9 replies to this topic

[Pilgrimager]

I guess the public at large will forget about them and they'll gradually cease to be a household name but I think the academics and critics of the future will still analyse and praise the band and recognise their genius although, like now, they'll probably be a few who hate them and can't see what all the fuss was about. R.E.M were known in the 1980's as the best kept secret in music so maybe in the 2080's they'll once again be known as the best kept secret in music.

[thomas08]

R.E.M. will always be remembered as a band who stayed true to themselves and their fans. Even if people forget about the name R.E.M., songs like losing my religion, everybody hurts and man on the moon will live on forever.

They're part of our legacy now, and because of the internet, no one can ever take away people's memories of the band - the majority of these memories are on youtube.

[Lenny Bruce]

They'll be remembered for making timeless music, for not selling out and for making their career on their terms (at least as much as a band can).

[Driver Nate]

It's too soon to say how they will be remembered especially when so many said they didn't even realize they were still together when they announced they were disbanding back in September. The outpouring of remembrances at the time was a pretty good barometer of just how well they're still thought of. Thing is, most of those pieces were written by older folks so younger people are the ones that the most unfamiliar with them. At least that's my take on it. I've mentioned this before but when I saw the Love Language perform ini Wilmington a couple of years ago the house music before their set was Reckoning. As sort of an experiment, I walked around asking some of the college aged kids in attendance who it was and almost none of them knew. The upside is that they liked it. They probably thought it was the latest indie college rock band. That's also a testament to just how timeless those early R.E.M. records sound.

[Bill Berrys Eyebrows]

REM should be remembered as one of the first alternative bands in the US to tread a path for what came after. In my opinion along with the Replacements they are the pioneers of underground music at that time. Here in the UK both bands were unheard of for years before REM broke and most people thought Out Of Time was their first album. The Replacements are still largely unheard of here.
Thats how I look back at REM but I'm sure most in this country will remember them for the hits in the 90's

[Ginger]

Pilgrimager, on 31 December 2011 - 07:34 AM, said:

I guess the public at large will forget about them and they'll gradually cease to be a household name but I think the academics and critics of the future will still analyse and praise the band and recognise their genius although, like now, they'll probably be a few who hate them and can't see what all the fuss was about. R.E.M were known in the 1980's as the best kept secret in music so maybe in the 2080's they'll once again be known as the best kept secret in music.

good point

[Sweet Fanny Addams]

I was watching the Sunday news review for the week today. The government is in really  deep shit. They ran a little film of all the issues that have bit them in the ass this past 7 days and soundtracked  Bad Day.
It was perfect. I did my usual "sit up and yip out loud when unexpected REM song comes on" and because Bad Day was pretty much a B side my hubby and kids didn't know it was REM. So when I told them it was, I felt so proud of our lads. They got it right in ways other bands can only dream about.

[Ginger]

Sweet Fanny Addams, on 29 April 2012 - 09:58 AM, said:

I was watching the Sunday news review for the week today. The government is in really  deep shit. They ran a little film of all the issues that have bit them in the ass this past 7 days and soundtracked  Bad Day.
It was perfect. I did my usual "sit up and yip out loud when unexpected REM song comes on" and because Bad Day was pretty much a B side my hubby and kids didn't know it was REM. So when I told them it was, I felt so proud of our lads. They got it right in ways other bands can only dream about.

I couldn't have said it better!

[stipeeyes]

Lenny Bruce, on 31 December 2011 - 12:46 PM, said:

They'll be remembered for making timeless music, for not selling out and for making their career on their terms (at least as much as a band can).

I agree

[In My Stipean Year]

I think it's too early to say.  There needs to be a period where everything sifts down and a consensus -- forged by critics, musicians and the public -- emerges as to what was truly meritorious and what wasn't.  This is especially true for the period 1983-1996, when they recorded a tremendous amount of music.