R. E. M.
R. E. M. in concert in Padova, Italy, July 22, 2003. Padua ( Padova 'padova Latin: Patavium, Padoa) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.
Background information
Origin	Athens, Georgia, USA
Genre(s)	Alternative rock College rock Jangle pop
Years active	1980–present
Label(s)	I.R.S., Warner Bros.
Associated acts	Automatic Baby Hindu Love Gods The Minus 5 Tuatara
Website	www.remhq.com
Members
Michael Stipe Peter Buck Mike Mills
Former members
Bill Berry

R. Athens-Clarke County is a unified city-county in Georgia, US, in the northeastern part of the state at the intersection of U The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of College rock was a term used in the United States to describe 1980s Alternative rock before the term "alternative" came into common usage Jangle pop is a genre of Alternative rock from the mid-1980s that "marked a return to the chiming guitars and pop melodies of the '60s" bands such as The In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music IRS (International Record Syndicate Records was a Record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg Warner Bros Records Inc is an American Record label that operates as a wholly owned Subsidiary of Warner Music Group. Automatic Baby was briefly formed by members of the bands U2 and R Hindu Love Gods was a short-lived American Blues project basically consisting of three quarters of R The Minus 5 is an American rock band headed by musician Scott McCaughey and featuring R Tuatara is a Seattle-based instrumental music group featuring members of R John Michael Stipe (born January 4 1960 in Decatur Georgia) is an American singer who is the lead vocalist for the Alternative rock band R Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956 in Berkeley California) is the guitarist and co-founder along with Bill Berry, Mike Mills This article is about Mike Mills the REM bassist Other similar sounding articles include the Irish journalist Michael Mills and Mike Mills (director. William "Bill" Thomas Berry (born July 31, 1958) is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist best known as the Drummer in Alternative E. M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe (lead vocals), Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass guitar), and Bill Berry (drums and percussion). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. Athens-Clarke County is a unified city-county in Georgia, US, in the northeastern part of the state at the intersection of U The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule John Michael Stipe (born January 4 1960 in Decatur Georgia) is an American singer who is the lead vocalist for the Alternative rock band R Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech. Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956 in Berkeley California) is the guitarist and co-founder along with Bill Berry, Mike Mills The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles This article is about Mike Mills the REM bassist Other similar sounding articles include the Irish journalist Michael Mills and Mike Mills (director. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the William "Bill" Thomas Berry (born July 31, 1958) is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist best known as the Drummer in Alternative A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells R. E. M. was one of the first popular alternative rock bands, and gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's unclear vocals. Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of R. E. M. released its first single, "Radio Free Europe", in 1981 on the independent record label Hib-Tone. " Radio Free Europe " is a song by American Alternative rock band R An independent record label (or indie record label) is a Record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the Major record labels Hib-Tone was the name of an Atlanta -based Recording label set up by Johnny Hibbert, a law student at the University of Georgia, in 1981 The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982, the band's first release on I.R.S. Records. Chronic Town is the debut EP by the American Alternative rock band R An extended play ( EP) is a Vinyl record, CD, or Music download which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify IRS (International Record Syndicate Records was a Record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg In 1983, the band released its critically acclaimed debut album Murmur, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent releases, constant touring, and the support of college radio. Murmur is the debut album by the American Alternative rock band R Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of Radio station that is run by the students of a college Following years of underground success, R. E. M. entered the mainstream in 1987 with the hit song "The One I Love". " The One I Love " is a song by American rock band RE The group signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to espouse political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide. Warner Bros Records Inc is an American Record label that operates as a wholly owned Subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

By the early 1990s, when alternative rock began to experience broad mainstream success, R. E. M. was viewed as a pioneer of the genre and released its two most commercially successful albums, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), which veered from the band's established sound. Out of Time is the seventh album by the American Alternative rock band R Automatic for the People is the eighth album by the American Alternative rock band R R. E. M. 's 1994 Monster was a return to a more rock-oriented sound. Monster is the ninth album by the American Alternative rock band R The band began its first tour in six years to support the album; the tour was marred by medical emergencies suffered by three band members. In 1996, R. E. M. re-signed with Warner Bros. for a reported US$80 million, at the time the most expensive recording contract in history. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The following year, Bill Berry left the band amicably, with Buck, Mills, and Stipe continuing as a three-piece. Through some changes in musical style, the band continued its career into the next decade with mixed critical and commercial success. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States

History

Formation: 1980–1981

In January 1980, Michael Stipe met Peter Buck in the Athens record store where Buck worked. The pair discovered that they shared similar tastes in music, particularly punk rock and protopunk artists like Patti Smith, Television, and The Velvet Underground. Patricia Lee Smith ( born December 30 1946 is an American Singer-songwriter and poet Television, formed in New York City in 1973 is an American Rock music band This article is about the band For their self-titled album see The Velvet Underground (album; for the book see The Velvet Underground (book Stipe said, "It turns out that I was buying all the records that [Buck] was saving for himself. "^[1] Stipe and Buck soon met fellow University of Georgia students Mike Mills and Bill Berry,^[2] who had played music together since high school. The University of Georgia ( UGA) is a public research University located in Athens, Georgia, the oldest and largest of the ^[3] The quartet agreed to collaborate on several songs; Stipe later commented that "there was never any grand plan behind any of it. "^[1] Their still-unnamed band spent several months rehearsing and played its first show on April 5, 1980 at a friend's birthday party held in a converted Episcopal church. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) The Episcopal Church is the official name of the Province of the Anglican Communion in the United States. After considering names like "Twisted Kites", "Cans of Piss", and "Negro Wives", the band settled on "R. E. M. ", which Stipe selected at random from a dictionary. ^[4]

The band members eventually dropped out of school to focus on their developing group. ^[5] They found a manager in Jefferson Holt, a record store owner who was so impressed by an R. Jefferson Holt is the former manager of rock band REM, from 1981-1996 E. M. performance in his hometown of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, that he moved to Athens. Chapel Hill is a town in Durham and Orange counties in North Carolina and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC ^[6] R. E. M. 's success was almost immediate in Athens and surrounding areas; the band drew progressively larger crowds for shows, which caused some resentment in the Athens music scene. The music of Athens Georgia includes a wide variety of popular music and was an important part of the early evolution of Alternative rock and New Wave. ^[7] Over the next year and a half, R. E. M. toured throughout the Southern United States. The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive Touring was arduous since a touring circuit for alternative rock bands did not then exist. The group had to tour in an old blue van driven by Holt, and the band members lived on a food allowance of $2 a day. ^[8] Of the van, friend-of-the-band Jane Pratt explained: "It had no seats in the back, and they would put all of their equipment in the back. When they would stay at hotels, three of them would go into one room, two would go in the other but they would keep rotating so that one person slept in the van, that was pretty much the plan. "^[9] "When you live in a van together for about five years, you get real close," joked Berry. ^[9]

"It was all or nothing every night,” recalled Stipe in 1998. ^[9] "It was all or nothing every song. Every time you opened your mouth, it had to be everything that you could give. " Berry added: "We weren't really trying to become huge or hugely popular, but we did want to have fun and maybe not have regrets later on in our lives. "^[9]

During the summer of 1981, R. E. M. recorded its first single, "Radio Free Europe", at producer Mitch Easter's Drive-In Studios in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Mitch Easter is a musician and producer As a producer he is probably best known for his work with R Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 The single was released on the local independent record label Hib-Tone with an initial pressing of one thousand copies, which quickly sold out. An independent record label (or indie record label) is a Record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the Major record labels Hib-Tone was the name of an Atlanta -based Recording label set up by Johnny Hibbert, a law student at the University of Georgia, in 1981 ^[10] Despite its limited pressing, the single garnered critical acclaim, and was listed as one of the ten best singles of the year by The New York Times. ^[11]

I. R. S. Records and cult success: 1982–1986

 Music sample:

"Radio Free Europe"

Sample of "Radio Free Europe. " Originally released as the band's debut single on Hib-Tone in 1981, the song was re-recorded for R. E. M. 's debut album Murmur in 1983.

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

R. E. M. recorded the Chronic Town EP with Mitch Easter in October 1981, and planned to release it on a new indie label named Dasht Hopes. Chronic Town is the debut EP by the American Alternative rock band R ^[12] However, a demo of the band's first recording session with Easter had been circulating for months, and I.R.S. Records acquired a copy. IRS (International Record Syndicate Records was a Record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg ^[13] The band turned down the advances of major label RCA Records in favor of I. RCA Records (originally The Victor Talking Machine Company, then RCA Victor is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. R. S. , with whom they signed a contract in May 1982. I. R. S. released Chronic Town that August as its first American release. ^[14] A positive review of the EP by NME praised the songs' auras of mystery, and concluded, "R. The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been E. M. ring true, and it's great to hear something as unforced and cunning as this. "^[15]

I. R. S. first paired R. E. M. with producer Stephen Hague to record its debut album. Stephen Hague is an American Music producer most active with various British acts in the 1980s Hague's emphasis on technical perfection left the band unsatisfied, and the band members asked the label to let them record with Easter. ^[16] I. R. S. agreed to a "tryout" session, allowing the band to return to North Carolina and record the song "Pilgrimage" with Easter and producing partner Don Dixon. North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States Don Dixon is a Record producer, songwriter musician Bass guitarist and very occasional actor After hearing the track, I. R. S. permitted the group to record the album with Dixon and Easter. ^[17] Because of its bad experience with Hague, the band recorded the album via a process of negation, refusing to incorporate rock music clichés such as guitar solos or then-popular synthesizers, in order to give its music a timeless feel. Guitar solos are a melodic passage section or entire piece of music written for an Electric guitar or an Acoustic guitar. ^[18] The completed album, Murmur, was greeted with critical acclaim upon its release in 1983, with Rolling Stone listing the album as its record of the year. Murmur is the debut album by the American Alternative rock band R Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published ^[19] The album reached number 36 on the Billboard album chart. See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry ^[20] A re-recorded version of "Radio Free Europe" was the album's lead single and reached number 78 on the Billboard singles chart in 1983. Despite the acclaim awarded the album, Murmur sold only about 200,000 copies, which I. R. S. 's Jay Boberg felt was below expectations. ^[21]

R. E. M. made its first national television appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in October 1983,^[22] during which the group performed a new, unnamed song. Late Night with David Letterman was a nightly hour-long comedy Talk show on NBC hosted by David Letterman. ^[23] The piece, eventually titled "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)", became the first single from the band's second album, Reckoning (1984), which was also recorded with Easter and Dixon. " So Central Rain (I'm Sorry " is a song by the American Alternative rock band R Reckoning is the second studio album by the American Alternative rock band R The album met with critical acclaim; NME's Mat Snow wrote that Reckoning "confirms R. E. M. as one of the most beautifully exciting groups on the planet". ^[24] In late 1983 the band embarked on its first tour of Europe. While Reckoning peaked at number 27 on the US album charts—an unusually high chart placing for a college rock band at the time—scant airplay and poor distribution overseas resulted in it charting no higher than number 91 in Britain. College rock was a term used in the United States to describe 1980s Alternative rock before the term "alternative" came into common usage ^[25]

The band's third album, Fables of the Reconstruction (1985), demonstrated a change in direction. Fables of the Reconstruction is the third Studio album released by the American Alternative rock band R Instead of Dixon and Easter, R. E. M. chose producer Joe Boyd, who had worked with Fairport Convention and Nick Drake, to record the album in England. Joe Boyd (born August 5, 1942) is an American Record producer and former owner of the Witchseason production company Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974 was an English Singer-songwriter and Musician best known for his acoustic autumnal songs England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The band members found the sessions unexpectedly difficult, and were miserable due to the cold winter weather and poor food;^[26] the situation brought the band to the verge of break-up. ^[27] The gloominess surrounding the sessions ended up providing the context for the album itself. Lyrically, Stipe began to create storylines in the mode of Southern mythology, noting in a 1985 interview that he was inspired by "the whole idea of the old men sitting around the fire, passing on … legends and fables to the grandchildren". Southern Gothic is a subgenre of the Gothic writing style unique to American literature. ^[28] Fables of the Reconstruction became the biggest-selling record released by I. R. S. to that point in America. However, the album performed poorly in Europe and its critical reception was mixed, with some critics regarding it as dreary and poorly recorded. ^[29] As with the previous records, the singles from Fables of the Reconstruction were mostly ignored by mainstream radio. Meanwhile, I. R. S. was becoming frustrated with the band's reluctance to achieve mainstream success. ^[30]

For its fourth album, R. E. M. enlisted John Mellencamp's producer, Don Gehman. John Mellencamp, previously known as John Cougar and then John Cougar Mellencamp, (born October 7, 1951, in Seymour Indiana) is a Don Gehman is a Californian record producer best known for his work with John Mellencamp. The result, Lifes Rich Pageant (1986), was more accessible to listeners outside of college radio, with Stipe's vocals closer to the forefront of the music. Lifes Rich Pageant is the fourth album by the American band R In a 1986 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Peter Buck related, "Michael is getting better at what he's doing, and he's getting more confident at it. The Chicago Tribune is a major daily Newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and owned by the Tribune Company And I think that shows up in the projection of his voice. "^[31] The album improved markedly upon the sales of Fables of the Reconstruction and eventually peaked at number 21 on the Billboard album chart. The single "Fall on Me" also picked up support on commercial radio. " Fall On Me " is a song by REM from their fourth album 1986's Lifes Rich Pageant. ^[32] The album was the band's first to be certified gold for selling 500,000 copies. ^[33] While American college radio remained R. E. M. 's core support, the band was beginning to chart hits on mainstream rock formats; however, the music still encountered resistance from Top 40 radio. Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, Contemporary Hits, or Top 40) is a Radio format that is common in the United States and ^[34] Following the success of Lifes Rich Pageant, I. R. S. issued Dead Letter Office, a compilation of tracks recorded by the band during their album sessions, many of which had either been issued as B-sides or left unreleased altogether. Dead Letter Office is a rarities and B-sides collection by RE A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch Vinyl records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s Shortly thereafter, I. R. S. compiled R. E. M. 's music video catalog (except "Wolves, Lower") as the band's first video release, Succumbs. Succumbs was REM 's first commercially-available full-length movie.

Breakthrough success: 1987–1993

Don Gehman was unable to produce R. E. M. 's fifth album and suggested the group work with Scott Litt. Scott Litt is an American Record producer who mostly works with artists in the Alternative rock genre and is best known for producing six R ^[35] Litt would be the producer for the band's next five albums. Document (1987) featured some of Stipe's most openly political lyrics, particularly on "Welcome To the Occupation" and "Exhuming McCarthy", which were reactions to the conservative political environment of the 1980s under American President Ronald Reagan. Document is the fifth studio album by the American band REM It was released in 1987 a few months after their rarities collection Dead Conservatism in the United States includes a variety of political ideologies including Fiscal conservatism, Supply-side economics, Social conservatism ^[36] Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote in his review of the album, "'Document' is both confident and defiant; if R. Jon Pareles is an American Journalist who is chief music critic at the arts section of the New York Times. E. M. is about to move from cult-band status to mass popularity, the album decrees that the band will get there on its own terms. "^[37] Document was R. E. M. 's breakthrough album, and the first single "The One I Love" charted in the Top 20 in the US, UK, and Canada. " The One I Love " is a song by American rock band RE ^[20] By January 1988, Document had become the group's first album to sell a million copies. ^[38] In light of the band's breakthrough, the December 1987 cover of Rolling Stone declared R. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published E. M. "America's Best Rock & Roll Band". ^[39]

Frustrated that its records did not see satisfactory overseas distribution, R. E. M. left I. R. S. when its contract expired and signed with the major label Warner Bros. Records. Warner Bros Records Inc is an American Record label that operates as a wholly owned Subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ^[40] In 1988, I. R. S. released the compilation Eponymous, which included most of the band's singles and a number of rarities. Eponymous is the first compilation album album by the band RE The band's 1988 Warner Bros. debut, Green, was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, and showcased the group experimenting with its sound. Green is the sixth album by the American band REM It was their debut major label release for Warner Bros Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. ^[41] The record's tracks ranged from the upbeat first single "Stand" (a huge American hit),^[42] to more political material, like the rock-oriented "Orange Crush" and "World Leader Pretend", dealing with the Vietnam War and the Cold War, respectively. " Stand " is a song by REM released as the second single from Green in 1989 " Orange Crush " is a song by the American Alternative rock band R The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the ^[43] Green has gone on to sell four million copies worldwide. ^[44] The band supported the album with its biggest and most visually developed tour to date, featuring back-projections and art films playing on the stage. An Art film (also called an “art cinema” “art movie” or in the U ^[45] After the Green tour, the band members unofficially decided to take the following year off, the first extended break in the band's career. ^[46]

 Music sample:

"Losing My Religion"

Sample of "Losing My Religion" from Out of Time (1991). The mandolin-driven song became R. A mandolin is a musical instrument in the Lute family (plucked or strummed E. M. 's biggest American hit, peaking at number four on the Billboard charts.

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R. E. M. reconvened in mid-1990 to record its seventh album, Out of Time. Out of Time is the seventh album by the American Alternative rock band R In a departure from previous albums, the band members often wrote the music with non-traditional rock instrumentation including mandolin, organ, and acoustic guitar. A mandolin is a musical instrument in the Lute family (plucked or strummed The organ (from Greek όργανον – organon "organ instrument tool" is a Keyboard instrument of one or more divisions each See also Acoustic Guitar (magazine An acoustic guitar is a Guitar that uses only acoustic methods to project the sound produced by its strings ^[47] Released in March 1991, Out of Time was the band's first album to top both the US and UK charts. ^[20] The record eventually sold 4. 2 million copies in the US alone,^[48] and about 12 million copies worldwide by 1996. ^[44] The album's lead single "Losing My Religion" was a worldwide hit that received heavy rotation on radio, as did the music video on MTV. " Losing My Religion " is a song by the American Alternative rock band R A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. ^[49] "Losing My Religion" was R. E. M. 's highest-charting single in the US, reaching number four on the Billboard charts. ^[20] "There've been very few life-changing events in our career because our career has been so gradual," Mills said years later. "If you want to talk about life changing, I think 'Losing My Religion' is the closest it gets". ^[50] The album's second single. "Shiny Happy People" (one of three songs on the record to feature vocals from Kate Pierson of fellow Athens band The B-52's), was also a major hit, reaching number 10 in the US and number six in the UK. " Shiny Happy People " is a song by the band REM It appeared on their 1991 album Out of Time and was released as a single in Catherine Elizabeth Pierson (born 27 April 1948 in Weehawken, New Jersey) is an American Vocalist and one of the lead The B-52's originated as a New Wave Rock band formed in Athens Georgia, United States, in 1976 ^[20] Out of Time garnered R. E. M. seven nominations at the 1992 Grammy Awards, the most nominations of any artist that year. The 34th Grammy Awards were held on February 26, 1992. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year The band won three awards: one for Best Alternative Music Album and two for "Losing My Religion", Best Short Form Music Video and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album has been awarded since 1991 The Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video has been awarded since 1984. The Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal has been awarded since 1966 ^[51] R. E. M. did not tour to promote Out of Time; instead the group played a series of one-off shows, including an appearance taped for an episode of MTV Unplugged. MTV Unplugged is a series showcasing popular musical artists playing Acoustic instruments It was produced by Viacom and was directed by Beth ^[52]

After spending some months off, R. E. M. returned to the studio in 1991 to record its next album. Late in 1992, the band released Automatic for the People. Automatic for the People is the eighth album by the American Alternative rock band R Though the group had intended to make a harder-rocking album after the softer textures of Out of Time,^[53] the somber Automatic for the People "[seemed] to move at an even more agonized crawl", according to Melody Maker. Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly Music Newspaper ^[54] The album dealt with themes of loss and mourning inspired by "that sense of … turning thirty", according to Buck. ^[55] Several songs featured string arrangements by former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. Led Zeppelin were John Paul Jones (born John Baldwin on January 3, 1946) is an English Musician, Composer, arranger, Record Considered by a number of critics (as well as by Buck and Mills) to be the band's best album,^[56] Automatic for the People reached numbers one and two on UK and US charts, respectively, and generated the American Top 40 hit singles "Drive", "Man on the Moon", and "Everybody Hurts". " Drive " was the lead single and first track from R " Man on the Moon " is a Song by the band REM from their 1992 album Automatic for the People. " Everybody Hurts " is a song by REM, originally released on the band's 1992 album Automatic for the People and was also released as a ^[20] The album would sell about ten million copies worldwide. ^[44] As with Out of Time, there was no tour in support of the album. The decision to forgo a tour, in conjunction with Stipe's physical appearance, generated rumors that the singer was dying, which were vehemently denied by the band. ^[54]

Monster and New Adventures in Hi-Fi: 1994–1996

 Music sample:

"What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"

Sample of "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" from Monster (1994). The song's loud, distorted guitars were an intentional departure from the sound of R. E. M. 's previous two albums.

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

After the band released two slow-paced albums in a row, R. E. M. 's 1994 album Monster was, as Buck said, "a 'rock' record, with the rock in quotation marks. " In contrast to sound of its predecessors, the music of Monster consisted of distorted guitar tones, minimal overdubs, and touches of 1970s glam rock. Glam rock (also known as glitter rock) is a sub-genre of Rock music that developed in the UK in the post- Hippie early 1970s which was "performed by ^[57] Like Out of Time, Monster topped the charts in both the US and UK. ^[20] The record sold about nine million copies worldwide. ^[44] The singles "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" and "Bang and Blame" were the band's last American Top 40 hits, although all the singles from Monster reached the Top 30 on the British charts. " What's the Frequency Kenneth? " is a song by the American Alternative rock group R " Bang and Blame " is a song by the United States Alternative rock group R ^[20]

In January of 1995 R. E. M. set out on its first tour in six years. The tour was a huge commercial success, but the period was difficult for the group. ^[58] On March 1, Berry collapsed on stage during a performance in Lausanne, Switzerland. Lausanne ( pronounced, Losanna is a city in Romandy, the French -speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva It transpired that he had suffered a brain aneurysm. A cerebral aneurysm or brain aneurysm is a cerebrovascular disorder in which weakness in the wall of a cerebral Artery or Vein He had surgery immediately and had fully recovered within a month. Berry's aneurysm was only the beginning of a series of health problems that plagued the Monster Tour. Mills had to undergo abdominal surgery to remove an intestinal adhesion in July; a month later, Stipe had to have an emergency surgery to repair a hernia. A hernia is a protrusion of a tissue, structure or part of an organ through the muscular tissue or the membrane by which it is normally contained ^[59] Despite all the problems, the group had recorded the bulk of a new album while on the road. The band brought along eight-track recorders to capture its shows, and used the recordings as the base elements for the album. ^[60]

R. E. M. re-signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1996 for a reported $80 million, the largest recording contract in history at that point. ^[61] The group's 1996 album New Adventures in Hi-Fi debuted at number two in the US and number one in the UK. New Adventures in Hi-Fi is the tenth full-length studio album by the American band R ^[20] The five million copies of the album sold were a reversal of the group's commercial fortunes of the previous five years. ^[62] Time writer Christopher John Farley argued that the poor sales of the album were due to its lackluster quality and the declining commercial power of alternative rock as a whole. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and ^[63] That same year, R. E. M. parted ways with manager Jefferson Holt, allegedly due to sexual harassment charges levied against him by a member of the band's home office in Athens. ^[64] The group's lawyer, Bertis Downs, assumed managerial duties. Bertis Edwin Downs IV (born July 13 1956) originally provided legal counsel (particularly for initial Contracts) and then became both counselor

Berry's departure and Up: 1997–2000

Michael Stipe at the 1999 Glastonbury Festival

In April 1997, the band convened at Buck's Kauai, Hawaii, holiday home to record demos of material intended for the next album. Kauai (in standard Hawaiian kauˈaʔi in Kauai- Ni{{okina}}ihau dialect; usually spelled Kauai outside the Hawaiian Islands and ˈkaʊɑɪ or /kaʊˈɑɪ/ The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the The band sought to reinvent its sound and intended to incorporate drum loops and percussion experiments. ^[65] Just as the sessions were due to begin in October, Berry decided, after months of contemplation and discussions with Downs and Mills, to tell the rest of the band that he was quitting. ^[66] Berry told his band mates that he would not quit if they would break up as a result, so Stipe, Mills, and Buck agreed to carry on as a three-piece with his blessing. ^[67] Berry publicly announced his departure three weeks later in October 1997. Berry told the press, "I'm just not as enthusiastic as I have been in the past about doing this anymore . . . I have the best job in the world. But I'm kind of ready to sit back and reflect and maybe not be a pop star anymore. "^[65] Stipe admitted that the band would be different without a major contributor: "For me, Mike, and Peter, as R. E. M. , are we still R. E. M. ? I guess a three-legged dog is still a dog. It just has to learn to run differently. "^[68]

The band cancelled its scheduled recording sessions as a result of Berry's departure. "Without Bill it was different, confusing", Mills later said. "We didn't know exactly what to do. We couldn't rehearse without a drummer. "^[69] The remaining members of R. E. M. resumed work on the album in February 1998 at Toast Studios in San Francisco. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city ^[70] The band ended its decade-long collaboration with Scott Litt and hired Pat McCarthy to produce the record. Patrick (Pat McCarthy is a Record producer from Dublin Ireland who has worked for several rock and Alternative rock artists including Nigel Godrich was taken on as assistant producer, and drafted in ex-Screaming Trees member Barrett Martin and Beck's touring drummer Joey Waronker. Nigel Godrich, born in England on February 28 1971, is a recording engineer and Record producer. Screaming Trees was an American rock band formed in Ellensburg Washington in 1985 by vocalist Barrett Martin (born April 14, 1967 in Olympia, Washington) was the drummer for the Seattle, Washington group the Screaming Trees Beck' s birth name was Bek see the sources given This is not a typo and should not be changed without good reason Joseph "Joey" Waronker (born May 20, 1969 in Los Angeles, California) is an American Drummer and Music The recording process was plagued with tension, and the group came close to disbanding. Bertis Downs called an emergency meeting where the band members sorted out their problems and agreed to continue as a group. ^[71] Led off by the single "Daysleeper", Up (1998) debuted in the top ten in the US and UK. " Daysleeper " is a song by REM, released as their first single from their eleventh studio album Up, and the first single to be released Up is the eleventh album by the American band REM It was their first album without their original drummer Bill Berry, who amicably left However, the album was a relative failure, selling 900,000 copies in the US by mid-1999 and eventually selling just over two million copies worldwide. ^[48] While R. E. M. 's American sales were declining, the group's commercial base was shifting to the UK, where more R. E. M. records were sold per capita than any other country and the band's singles regularly entered the Top 20. ^[72]

A year after Up's release, R. E. M. wrote the instrumental score to the Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon, a first for the group. Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman (January 17 1949 &ndash May 16 1984 was an American Entertainer, Actor and Performance artist While often referred A biographical motion picture &mdash often shortened to biopic &mdash is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people The film took its title from the Automatic for the People song of the same name. ^[73] The song "The Great Beyond" was released as a single from the Man on the Moon soundtrack album. The soundtrack to the 1999 Miloš Forman film Man on the Moon, was released on November 22 1999 in the UK and November 23 1999 in the US "The Great Beyond" only reached number 57 on the American pop charts, but was the band's highest-charting single ever in the UK, reaching number three in 2000. ^[20]

Reveal and Around the Sun: 2001–2005

R. E. M. recorded the majority of its twelfth album Reveal (2001) in Canada and Ireland from May to October 2000. Reveal is the twelfth album by the American band REM, released in 2001 on Warner Bros Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world ^[74] Reveal shared the "lugubrious pace" of Up,^[75] and featured drumming by Joey Waronker, as well as contributions by Scott McCaughey (a co-founder of the band The Minus 5 with Buck) and Posies founder Ken Stringfellow. As a singer and songwriter Scott McCaughey is the leader of the Seattle -based bands The Young Fresh Fellows and The Minus 5. The Minus 5 is an American rock band headed by musician Scott McCaughey and featuring R Ken Stringfellow (born October 30 1968 in Hollywood California) is an American musician best known for his work with The Posies, R Global sales of the album were over four million, but in the United States Reveal sold about the same number of copies as Up. ^[76] The album was led by the single "Imitation of Life," which reached number six in the UK. " Imitation of Life " is a song by REM, the first single released from their twelfth album Reveal in 2001 ^[77] Writing for Rock's Backpages, The Rev. Al Friston described the album as "loaded with golden loveliness at every twist and turn", in comparison to the group's "essentially unconvincing work on New Adventures in Hi-Fi and Up. "^[78] Similarly, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone called Reveal "a spiritual renewal rooted in a musical one" and praised its "ceaselessly astonishing beauty. Rob Sheffield (born February 2, 1966) is an American Music Journalist and Author. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published "^[79]

In 2003, Warner Bros. released the compilation album In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003, which featured two new songs, "Bad Day" and "Animal". " Bad Day " is a song and single released by REM. The song first appeared in 1985 when Michael Stipe sang a few words of it during " Animal " is a single released by REM It was one of two new songs recorded for the band's Warner Bros That same year Berry made a surprise appearance during an R. E. M. concert in Raleigh, North Carolina, performing backing vocals on "Radio Free Europe". Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA He then sat behind the drum kit for a performance of the early R. E. M. song "Permanent Vacation", marking his first performance with the band since his retirement. ^[80]

R. E. M. released Around the Sun in 2004. Around the Sun is the thirteenth album by the American band R During production of the album in 2002, Stipe said, "[The album] sounds like it's taking off from the last couple of records into unchartered R. E. M. territory. Kind of primitive and howling". ^[81] After the album's release, Mills said, "I think, honestly, it turned out a little slower than we intended for it to, just in terms of the overall speed of songs. "^[82] Around the Sun received a mixed critical reception, and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard charts. ^[83] The first single from the album, "Leaving New York", was a Top 5 hit in the UK. " Leaving New York " was the first single from REM 's 2004 album Around the Sun. ^[84] For the record and subsequent tour, the band hired a new full-time touring drummer, Bill Rieflin, who had previously been a member of Ministry. William "Bill" Rieflin (born September 30, 1960) is a contemporary musician and is currently drumming for R Ministry was an American Industrial metal band founded by Frontman Al Jourgensen in 1981 In late 2004 R. E. M. toured with Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Bright Eyes and others on the Vote for Change tour. Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990 Bright Eyes is an American band consisting of Singer-songwriter / Guitarist Conor Oberst, Multi-instrumentalist / producer The Vote for Change tour was a politically-motivated American Popular music Concert tour that took place in October 2004 Throughout 2005, the band embarked on its first full-length world tour since the Monster Tour ten years earlier. During the tour, R. E. M. participated in the London event of Live 8. The main Live 8 concert was held at Hyde Park, London, England on 2 July 2005, in front of over 200000 people Live 8 was a string of Benefit concerts that took place on 2 July, 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa.

Accelerate: 2006–present

EMI, which owns the I. The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in R. S. catalogue, released a compilation album covering R. E. M. 's work during its tenure on the label in September 2006 called And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987. The DVD When the Light Is Mine: The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 was released simultaneously. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is That same month, all four original band members performed during the ceremony for their induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. ^[85] While rehearsing for the ceremony, the band recorded a cover of John Lennon's "#9 Dream" for Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur, a tribute album benefiting Amnesty International. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born The song #9 Dream should not be confused with the novel it influenced Number9dream. Instant Karma The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur is a compilation album of various artists covering songs of John Lennon to benefit Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to ^[86] The song, released as a single for the album and the campaign, featured Bill Berry's first studio recording with the band since his departure almost a decade earlier. ^[87] In October 2006, R. E. M. was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its first year of eligibility. ^[88] The band was one of five nominees accepted into the Hall that year, and the induction ceremony took place on March 12, 2007, at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The City of New York The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel is a famously luxurious hotel in New York The group, which was inducted by Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder, performed four songs with Bill Berry. Eddie Vedder (born December 23 1964 in Evanston, Illinois) is an American singer, Songwriter, Composer, and Guitarist ^[89]

Work on the group's fourteenth album, Accelerate, commenced in early 2007. Accelerate is the fourteenth studio album by the American Alternative rock band R The band recorded with producer Jacknife Lee in Vancouver and Dublin, where it played five nights in the Olympia Theatre between June 30 and July 5 as part of a "working rehearsal". Garret "Jacknife" Lee is a Grammy Award winning music producer and remixer The Olympia Theatre is a concert hall in Dublin Ireland, located in Dame Street ^[90] R.E.M. Live, the band's first live album (featuring songs from a 2005 Dublin show), was released in October 2007. REM Live is a Live album from REM, recorded at the Point Theatre, Dublin, on February 26 and February 27 ^[91] R. E. M. released Accelerate in early 2008. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard charts,^[92] and became the band's eighth album to top the British album charts. ^[93] Rolling Stone reviewer David Fricke considered Accelerate an improvement over the band's previous post-Berry albums, calling it "one of the best records R. E. M. have ever made. "^[94]

Musical style

 Music sample:

"Fall on Me"

Sample of "Fall on Me" from Lifes Rich Pageant (1986), which showcases Peter Buck's jangly, arpeggiated guitar style and features Michael Stipe and Mike Mills harmonizing in the chorus. In Music, an arpeggio is a broken chord where the Notes are played or sung in Sequence, one after the other rather than Ringing out simultaneously

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

In a 1988 interview, Peter Buck described typical R. E. M. songs as, "Minor key, mid-tempo, enigmatic, semi-folk-rock-balladish things. That's what everyone thinks and to a certain degree, that's true. "^[95] All songwriting is credited to the entire band, even though individual members are sometimes responsible for writing the majority of a particular song. ^[96] Each member is given an equal vote in the songwriting process; however, Buck has conceded that Stipe, as the band's lyricist, can rarely be persuaded to follow an idea he does not favor. ^[54] Among the original line-up, there were divisions of labor in the songwriting process: Stipe would write lyrics and devise melodies, Buck would edge the band in new musical directions, and Mills and Berry would fine-tune the compositions due to their greater musical experience. ^[97]

Michael Stipe sings in "wailing, keening, arching vocal figures" that R. E. M. biographer David Buckley compared to Celtic folk artists and Muslim mujahideen. Celtic music is a term utilised by artists record companies music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of Musical genres that evolved out of the Folk A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion A Mujahid (Arabic ar مجاهد, literally "struggler" is a Muslim involved in a Jihad, id est fighting in a war or ^[98] Stipe often harmonizes with Mills in songs; in the chorus for "Stand," Mills and Stipe alternate singing lyrics, creating a dialogue. ^[99] Early articles about the band focused on Stipe's singing style (described as "mumbling" by The Washington Post), which often rendered his lyrics indecipherable. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D ^[100] Creem writer John Morthland wrote in his review of Murmur, "I still have no idea what these songs are about, because neither me nor anyone else I know has ever been able to discern R. Creem (whose trademark is capitalized CREEM) "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine" was a monthly Rock 'n' roll Publication started E. M. 's lyrics. "^[101] Stipe commented in 1984, "It's just the way I sing. If I tried to control it, it would be pretty false. "^[102] Producer Joe Boyd convinced Stipe to begin singing more clearly during the recording of Fables of the Reconstruction. ^[103]

Stipe insisted that many of his early lyrics were "nonsense", saying in a 1994 online chat, "You all know there aren't words, per se, to a lot of the early stuff. I can't even remember them. " In truth, many early R. E. M. songs had definite lyrics that Stipe wrote with care. ^[104] Stipe explained in 1984 that when he started writing lyrics they were like "simple pictures", but after a year he grew tired of the approach and "started experimenting with lyrics that didn't make exact linear sense, and it's just gone from there. "^[102] In the mid-1980s, as Stipe's pronunciation while singing became clearer, the band decided that its lyrics should convey ideas on a more literal level. ^[105] Mills explained, "After you've made three records and you've written several songs and they've gotten better and better lyrically the next step would be to have somebody question you and say, are you saying anything? And Michael had the confidence at that point to say yes . . . "^[106] Songs like "Cuyahoga" and "Fall on Me" on Lifes Rich Pageant dealt with such concerns as pollution. ^[107] Stipe incorporated more politically-oriented concerns into his lyrics on Document and Green. "Our political activism and the content of the songs was just a reaction to where we were, and what we were surrounded by, which was just abject horror," Stipe said later. "In 1987 and '88 there was nothing to do but be active. "^[108] While Stipe continued to write songs with political subject matter like "Ignoreland" and "Final Straw", later albums have focused on other topics. Automatic for the People dealt with "mortality and dying. Pretty turgid stuff", according to Stipe,^[109] while Monster critiqued love and mass culture. ^[108]

Peter Buck's style of playing guitar has been singled out by many as the most distinctive aspect of R. E. M. 's music. During the 1980s, Buck's "economical, arpeggiated, poetic" style reminded British music journalists of 1960s American folk rock band The Byrds. Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of Folk music and rock music. The Byrds were a popular American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964 ^[110] Buck has stated "[Byrds guitarist] Roger McGuinn was a big influence on me as a guitar player. James Roger McGuinn (known professionally as Roger McGuinn, previously as Jim McGuinn, and born James Joseph McGuinn III on July 13, "^[111] Comparisons were also made with the guitar playing of Johnny Marr of alternative rock contemporaries The Smiths. Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher on 31 October 1963 in Ardwick, Manchester) is an English Guitarist, The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982 While Buck professed being a fan of the group, he admitted he initially criticized the band simply because he was tired of fans asking him if he was influenced by Marr. ^[96] Buck generally eschews guitar solos; he explained in 2002, "I know that when guitarists rip into this hot solo, people go nuts, but I don't write songs that suit that, and I am not interested in that. I can do it if I have to, but I don't like it. "^[112] Mike Mills' melodic approach to bass playing is inspired by Paul McCartney and Chris Squire of Yes; Mills has said, "I always played a melodic bass, like a piano bass in some ways . Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, Christopher Russell Edward "Chris" Squire (born March 4, 1948) is an English musician best known as the Bass guitarist and Yes are an English Progressive rock band that formed in London in 1968. . . I never wanted to play the traditional locked into the kick drum, root note bass work. "^[113] Mills has more musical training than his band mates, which he has said "made it easier to turn abstract musical ideas into reality. "^[111]

Legacy

R. E. M. was pivotal in the creation and development of the alternative rock genre. All Music Guide states, "R. allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. E. M. mark the point when post-punk turned into alternative rock. Post-punk was a popular musical movement in the mid to late 1970s following on the heels of the initial Punk rock explosion of the early 1970s "^[5] In the early 1980s, the alternative rock of R. E. M. stood in contrast to the post-punk and New Wave genres that had preceded it. New Wave is a Rock music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the 1980s Music journalist Simon Reynolds noted that the post-punk movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s "had taken whole swaths of music off the menu", particularly that of the 1960s, and that "After postpunk's demystification and New Pop's schematics, it felt liberating to listen to music rooted in mystical awe and blissed-out surrender. Simon Reynolds (born 1963 in London, England; raised in Hertfordshire) is an English Music critic who is well-known for his writings on " Reynolds declared R. E. M. , a band that recalled the music of the 1960s with its "plangent guitar chimes and folk-styled vocals" and who "wistfully and abstractly conjured visons and new frontiers for America", one of "the two most important alt-rock bands of the day. "^[114] With the release of Murmur, R. E. M. had the most impact musically and commercially of the developing alternative genre's early groups, leaving in its wake a number of jangle pop followers. Jangle pop is a genre of Alternative rock from the mid-1980s that "marked a return to the chiming guitars and pop melodies of the '60s" bands such as The ^[115]

R. E. M. 's early breakthrough success served as an inspiration for other alternative bands. Spin referred to the "R. Spin is a Music Magazine that reports on Music for Life Founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr E. M. model"—career decisions that R. E. M. made which set guidelines for other underground artists to follow in their own careers. Spin's Charles Aaron wrote that by 1985, "They'd shown how far an underground, punk-inspired rock band could go within the industry without whoring out its artistic integrity in any obvious way. They'd figured out how to buy in, not sellout-in other words, they'd achieved the American Bohemian Dream. "^[116] Steve Wynn of Dream Syndicate said, "They invented a whole new ballgame for all of the other bands to follow whether it was Sonic Youth or the Replacements or Nirvana or Butthole Surfers. Steve Wynn (born February 21, 1960) is a Songwriter based in New York (born in California) see Theater of Eternal Music for the 1960s experimental music group sometimes also called the Dream Syndicate. Sonic Youth is an American Alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981 The Replacements were an American Alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1979 Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. Butthole Surfers (also referred to as simply "the Buttholes" is an American Alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary R. E. M. staked the claim. Musically, the bands did different things, but R. E. M. was first to show us you can be big and still be cool. "^[117] Biographer David Buckley stated that between 1991 and 1994, a period that saw the band sell an estimated 30 million albums, R. E. M. "asserted themselves as rivals to U2 for the title of biggest rock band in the world. "^[118]

Later alternative bands such as Nirvana, Pavement and Live have drawn inspiration from R. Pavement was an American Indie rock band in the 1990s Although they experienced only moderate commercial success they achieved a significant cult Live (ˈlaɪv rhymes with "five" (also typeset as LIVE) is an American Alternative rock / Post-grunge band from York, E. M. 's music. "When I was 15 years old in Richmond, Virginia, they were a very important part of my life," Pavement's Bob Nastanovich said, "as they were for all the members of our band. Bob Nastanovich (born August 27 1967 in Rochester NY is a former member of the 1990s indie bands Pavement, Ectoslavia " Pavement devoted the song "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence" from the No Alternative compilation (1993) to discussing R. No Alternative is a 1993 Alternative rock Compilation album released to benefit AIDS organizations E. M's first two albums at length. ^[119] Kurt Cobain of Nirvana was a vocal fan of R. Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20 1967 – c April 5 1994 was an American musician who served as lead singer, Guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle E. M. , and had plans to collaborate on a musical project with Stipe before his death in April 1994. ^[120] Cobain told Rolling Stone in an interview earlier that year, "I don’t know how that band does what they do. God, they’re the greatest. They’ve dealt with their success like saints, and they keep delivering great music. "^[121]

Campaigning and activism

Throughout R. E. M. 's career, its members have sought to highlight social and political issues. According to the Los Angeles Times, R. The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily Newspaper published in Los Angeles California and distributed E. M. is considered to be one of the United States' "most liberal and politically correct rock groups. "^[122] The band's members are "on the same page" politically, sharing a liberal and progressive outlook. Modern liberalism in the United States, also referred to as American liberalism, is a political ideology that seeks to use the power of the state to effect change upon society ^[123] Mills has admitted that there is occasionally dissension between band members on what causes they might support, but acknowledged "Out of respect for the people who disagree, those discussions tend to stay in-house, just because we'd rather not let people know where the divisions lie, so people can't exploit them for their own purposes. " An example is that in 1990 Buck noted that Stipe was involved with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, but the rest of the band was not. ^[124]

R. E. M. has helped raise funds for environmental, feminist and human rights causes, and has been involved in campaigns to encourage voter registration. Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for Citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed During the Green tour, Stipe took time during sets to inform the audience about a variety of pressing socio-political issues. ^[125] Through the late 1980s and 1990s, the band (particularly Stipe) increasingly used its media coverage on national television to mention a variety of causes it felt were important. One example is when the band attended the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards, during which Stipe wore a half-dozen white shirts emblazoned with slogans including "rainforest", "love knows no colors", and "handgun control now". The 1991 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 5, 1991, honoring the best Music videos from July 1 1990 to June 30 1991 ^[126] R. E. M. helped raise awareness of Aung San Suu Kyi and human rights violations in Burma, when they worked with the Freedom Campaign and the US Campaign for Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi ( àunsʰánsṵtʃì born 19 June 1945 in Rangoon, is a pro- Democracy activist and leader of the National League for Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The Freedom Campaign is a joint venture of the Human Rights Action Center and US Campaign for Burma non-profit organizations The United States Campaign for Burma (USCB is a US-based membership organization dedicated to empowering Grassroots Activists around the world to bring about an ^[127] The band participated in the 2004 Vote for Change tour that sought to mobilize American voters to support Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. The Vote for Change tour was a politically-motivated American Popular music Concert tour that took place in October 2004 The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator ^[128] R. E. M. 's political stance, particularly coming from a wealthy rock band under contract to a label owned by a multinational corporation, has received criticism from some quarters. Former Q editor Paul Du Noyer criticized the band's "celebrity liberalism", saying,

It's an entirely pain-free form of rebellion that they're adopting. Q is a Music Magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, with a circulation of 130179 as of June 2007 There's no risk involved in it whatsoever, but quite a bit of shoring up of customer loyalty. And when I read their expressions of how cross they are at the election of [US president] George W. Bush, I just hear the sound of Democrat teddy bears being thrown out of cots. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. "^[129]

Since the late 1980s, R. E. M. has been involved in the local politics of its hometown of Athens, Georgia. ^[130] Buck explained to Sounds in 1987, "Michael always says think local and act local—we have been doing a lot of stuff in our town to try and make it a better place. Sounds was a British Music paper, published weekly from October 10, 1970 &ndash April 6, 1991 "^[131] The band has often donated funds to local charities and to help renovate and preserve historic buildings in the town. ^[132] R. E. M. 's political clout was credited with the narrow election of Athens mayor Gwen O'Looney twice in the 1990s. ^[133]

Discography

Main article: R.E.M. discography

Studio albums

• Murmur (1983)
• Reckoning (1984)
• Fables of the Reconstruction (1985)
• Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)
• Document (1987)
• Green (1988)
• Out of Time (1991)
• Automatic for the People (1992)
• Monster (1994)
• New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996)
• Up (1998)
• Reveal (2001)
• Around the Sun (2004)
• Accelerate (2008)

See also

• R.E.M. tours

References

• Black, Johnny. The Discography of REM, an Athens, Georgia -based Alternative rock band consists of fourteen Studio albums nine Compilation Murmur is the debut album by the American Alternative rock band R Reckoning is the second studio album by the American Alternative rock band R Fables of the Reconstruction is the third Studio album released by the American Alternative rock band R Lifes Rich Pageant is the fourth album by the American band R Document is the fifth studio album by the American band REM It was released in 1987 a few months after their rarities collection Dead Green is the sixth album by the American band REM It was their debut major label release for Warner Bros Out of Time is the seventh album by the American Alternative rock band R Automatic for the People is the eighth album by the American Alternative rock band R Monster is the ninth album by the American Alternative rock band R New Adventures in Hi-Fi is the tenth full-length studio album by the American band R Up is the eleventh album by the American band REM It was their first album without their original drummer Bill Berry, who amicably left Reveal is the twelfth album by the American band REM, released in 2001 on Warner Bros Around the Sun is the thirteenth album by the American band R Accelerate is the fourteenth studio album by the American Alternative rock band R See also REM The following is a comprehensive listing of REM tours and itineraries Reveal: The Story of R. E. M. Backbeat, 2004. ISBN 0-87930-776-5
• Buckley, David. R. E. M. : Fiction: An Alternative Biography. Virgin, 2002. ISBN 1-85227-927-3
• Gray, Marcus. It Crawled from the South: An R. E. M. Companion. Da Capo, 1997. Second edition. ISBN 0-306-80751-3
• Fletcher, Tony. Remarks Remade: The Story of R. E. M. Omnibus, 2002. ISBN 0-7119-9113-8.
• Platt, John (editor). The R. E. M. Companion: Two Decades of Commentary. Schirmer, 1998. ISBN 0-02-864935-4
• Sullivan, Denise. Talk About the Passion: R. E. M. : An Oral Biography. Underwood-Miller, 1994. ISBN 0-88733-184-x

Notes

External links

• Official R.E.M. website
• R.E.M. discography at MusicBrainz