10 Best Songs of R.E.M. and Let's Talk About the Band

R.E.M. (1980-2011)
#1

Hi murmurs! :slight_smile:

Actually, I just discovered this place today! It’s super cool, I have a soft spot for the traditional forums, and I used to post in forums when I was a kid. This site reminds me of that! Thank you :slight_smile:

I’m a Chinese girl and I’ve been a R.E.M. fan since I was a teenager!

Recently I made a video about R.E.M., which contains my personal Top Ten R.E.M. songs and a brief discussion about the band (overview, legacy, comparisons, etc).

Hope it could bring some fresh insight to the people who have been fans of R.E.M. for decades. I hope you enjoy!

Have a good day! :slight_smile:
Best wishes

11 Likes
#2

Hi Stella,

I really liked your video and plan to do something like it myself, some day–talking about R.E.M. and aspects about them that I love. I think I’m EVEN more impressed with how much you love alt. and indie rock. This is my preferred genre, especially from the 80s and 90s, and I’m stunned, stunned, STUNNED that the world has completely forgotten about how amazing bass/drums/guitars and vocals are.

Stunned. :confused:

I don’t want to hate on what currently passes for music, but man. I just feel so bad for the youth of today. I grew up in 90-94, the peak of great rock music (if you don’t count the 60s, lol). It just boggles my mind that the mainstream is so anti-guitar. Okay. I’m done ranting.

Anyway, your channel is very cool.

#3

Hi,

Thanks for the reply! :slight_smile:

I’m glad the video spoke something to you. And you should certainly try a video about R.E.M., (feel free to send link when you have one :slight_smile: ) sometimes I just wish I had started the channel sooner!

Ha - imagine how alienated I was regarding music preference growing up in China. You are really lucky in that regard! I agree - 80s and 90s were the best for alt-rock. After 2000s it just goes downhills, trend always changes I guess!

Best wishes :slight_smile:

1 Like
#4

I really like your approach to video making, it’s kinda like an eighties fanzine, come to life.

I’ve said this about early R.E.M.:

They opened us to a world that never existed, but we wish it had…

#5

What a beautiful line - I’ll remember it! (or maybe steal it :p)

#6

@StellaLi1234 you may have already seen this. If not you may find it worth watching.

4 Likes
#7

Um… guess I’m crazy enough to try.

Harborcoat
Feeling Gravitys Pull
Falls to Climb
Nightswimming
Swan Swan H
Laughing
I’ve Been High
New Test Leper
Sweetness Follows
Gardening at Night

Half of them tunes that were out before I learned to speak, historian feels.

2 Likes
#8

That’s the funny thing about being a huge fan: I really like all those songs and not a single one would be in my own list.

2 Likes
#9

On any given day “Gardening at Night” is going to be at the top of my list of favorites. Beyond that it is subject to fluctuate based on mood, wind direction, weather conditions, and other factors.

1 Like
#10

I respect 90 -94 but the 80s kicked ass, and the 70s too, in their own different ways. (Ya had to be there I guess)

#11

It’s yours. I do not own my words. I love the line from Hamlet, when someone asks what he’s reading, his answer is:

Words, words, words.

1 Like
#12

Yes I have seen that video! The video has spoken about something that has baffled me too - they are ignored to some extent.

The Chinese alt-rock fans of my generation don’t really listen to much R.E.M. beyond Out of Time and Automatic for the people, while Smiths, Cure, Pixies hold some diehard fans.

2 Likes
#13

Ha - you choose Harborcoat as #1 too! Awesome. And Laughing :smiley: laugh, New Test Leper, Sweetness Follows are all great.

#14

wind directions, city metro on time or not, grocery cashier’s outfit! :smiley:

1 Like
#15

That’s another brilliant line - wow! :smiley:

#16

It is hard for me to gauge how well they are currently thought of but it is a topic that interests me. The reissues of “Radio Free Europe” and New Adventures in Hi Fi from last year both seemed to receive a fair amount of press. In fact, there was another review of New Adventures in Hi Fi published just yesterday by The Big Takeover. One of our local radio stations that plays new music plays R.E.M. fairly regularly and will sometimes go beyond the hits with songs like “Pretty Persuasion.” Then again, they’re a Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) station where it is not unusual to hear deep album cuts. One of the local Classic Rock stations plays no R.E.M. at all while another plays some of the hits.
A few years ago, when I saw a local band called The Love Language, they played Reckoning over the house system before they played. As sort of an experiment, I walked around asking folks (all of whom were of college age) who the band was. None of them knew. More recently, a young upcoming artist covered an R.E.M. song for a website/publication that I believe may have been Magnet. My apologies for not remembering more details but as I recall the whole premise was based on how R.E.M. is relatively unknown amongst newer generations. In fact, the artist covering the song had not heard of them but once the writer played them some of R.E.M.'s more well known songs she recognized them.

2 Likes
#17

I had not seen this, thank you!! It was excellent and right on. I’m just sorry for all people that don’t know or realize what they are missing or have missed cuz they truly are the best biggest band in the world

3 Likes
#18

It’s interesting how it’s the same in the USA and in China!

R.E.M.'s early works are unknown to the newer generations. People don’t find R.E.M. to be alternative or “cool” anymore.

#19

I know a 26 year old that is well versed in all things R.E.M., alternative, and other genres of music as well but she may be the exception to the rule when it comes to R.E.M. Without doing some sort of survey it’s hard to gauge how well they are regarded by younger generations.

#20

Just because I had nothing else to do this quiet afternoon and I’m in a good mood, I decided to rank some songs. Turned out nice. So here’s my top 10 R.E.M. songs in alphabetical order (because ranking them individually in order of preference would be too much):

Bittersweet me
E-bow the letter
Fall on me
Finest worksong
First we take Manhattan
Leave
Orange crush
So. central rain
Suspicion
Wolves lower

If I need to go to 20, there’s this:

Ages of you
Country feedback (live)
Feeling gravitys pull
I’ve been high
Perfect circle
The wake-up bomb
These days
Turn you inside-out
Walk unafraid (live)
What’s the frequency, Kenneth?

“Try going to 30”, you ask me. Sure:

Crazy
Harborcoat
How the west was won
ITEOTW
Losing my religion
Pretty persuasion
Radio free europe
Strange currencies
Talk about the passion
The one I love