The end of the year is here and with that comes our final artist of the week for the year. As mentioned in the clues during the show, our artist has mirrored our year in that they too are coming to a close. After 30 years as a band making hit records, paving the way for alternative rock, and serving as  inspiration for many other bands to come, R.E.M. helps us wrap up the year by being our Legendary Artist of the Week. We here at Enter the Shell invite you to take a look back on your (and our) 2011 as well as the history of R.E.M. in hopes that you’ll finish off the year on a positive note.
Most of you probably already know R.E.M. and while perhaps not the clearest on their origin story, or their entire career, you’ve probably had run-ins with the band in your life. Whether you’ve been the angst-ridden teen, the rejected, misunderstood, and lovelorn youth who listened to ”Everybody Hurts” over and over again in your car, or the guy who just enjoys a well-written, expertly-crafted song, R.E.M. has the ability to deliver alternative rock in a professional and talented manner. While perhaps not the band you think of when you’re thinking far-out or experimental, R.E.M.’s specialty is making catchy, well-rounded tunes with meaning and sentiment, and having done so through hard work and perseverance, making them accessible and relatable to any and all beings wishing to take part.
Forming in Athens, Georgia, in 1980, Michael Stipe, Mike Mills, Peter Buck, and Bill Berry, formed what would be one of the most influential bands of current music. A college band at first among friends sharing similar musical tastes in punk rock, they grew into something prolific. While not an immediate success, the band (having taken their name from a dictionary at random) worked hard and put out an album a year from 1983 to 1988. Gaining traction in the underground and collegiate communities, R.E.M.’s demonstration of captivating listeners earned them their first gold album in 1986, Lifes Rich Pageant. Commercial success was right around the corner.
From there the story of R.E.M. shows the band becoming more and more successful. Their model of hard work while remaining true to the music and loyal to themselves has helped to inspire future acts like Sonic Youth and Nirvana. The band managed to keep the respect of an unknown band trying to make it and tell a story or support a cause, meanwhile raking in boatloads of dough, something that is not easily done (as the boatloads of dough will then put the raker of dough under scrutiny). Whether they or others like it or not, R.E.M. have become the unofficial poster-boys of how to make it in the big-times without looking like pretentious, undeserving, self-absorbed lunatics that many with fame and fortune tend to become.
Thirty years after the initial undertaking of their musical journey, R.E.M. have reached the end of their road.  Their final album, Collapse Into Now, was released earlier this year and with it saw the break-up of the band.  Though the band may be split, it has been done under amicable circumstances, leaving room in the future for reunions and holiday specials or whatnot. With fifteen albums under their belts, three Grammy’s, and numerous chart-topping and top-10 singles and albums, R.E.M. has a legacy left for those just learning about music to brush up on, and a great history for anyone wanting to revisit them. And as usual, we here at Enter the Shell have the links to get you started. Happy Holidays and we hope you enjoy the music!
Useful Links
And hey, just ’cause 2012 is coming up and the world’s supposed to end and all that hoopla, video below!