R.E.M. to Release ‘Monster’ 25th-Anniversary Box SetR.E.M. to Release ‘Monster’ 25th-Anniversary Box SetPackage will include new remix, unheard demos and unreleased live recording.Martin KieltyMartin Kielty
How R.E.M.’s Small-Scale Ambitions Came Up Big on ‘Murmur’How R.E.M.’s Small-Scale Ambitions Came Up Big on ‘Murmur’This debut was perfectly titled, since they were initially something you heard in passing more than really saw coming.Nick DeRisoNick DeRiso
How R.E.M. Careened Into the Future With ‘Accelerate’How R.E.M. Careened Into the Future With ‘Accelerate’As its title implies, this record possesses great urgency.Annie ZaleskiAnnie Zaleski
Michael Stipe Wrestles with Writer’s Block to Complete ‘Man on the Moon’Michael Stipe Wrestles with Writer’s Block to Complete ‘Man on the Moon’The song was ready. Everything was there: Bass, drums, guitars. There was only one slight problem. It didn’t have a title, or lyrics, or vocals. Bryan WawzenekBryan Wawzenek
R.E.M. Get Kind of Blue on ‘New Orleans Instrumental No. 1’R.E.M. Get Kind of Blue on ‘New Orleans Instrumental No. 1’Taking inspiration from the Big Easy, and some wine, R.E.M. created a late-night atmosphere on 'Automatic''s lone instrumental track.Bryan WawzenekBryan Wawzenek
R.E.M. Find a Hollow Center in ‘Sweetness Follows’R.E.M. Find a Hollow Center in ‘Sweetness Follows’A meditation on loss, the quiet, pulsing "Sweetness Follows" might be the centerpiece of 'Automatic for the People.'Bryan WawzenekBryan Wawzenek
R.E.M. Show Some Soul on ‘Everybody Hurts’: The Story Behind Every ‘Automatic for the People’ SongR.E.M. Show Some Soul on ‘Everybody Hurts’: The Story Behind Every ‘Automatic for the People’ SongR.E.M.'s R&B-influenced ballad took an uncharacteristically direct approach to the subject of suicide. Bryan WawzenekBryan Wawzenek
25 Years Ago: R.E.M. Create a Melancholy Masterpiece With ‘Automatic for the People’25 Years Ago: R.E.M. Create a Melancholy Masterpiece With ‘Automatic for the People’Initially planning to make a big rock record, R.E.M. decided to focus on acoustic sounds and dark themes on their eighth and, perhaps, most celebrated album.Bryan WawzenekBryan Wawzenek
The Story of R.E.M.’s First ConcertThe Story of R.E.M.’s First ConcertR.E.M. weren't even called R.E.M. yet when they took the stage for the first time.Nick DeRisoNick DeRiso
How R.E.M. Threw Out the Rule Book Then Became Superstars With ‘Out of Time’How R.E.M. Threw Out the Rule Book Then Became Superstars With ‘Out of Time’Gutsy and creatively free, 'Out of Time' did things other R.E.M. albums hadn't.Nick DeRisoNick DeRiso