Thanks R.E.M.

Everyone will experience these things differently. I discovered them by accident in about 1986, and first fell in love with Life's Rich Pageant. I worked my way backwards, and also liked Document and Green.
One day, I was in the grocery store and saw Michael Stipe on the cover of Details, and I started feeling the beginning of the end. That coincided with a loss of interest in the direction that their music was taking. I only bought 2 of their next discs, and didn't like them very much. I guess that what I had once seen in them and loved had become something else, as everything is in a constant state of change, as it should be.
For me, they were really magic for a long time, on record and in person. My fond enjoyment of their music (even the older discs) is somewhat marred these days by things I have read about Michael Stipe being an egotistical asshole who is abusive to the "little people". Still, an impressive body of good work.

I started relatively late when R.E.M. gained popularity in Europe with Green, Out
of Time and Automatic. Looking back I still enjoy Out of Time and Automatic
most, the first because it is so different, experimental, and lighthearted and just
somewhat "out of that time" and the second because of its epic, sad
and melancholic feel.

I also enjoy the older albums, but for me this is why R.E.M. has been a
cornerstone in my exploration of music over the past 20-30 years.

I just read that R.E.M. is splitting up. Very sad! I was
introduced to them by my daughter more than 20 years ago.
We have seen them live many times and will miss their
concerts. My favorite albums are from their middle-period,
Automatic for the People, New Adventures in Hi-Fi and
Around the Sun were very listenable, for me. Anyone who is
unfamiliar with this group should give them a listen. They
are great live and their appearances on Austin City Limits
and their DVD "Perfect Square" are great examples of that.

Automatic for the People is just a great album front to back. And, incidentally, I ate at Weaver D's last Wednesday. My wife is a UGA grad has wonderful memories about seeing them at fraternities and the local bars. She remebers thinking they hit the big time when they gigged at The Georgia Theater (that just reopened a few weeks ago after being closed for few years from a fire).

I remember hearing them for the first time on college radio in the early 80's and thinking, wow, this sound is new and fresh and it's not disco. The 80's really had some crappy pop music and radio but the "college radio" sound was refreshing, eclectic, rule breaking and different. A real change from 70's rock and disco . I remember listening INX's, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dire Straits, Elvis Costello, Squeeze.

maxnewid just listed the bands that turned me from casual listener to obsessive collector. for my money, those early 80s guitar bands (along with husker du, replacements, church etc.) were the high water mark. the windbreakers and rain parade in particular deserve to be elevated from obscurity.
i first caught the fledgling rem in chicago in 81 with lets active and chris stamey opening. still one of the best shows i've seen. my main issue with rem is that their early records (chronic town through lifes rich paegent) were so good that every subsequent release sounds a bit diluted.