Popular songs by R.E.M.

Losing My Religion

The song was released as the first single from the group's 1991 album "Out of Time".

"Losing My Religion" is based on Peter Buck's mandolin-playing. The song became R.E.M.'s biggest hit in the United States. The single stayed on the chart for 21 weeks.

It was nominated for several Grammy Awards, and won two for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Short Form Music Video.

The music video was nominated in nine categories at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. The video won six awards, including Video of the Year, Best Group Video, Breakthrough Video, Best Art Direction, Best Direction, and Best Editing. "Losing My Religion" also ranked first in the music video category of the 1991 Pazz & Jop poll.



Shiny Happy People

The song appeared on their 1991 album "Out of Time" and was released as a single in the same year. It features guest backing vocals by Kate Pierson of the B-52's, who also has a prominent role in the song's music video.

If you want to know more about Kate Pierson and about the B-52's have a look at their official website:
--------> http://theb52s.com/

"Shiny Happy People" became the first R.E.M. song to reach the top ten in the UK and the only one to reach the top ten in both countries. To date, it was the last single to reach the top ten on the chart in the United States.

Other Versions: The band performed it on Sesame Street under the title "Furry Happy Monsters." The female vocal was performed by Stephanie D'Abruzzo. An adaptation was written by Sesame Street writer Christopher Cerf, changing many of the lyrics to fit the context of the scene.

The song has also been covered by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, but without the lyrics.

By Nadine and Corina

R.E.M.

Mills, Berry, Buck, and Stipe, decided to drop out of college and focus on their band, now named R.E.M. The alternative rock band quickly developed a following and were soon signed to I.R.S. Records. They are all from Georgia, America.



Members

 

Mike Mills, Peter Buck, Michael Stipe

Mike Mills: He is the chief composer behind many of R.E.M.'s songs. He is a multi-instrumentalist.

Peter Buck: He is the guitarist and co-founder of the band.

Michael Stipe: He is the lead singer and the lyricist.

Past member

Bill Berry: He was the drummer of the band until 1997. But he left the band and became a farmer.


Beginning 

Stipe met Buck in 1980. The two became friends and decided to form a band. They started writing music together. The pair were soon joined by Berry and Mills and named themselves R.E.M., a name Stipe selected at random from a dictionary.

First Song

R.E.M. released its first single, "Radio Free Europe", in 1981.

Popular songs

Discography

The discography of R.E.M. consists of fourteen studio albums, two live albums, nine compilation albums, one extended play and sixty-four singles.

Studio albums:

• Murmur (1983)
• Reckoning (1984)
• Fables of the Reconstruction (1985)
• Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)
• Document (1987)
• Green (1988)
• Out of Time (1991)
• Automatic for the People (1992)
• Monster (1994)
• New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996)
• Up (1998)
• Reveal (2001)
• Around the Sun (2004)
• Accelerate (2008)
• Collapse into Now (scheduled for release in 2011) 

The band has sold more than 50 million albums and is amongst best selling artists of all time.


By Nadine and Corina