What's the next song we should hit for this group?! We've heard they had a killer run in the 90's!

@frankmarsh1159

2 жыл бұрын

Orange Crush What's the Frequency Kenneth South Central Rain The One I Love Finest Worksong Drive Turn You Inside Out Begin the Begin Pretty Persuasion Driver 8 Pop Song 89 Fall on Me Bang and Blame Lotus Losing My Religion

@fidoz2370

2 жыл бұрын

So. Central Rain shows you a different side. The southern gothic moodiness of the band. Can't Get There From Here is a banger with horns and a great lead bass.

@Gr8lightlover

2 жыл бұрын

Losing my Religion. That’s my vote for next one 🌟

@johnhughes3214

2 жыл бұрын

I would first listen to one of their groundbreaking early songs: Radio Free Europe, So. Central Rain, Pretty Persuasion, Harborcoat. Losing my Religion was their HUGE hit in '90. Certainly a great song as well.

@loosilu

2 жыл бұрын

DO 80s REM instead, it's the b est way to start. Radio Free Europe from Murmur is my pick.

DO NOT give up on this band they are AMAZING. You did not pick the best song. The amount of varied styles and great melodies will blow you away. Losing my religion has almost a BILLION views and that is not even my favorite song.

@EchoBravo370

2 жыл бұрын

Orange Crush is my favourite song.

@MrCYCLESMITH

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed. Do not give up on REM.

@taradevine6026

2 жыл бұрын

My favorite band for a good decade. SO good!!!!

@twelveytwelve

2 жыл бұрын

The both said they liked the song. That's hardly giving up!

@clbdyc

2 жыл бұрын

You know what the song is about?

Automatic For The People is a classic album and should be heard from start to finish.

@williammoore841

2 жыл бұрын

Another great album

@loosilu

2 жыл бұрын

One of my all time favorite albums.

@DaverJ

2 жыл бұрын

This.

@medina607

2 жыл бұрын

Yes yes yes!!!

@JoseChavez-rf4ul

2 жыл бұрын

Preach it, brother!

R.E.M. is iconic. The Godfather of college radio. During my internship days at CNN I saw R.E.M. play at a frat house in Athens-saying it was a legendary night-would be an understatement. This wouldn’t make my top 20 favorite R.E.M. Songs, a statement about the band not the song. Driver 8, Radio Free Europe, Talk About the Passion, So. Central, The One I Love, to name a few.

@williammoore841

2 жыл бұрын

Wow hopefully you quit CNN

@robland6804

2 жыл бұрын

@@williammoore841 lmao

@williammoore841

2 жыл бұрын

@@robland6804 don't know if I would put that down on my resume

@robland6804

2 жыл бұрын

@@williammoore841 yeah they've acquired a pedo stigma lately lol

@thomasbell7033

2 жыл бұрын

@@williammoore841 You wouldn't be faced with that decision since I happen to know they require basic literacy.

"The One I Love" gets my vote for your next R.E.M. react. They were every college kid's favorite band in 1989

Can't agree with the commenters more. This is a great band that made consistently great music for over a decade. They were the beginning and driver of alternative or "college rock" as it was termed in the day. So many of their songs got some much air time that you will likely have a hard time getting a consensus from us on their best music. In addition to those mentioned by others, I love "(Don't go back to) Rockville", "Stand", "Orange Crush" and oh so many more. Put them on your short list... they stand in opposition to all you hate about 80's music.

I went to school at UGA during this time and had art classes with a couple of the guys. I'd suggest "Driver 8" or even " Orange Crush." "Orange Crush" came out in 1988 and is a heavy banger and you can see a reaction to it by the Lost in Vegas guys from a year ago

@theubercaste

2 жыл бұрын

I first heard OC in a 21 Jump Street episode.

@Entertainzor

2 жыл бұрын

Which couple of the guys?

@DM-hk4cw

2 жыл бұрын

@@Entertainzor Stipe and Mills. Art history.

@DM-hk4cw

2 жыл бұрын

@@Entertainzor also sold a camera to Pete Buck while working at a local catalog showroom in Athens. Of course they didn't know me. I have drawings of the girl in the video "The One I love." She was a model in our figure drawing classes: she had black curly hair and a Greek nose. I have several of her in various poses. Fun times. kzread.info/dash/bejne/nGujs6eJlsiTf5s.html

@jgilmer

2 жыл бұрын

"Driver 8" is a classic! I'm biased because its the first thing I ever learned on guitar!

R.E.M. was one of what were called "college bands," with bands like Talking Heads, The Pixies, The Smiths, TMBG, etc. Really popular on college campuses, not as popular in the general music world. At first, at least, with REM. When they did finally break big, they broke BIG. Like HUGE. I, personally, love this song, but I'm old enough and familiar enough with REM to get the joke. Listen to another dozen or 2 of their songs and then revisit this one. I'm willing to bet your scores will improve.

@johnbeardshall2898

2 жыл бұрын

Another band also that came up that way was Chicago who refused to play top 40

REM’s hits are great. Also love their lesser known tunes “Don’t Go Back To Rockville” and “Fall On Me”. Also the Dan Rather inspired “What’s The Frequency Kenneth” is cool.

@michellowe8627

2 жыл бұрын

The movie Independence Day starts with a nerd putting into a coffee cup and the chorus “It’s the end of the world as we know it” in the background. Check out Losing My Religion. Also The One I Love. Night Swimming. And especially Man In The Moon!!!

@artrock101

2 жыл бұрын

Fall On Me was a single and a pretty big hit...

@barryshapiro3349

2 жыл бұрын

@@artrock101 True. Under appreciated I guess.

@allanjuhl9574

2 жыл бұрын

Rockville is my absolute favorite REM tune. (came here to say this)

I feel like REM is a tough band for reactors, because their most popular songs aren't necessarily their best quality. They have SO many excellent deep cuts. Some have been pointed out by others here, but they may not generate a huge amount of views. They were certainly massive from the mid eighties through the nineties; one of the biggest bands on the planet. The One I Love is a banger that was one of their bigger hits; best of both world. This is a fun song and well done, but a little less substantial, IMO. ✌

@loosilu

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, this is one of the bands where really pays to avoid the radio hits.

@mayqueen2

2 жыл бұрын

This song was used in the beginning scene of Mars Attacks!!! Still and always an REM fan!❤️

@stevenm.6886

2 жыл бұрын

This is so true! Nothing that got radio play was their best.

@matthewdrake4385

2 жыл бұрын

The one I love should have been what they should have checked out.

Good song. But being an R.E.M. fan, anything off Murmur or Reckoning would be better. Radio Free Europe and So. Central Rain are two that come to mind. Their first five albums were the best for me: Murmur, Reckoning, Fables of the Reconstruction, Lifes Rich Pageant and Document. (Or you can just take any song from their Eponymous album). But they were also great on Out of Time, Automatic for the People and New Adventures in Hi-Fi. One of the best bands of all time IMO.

@loosilu

2 жыл бұрын

I tihknk I'm going to listen to Reckoning right now! Been too long. Then Reconstruction of the Fables.

@-Ricky_Spanish-

2 жыл бұрын

Murmur is an absolutely perfect album to my ears. Document was a bit overproduced, but still a gem for its time.

@williammoore841

2 жыл бұрын

Exactly.......this song is only liked by non REM fans, because they never purchased any albums...then CDs.... When they went from college radio to commercial stations......no problem with that.....it's pretty much every artist is to make it in the craft they master total respect But in my opinion it's an over played fm radio song with a catchy hook Gardening at night, driver 8 D g back to Rockville The haunting Radio free Europe This is the bands weakest, cheesiest, over played song that only real REM fans understand It's the end of the world and I think this song sucks

@neurons0nfire

2 жыл бұрын

Chorus of radio free Europe always makes me think of cobain who was influenced by rem

@neurons0nfire

2 жыл бұрын

Or Pre chorus

Good reaction. This song is atypical for R.E.M., though they covered a lot of different genres over the years. "Nightswimming" is a gorgeous ballad, "Superman" is a deeper, garage cut, "Crush with Eyeliner" is a glam-rock stomper but there are easily 20 other songs from them that are worth a reaction. "Automatic for the People" and "Murmur" would both be great choices as album reactions. In my day, R.E.M. were the American Beatles in terms of consistency. Please listen to more from them.

I love the "Time I had some time alone" being sung just under the chorus...

@jamesfrick4261

2 жыл бұрын

Mike Mills was such a secret weapon!

@kevtruth

2 жыл бұрын

I agree. Mike Mills' backup singing is an intangible element of the band's greatness

Love this band. You cannot go wrong with their earlier stuff which was very influential even though most of us had no idea what Michael was singing about:) Laughing, Pilgrimage, Sitting Still, West of the Fields, Harborcoat, So. Central Rain, Pretty Persuasion, Rockville, and countless others.

R.E.M. is generally considered to be one of first "alternative rock" bands. Their first record came out in 1981 and didn't sound like anything that was on the radio at that time. They were pretty much the anthesis to what was going on in rock music in the eighties. No cheesy digital synths. No gated snares or drum machines or sequencers or chorusy guitars or massive arena sized reverbs. No spandex or pointy guitars. They resisted against all that stuff and did it their way. They were major influencers on many of the bands that came after them in the nineties. They were the precursors to the grunge movement.

@BathtubBass

2 жыл бұрын

I'd say Paul McCartney invented alt/indie rock in the 70s with his album RAM. Definitely worth checking out.

@blanetalk

2 жыл бұрын

@@BathtubBass - RAM is an amazing album, but is not at all the start of "Alternative" music.

@shirak23

2 жыл бұрын

Precursors to the grunge movement feels like a stretch. In time maybe, but that's about it. They're first album was 1983, wasn't it? Same year the Violent Femmes put out their eponymous album, same year as U2's War. Husker Du put out their first album that year. I'm not saying these bands were direct precursors to grunge either, but it just seems like there really isn't a correlation between R.E.M. and grunge. That's a bit thin, especially considering the Meat Puppets put out their first in 1984. Since Nirvana covered a track of theirs from that album, that has more of a connection and that's even stretching it. Not dissing R.E.M., btw, but they live on different planets.

@marioflores616

2 жыл бұрын

1981, first single, "Radio Free Europe" 1982, first EP, Chronic Town 1983, first LP, Murmur Not correcting anybody but just clarifying what might seem like different things being stated above for those unfamiliar.

@frankmarsh1159

2 жыл бұрын

@@shirak23 They started as a band in 1980 and became pretty popular on the "new wave" circuit. I saw them open for the Brains in 1980. Saw them open for XTC in 1981. At that time they were considered kind of post punk /new wave. Later they started calling them college rock because college radio was the only place you could hear those kind of bands. Later in the 90's they started calling it alternative rock.

REM has quite a few great songs!! My fav is “ EVERYBODY HURTS” but there are many more to choose from! Much love and respect guys!!

REM were SUCH A BRILLIANT BAND! I love how how Mike Mills sings "time I had some time alone" in the background.

@brianmiller1077

2 жыл бұрын

How about Fall on Me - Mike singing "what is it up in the air for?" and I think Bill singing "It's gonna fall"

@Jonathanart-jm9fx

2 жыл бұрын

@@brianmiller1077 Probably my favourite REM song.

REM was an incredible band, This may not best represent them. This would be an excellent album listen. Definitely a bad worth looking into. Michael Stipe was a tremendous singer.

Orange Crush and Fall on Me. Can't begin to tell you how important this band was to late 80's and 90's alt rock.

@otisdylan9532

2 жыл бұрын

2 great choices

"Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I decline!" Favorite line. REM lost me in the 90's. But albums like Murmur, Life's Rich Pageant, Fables of the Reconstruction and Document all were high school/college favorites. Radio Free Europe was early REM and popular. These Days I love a lot. Actually there is not an 80's REM song that I didn't like.

I wish you could hear them in context to everything else from the 80's, especially during the start. They had a different, fresh sound from everyone else, super influential, definitive of what 'College Radio' was like. "Radio Free Europe" and "Don't Go Back to Rockville" are 2 of my favorites!!

@mikeadams2351

2 жыл бұрын

College Radio music sucked..sorry to be (evidently) the first to tell you...

@Treborpyn

2 жыл бұрын

UT Austin TX college radio was great in the 80’s. It’s where I first heard REM , Talking Heads, etc.

@mikeadams2351

2 жыл бұрын

@@Treborpyn Talking Heads?? more lame lame lame music...college music was/is for DWEEBS...

@Skeezer66

2 жыл бұрын

@@Treborpyn Another great band was 10,000 Maniacs, with Natalie Merchant!! If Michael Stipe was the 'father' of college radio, she was the 'mother'!

@dreamweaver1603

2 жыл бұрын

@@Treborpyn The Judies! Guyana Punch.

From the beginning of the '80s through to the early 90's they literally put out a new album every year, and they were all classics from the first to the last. That is unheard of nowadays. I would recommend Fall on Me, South Central Rain, and Driver 8.

Finally opened up the R.E.M catalog and you started with their party song. This would never be my recommended 1st R.E.M listen to song. It's fun, silly and I recall trying to learn every word Michael was singing. But this is a song only a small amount of R.E.M fans would pick. Their 1st 4 albums is a must, Murmur and Reckoning are amazing. Their 4th, Lifes Rich Pageant is my personal favorite. The opening track Begin the Begin is a banger. Flowers of Guatemala is simply a masterpiece. They have a vast catalog. Enjoy it!!

This song was played at the end of a New Order concert in Melbourne, Australia on March 2020. Played because this was known to be the last concert that we would have for a long time as covid lockdowns were being implemented. Everyone had a good laugh as we were filing out.

“Now Andy, did you hear about this one?…” Man on the Moon was a Big 90’s R.E.M. hit.

@sallybannister6224

2 жыл бұрын

Oh Mary.. love the smooth link into Man on the moon 🌙 🌚

@maryklacik5358

2 жыл бұрын

Sally Bannister 😅 I couldn’t help myself. It just fit so perfectly. Too hard to resist.

Don't know if this is your first exposure to R.E.M. (a name they picked at random out of the dictionary). This song has been described as a "stream of consciousness rant," a bit of a novelty song, really. Strongly suggest you next react to one of their early great songs representing an important component of the birth of alternative rock, such as "Radio Free Europe," or "So. Central Rain."

@ChadWiggin

2 жыл бұрын

I second this. Even on the Document album, Exhuming McCarthy or Finest Worksong are much better songs. Something off their first three albums would definitely have been a better introduction.

GOOOOOOOD MORNING A&A FAMILY!!!! ☮️❤️♾️

The One I Love, Orange Crush, Fall on Me, Losing My Religion are my faves.

Oh, God!! Finally😳 You guys must've heard Rob Squad did it yesterday. Glad you are finally on the bandwagon. Amazing, pioneering band. I was fortunate enough to be living in the ATL/Athens area when R.E.M. and the Indigo, Girls were making their way to a broader audience. So cool to be in on the inception of such magnificence. I still clearly remember seeing R.E.M. at the University of Georgia on a football parking lot way before they hit it big. There were such a buzz in the crowd about this band. Those who followed them became hard-core fans. So many more awesome tunes to hit from them. Their Murmur album is my favs. Every song on it is a gem including: Driver 8, Pilgrimage, Catapult, Moral Kiosk, etc. You should also hit: Orange Crush, What's the Frequency Kenneth, Losing My Religion. Look forward to seeing more reactions to their music😎

Enjoyed the reaction, fellas. Big R.E.M. fan, so I hope you listen to more of them. BUT, the poll with this song included a song from Violent Femmes. I like R.E.M. better, but you really should hit Violent Femmes. Their debut album did something unheard of - it went platinum (1 mill copies sold) before ever hitting the Billboard 200 Albums chart. That means they were a huge hit without really ever having a big hit. Year after year after year teens and college age kids bought the debut mostly from word of mouth and from hearing the band at parties. They are mostly an acoustic trio, their bass player is tre-effing-mendous, and you have not heard anything like them before. The poll song was Blister in the Sun, but I urge you to listen to Kiss Off or Add It Up instead. Anyone who knows Blister in the Sun is gonna know those other two songs, and they are truly the best this band has to offer. Peace!

@Meandmymirror

2 жыл бұрын

Yes! Please! Serious Bangers by the Femmes!

My favorite R.E.M. is "Everybody Hurts." It is an incredible plea trying to prevent suicides. The official video is also quite moving.

Really interesting that you mention the backing vocals, as Mike Mills’ harmonies were, for me at least, one of REM’s greatest strengths. Great band, thanks for sharing your experience

@amyk9175

2 жыл бұрын

Mills backing vocals are my favorite part. I just love his voice.

@mstob1969

2 жыл бұрын

Agree. They are particularly featured on Untitled, the last song on Green. Love his backing vocals.

@bensalemi7783

2 жыл бұрын

I think that REM takes repeated listens to really understand what they are doing and truly appreciate it. Even on a song like this, which was just pop play catnip, underlying that is a highly complex approach to the music. And it's not obvious especially on this song, what they are doing and how they are doing it. So yeah, completely agree that the harmonies and background vocals are top notch. They need to really hear the background vocals in context of knowing the band.

"Stand" is the REM hit that put them on my radar as something totally different than everything else I was hearing.

I’ve always loved Mike Mills’ punching bass, especially on “Can’t Get There From Here” and “Texarkana”.

Yes, this was a very influential band in the 80's and 90's. For this particular track, just imagine you're in college at a college bar, drinking age is 18, dance floor, this song is playing and everyone is dancing free style just bouncing around, maybe pre-cursor to mosh pit. The song Everyone Hurts is very good, and they have a few really good albums with each track being very good.

Another great 80s band is The Replacements. Check out "Bastards of Young" or "Alex Chilton".

My favorite R.E.M. song is "Fall on Me." Hope you eventually check it out.

Well, their most famous songs are "Man on the Moon" and "Losing My Religion," but I'd be shocked if you have not heard them already. My personal favorite is "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"

My favorite REM song has always been Radio Free Europe. They recorded this pretty early in their careers and is just an amazing song.

Always say start with “Driver 8”. “Radio Free Europe” , “Orange Crush” all good.

I had the pleasure of seeing them in 1984 a couple of years before they broke, a great live act who were comfortable with their small audience. They were a bit of an inside secret at the time. A new band popped up in their wake in every town they stopped in, they were the kings of college radio. A beautiful sound like little else on the air at the time. I'm obviously partial to the early stuff as others here have posted, Radio Free Europe is what launched them and is still worth a listen.

Glad you finally hit REM. It seems like this song and Love Hurts are the only REM songs reactors are covering but they have scores of better or equally good songs. E-Bow the Letter is a tremendous song (with Patti Smith); Losing My Religion, World Leader Pretend, So. Central Rain, Fall on Me are all great songs too

@keve4253

2 жыл бұрын

E-Bow the letter is such underrated song, personally I think it is their best song after Losing My Religion

@matthewdrake4385

2 жыл бұрын

Everybody Hurts you mean.

Guy's, the 80's REM is where it's at. VERY different for the time, college, underground, no radio play (except college stations). Life and How to Live It, Can't Get There From Here, Driver 8, Radio Free Europe (The first big song), These Days, Superman, The one I love, Fall On Me, Man On The Moon, Harbor Coat, Green Grow the Rushes.......Saw them In Lexington, KY and Atlanta, Miami, and NC. Maybe an acquired taste at first, but you knew there was something special.....My opinion only. Much respect for you guy's!

I love watching your guys reactions to this song. Like a couple of bobble-head dolls. LOL. You guys are great. I'm a 68 year old classic rocker, and I get to re-live my youth vicariously through you. Keep up the good work!

Gotta go with the Homer Simpson version, from the R.E.M. episode: “Leonard what’s his name/ Herman Munster / motorcade / birthday party / Cheetos / pogo sticks and lemonade / you symbiotic stupid jerk / That’s right, Flanders / I am talkin’ about you!”

If you're done with the 70s and now moving into the 80s, this a first-class way to kick off that decade. Oh, and in case you're wondering, their live shows were exceptional.

@RobtBlond

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed. R.E.M. is a great way to kick off the 80s. As long as the Replacements come next, that is!

@flubblert

2 жыл бұрын

I can vouch for that. Saw them in Chicago in '85. Literally two or three rows back. Michael Stipe put on one of the most intense impassioned performances I'd ever seen. Completely blown away!!

@joeday4293

2 жыл бұрын

Got to see the "Green" tour in 1990, with Pylon opening. I was a senior in high school. Good times.

"Everybody Hurts" has one of the most powerful, impactful videos I've ever seen.

I'm from Cleveland, Ohio, and there was a rock radio station that singed on, and then off (first and last time ever) playing this non-stop for 24 hours without commercials. I don't remember when they did it to begin their station brand, but I remember when they signed off. I loved this song, but after hours of hearing it it finally ran its course for me. Like Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down, it took a number of years for me to rediscover it and why I loved it in the first place! But, yeah. The song came out in 1987, and has some of that Cold War paranoia in its lyrics, but, in my opinion, it's really one of the foundational songs for the soundtrack of the 1990s. It's a very 90s kind of rock song. It shows how influential the song, the album, and the band was on the following decade.

Alex: R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck said that "Subterranean Homesick Blues" was the inspiration for this song. Nice insight.

R.E.M. is a BRILLIANT band... BANGERS: "Finest Worksong" "Begin The Begin," "Get Up," "Ignoreland," "Radio Free Europe." Can't go wrong with any of those!!

R.E.M. was probably the greatest band of the ‘80s. Their “Chronic Town” EP, followed by “Murmur”, their 1st album, made them underground legends, the Velvet Underground of their time. Shy Michael Stipe hid behind his hair and mumbled his words, the music was organic and seemed to come from nowhere, and the band played as fast as they could to catch up to it. Amazing. They released great album after great album, becoming better and better musicians, but still sometimes taking requests at shows, pulling people out of the audience to sing. You wondered how long they could keep it up. But they never sold many records, got played on the radio much, or played stadium shows. This was the last of their great albums. Well, half of it is great. This is when the pop influences caught up to them, they got rich, and started playing stadiums. The music became secondary. They deserve their riches and fame. They earned it. To me this song is the end of R.E.M., and the rest is momentum. They were great.

Where the background singer is singing "time I had some time alone" is a musical technique called counterpoint - two melodies at the same time that go together. It isn't meant to be chaotic; Bach used counterpoint frequently.

@libraryfiles4470

2 жыл бұрын

Excellent educating point!

@otisdylan9532

2 жыл бұрын

@@libraryfiles4470 Thank you!

you definitely tapped into a deep well with this group. Incredible. This band was arguably the most influential rock band of those few years. MONSTER radio hits , so many great songs.

This is my go to song when all Hell breaks loose in my life. Makes me smile and not give a rat’s ass, after all…it’s the end of the world as we know it….and I feel fine! Typical 80’s gal here Lol! Great mantra though…just sayin’ Lol🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣Love you guys! 🌟

In the late 90's we had a radio station here in the Twin Cities that got sold and was moving to a new format - country/western I think. The DJs were all getting fired anyway, so they played this song non-stop for the 24 hours prior to the changeover. It was epic.

'80s indie (or what we used to call "college rock") is some of the best rock music America ever produced, and REM sat at the top of the heap. Their '90s stuff is great, more polished more "professional" and wonderful, but the '80s IRS stuff is all fire - my personal fave is Life's Rich Pageant (you guys should check out "These Days"), but they're all fantastic. A very personal opinion, of course, but for me, the best American band of the last 40 years.

@burmajones803

2 жыл бұрын

These Days is a banger. Best album! Maybe best song on the album?

@AaronHunter

2 жыл бұрын

@@burmajones803 It's an album I love so much, so I have a hard time choosing, but yeah, it's def in the running for best on the album. I think these guys would dig it.

@pebblesanddirt

2 жыл бұрын

Life’s Rich Pageant is overall my favorite album of theirs as well, but there are other solid contenders.

You said this is a "sing along" song. You should watch Chris Farley and David Spade attempt to sing along with this song in the movie Tommy Boy. Absolutely hilarious.

@Rob-eo5ql

2 жыл бұрын

Classic scene

I know the verse might sound like background music to you, but as an older person the lyrics are poignant for me and still, sadly, relevant. The takeaway for me is that every generation feels like the world is falling apart and we still seem to keep going. Keep the faith, people.

@bensalemi7783

2 жыл бұрын

It struck me, relistening to this after many yearsz that Billy Joel had to have been influenced by it when he wrote "we didn't start the fire". Every generation, indeed.

@TFDwriting

2 жыл бұрын

@@bensalemi7783 Probably

@matthewdrake4385

2 жыл бұрын

That's a strong possibility. As well as Bob Dylan.

First, it is absolutely a rendering of "Subterreanean..." That said, it is really hard to listen to any REM out of context. This song, in y opinion, marked the band's decisive shift away from their alternative roots. You kind of had to experience these guys in the early days to appreciate the full scope. Had you guys been in college ca. 1981-84, you would have been in the thick of it. REM was one of those bands out of Athens, GA that toured the South probably not expecting the kind of commercial success they would have by the late 80s and 90s. Not that I dislike later stuff, but I always felt like they were at the top of their game and originality in the early days, especially with the first two or three albums. Check out "Radio Free Europe" or better yet, the entire album "Murmur." Also check into the Athens. GA scene of the late 70s early 80s. B-52s may have been the first make it big, but inn my opinion, no where near the best. Bands like Pyulon and Love Tractor were paving the way and really pushing the envelope.

@otisdylan9532

2 жыл бұрын

Murmur would be a great choice for a full album reaction.

@allanjuhl9574

2 жыл бұрын

This comment nails it! Every “edgy” rocker was listening to and playing early REM at their dorm room parties.

@samcook1545

2 жыл бұрын

@@allanjuhl9574 Yes. And a the time we thoughttheywere kind of "retro" since they had a sort of 60s vibe that other so-called "alternative" groups did not. The whole Athens scene, but these guys in particular, were the eastern counterpart to the Paisley Underground movement on the west coast.

@allanjuhl9574

2 жыл бұрын

@@samcook1545 they definitely defined (started) the alt-rock genre for me. And you only heard them on your late-night college radio station. Back when Sony D-5 Discman first came out and I bought mine, Document was one of the first CDs I bought.

@DM-hk4cw

2 жыл бұрын

I was at UGA during that time. It wasn't unusual to hear REM at the 40 Watt under the pseudonym ' Box of Frogs.' They also played at Legion Field for free. Pylon and Love Tractor were a staple of the scene, too. The B52s lost a bunch of students when they tried to overcharge students after becoming "famous." They quickly dropped their ticket prices. I also remember seeing Butthole Surfers, Psychedelic Furs, Los Lobos and the like. Stevie Ray Vaughn played Legion Field, but I had a major test the next day..although I could hear him through my dorm window! Many bands came through that town. I met Steve Morse, of the Dixie Dregs and most recently Deep Purple, in a small bar in Athens on a summer afternoon. He was passing through to Atlanta to join up with Kansas. He was tuning up his chops and I so happened to walk by.

1100+ comments already. Not sure if you picked up on this A&A, but this band is pretty special and they have a really really wide range. Hope you hit them again!

In college dancing at a club, or frat party, this song comes on. Everybody’s thrashing around singing the chorus and…together the whole room would shout the one part of the verse everyone knew. “Leonard Bernstein!”…the part of the verse where the band briefly drops out.

Other R. E. M songs that I would recommend would be The One I Love, Fall on Me, Driver 8, Orange Crush, So. Central Rain, Radio Free Europe, Losing My Religion and Harbourcoat.

As I've said before , you really can't appreciate some bands until you see them actually perform. Michael Stipe, even when he was younger, was reserved, quiet, and even a little strange. But, when you see him on stage with the rest of the band, you really get it. Btw, Mike Mills is one of the best bass players I have ever heard, and I've heard a few.

@chrisd7047

2 жыл бұрын

And don't sleep on Mills' background vocals.

My second favourite band of all time = R.E.M. It's ABOUT TIME!!! Too many songs to profile for this band. We could be here all day long. The song in the video is certainly a classic. Very emotional band for me. A HUGE part of my college years. One of the most talented bands of all time. Top 5 easily.

So happy you finally hit some REM, this is a DEEP rabbit hole, they have a very long and critically acclaimed career. So many great suggestions...go with ALL of them! 😄🎶🌈🎸

R.E.M made the 90's better

@loosilu

2 жыл бұрын

The 80s too!

@pentagrammaton6793

2 жыл бұрын

Nothing made the 90s better.

I think I'm correct in saying that REM were America's first genuinely "independent" band - not signed to a major label. They had to make it in the UK, where there was more radio play available for indy bands, before they managed to translate back in the US. Great band, loads of good memories for me tangled up in them :)

In the 80s, REM had such a different sound from what was playing on top 40 radio- it took me a couple of listens to really appreciate it at the time. I hope that happens for you too! My fave is Driver 8, but all their early songs are good.

@brianmiller1077

2 жыл бұрын

Poppy music but sometimes dark lyrics ""Don't Talk" and "What's the Matter Here?" are about abusive relationships. The lyrics read like prose - unlike most songs, there's no clue to the beat or meter when you read the lyrics.

So, I just read 900 comments, all good and fun perspectives. With REM, it is growth. It is complete albums vs hits. It's a feeling as you listen to the whole album....yes ALBUM. Like most have commented, the first 5, Chronic Town to Life's Rich Pageant, changed music at the time. College is always your favorite/best music. Glad I was there when the started.....

If I were going to introduce young people to REM, for their very first listen, I would go with ‘Radio Song!’ It’s a relatable message and just a totally cool collab. I’m gonna listen to it now, as a matter of fact.

The latest edition of Guitar Player magazine is dedicated to the birth of alternative rock and they have a great feature on Peter Buck.

I don't know why, but "Birthday Party. Cheesecake. Jellybean. BOOM!" is one of my favorite lyrics.

This is the band with the largest number of albums where I have owned all of the albums. This album was the first one I bought when I was 20. I swiftly caught up with their earlier albums and bought all the others when they came out. The lyrics of this song were apparently inspired by a dream that lead singer Michael Stipe that featured a load of famous people with the initials LB.

The next song should be "Losing My Religion". They had a LOT of great songs, but that one stands out. "Shiny Happy People" is their most pop song.

@-Ricky_Spanish-

2 жыл бұрын

The less said about the latter, the better.

@sophiecat14

2 жыл бұрын

@@-Ricky_Spanish- You read my mind 🤫

@joeharley5868

2 жыл бұрын

Hey - this was the comment I was going to make! 'Shiny Happy People' also features Kate Peirson of the B-52s, which is another very popular band that needs to be heard.

@theshadowfax239

2 жыл бұрын

I will never say an ill word towards anything B-52s or B-52s related.

@-Ricky_Spanish-

2 жыл бұрын

@@joeharley5868 To be honest, I can't imagine A&A really liking B-52s at all. It doesn't fit them.

Landmark game-changing band. Altered the direction of rock in the '80s. So many great songs. "Fall On Me". "Driver 8". "Country Feedback". Smart, political, passionate, enigmatic. Legends IMO.

@joeday4293

2 жыл бұрын

REM never sounded better than on "Fall On Me." Gorgeous song.

@flubblert

2 жыл бұрын

@@joeday4293 REM one of those bands u can't just listen to one song. Immersive.

@MrBrenj08

2 жыл бұрын

@@joeday4293 The unplugged version really shows the quality of Michael Stipe's voice.

@heynow5000

2 жыл бұрын

Stipe on record as saying Fall on Me his favorite in the REM catalog

@flubblert

2 жыл бұрын

@@heynow5000 Really!?

great song + reaction! "Superman" is the first REM song I heard back in the 80's, such a great, groovy song :)

@amyk9175

2 жыл бұрын

Mine too! Did you know it was a cover?

@protovision2010

2 жыл бұрын

@@amyk9175 not until now, cool! thx

This cold war rock. Those of us who were young in the 80's remember there really was a fear. "Can I have some time alone". Michael Stipe is a lyrical genius.

Complicated band. They started out in the 80s as a jangly guitar pop band with eclectic lyrics. They were the band the cool kids in college were listening to on “college radio” stations, and then they became arena rock stars in the 90s. All their albums are a little different. They were roll models artistically and business wise for bands like Nirvana. Lots of cool songs to explore.

Love this song, always have. I remember when it came out. Life was a blast then, now my kids love it. :D Glad, you finally picked some R.E.M !! Woo!

The band has explicitly stated that they had "Subterranean Homesick Blues" in mind during the writing and recording of this...

REM takes me right back to college. My roommate was a dj at our college radio station and turned me onto a lot of up and coming bands and REM was one of my favorites. Radio Free Europe and then most of the Life’s Rich Pageant album were my favorites. Fall on me is probably my all time favorite song of theirs

The R.E.M. guitarist, Peter Buck, has stated that this was meant as an homage to "Subterranean Homesick Blues". Good call, guys.

One of my top ten favorite bands for sure. I was lucky enough to discover them on the first album (and just after the original EP) and never stopped listening to them, although I actually don't really like some of their big 90's Mtv hits that much. Can you imagine living around Athens, GA when these guys and the B-52's and Pylon and so many other bands were all playing around town. Holy shite.

Rapid Eye Movement, has some great songs,. “Everybody Hurts”,. “Losing My Religion”,. “What’s the Frequency”,. “Shiny Happy People”,. “Man on The Moon”,. “Orange Crush”,. “The One I Love”,. and more.

Live, they gave you exactly this, background vocals and all. I’m not even an REM fan but they were objectively flawless

I had to work New Years Eve on Y2K.... we had this song on a loop from 11:30ish on until after midnight... expecting computers to crash all over the place.

Dive deeper into this phenomenal band. Their concert movie “Tourfilm” would make a perfect movie post. They are of incalculable importance to modern Rock stylistically and culturally. Any deeper dive into R.E.M. will yield great rewards.

R.E.M. has so much good stuff. They managed to put out a couple of decade's worth of records that all sounded both the same and different. It depends on what you want. Quintessential 80s college radio pop: "Fall on Me" Something to make your hair stand on end: "Feeling Gravity's Pull" Proof they could have been a great country band: "(Don't go Back to) Rockville" and soooo much more. Don't trust a poll for your next R.E.M. Go to a true fan and get them to recommend a song.

something I've noticed in the comments section anytime does a reaction to an REM song is that if you ask 10 REM fans to list out their top 5 favorite REM songs, you'll wind up with a list of about 45 songs. So many great songs that connect with people in so many different ways. You really owe it to yourselves to checkout a few more REM song. I'm willing to bet that as you get to know the rest of their music, your thoughts on this song will change, too.

Another fun fact about REM...they never sell their songs to companies for commercials. Microsoft wanted End of the World for one of the Windows programs and they said no!! I love them for that!

For a lot of folks this was one of the groups that got us throught the 80's with their return to rocks music. As with a lot of groups they grew and changed and morphed but they have lots of styles. Try something from the IRS records years. Radio free Europe is a thier first single. if i remember correctly. REM is a great journey.

This is kinda a throwaway for them. The One I Love, Whats the Frequency Kenneth or Crush w/Eyeliner are all bangers! Got to see them live 3 times in 80s and 90s. Great shows!

Loved the early intro. Can’t believe you haven’t heard REM before.

R.E.M. fanatic band! This song is not my first pick - check out the following: 'Me in Honey' 'Driver 8' 'The One I Love' 'Find the River' 'Fall on Me' 'Finest Work Song' 'Orange Crush' 'Talk About The Passion' 'Losing My Religion'

@Retroearthling

2 жыл бұрын

There are SO many right? Automatic for the People is in my top five albums of all time. HOW do you choose?

Quintessential 1980s College Radio group. I was at the University of Florida through the middle 80s and these guys were EVERYWHERE. The first several albums (their first 5 ) were raw and minimalistic. The early 90s stuff became very commercial and very produced, beginning with the album "Out of Time".. and the smash single "Losing My Religion" Still great stuff though. Of the early stuff, my personal favorite was "Fall on Me"

Start at the beginning with this all-time great band. Murmur releasing on the heels of punk and new wave, REM had a sound like nothing else for the next decade. The kings of 80s college radio. Completely different sensibility of what rock could be, and endlessly innovative for their entire career. Also, how do you listen to this song and not comment on the RIDCULOUS bass lines in here?! There was a smorgasbord of tastiness!

R.E.M. are from Athens, Georgia, and this was THE skater end of the world anthem for a couple of years and it SLAPS. It cries to be played loud in your garage.

You could do a whole series on REM on a weekend stream. Pick 3 songs off of Murmur, Reckoning, Fables of Reconstruction, Lifes Rich Pageant, Document, Green, Out of Time and Automatic For The People. Sounds like a long video, but I think you'd really dig them.

5:55... Exactly what I said in the community comments. That's why I suggested "Fall on Me", "Radio Free Europe', or their anti-love song "The One I Love" as better examples.

Def ahead of their time. Listen to more REM. Then more REM. And then some more. It's all good.