R.E.M.

Artist Image: R.E.M.
Attribution
Image Credit: Stefano (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scaccia/39502717/), CC BY-SA 2.0

Biography

R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's unclear vocals. R.E.M. released its first single, "Radio Free Europe", in 1981 on the independent record label Hib-Tone. The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982, the band's first release on I.R.S. Records. In 1983, the group released its critically acclaimed debut album, Murmur, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent releases, constant touring, and the support of college radio. Following years of underground success, R.E.M. achieved a mainstream hit in 1987 with the single "The One I Love". The group signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to espouse political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide. By the early 1990s, when alternative rock began to experience broad mainstream success, R.E.M. was viewed by subsequent acts such as Nirvana and Pavement as a pioneer of the genre and released its two most commercially successful albums, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), which veered from the band's established sound. R.E.M.'s 1994 release, Monster, was a return to a more rock-oriented sound. The band began its first tour in six years to support the album; the tour was marred by medical emergencies suffered by three band members. In 1996, R.E.M. re-signed with Warner Bros. for a reported US$80 million, at the time the most expensive recording contract in history. The following year, Bill Berry left the band, while Buck, Mills, and Stipe continued the group as a trio. Through some changes in musical style, the band continued its career into the next decade with mixed critical and commercial success. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. R.E.M. disbanded in September 2011, announcing the split on its website.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1980
Number of Albums 48
Record Label Warner Bros. Records
Website www.remhq.com
Wikipedia R.E.M. on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

What was the name of the band's first album with Warner Bros.?

Green

...struction and Lifes Rich Pageant. Their first album with Warner Bros was Green , which produced the top ten hit Stand. The band took an extended break ...
When did the band take a break from playing live?

between 1989 and 1995

...The band took an extended break from playing live and didnt tour between 1989 and 1995 . During that period they released the biggest albums of their c...
What was the name of the biggest album released by the band in 1991?

Out of Time

... During that period they released the biggest albums of their career: Out of Time (1991), Automatic for the People (1992) and Monster (1994). They con...
What was the name of the album that was released in 2011?

Collapse Into Now

...ved very popular internationally. They followed it up in 2011 with Collapse Into Now , an album that combines the faster rock sound of Accelerate with ...
In what year was Collapse Into Now released?

2011

...d States but proved very popular internationally. They followed it up in 2011 with Collapse Into Now, an album that combines the faster rock sound of ...
What is the name of the Easy Songs for Beginners song?

Man on the Moon

...omatic for the People. We have chosen the songs Losing My Religion, Man on the Moon , and Driver 8 for our Easy Songs for Beginners. We think that most...
Who convinced Stipe to join his group called the Bandon covers of the Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter and Rushs Working Man?

Craig Franklin

... band whose history has already been well scoured. Stipes classmate Craig Franklin asked him to enter and says Stipe replied, I dont sing. But Frankli...
Who is William Orten Ort Carlton?

Athens scenester

...ing Man, likely his firstever public performance. But according to Athens scenester William Orten Ort Carlton, Thats not right at all. The band was ac...
What was the band named after?

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

...rlton, Thats not right at all. The band was actually named after Ralph Eugene Meatyard . As proof, he offers that Meatyardan obscure, Kentuckybased pho...
What was the name of R.E.M's first single?

Radio Free Europe

...When their first single, Radio Free Europe , was released in 1981, it sparked a backtothegarage movement in the American underground. While there were ...
When was Radio Free Europe released?

1981

...When their first single, Radio Free Europe, was released in 1981 , it sparked a backtothegarage movement in the American underground. While there were ...
What was Chronic Town's signature sound?

haunting folk and garage rock

...ed their slow climb to stardom. Chronic Town established the haunting folk and garage rock that became the band's signature sound, and over the next f...
How long did the band continue to expand their music?

five years

...garage rock that became the band's signature sound, and over the next five years , they continued to expand their music with a series of critically acc...
In what year did Out of Time and Automatic for the People come out?

1992

...r most popular records, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People ( 1992 ). By the time they returned to performing with the Monster tour in 1995,...
What was the name of the album released in 1992?

Automatic for the People

... to produce their most popular records, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992). By the time they returned to performing with the Monst...
What was the name of the most influential rock band of the Eighties and Nineties?

REM

...Horoscope: REM , arguably the most influential rock band of the Eighties and Nineties, released Reveal in 2001 and received its best reviews in nearly ...
When did REM release Reveal?

2001

...t influential rock band of the Eighties and Nineties, released Reveal in 2001 and received its best reviews in nearly a decade. If you've started a ba...
Who is Michael Stipe?

Singersongwriter

... a band in the last 15 years, you've looked at how REM did things. Singersongwriter Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bass player Mike Mills, and d...
When was the first gig for REM?

April 19, 1980

...player Mike Mills, and drummer Bill Berry played their first gig on April 19, 1980 . We were like an arty garage band, says Peter. The group began to d...
What label did REM sign with?

IRS

.... The group began to develop a cult following and signed with indie label IRS . In the late Eighties, Stipe's lyrics often mumbled and incoherent becam...
Who is the manager of R.e.M.?

Jefferson Holt

...om some of the band's albums list attorney Bertis Downs and manager Jefferson Holt as nonmusical members. In the early 1990s, other alternative rock a...
When did Berry leave the band?

1997

... such as Nirvana and Pavement viewed R.E.M. After Berry left the band in 1997 , the band continued its career in the 2000s with mixed critical and comm...
What is the name of the attorney who was a nonmusical member of the band in the early 1990s?

Bertis Downs

...biguation). Liner notes from some of the band's albums list attorney Bertis Downs and manager Jefferson Holt as nonmusical members. In the early 1990s...
How many albums did the band sell worldwide?

85 million

...th members devoting time to solo projects after having sold more than 85 million albums worldwide and becoming one of the world's bestselling music ac...
What was the name of the band's first release on I.R.S.?

Chronic Town EP

...g one of the world's bestselling music acts. It was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982, the band's first release on I.R.S. Don Dixon and Mitch Ea...
Who produced the first two albums for the band?

Don Dixon and Mitch Easter

...e Chronic Town EP in 1982, the band's first release on I.R.S. Don Dixon and Mitch Easter produced their first two albums, Joe Boyd handled production ...
Which album was produced by Joe Boyd?

Fables of the Reconstruction

...duced their first two albums, Joe Boyd handled production on Fables of the Reconstruction and Don Gehman produced Lifes Rich Pageant. They also starte...
Who produced Fables of the Reconstruction?

Joe Boyd

... on I.R.S. Don Dixon and Mitch Easter produced their first two albums, Joe Boyd handled production on Fables of the Reconstruction and Don Gehman prod...
Who produced Lifes Rich Pageant?

Don Gehman

...bums, Joe Boyd handled production on Fables of the Reconstruction and Don Gehman produced Lifes Rich Pageant. They also started coproducing their mate...
In what year did R.E.M. sign to Warner Bros. Records?

1988

... underground success, R.E.M. The group signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988 , and began to espouse political and environmental concerns while playing...
What did R.E.M. do to popularize a contemporary music group?

noncommercial college radio airplay and small, independentlabel releases

...e 1980s to prove the viability of both noncommercial college radio airplay and small, independentlabel releases as means of popularizing a contemporar...
What was the original sound of R.E.M.?

1960s folkrock

...ving their success, R.E.M. Originally favoring a sound derived from 1960s folkrock , R.E.M. Bassist Michael Mills and drummer Bill Berry had played tog...
What was Bill Berry's profession?

drummer

...g a sound derived from 1960s folkrock, R.E.M. Bassist Michael Mills and drummer Bill Berry had played together in various groups since high school. Wi...
Who was the primary lyricist and lead singer?

Michael Stipe

... Berry had played together in various groups since high school. With Michael Stipe serving as primary lyricist and lead singer and Peter Buck providin...
When was Murmur released?

1982

... and college fans. Murmur, their first fulllength album, was released in 1982 and sold remarkably well, with A&M handling national distribution of the...
What album did the band release?

Murmur

... label in 1981 and drew the attention of rock critics and college fans. Murmur , their first fulllength album, was released in 1982 and sold remarkably...
When did alternative rock begin to enter the mainstream?

early 1990s

...d environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide. By the early 1990s , when alternative rock began to enter the mainstream, R.E.M. The ban...
How many members of Monster were injured during the tour?

three

...upport the album; the tour was marred by medical emergencies suffered by three of the band members. Its 1996 release, New Adventures in HiFi, though c...
What year was Monster released?

1994

...the band's established sound and catapulted it to international fame. 's 1994 release, Monster, was a return to a more rockoriented sound, but still c...
What year did New Adventures in HiFi come out?

1996

...marred by medical emergencies suffered by three of the band members. Its 1996 release, New Adventures in HiFi, though critically acclaimed, fared wors...
Who left the band in 1996?

Bill Berry

..., fared worse commercially than its predecessors. The following year, Bill Berry left the band, while Stipe, Buck, and Mills continued the group as a ...
What was the name of the band's 1996 release?

New Adventures in HiFi

...encies suffered by three of the band members. Its 1996 release, New Adventures in HiFi , though critically acclaimed, fared worse commercially than its...
What was the name of their first single?

Radio Free Europe and Sitting Still

...rience and exposure showed up well on their first single, Radio Free Europe and Sitting Still , which was released on their local HibTone record label ...
Radio Free Europe and Sitting Still was released on what label?

HibTone

... Radio Free Europe and Sitting Still, which was released on their local HibTone record label in 1981. Radio Free Europe earned them a cult following w...
What was Radio Free Europe's first EP called?

Chronic Town

...ree Europe earned them a cult following which led to their first EP, Chronic Town , on IRS records in 1982. 's haunting style of folk and rock clashed ...
What was the name of R.E.M.'s 1984 release?

Reckoning

...e selected it as album of the year and R.E.M. With their 1984 release, Reckoning , the sound was still unlike anything else being played at the time an...
What year was Reckoning released?

1984

...but Rolling Stone selected it as album of the year and R.E.M. With their 1984 release, Reckoning, the sound was still unlike anything else being playe...
Where did Murmur rank on the album charts?

136

...s newwave sound, more people sat up and listened. Murmur peaked at number 136 on the album charts, but Rolling Stone selected it as album of the year ...