Whether it's an under the radar genre or a proper out there podcast

sometimes it's better when you get weird especially when it comes to switching up your soft drink

introducing new Dr Pepper Zero,

with the same blend of 23 unique flavors,

it tastes just as weird as regular Dr Pepper,

but with zero sugar and zero calories.

It's a taste you can't quite put your finger on. Weird, but in a

surprisingly good way, try more weird with Dr Pepper Zero. Welcome to Hit Parade, a podcast of Pop Chart History from Slate magazine, about the hits from

Coast to Coast. I'm Chris Malanphy, chart analyst, pop critic, and writer of

Slates, Why Is This Song Number One series? On today's show, In early 1980, a single materialized on the charts that was so unusual it would inspire a former

beetle. More on that former beetle in a moment. As for the song, which dated back to 1978, it was called Rock Lobster, and it was by a five-person band who named

themselves after a collection of letters and numbers, designating both a 1950s military bomber and more to the point a 1960s

bouffant hairdo the B 52s. On first listen the the B-52's rock lobster was a cavalcade of Kitch, but it also had the edge of

punk and its quirky surf guitar and primitive keyboards connected it to early rock and roll.

It was old and new at the same time, the leading edge of Rock's new wave. A little.

Rock!

Rock! A little over three years after Rock lobster peaked on Billboard's Hot 100, well shy of the top 40,

another band that emerged in the aftermath of punk made its Hot 100 debut.

By now, New Wave Pop was all over the charts, but nothing on the radio in 1983 sounded much like this band either. It was by four men who also named themselves with a string of letters, the abbreviation for Rapid Eye Movement, the dream

phase of a deep night's sleep, R-E-M.

Radio Free Europe, R-E. M.'s first pop hit, peaked even lower on the charts than Rock Lobster had,

but its rustic chiming sound would influence a generation of rock bands.

...