A Tribute to R.E.M.

A Cool and Timeless Band

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In my opinion, few bands did it better. Other bands were better, but in my opinion this one set out to do something and overwhelmingly achieved it.

The Beatles are better, obviously. Many rock, alternative, and indie bands could be considered “technically” better than R.E.M. This one isn’t about ranking bands though. It’s about celebrating one in particular.

This is not a comprehensive look into the band. It’s not a historical guide, a timeline, or a review of their whole catalog. It’s a personal tribute.

R.E.M. were a band that I knew from a young age. I don’t know what I heard first. “Losing My Religion” was a radio staple. “Orange Crush” was in the first addition of the game “Rock Band.” I remember hearing Weird Al’s parody of “Stand” courtesy of a neighbor. “Everybody Hurts” was a song used as a sad cliche. “Man on the Moon” came later when I understood who Andy Kaufman was. “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” was in the movie “Tommy Boy.” When I finally connected the dots, I realized how much of a hold this act had on pop culture.

They’re a Southern rock band, but not a traditional one like Lynyrd Skynyrd or The Allman Brothers. By the time R.E.M. came around, music was much different. Or at the very least, the band was prepared to help make it different. They came to fruition in the early 1980s. They were from Athens, Georgia. The same place as another groundbreaking band, The B-52s.

What was happening in the last days of the 1970s and the early 1980s? The classic rock era was over. Punk, art rock, hard rock, funk, and disco fought to the final bell in 1979. On the precipice of a new decade, hardcore punk bubbled up to the surface. Some rock acts were underground and others became new wave or New Romantic. The Clash turned into something that was simultaneously punk, new wave, and post punk. Ian Curtis died and his bandmates created New Order. The rock genre had splintered a hundred different ways.

Then came a band called R.E.M. The first indie band? Probably not. The first alternative band? No, that’s probably someone like The Velvet Underground. The first indie/alternative band to break through in the 1980s? That’s about the closest answer I have for R.E.M. The right band at the right time. Some call them college rock. I just call them good.

I didn’t know much about their earlier catalog until my later teens. “Murmur” and “Reckoning” were obscure to me. I must’ve heard their debut album in college. When I needed a distraction in grad school, I went through all of their records. This coincided with me listening to a podcast about the band, Scott Aukerman and Adam Scott’s “R U Talkin’ R.E.M RE: ME?” Their banter inspired me to explore the band some more. In the end, I came away a fan of the podcast and a bigger fan of R.E.M.

Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe seem like cool and chilled out guys. They have an everyday look about them. Slightly nerdy. They don’t seem to have the same ego as other rockstars. There’s an endearing quality about them and their image.

From what I can tell, they had a diverse blend of influences. These included everything from bubblegum pop like The Archies to power pop like Big Star. There’s also the influences of Patti Smith, The Velvet Underground, and some jangle pop in there too. The Beatles, The Byrds, and a host of others. This all combined into an alternative cocktail. As a result, they inspired a legion of bands in their wake. Some might not even recognize or acknowledge their influence. As a teenager, I looked to Kurt Cobain as a north star. He said he liked R.E.M. Even Radiohead said that they liked R.E.M. That’s good enough for me.

They always seemed like the kind of band I would’ve liked to join. Easygoing dudes. Alternative point-of-views. A group of people that all seem musically talented in their own right, coming together to create great music for multiple decades. All of them songwriters. All of them sharing in a piece of the pie. No major fights or internal disputes amongst the core members.

I, and many others, have a basic theory as to why they stayed together so long. They shared songwriting credit equally between each member. Instead of bickering about it, they settled that debate early on. It’s one of those arguments that brings down the biggest bands. Other acts such as U2 and Coldplay use a similar model (and both of those bands have all their original members). In the case of R.E.M., the three instrumentalists split the music writing duties and Stipe did the lyrics. It was clearly a successful formula.

Each band member brought an essential element. Michael Stipe’s voice and lyrical ingenuity. Peter Buck’s quick right hand and jangly riffs. Bill Berry’s tight grooves and subtle backing vocals. Mike Mill’s melodic bass, multi-instrumentalism, and (my favorite part of R.E.M.) his harmonies with Stipe.

They have one of the greatest (and maybe underrated) decades of any band I can imagine. If you like alternative music, you should check out their output from their debut “Murmur” up until and including “Automatic for the People.” That’s not even counting what they did on the following two albums “Monster” or “New Adventures in Hi-Fi.” They’re remarkably consistent throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, with hits and album tracks worth exploring in equal measure. And yes, you can explore further than that even. They lasted until the 2010s. Here a few more obscure or lesser-known tracks you should check out.

“Perfect Circle,” “Harborcoat,” “Cuyahoga,” and “Me in Honey” to name just four.

Not only did they succeed on a musical level, they did so with integrity. These are guys that actually loved each other whether or not they told each other all the time. They supported Michael Stipe when he came out publicly. They supported Bill Berry when he stepped away from the band for health reasons. They stood together to write songs about complicated issues and to promote progressive politics. If you watch their “CBS Mornings” interview from a year ago, you’ll see Berry describe his complicated exit. When he starts to break down, they all offer their support for him. They openly defend his exit. In a symbolic gesture, Stipe touches Berry’s shoulder.

It’s a beautiful moment that you don’t always get to see between rockers. These guys clearly have more maturity than a lot of other groups. Berry left and let the band continue without him. They carried on for another decade plus. And to top it all off, they mutually agreed to end the band on good terms in 2011.

This isn’t me saying “a musician or a band must be perfect for me to enjoy them.” I’m not trying to say that. Most of us listen to artists that are deeply flawed. R.E.M. is not perfect either, nor do I want them to be. What I am saying is that it’s nice to see four people make music and not want to kill each other. It can be done. They proved it.

That isn’t to say I love all of their work. I never loved “Everybody Hurts.” With a few exceptions, I can’t connect with much of their catalog after “New Adventures in Hi-Fi.” I would’ve much preferred they explored their earlier sounds again in one form or another. I would’ve even liked for them to go out on a limb and experiment more. And to be clear, I feel this way about most bands. There are bad Beatles songs too, and I kind of prefer that. R.E.M. took plenty of chances, but they all didn’t pay off.

While I’m a generation (and a half) removed from their core audience, I still connect with R.E.M. on a deep level. I find much of their output to be endlessly fascinating. It’s full of all these intriguing deep cuts, fun guitar parts, and even a few heartfelt ballads. It’s also large enough that you can never be bored. At least that’s how I feel.

I also think they have one of the better records ever sequenced. There, I said it. I think that “Automatic for the People” is brilliantly laid out. Not only is it full of amazing songs, it’s got maybe the best ending to any record of the 1990s. The final three songs are “Man on the Moon,” “Nightswimming,” and “Find the River.” All three are worthy in their own right, but together they sell the greatness of this album. I also love “Nightswimming” with all of my heart. I always will. It’s not like many other R.E.M. songs, but it’s clearly one of their best.

So there you have it. Just a little something about a band that’s only grown in my mind. A band that I find myself drifting back to from time to time. I always end up finding something new when I go back. Another album or track to appreciate. A new story about their time together. I’m not an expert on them, but they seem like a band worthy of further exploration. If you’ve been sleeping on them, maybe this is a chance to give them another go. You don’t have to listen to “Losing My Religion” either. Go deeper and you’ll find something you’ve never heard. Maybe it’ll change your life. Or maybe it’ll keep you going for just a little bit longer.

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As always, thanks for reading. And thank you to everyone that helped get me to 50 subscribers. I still can’t believe it and I hope to continue writing as much as I can.

P.S. What’s your favorite R.E.M. song?