010.
  18. "Love Shack / Channel Z / Rock Lobster". Rate Your Music.
  19. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  20. "Ultratop.be – The B-52's – Love Shack" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  21. "Love Shack – B-52'S". VRT (in Dutch). Top30-2.radio2.be. Archived from the original on February 22, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2013. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 9
  22. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 6683." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  23. "RPM 30 Retail Singles – December 16, 1989". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  24. "Lescharts.com – The B-52's – Love Shack" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  25. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 51, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  26. "Dutchcharts.nl – The B-52's – Love Shack" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  27. "The B-52s Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  28. "The B-52s Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  29. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  30. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – 1989". ARIA, via Imgur.com. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  31. "Top 100 Singles of '89". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  32. "Billboard Top 100 – 1989". Billboard. The Longbored Surfer.
  33. "1990 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  34. "Eurochart Hot 100 of 1990" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7 no. 51. 22 December 1990. p. 60. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 15 January 2020 – via American Radio History.
  35. "End of Year Charts 1990". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  36. "1990 Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. March 2, 1991. p. 41.
  37. "Billboard Top 100 – 1990". Billboard. The Longbored Surfer.
  38. "British single certifications – B 52's – Love Shack". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 17, 2020. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Love Shack in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  39. "American single certifications – B-52's – Love Shack". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 14, 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  40. "Stephanie's dance to Love Shack Baby". YouTube. April 29, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  41. "Glee "Heart."". IMDb. February 14, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  42. Chaney, Jen (February 14, 2012). "'Glee' by the musical numbers: Amber Riley sings Whitney Houston". The Washington Post. Katharine Weymouth. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  43. Emery, Debbie (2 June 2016). "Shaq Turns Into a 'Maniac,' Aisha Tyler Plays 'Basketball' in 'Lip Sync Battle' Showdown". The Wrap. Los Angeles: The Wrap News Inc. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
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