R.E.M.‘s breakup announcement on Wednesday (Sept. 21) effectively silenced a band that changed the course of alternative rock music by constantly evolving its sound. It’s hard to believe that the band who attained pop ubiquity with “Shiny Happy People” was the same quartert that created the hushed elegance of 1983 debut “Murmur”; likewise, the rock blast of “It’s The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” offered no hint of the oblique introspection found on a song like “The Great Beyond.” Michael Stipe and co. refused to stay the same over the past 30 years — most recently pairing with producer Jacknife Lee for a more immediate sound on 2008’s “Accelerate” and this year’s “Collapse Into Now” — while producing thoughtful, wholly unique hits like “Everybody Hurts,” “The One I Love” and “Losing My Religion.”
R.E.M. Break Up: ‘Our Deepest Thanks for Listening’
In honor of the band’s breakup, check out 10 choice R.E.M. cuts, and tell us which of their songs is your favorite in the comments section below.
“Everybody Hurts”:
“Talk About the Passion”:
“The Great Beyond”:
“Shiny Happy People”:
“Fall on Me”:
“Orange Crush”:
“Losing My Religion”:
“Supernatural Superserious”:
“What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?”:
“It’s The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”: