History YMMV / TheB52s

* RetroactiveRecognition: Before becoming a professional model and singer, Creator/{{RuPaul}} appeared as a dancer in the "Love Shack" video

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: Although the band members did smoke marijuana in the early days (in one instance, leading to the writing of "Quiche Lorraine"), for many years their strongest vice has been alcohol, and they have never used psychedelics. The crazy ideas they come up with are inspired by weird movies and the band's sense of humor.
** Alcohol is actually what led to the band forming, after they shared a large cocktail (Flaming Volcano) at a Chinese Restaurant and went to a mutual friend's house and started jamming on his music equipment, creating a song called "Killer Bees" (never recorded). They've written about alcohol in "Deadbeat Club" (99c Beer), "Deviant Ingredient" (Martini) and "Is That You Mo-Dean?" (Wine).

* ReplacementScrappy: The general fan reaction to Julee Cruise replacing Cindy Wilson on the band's Good Stuff tour, to the point where even The Simpsons parodied it. This is extremely unfair, because Cruise knew the band's material (being a fan) possessed a similar range and look to Cindy, and gave solid performances on the tour. Anyone who stood in for Cindy - who was adamant about taking time off from the band - would have gotten this response.

** Also with Music/TalkingHeads, for Music/DavidByrne's production of the ''Mesopotamia'' EP as well as Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth's appearance with the band at their 1985 Rock in Rio show.

* RefrainFromAssuming: A Non-musical example with the band's first album, which is [[SelfTitledAlbum self-titled]], is often mistaken as being called ''High Fidelity'' due to this phrase appearing in the upper-lefthand corner of the cover. This was actually placed there to mimic labels on older album sleeves.

* DownerEnding: The final, instrumental track "Follow Your Bliss" from their ''Cosmic Thing'' album. While "downer" is a bit of a stretch here, the song ''is'' more somber and serious in tone compared to the rest of the album's [[MoodWhiplash overall happy and bouncy feel]].
** Justified, as ''Cosmic Thing'' was the B-52's comeback album after the passing of Ricky Wilson. "Follow Your Bliss" was likely [[FridgeBrilliance intended as a somber tribute to him]].

* HellIsThatNoise: Kate's scream/synth combo at the end of "Strobe Light"'s UnusualEuphemism.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: Although the band members did smoke marijuana in the early days (in one instance, leading to the writing of Quiche Lorraine), for many years their strongest vice has been alcohol, and they have never used psychedelics. The crazy ideas they come up with are inspired by weird movies and the band's sense of humor.
** Alcohol is actually what led to the band forming, after they shared a large cocktail (Flaming Volcano) at a Chinese Restaurant and went to a mutual friend's house and started jamming on his music equipment, creating a song called "Killer Bees" (never recorded). They've written about alcohol in Deadbeat Club (99c Beer), Deviant Ingredient (Martini) and Is That You Mo-Dean? (Wine).

* {{Anvilicious}}: Off stage, the band are ''very'' vocal and preachy about animal rights. Their association with controversial animal rights group [=PETA=] has turned off many fans.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Before becoming a professional model and singer, Creator/{{RuPaul}} appeared as a dancer in the "Love Shack" video.

* OvershadowedByControversy: Their activism for controversial animal rights group [=PETA=] turned off many fans.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: The band was popular with younger children, yet they have songs that are not very kid-friendly such as "Quiche Lorraine" (about bestiality, specifically about a poodle who runs away from Fred Schneider, dumping him for a Great Dane), "Dirty Back Road" (which is an UnusualEuphemism for doing it doggystyle), the below-mentioned songs about alcohol, and we should probably stop before we accidentally list all of Good Stuff.

* EpicRiff: "Rock Lobster", "Private Idaho", "Hallucinating Pluto", "Pump", and "Lava" are the best examples.

* DownerEnding: The final, instrumental track "Follow Your Bliss" from their ''Cosmic Thing'' album. While "downer" is a bit of a stretch here, the song ''is'' more somber and serious in tone compared to the rest of the album's overall happy and bouncy feel.

** "Give Me Back My Man" can come across as this. Cindy sounds depressed as she sings about wanting an old lover back.

** Although an [[HappyTears uplifting love song]], "Revolution Earth" also doubles as this, particularly as Kate revealed in a [[https://pitchfork.com/features/5-10-15-20/the-b-52s-kate-pierson-on-the-music-that-made-her/ 2020 interview]] that performing the song in 1992 allowed her to cope with the news of her sick father.

* EpilepticTrees: There are a ''ton'' circulating around the ThrowItIn line "You're ''what?!''/Tin roof...rusted" from "Love Shack." The prevailing theory (as pointed out by ''Series/PopUpVideo'') is that it's some obscure slang for [[spoiler:"pregnant"]]. However, the Love Shack did have a tin roof, and it was rusted.

* HarsherInHindsight: The shack that inspired the song "Love Shack" burned down in December 2004.

* LGBTFanbase: They have one, likely due to them all being LGBT except Cindy Wilson.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: The band was popular with younger children, yet they have songs that are not very kid-friendly such as "The Chosen One" (which has the very immortal line "Lest these titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash"), "Quiche Lorraine" (about bestiality, specifically about a poodle who runs away from Fred Schneider, dumping him for a Great Dane), "Dirty Back Road" (which is an UnusualEuphemism for doing it doggystyle), and we should probably stop before we accidentally list all of Good Stuff.

* EarWorm: Their entire discography is this. No exceptions.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: "Legal Tender" is a minor hit that became absolutely ''huge'' in Brazil during the 80s nightclub boom there, to the point that fans protested the song's non-inclusion on the setlist of their 2009 concerts in Rio and São Paulo.