The B-52's - Channel Z

What this video is

Released in 1989 as the lead single from Cosmic Thing, 'Channel Z' marked the B-52's return from hiatus following the 1985 death of guitarist Ricky Wilson. The song reached number one on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart, re-establishing the band within the college-radio and MTV alternative ecosystem before 'Love Shack' broke them to mainstream pop audiences. Thematically, the song functions as political satire…

Why it matters

As the lead single from Cosmic Thing, 'Channel Z' represents a pivotal transitional document in American new wave's shift toward mainstream alternative rock in the late 1980s. Its music video helped reintroduce the B-52's to MTV's Buzz Bin rotation and signaled the viability of art-camp aesthetics…

The director

Drew Carolan is a New York-based photographer and filmmaker who began shooting bands and portraits for publications including Interview and SPIN in the 1980s. His music photography background transitioned into music video direction, with a body of work…