"Rock Lobster" is a song by American band the B-52's, written by Fred Schneider and Ricky Wilson, two members of the B-52's.

[15][16] The song's lyrics describe a beach party while mentioning both real and imagined marine animals ("There goes a dogfish, chased by a catfish, in flew a sea robin, watch out for that piranha, there goes a narwhal, here comes a bikini whale!

The chorus features Pierson and Wilson singing a long "ahhh" at an ascending pitch, followed by Schneider exclaiming the phrase "rock lobster!".

[17][18] Instruments used in the music include a baritone-tuned surf-style Mosrite electric guitar, a Farfisa combo organ, and drums.

The structure is closer to prog-rock, or Brian Wilson's "pocket symphony" Good Vibrations, than anything typically found in new wave.

[9] The version of "Rock Lobster" released by Warner Bros. was the band's first single to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached No.

On January 26, 1980, the band appeared on Saturday Night Live, where they performed "Dance This Mess Around" and "Rock Lobster".

[38] In the spring of 1980, John Lennon, whose post-Beatles music career had been on hiatus for nearly five years while focusing on raising his son Sean, was prompted to record again after hearing "Rock Lobster".

[42] The song appears in the Family Guy episodes "The Cleveland–Loretta Quagmire" (in which Peter plays it on guitar),[43] and "Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q" (as "Iraq Lobster").

[51] On May 15, 2024, it was announced that the city of Athens, Georgia - where the B-52's were formed - would name their Federal Prospects Hockey League team the Rock Lobsters, honoring the song and the band.

[52] The decision came after an online poll that began in April 2024 closed with two options for a team name: The Rock Lobsters or the Classic City Panic.