John Lennon Said This B-52’s Song Sounded ‘Just Like Yoko’s Music’

Many might be unaware of the contributions Yoko Ono has made to music. Her music is avant-garde, with sounds often ahead of their time. John Lennon loved her music and infused his own work with a more stylized feel, leading to more unconventional work in his solo career. In the 1970s, Lennon heard a song by The B-52’s that he thought sounded similar to Ono’s work. 

John Lennon thought The B-52’s ‘Rock Lobster’ sounded ‘like Yoko’s music’

The B-52’s formed in 1976 and became famous thanks to their fresh blend of pop and rock, with distinct vocals from Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, and Cindy Wilson. Their first single, “Rock Lobster,” was released in 1978. While it wasn’t a massive hit, it achieved cult classic status and developed an audience over time. The band would later have bigger hits, such as “Love Shack”. The B-52’s still managed to reach former Beatle John Lennon. 

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Lennon said he first heard “Rock Lobster” at a dance club in Bermuda. After hearing it, he realized it sounded like Ono’s music, and felt music was finally starting to catch up with their earlier avant-garde experiments. 

“I was at a dance club one night in Bermuda,” Lennon said. “Upstairs, they were playing disco, and downstairs I suddenly heard ‘Rock Lobster’ by the B-52’s for the first time. Do you know it? It sounds just like Yoko’s music, so I said to meself, ‘It’s time to get out the old ax and wake the wife up!’”

‘Rock Lobster’ led to Lennon creating ‘Double Fantasy’

Double Fantasy was the final album released by John Lennon before his 1980 assassination. The album was a highly collaborative project with Ono, featuring some of his most experimental work. Ono also had many moments to shine on the album, and she once said listening to The B-52’s led to Lennon believing he could take more risks. He thought that the rest of the world was beginning to accept weirder and more diverse music. 

“Listening to the B-52’s, John said he realised that my time had come,” Ono told Songfacts. “So he could record an album by making me an equal partner, and we won’t get flack like we used to up to then.”

Upon its release, it seemed the world might not have been ready for Ono and Lennon’s stylized music as it primarily received negative reactions from critics upon its release. It did reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and U.K. Albums chart, but that might have been because of Lennon’s long hiatus from music and his death, which occurred only a few weeks after the album’s release.

How did ‘Rock Lobster’ perform on the charts?’

“Rock Lobster” wasn’t a huge hit upon its release. It peaked at No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 37 on the U.K. Singles chart. However, it did become a No. 1 hit in Canada. Still, the single did put the band on many people’s radar and served as a launching platform for The B-52’s eventual success.