The B-52s' Cosmic Thing
$21.82
- Paperback
136 pages
- Release Date
4 September 2025
Summary
The B-52s were always queer, though not overtly, and this book dissects the coded queer messaging in their music, using 1989’s Cosmic Thing as a focal point.
Alongside the author’s own queer awakening, Crighton investigates the band’s history and recorded work to date, providing cultural context along the way, and proves what was obvious all along – the B-52s aren’t just pop culture icons, they are queer history.
Cosmic Thing took the world b…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9798765133125 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Pete Crighton |
| Publisher: | Bloomsbury Publishing Plc |
| Imprint: | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 136 |
| Release Date: | 4 September 2025 |
| Weight: | 118g |
| Dimensions: | 23mm x 120mm x 165mm |
| Series: | 33 1/3 |

You Can Find This Book In
Critics Review
Crighton eloquently makes the case for the B-52s as culturally significant, and not just a silly dance party band. His poignant personal journey will also resonate strongly with readers. * Library Journal *
A perennially underrated band, Crighton’s book will make you look at The B-52s, and this buoyant, empowering album, in a wholly different light. * Classic Pop *
The result is a nostalgic love letter to the band and its influence well beyond the world of music. * Publishers Weekly *
Pete Crighton
Pete Crighton is a Toronto-based author, freelance writer, and record collector. He is the author of The Vinyl Diaries: Sex, Deep Cuts and My Soundtrack to Queer Joy (2025). His work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, and the West End Phoenix. Crighton sings (badly) in the Dolly Parton choir, “The Tennessee Mountain Homos.”
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.



