Editing The B-52s (section)

===1988–1992: Comeback, ''Cosmic Thing'', and ''Good Stuff''===
Strickland had been composing in 1988. After he played some of his new music for the other band members, they all agreed to try writing together again, with Pierson, Wilson and Schneider contributing the lyrics and melodies. In 1989, the band released ''[[Cosmic Thing]]'', their mainstream breakthrough, on [[Reprise Records]] worldwide. The single "[[Channel Z (song)|Channel Z]]" from the new album became an alternative and college radio hit, hitting No. 1 on the U.S. [[Alternative Songs|Hot Modern Rock Tracks]] chart,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/1989-08-26/alternative-songs |title=Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks Chart Listing For The Week Of August 26, 1989 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=January 2, 2013 |access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref> receiving significant airplay on [[MTV]]'s [[modern rock]] show ''[[120 Minutes]]''. They then embarked on the [[Cosmic Tour]].<ref name="LLC1990">{{cite book |author=Schoemer |first=Karen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CuD_QHQ-2KEC&pg=PA43 |title=Beehives and Ballyhoo |date=March 1990 |publisher=SPIN Media LLC |volume=5 |pages=40–44, 86 |issn=0886-3032}}</ref>

[[File:Kate Pierson and Fred Schneider (1989).jpeg|thumb|left|upright=1|Pierson and Schneider in [[Boston]] during the ''Cosmic Thing'' tour, 1989]]
The next single, "[[Love Shack]]", with its party vibe and colorful [[music video]],<ref>[[#USA|Unterberger]], pp. 133–135</ref> became their first top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, ultimately reaching No.&nbsp;3 in November 1989.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/1989-11-18/hot-100 |title=Billboard Hot 100 Chart Listing For The Week Of November 18, 1989 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710030305/http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1989-11-18 |archive-date=July 10, 2015 |access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref> That peak was matched in March 1990 when their follow-up single, "[[Roam]]", also reached No.&nbsp;3.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/1990-03-10/hot-100 |title=Billboard Hot 100 Chart Listing For The Week Of March 10, 1990 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=September 12, 2008 |access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref> In Australia, the country that had most embraced the band a decade earlier, "Love Shack" remained at No. 1 for eight weeks.

A fourth single, "[[Deadbeat Club]]", which reminisced about the band's early days in Athens and whose video was shot on location and featured a cameo by fellow Athens artist [[R.E.M.]]'s [[Michael Stipe]], reached No.&nbsp;30. ''Cosmic Thing'' climbed into the U.S. top five and earned multi-platinum certification.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS |title=RIAA Gold and Platinum Album Database |publisher=RIAA.com |access-date=December 10, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626051113/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS |archive-date=June 26, 2007 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The album also had international success, reaching No.&nbsp;1 in both Australia and New Zealand and No.&nbsp;8 in the UK. The group had a successful world tour to support the record and appeared on the cover of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' in March 1990.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/photos/gallery/5392232/1990_rolling_stone_covers/photo/6/large/brucespringsteen |title=Cover Photo for March 22, 1990 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=May 11, 2004 |access-date=May 11, 2008}}</ref> In 1990, the B-52s were nominated for four [[MTV Video Music Awards]], including Video of the Year. They won two awards: Best Group Video and Best Art Direction.

Pierson sang on [[Iggy Pop]]'s song "[[Candy (Iggy Pop song)|Candy]]", which gave him a top 40 hit. In 1991, Schneider's 1984 solo record, ''[[Fred Schneider and the Shake Society]]'', was repackaged and re-released, resulting in his first Hot 100 single when "Monster" climbed to No.&nbsp;85. Also that year, Pierson again guest-starred on a popular track, R.E.M.'s "[[Shiny Happy People]]", which reached No.&nbsp;10 in September. Pierson also appeared on two other songs from R.E.M.'s chart-topping album ''[[Out of Time (album)|Out of Time]]'': "Near Wild Heaven" and "Me in Honey", as well as the outtake "Fretless".

In late 1990, [[Cindy Wilson]] took time off from the band, with [[Julee Cruise]] filling in for her on tour. The B-52s released ''[[Good Stuff]]'' in 1992 as a trio—the only album release on which Cindy Wilson was not present—and the title track reached No.&nbsp;28 that August. The album made it to No.&nbsp;16 in the U.S.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/the-b-52s|title=The B-52s Chart History|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> It is also the group's most overtly political album, though they had been activists and fundraisers for environmental, AIDS and animal rights causes for many years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.delafont.com/music_acts/b-52s.htm |title=Dela Font Agency |publisher=Delafont.com |access-date=December 10, 2011}}</ref>