Music Bloodline

R.E.M.

One of the first alt-rock bands to make it big, maintained integrity and sense of adventure through three decades

Biography

R.E.M. mark the point when post-punk turned into alternative rock. When their first single, "Radio Free Europe," was released in 1981, it sparked a back-to-the-garage movement in the American underground. Combining ringing guitar hooks with mumbled, cryptic lyrics, and a D.I.Y. aesthetic borrowed from post-punk, the band simultaneously sounded traditional and modern. Throughout the '80s, they worked relentlessly, releasing records every year and touring constantly. By the late '80s, the group's fan base had grown large enough to guarantee strong sales, but the Top Ten success in 1987 of Document and "The One I Love" was unexpected. Following Document, R.E.M. slowly became one of the world's most popular bands. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine