R.E.M

R.E.M are one of the most influential and loved bands of the 1990s. Although not strictly a 90s band by any means, as they formed in 1980 and have continued to have much success to this day, their breakthrough period in the early 90s remains their definitive period commercially.

R.E.M formed in Athens, Georgia (a productive city for musical success, also bring forth the B52s of Rock Lobster and Love Shack fame.) Their first acclaim came from the release of their 1981 debut single Radio Free Europe[1], which in my opinion remains one of their greatest tracks. In 1983 came the hugely significant debut album Murmur[2], which was critically well received and would go on in subsequent years to be lauded as a classic of early alternative rock. There weren’t commercial riches coming their way from the album thought, as is to be expected. Its success was sufficient enough though to ensure them a place as a burgeoning underground band with a rich fan base dominated by college students.

Their profile began to rise near the end of the 80s with minor hits like The One I Love[3], It’s The End of the World As We Know It[4] and Orange Crush[5]. Right as the 1990s began, R.E.M were poised to take over the world. This finally happened with the landmark album Out Of Time[6] in 1991. This album contained the iconic 90s megahit Losing My Religion, as well as (however much the band don’t want to admit it), the infectious classic Shiny Happy People (which included the vocals of Kate Pierson of the B52s.) The following year the band continued this success with Automatic For The People[7], featuring the famous hits Man On The Moon and Everybody Hurts. Ever since these two albums, R.E.M have been worldwide superstars and their every album has sold millions.

R.E.M are successful enough by a long way to warrant an indelible place in the annals of 90s music. But the true importance of their contribution to the decade lies in their pioneering of the Alternative Rock genre and subsequent influence on artists as varied as Nirvana and Sonic Youth.[8] R.E.M tend to be formally classified as alternative rock. While attempting to place an entire band’s catalogue (especially one this eclectic) into one genre is arbitrary, the term is particularly strange when applied to R.E.M’s music. Considering they are regarded as the godfathers of alternative rock, their music seems unusually far removed from what would typically be associated with this genre. Their sound is overall cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing than often distressing contemporaries like Radiohead. More telling than anything is the fact that because of R.E.M, it can be said that my mum likes an alternative rock band, which is truly bizarre in the wider context of her tastes. Part of the reason for this is the comparative pop value of their biggest hits compared to their wider catalogue. Certainly my mother’s fandom lies almost exclusively within a succession of their mainstream singles. Much of their album material reflects more of a typically associated alternative sound.

The main reason for their classification however lies in the way they have gone about the business of making music, moreso than the sound of the product itself. In their early days they deliberately subverted mainstream music practices after some initial bad experiences with the industry. They refused things like guitar solos or the synthesizers which were prevalent at the time because they were cliché. Another factor which created a distinct identity for the band was the nature of their primary output mediums and fan base. They associated with indie labels and other less prominent labels through the 1980s, and received heavy rotation on college radio stations where students of that specific age group identified with the band. Musically they were noteworthy not for any sort of defined alternative sound (mainly because none existed at the time), but for a distinct return to more 60s style sounds and musical substance and visions in the wake of post-punk.[8][9]

R.E.M are a legendary feature of 90s music, and they transcend barriers between pop and alternative to a level no-one else has ever achieved. It is this broad appeal that has garnered them so much success and I can recommend them equally to hardcore alternative fans, and people who like good melodic 90s pop in general. But surely recommendations should be unnecessary unless you've lived under a rock for at least twenty years.

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