# R.E.M. Breakup Announced **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093 "2011-09-21T18:03:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/1 "2011-09-21T18:03:49Z")
[Rolling Stone Article](http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/r-e-m-break-up-after-three-decades-20110921) here. Announcement on [their homepage](http://remhq.com/news_story.php?id=1446) 31 years together. I am not a real big music lover, but I have enjoyed the music of R.E.M. so it makes me sad. It is little hyperbole to attached a link to [this song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eyFiClAzq8)? ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/2 "2011-09-21T18:08:34Z")
This makes me sad but they were never really the same after Bill Berry left the band. He was just the drummer and all, and it was a long time ago, but something changed and I stopped being as big of a fan as I’d been during their heyday. “Automatic for the People” is one the greatest albums ever released. And I think you could say the same about two or three other albums of their’s. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/3 "2011-09-21T18:11:33Z")
Bummer. I remember an MTV News interview from the early 90s (“Out of Time” era) where one of the members said they sort of had a plan to perform one last show on New Years Eve 1999, and then break up the next day. So at least we got an extra 12 years, nine months out of them. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/4 "2011-09-21T18:13:31Z")
I haven’t kept up with them over the last several years and wasn’t really sure that they were still together. I sort of remember that they came out with something recently but wasn’t sure if that was actually R.E.M. or more of a Stipe project. It is a bit sad in that they were part of the proverbial “soundtrack of my younger life”. Thanks goodness for digital recording so we can continue to enjoy them. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/5 "2011-09-21T18:15:23Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Bummer. > I remember an MTV News interview from the early 90s (“Out of Time” era) where one of the members said they sort of had a plan to perform one last show on New Years Eve 1999, and then break up the next day. So at least we got an extra 12 years, nine months out of them. I was going to say this. Guess the dollar signs sounded better than quitting. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/6 "2011-09-21T18:15:33Z")
I’m an old curmudgeon - I like their early stuff. After _Document_, meh. It’s time for them to graciously step aside. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/7 "2011-09-21T18:21:05Z")
They have made some of my favorite music over the past three decades. They were the first band that my daughter, now 35, and I liked in common. We went to a couple of concerts together when she was in middle school and high school. Great memories. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/8 "2011-09-21T18:24:54Z")
Oh wow. I too haven’t kept up with the over the years but Automatic for the People, Green and Out of Time are three of my favorite albums and I still listen to them a lot. They remind me of being in my 20s. Ah youth. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/9 "2011-09-21T18:30:34Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I’m an old curmudgeon - I like their early stuff. After _Document_, meh. It’s time for them to graciously step aside. I’m mainly just a fan of the stuff up through about then, as well. After Stipe quit mumbling, they just weren’t as interesting to me. Also, it doesn’t sound like they broke up as much as they simply retired. Good for them. ---
**Author:** ![Time\_Stranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Time\_Stranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Stranger)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/10 "2011-09-21T18:34:10Z")
In agreement that their older stuff is leagues above the last 15 years or so, but I will still miss the idea of them being together. I live in Athens, and by the look of my social feeds, this is one devastated town. Nightswimming is one of my favorite songs ever. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/11 "2011-09-21T18:39:09Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > I’m mainly just a fan of the stuff up through about then, as well. After Stipe quit mumbling, they just weren’t as interesting to me. Also, it doesn’t sound like they broke up as much as they simply retired. Good for them. This is definitely a retirement. I don’t know why they went with “We broke up” instead. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/12 "2011-09-21T18:55:27Z")
Their early albums (yes, I said albums, children, and get off my lawn) were a huge part of my life for a very long time, and during some important transitions. Although I haven’t kept up with their later stuff, I am still saddened by this news. I guess the IDEA of them still being together was important to me. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/13 "2011-09-21T19:07:00Z")
What everyone else said, but there is some good stuff on their new one Collapse Into Now. In my opinion, it’s the best since New Adventures. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/14 "2011-09-21T19:16:06Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > This is definitely a retirement. I don’t know why they went with “We broke up” instead. “Retirement” is not very rock ‘n’ roll. “Breaking up” is. ---
**Author:** ![Vita\_Beata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@Vita\_Beata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vita_Beata)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/15 "2011-09-21T19:19:16Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > “Retirement” is not very rock ‘n’ roll. “Breaking up” is. Yup, they also couldn’t very well state that now they’ll be “Finding Their Religion”. D&R ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/16 "2011-09-21T19:20:11Z")
Why would they even need to make an announcement? Just stop playing. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/17 "2011-09-21T19:55:39Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Why would they even need to make an announcement? Just stop playing. Perhaps out respect for their fans. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/18 "2011-09-21T20:15:23Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > I’m mainly just a fan of the stuff up through about then, as well. After Stipe quit mumbling, they just weren’t as interesting to me. Also, it doesn’t sound like they broke up as much as they simply retired. Good for them. +1 - my line is that when Stipe became intelligible, I stopped listening - I mean, “two-headed calf/ Pilgrimage”? What the heck does that word salad mean? But I love those songs. I think there is something to be said for the band writing songs thinking of Stipe’s voice as another instrument vs. putting the story he is telling front and center, which happened as he made sure his words made sense and they got more commercial. And by the time Everybody Hurts came along, I wanted to smack somebody 😉 And Bill Berry - simple drummer, but man he had pop to his playing. Almost like Phil Rudd of AC/DC - few fills, but he could make the grooves he did play pop nicely. Losing him mattered… Best of luck to them… ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/19 "2011-09-21T20:29:26Z")
It has gotten to the point, with me, where the prospect of a new R.E.M. release fills me less with anticipation than the concern that it will be underwhelming, so I would say it seems like a pretty good time for them to go ahead and call it a career. I’m just thankful that they at least get to go out with a couple of pretty solid works like _Accelerate_ and _Collapse Into Now_. It would have been kind of grim to have, say, _Around The Sun_ as their swan song. ---
**Author:** ![Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pine_Fresh_Scent)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093/20 "2011-09-21T21:23:03Z")
When I was 11 my older bother handed me an R.E.M. casette in the record store, simply said “you need to buy this” and walked away. 28 years later and I’m still listening to _Murmur_ at least once a month. What a great album. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-e-m-breakup-announced/597093.md?page=2)