R.E.M. announced their official break up last week after 31 years and 15 studio albums. Basically the poster boys for college radio in the 80s, they brought “alternative” to the general public in the 90s. Via their website frontman Michael Stipe posted the following message:
“To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band,” read the statement, which was posted today. “We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening.”
When a band as been around as long as R.E.M. there is a lot of material to cover. But long before they hit the big time with chart-toppers like “Shiny Happy People” and “Losing My Religion” from 1991’s Out Of Time, they had already put out six albums in the 80s, building their ultimately massive fan base one single at a time. Here are those videos.
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