R.E.M. is an American band formed in 1980 in Athens, Georgia and originally composed of Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe. A group that can boast of having sold no less than 85 million records to date, making him one of the best-selling groups in the world.
The group released his first single "Radio Free Europe" in 1981, a single which was highly regarded, especially from critics, but had very limited commercial success.
They will have to wait another 2 years and the release of the album "Murmur" in 1983 to see their efforts finally rewarded. The album was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic and launched the band's career for good, notably thanks to a reworked version of the track "Radio free Europe".
New album "Reckoning" in 1984, album acclaimed by critics and which confirms the rise of the group but without allowing him to compete with the greatest. The album "Fables of the Reconstruction" which came out a year later in 1985 will do slightly better but nothing more. A relative failure due to the album's appalling recording conditions in England.
The second part of the 1980s will be much more favorable to the group with a clearly increasing level of success, starting with the album "Lifes rich pageant" which was released in 1986. Paradoxically, the album struggled to produce a any single of planetary class.
On the other hand, the next album "Document", which was released in 1987, produced their first global mega-hit, "The one I love", which sent the group to the forefront of the international stage in a resounding fashion.
A dynamic of success that was amplified even more when the album "Green" was released a year later in 1988, the year in which the group changed labels and arrived at Warner Bros Records. The album will sell more than 4 million copies worldwide and alone produce 2 mega hits "Orange crush" and "Stand". To which is added the top hit "Pop song 89", bringing to 3 the number of world class singles produced by the album.
You would think that the band has reached its peak and that the 1990s will be the decade of decline. It’s bad to know them ! The album "Out of time" which came out in 1991 will smash everything in its path, sell altogether more than 12 million copies around the world and raise the group to a level of notoriety that they would never have imagined. With the result the production of an enormous single which will surely remain as the most emblematic of all their discography, namely "Losing my religion", single which will deeply mark this year 1991 and especially the beginning of the 1990s.
Album which will be worth to them 3 Grammy Awards in 1992 and which will also produce a second single of interplanetary class with the title "Shiny happy people" which they interpret in duet with Kate Pierson of the B-52's (another flagship group also from Athens) .
An adventure which continues in earnest a year later in 1992 with the release of the album "Automatic for the people", the group's new flagship album (nearly 15 million copies will be sold !) And considered to be this day by critics as the best album of all their discography. Album of all records with no less than 4 mega hits produced such as "Drive", "Man on the moon", "The sidewinder sleeps tonite" and the enormous "Everybody hurts". But also 1 additional top hit with the title “Nighswimming” !
New album "Monster" in 1994, album with less success but which will still sell more than 9 million copies ! And who will produce no less than 3 new mega hits with the titles "What’s the frequency Kenneth ?","Bang and blame" and "Strange currencies". To these 3 flagship titles is added the top hit "Crush with eyeliner", thus making this album one of the most successful of the group.
Nothing, and no one, was able to stop the group during this decade since they produced an extraordinary album again in 1996 with the album "New adventure in HI-FI". Album a little less prolific than the previous one but which will still produce the mega hits "E-Bow the letter" and "Bittersweet me".
An incredible adventure that did not end with the release in 1998 of the album "Up", an album which kept the group at a stratospheric level of success but which nevertheless struggled to produce as many mega hits as its predecessors. Only the single "Daysleeper" will achieve mega hit status.
A drop in speed that will not prevent them from coming back the following decade and from continuing to smash everything. But that's another story…
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
Radio Free Europe 1983
Talk about the passion 1983
So. Central rain (I'm sorry) 1984
Pretty persuasion 1984
Can't get there from here 1985
Fall on me 1986
The one I love 1987
It's the end of the world as we know it (And I feel fine) 1987
Finest worksong 1988
Orange crush 1988
Stand 1989
Pop song 1989
Losing my religion 1991
Shiny happy people 1991
Near wild heaven 1991
Radio song 1991
Drive 1992
Man on the moon 1992
The sidewinder sleeps tonite 1993
Everybody hurts 1993
Nightswimming 1993
Find the river 1993
What's the frequency, Kenneth ? 1994
Bang and blame 1994
Strange currencies 1995
Crush with eyeliner 1995
E-Bow the letter 1996
Bittersweet me 1996
Electrolite 1996
Daysleeper 1998
Lotus 1998
At my most beautiful 1999
Suspicion 1999
The great beyond 1999
Imitation of life 2001
All the way to Reno (You're gonna be a star) 2001
I'll take the rain 2001
Bad day 2003
Animal 2004
Leaving New-York 2004
Aftermath 2004
Electron blue 2005
Wanderlust 2005
#9 Dream 2007
Supernatural superserious 2008
Hollow man 2008
Mine smell like honey 2011
Überlin 2011
Oh my heart 2011
Discoverer 2011
We all go back to where we belong 2011
Clips :
1983 ... a first version of the title comes out in 1981 but will go unnoticed to say the least. This version, on the other hand, will not go unnoticed and launch the group's career for good ...
1983 ... a second title of more than certain quality and which nevertheless went completely under the radar. It had started well though ...
1984 ... fortunately business resumed in 1984 and put the group back on the front of the stage. This is called a toll-free warning ...
1984 ... the recovery is confirmed with this title which will not remain as their best ranked title, it is clear, but which at least has the merit of keeping them largely afloat
1985 ... the group traces its route quietly but surely. Nothing exceptional so far but a good job for sure !
1986 ... the big take off will not yet take place in this year 1986 but the group is gaining strength, it is obvious. So we imagine that something big will necessarily happen at some point !
1987 .... the big takeoff, here it is ! We suspected that at some point all their efforts would pay off. It is now done with this title !
1987 ... a sequel that will not really have the same level of impact as the title that preceded it. On this occasion, the group rather confused speed and precipitation ...
1988 ... a year 1988 which starts again on the same bases as the end of the previous year, that is to say in a rather average way. Attention danger as they say ...
1988 ... the titles follow one another but do not necessarily resemble each other, that's clear. As much as the previous title went somewhat under the radar, this one will make talk about it !
1989 ... and what to say about it ! The group won a new planetary star in the year 1989 and ended the 1980s on the hats of wheel. It promises for the future !
1989 ... the group undoubtedly becomes one of the phenomena of the moment and is ideally positioned for the following events. A sequel that will prove to be grandiose to say the least !
1991 ... and the grandiose sequel, here it is ! Here they sign quite simply the biggest success of their entire career and deliver a title that will become one of the most emblematic titles of the whole decade, just that. MAS-TER-FUL !
1991 ... and they put it right back ! The group is at the height of its art and it shows, above all it can be heard ! All the more so when they have the incredible and above all excellent idea to go and poach Kate Pierson from the B-52's, the result can only be extraordinary. And he is !
1991 ... a year 1991 which will undoubtedly remain as one of their best vintages. Even if this title will be the 'little' hit of the year, we will largely be satisfied with it !
1991 ... a hybrid title which mixes strength and finesse and which ends an exceptional year in all respects for the group. There are years like this !
1992 ... a title full of finesse, at least initially. Because with them, it always has to beat up at one time or another. This title will not escape it ...
1992 ... this time, they will hold on to the end on the light side. Well almost. Anyway, in this year 1992 they will have offered us another facet of their talent that we can only necessarily appreciate !
1993 ... a year 1993 which started again on the hats of wheel. No more finesse and lightness, return of the style that has always been their business. But it could be that what follows has in store for us a hell of a surprise !
1993 ... they will have signed one of the biggest Dance hits of the 90s, they will add one of the biggest Intimist hits, just that. Their talent is really well above average at the start of the decade and the competition had better watch out. MA-GIC !
1993 ... we can only appreciate this alternation of punchy titles and much more finely tuned titles. The band is good in everything and again the word 'good' is weak. The word 'excel' would actually be the term that suits them best !
1993 ... a title which will only be classified in the Overseas Channel but which completes a collection of top-notch Intimist titles. We always ask for more !
1994 ... hunt the natural, it comes back at a gallop. The group set off again in boosted mode, a mode that appeals to the general public given the level of success achieved by this title !
1994 ... as the year 1993 will have been Intimist, as the year 1994 will be very strong. A return to the fundamentals of the group which pleases in any case !
1995 ... they decide to play it from now on in total alternation of style every other year. An Intimist year and a year in much faster mode. The year 1995 will therefore necessarily be in the first mode ...
1995 ... all in all, they decided to mix all styles in this year 1995. Suddenly, the public has trouble keeping up and this year will not necessarily remain as one of their best vintages ...
1996 ... the group continues its adventure with obvious mastery and above all continues to prance at the top of the Charts. 15 years after their debut, their talent and inspiration still continue to work wonders !
1996 ... the 1980s saw them bloom, but it was really the 1990s that would consecrate them and make them one of the most outstanding groups of the end of the twentieth century. The proof with this new succession of mega hits !
1996 ... nothing, and no one, seems to be able to stop their irreversible ascent to the highest peaks. A level of excellence that can only be found among the Greatest !
1998 ... after a year 1997 when exceptionally not much will happen, here they are back in this year 1988 in a more than certain form. Who says certain form, necessarily says return of success !
1998 ... of course, they cannot win the cup on each title produced but the whole remains nonetheless of a very high level. And let's go to last like that for a few more years ...
1999 ... a nice ballad to end this decade of the 90s in the best possible way. A pretty ballad which will nevertheless pass somewhat unnoticed and will only experience its heyday across the Channel ...
1999 ... yet another nice title full of finesse which would have deserved much greater recognition than it was. Because this title will not even be classified, go figure ...
1999 ... the final clap of a decade which saw the group reach an unprecedented level of notoriety. You could say that they've reached the peak of their career. It is very bad to know them given what is announced on the horizon ...
2001 ... of course, nothing will have happened during the year 2000 but it is better to return in this year 2001. The group begins its 3rd decade of career on the hats of wheel and certainly does not intend to stop there !
2001 ... already 20 years spent at the top of the Charts without ever going out of fashion, a real feat. Few groups will have achieved such a performance, that's clear !
2001 ... yet another title that will pass 'through'. It will only experience its heyday in the Overseas Channel, but many other groups would already be satisfied with this 'small' level of success ...
2003 ... after an empty year 2002, here they are again in a certain form. The air holes with them are not alarming because they are systematically reborn from their ashes in a spectacular way and have always been !
2004 ... even if they no longer produce an exceptional track, the level remains largely sufficient to keep them at the top of the leading pack. What talent !
2004 ... nothing exceptional, of course, but of a very high standard once again. The inspiration of the group evolves constantly and fits perfectly with the latest trends of each era. Mighty feat !
2004 ... a magnificent adventure which continues unabated. And which shows once again that this group really has nothing in common with the rest of the competition !
2005 ... one of their very rare 'little years'. And yet, when we see the quality of the title, we really wonder what was missing from this title to have the favor of the general public ...
2005 ... this title will not do better than its predecessor. A mid-2000s a little more complicated to manage than expected for the group. But nothing serious for now ...
2007 ... new air hole in 2006 and stealthy comeback in 2007 with this luxury cover of John Lennon's title dating from 1974. We will be happy with that !
2008 ... the last mega hit of the decade. One more will tell me, but it is clear that the level of success has been declining year by year since the middle of the decade. Basic trend or slump. Good question...
2008 ... the production of titles continues at the end of the decade but the group does more some figuration than anything else. It remains to be seen what the next decade has in store for them ...
2011 ... they will have to wait 3 years before regaining the very high level. And again, with a level of success that will have nothing to do with what they experienced during the previous decades ...
2011 ... a BIG year 2011 which sees them all the same release several titles of very big caliber. Including this one which will remain as the best ranked of all. There is still hope, that's clear !
2011 ... a year 2011 which will be their last year of notable activity. Almost 30 years after its debut, the group decides to finally turn the page. What a career !
2011 ... an exceptional career which ended in apotheosis with this deluge of titles of more than certain quality. Until the end they will have been good !
2011 ... this time, it's definitely the end. The end of an incredible adventure which will have consecrated this group as one of the major groups of the end of the 20th century. What more can be said...
Wiki :
Official Website :
https://www.remhq.com/ Greatest Hits :
Discography :