Formed in 1980, R.E.M. enjoyed a lot of critical acclaim and success — particularly for a band whose roots were firmly in the alternative genre — before they disbanded in 2011. The referring article is a collection of ten facts about the band, the original members of which included frontman Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry.
One fact that, in my mind, is completely understandable is the detestability of Shiny Happiness. The band's 1991 album Out of Time featured the song "Shiny, Happy People," which featured vocals by the B-52s' Kate Pierson. The single was released the same year. Yet how long can one reasonably remain shiny and happy, particularly when proclaiming they are such is a regular part of employment? For Michael Stipe and the band, the answer was several years or less. By 1995, Stipe publicly pronounced that he hated the song, as did the rest of the band.
Read more facts about R.E.M., including the origins of the album names Out of Time and Automatic for the People and an unfortunate tantrum of Peter Buck's on an airplane, here.
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