In 1991, I was a high school senior, and maybe no song had a bigger impact on me than R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion. It takes me back to a time before I started college, before my life changed…which was significant because it came out on the eve of the music world changing, too.

In 1992, Automatic For the People was the album that I slept to while settling into my first apartment.  I can vividly remember watching the lights of the passing cars on the freeway on my ceiling while Drive played.

In 1994, I waited six hours to buy tickets for their Monster tour.  I trekked 3 hours to see R.E.M. play that night…and I sat in the back row for the whole concert.

In 1997, I pushed New Adventures in Hi-Fi on the freshman DJs at my college radio station.  I convinced them that R.E.M. wasn’t classic rock and may have a few tricks left.

In 1998, I worked a night job.  I can remember making thousands of copies every night while listening to Up. Oddly, Daysleeper was my least favorite song on the album.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By R.E.M. of the 90s:

1.  Country Feedback (Out of Time)

2.  Leave (New Adventures in Hi-Fi)

3.  Losing My Religion (Out of Time)

4.  Drive (Automatic For the People)

5.  Texarkana (Out of Time)

6.  Departure (New Adventures in Hi-Fi)
7.  Circus Envy (Monster)

8.  Walk Unafraid (Up)

9.  Ignoreland (Automatic For the People)

10.  King of Comedy (Monster)

11.  Lotus (Up)

Buy R.E.M.’s new album, Collapse Into Now…now!!