Is R.E.M. underrated by new music nerds?

If you want to impress a young person, play he or she a Rockabilly song. Try "The Train Kept A-Rollin’", for instance. Jeff Beck got The Yardbirds to record their pretty good version of the song (the first one I heard), but in pales in comparison to the version by The Johnny Burnette Rock ’n’ Roll Trio, which is absolutely incendiary! The original is a 1951 Jump Blues by Tiny Bradshaw, also very cool. And then there is the embarrassing version by, ugh, Aerosmith.

By-the-way, the lead guitar playing on Burnette’s version is in dispute. The Trio’s Paul Burlinson is credited with the part, but some think it is actually that of Nashville studio guitarist Grady Martin. It didn’t matter to Beck: he loved the playing of both.

Another by-the-way: If you like the playing of Jeff Beck (and who doesn’t?), do yourself a huge favour and get some albums by Danny Gatton. Gatton’s Rockabilly (and Jazz, and Blues) playing is far hotter than that of Beck. IMO, as always, but every advanced guitarist I’ve played with also feels (or felt, if RIP) that way. THE guitarist’s guitarist.

I think we should stay away from stating what is good, better best.  I happen to  particularly like three bands from the 1980s: U2, R.E.M., and The Smiths.  In answer to the original poster's question, I agree that the last two are less well known than U2, certainly in part because they haven't been active for a long time.

@bdp24, I agree, you're too old for them.

R.E.M. was a great band.  A big shout out to Don Dixon and Mitch Easter as producers on the first few albums.  The band evolved and lost early fans and gained many more new fans, but if anything, they kept it real.  Well as real as being wealthy, traveling around the world in private jets while playing rock and roll to screaming fans can be real.  They might not have been greatest instrumentalists, but the were solid all around, particularly the drummer.

rem was fantastic, but (like the byrds, the cars and the ramones) they hit their artistic peak right out of the gate w/chronic town and murmur--for me everything that came after marked a gradual, but noticeable decline--i rarely listen to anything after document. i also agree that the more they mumbled the lyrics the better they were.

@onhwy61: Don Dixon---NOW yer talkin'! I love his stuff, and his gal Marti Jones' as well.

As for The Ramones and The Byrds peaking out of the gate, I must disagree. The Ramones took a giant leap forward when Marky replaced Tommy on drums (the Road To Ruin LP). Marky is a much more muscular, punchy drummer than was Tommy, which really helped the band. By-the-way, they were the loudest band I ever heard live, far louder than even The Who.

The early Byrds albums are fantastic, but so are the middle and late period ones. Every musician I knew had the Sweetheart Of The Rodeo album, and the addition of Telecaster-master Clarence White turned them into a serious band (though drummer Gene Parsons was kinda lame, very sloppy, over-playing like crazy. He didn't understand how to play country music).