Now that we are leaving the IRS era behind, I decided to make a playlist. It consists of the singles of each album and 2 songs of my choice from each album. REM always picked their own singles, the only time they let the record company interfere was with Up, when they were asked to have Daysleeper be the first single. I don't agree with some of their choices and some of the songs I chose are what I thought should have been singles instead, others are simply personal preference.

1. Gardening at Night (from Chronic Town, their debut EP and the epitome of their sound)


Murmur

2. Radio Free Europe (single)


3. Talk about the Passion (single)


4. 9-9 (a crazy song from Murmur, a bit wild for a single, so I get why they chose Radio Free Europe instead)


5. Perfect circle (a beautiful song written by Bill Berry and what should have been the second single from Murmur as Talk about the Passion is a bit boring)


Reckoning

6. So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)(single, So. stands for south. "I'm sorry!!!!!")


7. (Don't Go Back To) Rockville (the other single, lots of people really like it and it was written, including lyrics, by Mike Mills and no disrespect, but why was this a single? It sounds like a song a 20 year old would write about his girlfriend leaving. Which it is.)


8. Harborcoat (This song exists and you guys made Don't Go Back To Rockville a single?!?!)


9. Time After Time (Annelise) (I don't know why so many song titles on this album have (). This song is amazingly beautiful and why it wasn't chosen over Rockville is beyond me.)


Fables of the Reconstruction

10. Cant Get There from Here (single. A crazy song with a crazy brass section and music video)


11. Driver 8 (second single, probably the most radio friendly songs on the album, so I get the choice)


12. Wendell Gee (third single)


13. Feeling Gravitys Pull (this song is amazing and should have been a single.)


14. Green Grow the Rushes (because it is beautiful! Stipe, Mills and Berry harmonizing )


Lifes Rich Pageant

15. Fall on Me (single and a showcase REM song)


16. Superman (second single. They chose cover song of a pretty unknown sunshine pop band, sung by Mills, who usually does background vocals as single. Either they were trolling the record company or Mills has some leverage over the others. After all, his song Don't Go Back To Rockville also was chosen to be a single for Reckoning.)


17. Begin the Begin (the single that should have been)


18. Hyena (one of the many good rock songs on the album. I like it more than Begin the Begin because of the crazy piano part, but Begin the Begin would have been the better single, so I put both)


19. Flowers of Guatemala (Stipe manages to be very poignant with basically 4-5 sentences)


Document

20. The One I Love (single, the song has two really strong hooks, so it makes sense to be a single, I find it a bit meh, though)


21. It's the End of the World as We Know It (second single and brilliant)


22. Finest Worksong (third single)


23. King of Birds (my favourite song from this album, the dulcimer is great and I love Stipes vocals in it)


24. Oddfellows Local 151 (this is a grunge as REM can get)