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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!!!
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
@@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. czcams.com/video/j7oQEPfe-O8/video.html
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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. ✌
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.
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.
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 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!!
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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!!
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."
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.
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.
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!!
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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!”
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.
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.
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!!
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?"
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.
@@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.
@@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.
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.
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!
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😎
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.
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.
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!
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.
'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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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! 🌟
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.
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 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.
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 :)
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!
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'
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.
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.
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.
I remember standing outside of a lecture hall with friends in high school in like 1990 waiting to take a final exam and singing this chorus among ourselves as we knew it would be a rough one. 😜
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.
I saw these guys on their very first US tour front and center at the Rainbow Music Hall in Denver. My neighbor was the manager and got us in for free. Stipe was blown out of his mind and Mills looked like he was 16. It was their babbling lyics phase and it was still a rippin' show. I'll never forget it.
Years ago, when my husband and I were getting married, we decided to make a music video invitation to the wedding, instead of a traditional paper invitation. This was the song we used. We stayed up stupid late, drinking and having a grand old time making the video. It turned great, and remains one of many fond memories I've created with him ever since.
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!
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.
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
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.....
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.
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"
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.
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.
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!
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.
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone) - One of the greatest alternate/balanced harmonies of all time in this song....could sing this all day long....
Please do at least one song from "10,000 Maniacs." The singer, Natalie Merchant, is so good, and they are from the same time period and genre as REM. Maybe more of a California sound than Southern sound.
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.
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. 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.
This is the best of their more commercial stuff. Anything off Life's Rich Pageant or Fables of the Reconstruction is worth your time. Skip the later stuff
What's the next song we should hit for this group?! We've heard they had a killer run in the 90's!
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
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.
Losing my Religion. That’s my vote for next one 🌟
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.
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.
Orange Crush is my favourite song.
Agreed. Do not give up on REM.
My favorite band for a good decade. SO good!!!!
The both said they liked the song. That's hardly giving up!
You know what the song is about?
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.
Wow hopefully you quit CNN
@@williammoore841 lmao
@@robland6804 don't know if I would put that down on my resume
@@williammoore841 yeah they've acquired a pedo stigma lately lol
@@williammoore841 You wouldn't be faced with that decision since I happen to know they require basic literacy.
Automatic For The People is a classic album and should be heard from start to finish.
Another great album
One of my all time favorite albums.
This.
Yes yes yes!!!
Preach it, brother!
"The One I Love" gets my vote for your next R.E.M. react.
They were every college kid's favorite band in 1989
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.
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!!!
Fall On Me was a single and a pretty big hit...
@@artrock101 True. Under appreciated I guess.
Rockville is my absolute favorite REM tune. (came here to say this)
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
I first heard OC in a 21 Jump Street episode.
Which couple of the guys?
@@Entertainzor Stipe and Mills. Art history.
@@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. czcams.com/video/j7oQEPfe-O8/video.html
"Driver 8" is a classic! I'm biased because its the first thing I ever learned on guitar!
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.
I tihknk I'm going to listen to Reckoning right now! Been too long. Then Reconstruction of the Fables.
Murmur is an absolutely perfect album to my ears. Document was a bit overproduced, but still a gem for its time.
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
Chorus of radio free Europe always makes me think of cobain who was influenced by rem
Or
Pre chorus
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.
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.
I'd say Paul McCartney invented alt/indie rock in the 70s with his album RAM. Definitely worth checking out.
@@BathtubBass - RAM is an amazing album, but is not at all the start of "Alternative" music.
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.
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.
@@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.
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. ✌
Yeah, this is one of the bands where really pays to avoid the radio hits.
This song was used in the beginning scene of Mars Attacks!!!
Still and always an REM fan!❤️
This is so true! Nothing that got radio play was their best.
The one I love should have been what they should have checked out.
I love the "Time I had some time alone" being sung just under the chorus...
Mike Mills was such a secret weapon!
I agree. Mike Mills' backup singing is an intangible element of the band's greatness
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.
Another band also that came up that way was Chicago who refused to play top 40
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.
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.
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.
2 great choices
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!!
College Radio music sucked..sorry to be (evidently) the first to tell you...
UT Austin TX college radio was great in the 80’s. It’s where I first heard REM , Talking Heads, etc.
@@Treborpyn Talking Heads?? more lame lame lame music...college music was/is for DWEEBS...
@@Treborpyn Another great band was 10,000 Maniacs, with Natalie Merchant!! If Michael Stipe was the 'father' of college radio, she was the 'mother'!
@@Treborpyn The Judies! Guyana Punch.
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.
How about Fall on Me - Mike singing "what is it up in the air for?" and I think Bill singing "It's gonna fall"
@@brianmiller1077 Probably my favourite REM song.
“Now Andy, did you hear about this one?…” Man on the Moon was a Big 90’s R.E.M. hit.
Oh Mary.. love the smooth link into Man on the moon 🌙 🌚
Sally Bannister 😅 I couldn’t help myself. It just fit so perfectly. Too hard to resist.
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.
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.
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.
The One I Love, Orange Crush, Fall on Me, Losing My Religion are my faves.
"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.
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!!
My favorite R.E.M. is "Everybody Hurts." It is an incredible plea trying to prevent suicides. The official video is also quite moving.
"Stand" is the REM hit that put them on my radar as something totally different than everything else I was hearing.
"Everybody Hurts" has one of the most powerful, impactful videos I've ever seen.
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."
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.
My favorite R.E.M. song is "Fall on Me." Hope you eventually check it out.
GOOOOOOOD MORNING A&A FAMILY!!!!
☮️❤️♾️
Always say start with “Driver 8”. “Radio Free Europe” , “Orange Crush” all good.
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.
Agreed. R.E.M. is a great way to kick off the 80s. As long as the Replacements come next, that is!
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!!
Got to see the "Green" tour in 1990, with Pylon opening. I was a senior in high school. Good times.
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.
REM never sounded better than on "Fall On Me." Gorgeous song.
@@joeday4293 REM one of those bands u can't just listen to one song. Immersive.
@@joeday4293 The unplugged version really shows the quality of Michael Stipe's voice.
Stipe on record as saying Fall on Me his favorite in the REM catalog
@@heynow5000 Really!?
Another great 80s band is The Replacements. Check out "Bastards of Young" or "Alex Chilton".
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
Mills backing vocals are my favorite part. I just love his voice.
Agree. They are particularly featured on Untitled, the last song on Green. Love his backing vocals.
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.
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.
Excellent educating point!
@@libraryfiles4470 Thank you!
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.
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!”
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.
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.
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!!
My favorite REM song has always been Radio Free Europe. They recorded this pretty early in their careers and is just an amazing song.
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?"
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.
Murmur would be a great choice for a full album reaction.
This comment nails it! Every “edgy” rocker was listening to and playing early REM at their dorm room parties.
@@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.
@@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.
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.
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!
Yes! Please! Serious Bangers by the Femmes!
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😎
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.
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.
@@bensalemi7783 Probably
That's a strong possibility. As well as Bob Dylan.
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!
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.
The less said about the latter, the better.
@@-Ricky_Spanish- You read my mind 🤫
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.
I will never say an ill word towards anything B-52s or B-52s related.
@@joeharley5868 To be honest, I can't imagine A&A really liking B-52s at all. It doesn't fit them.
'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.
These Days is a banger. Best album! Maybe best song on the album?
@@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.
Life’s Rich Pageant is overall my favorite album of theirs as well, but there are other solid contenders.
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.
Alex: R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck said that "Subterranean Homesick Blues" was the inspiration for this song. Nice insight.
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.
Classic scene
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.
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
E-Bow the letter is such underrated song, personally I think it is their best song after Losing My Religion
Everybody Hurts you mean.
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.
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.
And don't sleep on Mills' background vocals.
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.
R.E.M made the 90's better
The 80s too!
Nothing made the 90s better.
I don't know why, but "Birthday Party. Cheesecake. Jellybean. BOOM!" is one of my favorite lyrics.
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! 🌟
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.
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 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.
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 :)
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!
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'
There are SO many right? Automatic for the People is in my top five albums of all time. HOW do you choose?
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.
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.
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.
I remember standing outside of a lecture hall with friends in high school in like 1990 waiting to take a final exam and singing this chorus among ourselves as we knew it would be a rough one. 😜
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.
I saw these guys on their very first US tour front and center at the Rainbow Music Hall in Denver. My neighbor was the manager and got us in for free. Stipe was blown out of his mind and Mills looked like he was 16. It was their babbling lyics phase and it was still a rippin' show. I'll never forget it.
The R.E.M. guitarist, Peter Buck, has stated that this was meant as an homage to "Subterranean Homesick Blues". Good call, guys.
You couldn't turn on your radio in the 90s without hearing REM their well is a deep one
Years ago, when my husband and I were getting married, we decided to make a music video invitation to the wedding, instead of a traditional paper invitation. This was the song we used. We stayed up stupid late, drinking and having a grand old time making the video. It turned great, and remains one of many fond memories I've created with him ever since.
The band has explicitly stated that they had "Subterranean Homesick Blues" in mind during the writing and recording of this...
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!
Live, they gave you exactly this, background vocals and all. I’m not even an REM fan but they were objectively flawless
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.
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
great song + reaction!
"Superman" is the first REM song I heard back in the 80's, such a great, groovy song :)
Mine too! Did you know it was a cover?
@@amyk9175 not until now, cool! thx
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.....
For me, Peter buck’s Rickenbacker (pretty sure that’s what I’m hearing) makes it .. so much a part of their sound
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.
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"
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.
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.
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!
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.
It's the end of the world as we know it
(It's time I had some time alone) - One of the greatest alternate/balanced harmonies of all time in this song....could sing this all day long....
Please do at least one song from "10,000 Maniacs." The singer, Natalie Merchant, is so good, and they are from the same time period and genre as REM. Maybe more of a California sound than Southern sound.
or just Natalie Merchant-Carnival- the great lush guitar
Ooh yeah
Her solo work is great as well. Would love to hear them do their cover of Peace Train but for some reason it’s not on Spotify
Whoa, yes 10,000 Maniacs!
The song The One I Love, off the same album, was always a favorite of mine.
The One I Love is the one I love. Or, the one I love is The One I Love. Works either way! 😆
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.
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! 😄🎶🌈🎸
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!
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.
This is the best of their more commercial stuff. Anything off Life's Rich Pageant or Fables of the Reconstruction is worth your time. Skip the later stuff