R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and vocalist Michael Stipe. The group emerged from the local music scene while its members were associated with the University of Georgia. The band's sound was characterized by Buck's arpeggiated guitar style, Stipe's distinctive vocals and lyrics, Mills's melodic bass playing and backing vocals, and Berry's restrained drumming. R.E.M. became one of the most influential and commercially successful alternative rock bands, selling more than 90 million records worldwide before disbanding in 2011.
The band's first release was the single "Radio Free Europe" in 1981 on the independent label Hib-Tone. It was followed by the EP "Chronic Town" in 1982, released through I.R.S. Records. During the 1980s, R.E.M. established a growing audience through extensive touring and support from college radio stations. The group's early albums included "Murmur" (1983), "Reckoning" (1984), "Fables of the Reconstruction" (1985), "Lifes Rich Pageant" (1986), and "Document" (1987). The single "The One I Love" became the band's first major mainstream hit. In 1988, R.E.M. signed with Warner Bros. Records and released "Green", expanding its international profile.
The band's commercial peak came with "Out of Time" (1991) and "Automatic for the People" (1992). "Out of Time" produced the hit single "Losing My Religion", which became the group's highest-charting and best-selling single, while "Automatic for the People" featured songs such as "Drive", "Man on the Moon", and "Everybody Hurts". The follow-up album "Monster" (1994) continued the band's commercial success and was supported by its first major tour in six years.
In 1996, R.E.M.
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