5) OUT OF TIME (1991)

With two colossal hits in its arsenal, Out Of Time is one of R.E.M.’s most well-received albums. It continued their upward trajectory and firmly established them in the mainstream, becoming a smash hit selling over 18 million copies worldwide. Their seventh studio album is in the same sonic territory as Green, but Stipe decided to go against his once political themes and move R.E.M. outside their comfort zone, tackling the personal and emotional instead. We get love songs with a greater range of instrumentation, and even guest appearances: Kate Pierson of The B-52’s joined the band on three tracks including major hit ‘Shiny Happy People’ (enjoy the ludicrously upbeat video!).  It contains several songs that would make any homemade R.E.M. mixtape tracklisting. Stipe often cites ‘Country Feedback’ as his favourite track after it was penned following a letter he wrote to an ex-lover. ‘Near Wild Heaven’ was the first track to be sung and written by bassist Mike Mills, who also sang on ‘Texarkana’. ‘Low’ was brooding and epic, an unusual choice of track only three songs into an album. And, of course, there was the runaway train of ‘Losing My Religion’ that became one of the band’s biggest hits which, combined with the album, picked up three Grammy Awards.

4) NEW ADVENTURES IN HI-FI (1996)

The final Litt-produced R.E.M. album, and also the last to feature drummer Bill Berry, briefly reversed the otherwise downward trend in their recording output that followed their early ‘90s pinnacle. Pieced together from demos, soundchecks and live recordings from the extensive tour of its predecessor, New Adventures In Hi-Fi is a road album, deliberately fractured and eclectic in mood to reflect the jet-lagged, nomadic circumstances of its creation. Unsurprisingly, the primary theme is of travel, never staying the same place long enough to make an emotional connection (the 7-minute ‘Leave’; ‘Departure’; ‘So Fast, So Numb’). At over an hour, it’s also the longest R.E.M. album and, in this respect, the most uncharacteristic. Opener ‘How The West Was Won And Where It Got Us’ is built on an expansive piano motif. Patti Smith duet ‘E-Bow The Letter’ is a weird and understated highlight, as is the razor-edged ‘The Wake-Up Bomb’. Closer ‘Electrolite’, again constructed through piano, is the pick of the bunch, lush and verdant in the vein of ‘Nightswimming’ or ‘At My Most Beautiful’. Though it sprawls and takes many twists and turns, New Adventures In Hi-Fi is a frequently overlooked and misunderstood career highlight that deserves re-appraisal.

3) GREEN (1988)

Following hot on the heels of their commercial breakthrough, Green is more or less a companion piece to Document, sharing its political and social consciousness and sense of sonic ambition to create another deeply intelligent and versatile record. ‘Orange Crush’ and ‘Stand’ provide the radio-friendly moments, both irresistible earworms that balance out the more oblique moments. ‘World Leader Pretend’ addresses the Cold War and American foreign policy, while ‘Pop Song 89’ attacks false consciousness and a lack of political awareness. Scattered throughout are a number of quieter, personal moments like ‘The Wrong Child’ and ‘You Are The Everything’ that fully rely on the famous mandolin sound for which R.E.M. would become so well-known. They made several fascinating albums, and many kinds of great albums, but Green is, by our estimation, one of three complete packages that the band ever delivered. That is, records that you can’t add to or take anything from to improve upon them.

2) RECKONING (1984)

Very few groups make even one flawless record in their career, but R.E.M. made three. Reckoning built upon the strange, thin beauty of Murmur with a richer, more melodic sound that was the pinnacle of the band’s early years. Tracks like ‘Pretty Persuasion’, ‘So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)’ and ‘7 Chinese Bros.’ positively ring with this burnished approach, making the very most out of a relatively restricted palette of sounds (“determined minimalism”, as Pitchfork accurately describe it). The piano-tinkling ‘(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville’ is the very best moment, utilising the twin engines of clarity and mystery that made R.E.M. such a shape-shifting paradox over the years. The ingredients are all familiar, yet somehow you’ve never heard anything like ‘Rockville’ before. Every track is worthy of a single release, and the album remains a paragon of shy modesty despite the embarrassment of riches on offer. U.S. indie legends Pavement wrote a whole song about how much they love Reckoning (‘The Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence’), which is endorsement enough for anybody. You can check out our March 2014 podcast to hear more about how much we love Reckoning.

1) AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE (1992)

Can there really be anything left to say about Automatic For The People? It’s one of those albums that invites lavish praise from all quarters. Compared to what came before it, Automatic For The People moves at a rather sombre pace, containing few of the fast-paced indie rockers that had become R.E.M.’s trademark by this point. The beautiful hush of opener ‘Drive’ sets the mood, remaining stately even when it reaches its sonorous guitar solo. Quite aside from the fabulous music and variety thereof, the record succeeds because it conflates the personal with the political. It’s full of worry and anxiety about the future (the band had all turned 30, and were dispirited about twelve consecutive years of Republican presidency) but finds comfort and solace in brotherhood (‘Everybody Hurts’), nostalgia (‘The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite’) and skinny dipping (‘Nightswimming’). The final three tracks constitute arguably the finest closing trio of any album in history – the endless horizons of Andy Kaufman tribute ‘Man On The Moon’ and the sombre yet uplifting ‘Nightswimming’ and the reflective ‘Find The River’ that leave the listener moved to stunned silence. Even a song as ubiquitous as ‘Everybody Hurts’, an unusually direct and simple lyric for Stipe, succeeds because of its message of empathy. Automatic For The People will comfort you in your hour of need, a reliable friend to absorb or reflect your fears and anxieties. Quite simply, one of the very best records ever released.