Losing My ReligionR.E.M.
Losing My Religion
1991 · From Out of Time
Buck wrote the riff while teaching himself mandolin in front of the television, and R.E.M. got their biggest American hit.
★ 8.2
The Songs canon
Sourced and sung.
Every song chosen by hand, with the recording to play it.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
Radio Free Europe
1981 · From Murmur
Hib-Tone pressed about a thousand copies in 1981, and Stipe mumbled lyrics he hadn't finished writing.
★ 7.5
Man on the Moon
1992
Berry's chords, Buck's arrangement, and lyrics Stipe wrote at the last minute about Andy Kaufman, Elvis impression included.
★ 7.3
NightswimmingR.E.M.
Nightswimming
1992 · From Automatic for the People
Mills cut the piano at Criteria on the instrument heard on "Layla," and John Paul Jones arranged the strings.
★ 7.2
Everybody HurtsR.E.M.
Everybody Hurts
1992 · From Automatic for the People
Berry wrote most of it over a drum machine, John Paul Jones scored the strings, and the words target teenagers.
★ 6.9
It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
1987 · From Document
A dream about a party where every guest had Lenny Bruce's initials, sped into Document's headlong disaster list.
★ 6.8
The One I Love
1987 · From Document
Buck wrote the riff on his porch, Stipe found it too brutal to sing, and America mistook it for romance.
★ 6.2
Orange Crush
1988
Stipe's father served in Vietnam, and the title nods to Agent Orange; eight weeks atop Modern Rock.
★ 6.2
Fall On Me
1986
Conceived as an acid rain protest, the melody rewritten before release; Stipe called it a general oppression song.
★ 6.0
Drive (REM)R.E.M.
Drive (REM)
1992 · From Automatic for the People
John Paul Jones scored the strings, Scott Litt named Queen as the model, and the lyric hands kids the wheel.
★ 5.7
Daysleeper
1998
Stipe found the word on a New York apartment door and gave the night shift its lullaby, post-Berry R.E.M.
★ 4.0
Shiny Happy PeopleR.E.M.
Shiny Happy People
1991 · From Out of Time
Kate Pierson's guest vocal, Mark Bingham's waltzing strings, and R.E.M.'s only top ten hit in both Britain and America.
★ 3.6