empty baggie posted:

I’d say that this is mostly a fair assessment as their first three albums were definitely college rock fodder, but I’d say by 1986 when R.E.M. released Life’s Rich Pageant, the band was firmly into rock territory, and that album and the next, Document, should be considered two of the best rock albums of the 80’s. With 1989’s Green, the band evolved into more of a pop sound, but was still a solid album, and lead into 1991’s release Out of Time, which was a major change in sound and brought them back to their college rock/alternative roots, but also saw them solidly hit the mainstream. A better argument could be made that R.E.M. were the definitive 90’s alternative band, but I still say that, considering the theme of this thread, and taking into account the bands entire library, you will not find a more consistent, successful, and meaningful band since 1981.