R.E.M.

R.E.M.
R.E.M. in concert in Padova, Italy, in July 2003. From left to right: Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, touring drummer Bill Rieflin, and Peter Buck
Background information
Also known as	Twisted Kites Hornets Attack Victor Mature, Bingo Hand Job, It Crawled from the South
Origin	Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Alternative rock folk rock college rock jangle pop
Years active	1980 (1980)–2011 (2011)
Labels	Hib-Tone I.R.S. Warner Bros. Capitol New West Rhino Concord Bicycle Music
Associated acts	10,000 Maniacs Automatic Baby The Baseball Project Hindu Love Gods The Minus 5 Tuatara Tired Pony
Website	remhq.com
Past members	Bill Berry Peter Buck Mike Mills Michael Stipe

R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, that was formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, lead guitarist Peter Buck, bassist/backing vocalist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe. One of the first alternative rock bands, R.E.M. was noted for Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style, Stipe's particular vocal quality and obscure lyrics, and Mills' melodic basslines and backing vocals. R.E.M. released its first single—"Radio Free Europe"—in 1981 on the independent record label Hib-Tone. The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982, the band's first release on I.R.S. Records. In 1983, the group released its critically acclaimed debut album, Murmur, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent releases, constant touring, and the support of college radio. Following years of underground success, R.E.M. achieved a mainstream hit in 1987 with the single "The One I Love". The group signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to espouse political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide.

By the early 1990s, when alternative rock began to experience broad mainstream success, R.E.M. was viewed by subsequent acts such as Nirvana and Pavement as a pioneer of the genre. The band then released its two most commercially successful albums, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), which veered from the band's established sound and catapulted it to international fame. R.E.M.'s 1994 release, Monster, was a return to a more rock-oriented sound, but still continued its run of success. The band began its first tour in six years to support the album; the tour was marred by medical emergencies suffered by three of the band members.