Automatic For The People

yep

at first it was boring but the second half of this album is really good. I like the sidewinder sleeps tonite, man on the moon and find the river the most.

para iniciar los 1001 albumes si m costo escucharlo como escucha consciente, pero una vez pasas la barrera de volver a escuchar musica de +3 minutos, es una experiencia que me transporta a la soledad en una fabrica a las 4 de la mañana en un turno nocturno

A very good album, it would have been a truly great album had it not had Everybody Hurts on it. Man on the Moon is an incredible song, one of the best I've heard on the list. Find The River not a very good closer.

4.1/5

4.5

I like REM and this album is much better than I remember. Man on the Moon is a very catchy song. I still prefer their stuff from Document and earlier, but I enjoyed listening to this one quite a bit. Great album by an amazing band.

Good

Really solid and consistent album. Man on the Moon is such a banger.

Great album. I can get most of the songs on it stuck in my head just by reading the track list. It’s a bit on the quiet side for my taste but definitely great.

Was good, already new a few songs

4.5

Good. Amazing!

A classic, it easily stands the test of time for the meaningful messages it provides

its a lot slower, but i still really liked it. very good songs.

I do enjoy this wven thiugh I'm not a big REM fan

My dad listened to this in the car all the time so most songs were familiar, didn’t like the third track so much

Like

I’ve got a real soft spot for REM. There’s so many great tracks on this album- it reminds me of a time in the era of excellent an weird movies that came out just before we found out the truth about weinstein.

Drive: la escena donde el protagonista se rinde y se queda solo me gustó man on the moon le doy un 7/10 xq algunas me parecieron muy depre

- best songs: Man on The Moon, Everybody Hurts (reminded me of House MD)

Very enjoyable

true classic album

8/10 Enjoyed the songs, lyrics were underwhelming. Ignoreland was albums best

I liked this album. Easy to listen to and good sound.

Really enjoyed this and plan to revisit 4 stars

love it

Una grata sorpresa escuchar este álbum el día de hoy, me gustó bastante y es una gran manera de comenzar la semana, no sabía mucho de ellos y su música, pero me parece de gran calidad.

Not my favorite R.E.M. album, but it is very good. The standout for me has always been Nightswimming (Stipe's voice on this always got me), but the album is full of great songs.

I think there are better REM albums but that doesn’t mean I don’t like this one! Not in the top bc a little slow/downbeat for my tastes

Me gustó como para escucharlo en un viaje

I really enjoyed this. I liked the slightly weepy vocals and use of acoustic instruments. I especially liked Try Not to Breathe. It helped me get through the drive with Violet's grandma, so for that, I am forever grateful.

awesome

I never felt super groovy with this or excited, but when it ended, I was totally happy to just keep listening to the random REM music that amazon autoplayed. Going to consider that a good sign.

“Drive” is a great opener.

Yup, That is a jolly good album

3.5/5 It's somewhat enjoyable (and definitely more emotional and stripped down than their other album on here), but I just struggle to understand what impact this album, or even REM in general has on music

la primer cancion me hizo acordar a pink floyd, después temazo clasico y muy normal

A classic album with lots of well-know tracks. Some overplayed, which initially made me think I wouldn’t enjoy the album as a whole but fortunately still really enjoyed it. It was nice to listen to the lesser-known tracks.

Pretty good

First listen of this album from start to finish. So many of these songs formed the soundtrack of my teens yet I would never call myself an REM fan. Just looking at the track listing there are 5 great songs, why have I never bought this album? Will listen again to see if the other songs on the album are worth another play. Final song sounded like Nick Drake at the start.

Favorite Song: Everybody Hurts

Omg, še enkrat? To je zj v tretje? And I didn't like the first two. Odlično. (Ok, vsaj po prvem pregledu trackliste, vidim, da je to vsaj album, s kjer poznam tri komade, ki so mi kul, tko da zna bit tole mal boljš?) O ja, bolj uživam v tem albumu kokr k prejšnjih dveh. Oziroma, v tem albumu dejansko uživam. Bolj razgiban, komadi so si dejansko različni med sabo in zapomljivi. "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" mi je prou kul. Pa "Star Me Kitten". Itak "Man on the Moon", pa "Nightswimming". "Find the River" je čudovit. Fajn album.

Saw them live, and really enjoyed them when they were just getting popular. They had an energy and passion that was amazing.

When they offer you strings, it must be hard to say no.

Really Exciting Music

Darlings of serious muso journalist the world over with an album that proves them right … mostly Brilliant interesting pop with thoughtful lyrics . Not sure if it’s just it’s ptsd from dealing with muso wankers on forums for years but I do find them a litle self important and pretentious- sort of like a footballer to busy admiring thier defence splitting pass than helping the team score .

Very good

Love R.E.M. They always do the perfect mournful, love ballads. Always hit when youre looking for sadness. This album has some of my favourite songs of all time, like ‘Everybody Hurts’ and ‘Nightswimming’. Also some other great ones like ‘Man On The Moon. The album itself is a beautiful concoction of lose and mourning about people and things you can lose throughout life. And I mean theres a reason R.E.M. features heavily during the emotional rollercoaster of The Bear. Another thing R.E.M. excel and are unique at is their use of strings and just bigger orchestral arrangements in general. They always add to the emotional pieces the band prides themselves on. Overall, this album is a 8/10 because although it’s brilliant, a criticism I agree with is it does drag a wee bit.

This is something new for my ears.

I thought I didn’t like R.E.M. It turns out I was wrong. A few really catchy songs. The album is well produced.

Just three songs away from being a perfect back-to-back record. The last quarter of the album... *chef's kiss*

really good. listened to it while studying, pretty chill.

Another album I bought first time around due to the reviews that I did not love as much as I thought I should. Listening again 20 years later and after the first song - Drive - I thought yes this is a 5 and I am finally old enough to appreciate REM. But then REM atrophy kicks in and it starts to loose its sparkle and Stipes vocals start to grate and the songs start sounding all a bit samey and just does not emotionally connect with me (with one big exception). At the time Everybody Hurts was played to death - but hearing it fresh again its a cracking song. The one song that does really connect (and I have listened to on heavy rotation since day 1) is Nightswimming which I absolutely fucking love.

Pretty good album, though it gets a bit long after a while. I do enjoy Stipe's voice and his unique sound. Also think this might be their best album.

Damn good album. Man on the Moon and Nightswimming the standouts.

Did not sound like I expected at all, but I’ve been meaning to listen to this for a while and I’m glad I finally did it

Its OK, a discovery

Good album. 4/5

It's far enough away from pop to appeal to pop fans and it's close enough to grunge and post-punk to be alternative. Meanwhile, it's just a very very good record.

Под закатное солнце воспоминаний

What can be said about REM that hasn’t already had novels written about it. Especially this album. There are some great songs and some good songs and it’s definitely the album to listen to if someone wants to know what REM was. That said for me it still misses being a great album.

I know I haven't been very kind to R.E.M. so far on this list, and I do feel bad that I'm not able to connect with them like I "should" (because on paper, I should like them). This album is probably the best of the three(?) I've listened to for this project so far. I still don't think I'm all the way there, but I feel like there's a world where I own/play this record on occasion. Certainly not high praise but I'm trying, OK?

As always, R.E.M. surprise me with the consistency and quality of their output. A shame they don't tour anymore...

I play this CD loud - especially Drive - in my convertible in the south of France. I think that's how I blew out one of the speakers. It's hard to decide if this is a classic 5* or really good.

Wow, do the lyrics to Ingoreland hit a nerve. A little more melancholy than their other albums, but still solid.

Great

I like REM. Not bad!

Second listen ever, bored me the first time but now it's getting a lot sweeter. Last time, I thought it sounded like Wilco, but I just listened to them today and they're way more boring than this. Everybody Hurts has always popped up in funny moments in my life, though. Warm listen, I do feel like I got a hug I needed.

I miss R.E.M. This is such a great album.

I love this album - it's one of the few that I know every note of. So much nostalgia. But no matter how much I want it to be, it's not spectacular.

Classic 4

Pretty solid album. A great start, strong ending but a bit weak in the middle. Still a really good listen.

I know the most famous songs, but I probably never listened the album start to finish before. I was pleasantly surprised. 7/10

Понравилась try not to breathe. Everybody hurts уже была лайкнута до прослушки всего альбома. Приятный вокал, я бы сказал спокойный темп. Мелодии зацепили, гитара в try not понравилась. Ignoreland побыстрее, как то выбивается из альбома, что смазало впечатления в сторону «не очень» Слушал 2 марта 2026

Besides everybody hurts which is a 10/10 man on the moon was pretty good overall pretty solid as well

A complete, refined album with variations, songs that stay in your memory forever with a rock sound but also modern and somewhat melancholic

Really good smooth rock

Rv/g

Was very surprised how much I liked this album. 4.5/5

man on the moon is a tune

I fear I love REM.

sweetness follows y monty got a raw deal los mejores tracks sii :P

4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/r_e_m/automatic-for-the-people-11/ Not the best R.E.M. album, but still very enjoyable. Of course the hits are great, but other album tracks too. Contrary to popular opinion, I just don’t really like the chorus of The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite.

קלאסיקה

Trusted old favourite

Hits are great. Other songs are cool.

Pretty good, enjoyed it a lot. Night swimming is really good, and much more introspective than other rem albums I've listened to

Love REM and great to be listening to this again. Some of their best songs on here - Drive, Ignoreland and Find The River (which will be played at my funeral) but too many weak songs to get 5 stars.

I listened to this album as I ventured to the grocery store to buy trash bags. The sky was overcast and light gray. Here we have our second repeat artist in only just over a month: first Led Zeppelin, and now R.E.M.! Despite reminding myself of R.E.M.'s big singles back when I was listening to Green, I somehow managed to forget about Everybody Hurts, leading to a pleasant surprise of recognition as it began playing in the middle of the album. Automatic For The People still has all the traits I liked in Green, though it takes from the endearingly dorky tone of that album to a darker, more serious one here; Michael Stipe's vocals manage to fit this soundscape just as well as they did the previous one despite the thematic shift. The band still has a knack for catchy hooks and songwriting that gets stuck in your head while simultaneously conveying incredibly personal ideas with endearing lyricism that keeps them unique amidst similar bands. While I think I still prefer Green as a more consistent project, the highs on this album feels higher. Highlights: Drive, Try Not To Breathe, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, Everybody Hurts, Ignoreland, Man On The Moon, Find The River

An amazing early 90s time capsule. Many of these songs continue to stand on their own by taking new shapes and covering new ground by being timeless and fitting culture in ways that couldn’t have been considered in 1992.

Kind of glum but I still enjoyed it.

The back half of this album is really stacked with classic R.E.M. bangers. Overall a slower, more sombre outing for the band, but it’s still up there with their absolute best.

There are better REM albums. Everybody Hurts has been played to death. But, yet, this is just marvelous.

Good stuff. Highlight track is obviously "Everybody Hurts", but there's some more on here that I quite liked. Will definitely be revisiting this one. 8 / 10

3.8

A lot of fantastic timeless songs, and no real low points on the deep tracks.

I enjoyed listening to this, especially Nightswimming, really chill song!

tender, yearning, and kind

Really solid album, great music and great lyrics that I feel I need a couple more listens of to properly ponder.

Maybe R.E.M's most beautiful record? I tend to be a greatest hits fan but this is just generally nice sounding alternative rock. Definitely of all the ones this site has recommended I'm enjoying this as a whole experience more. Liking ignoreland, nightswimming, the obvious great singles of "everybody hurts" and "man on the moon." Great openers and closers too. Definitely feels like subtle record too. It's not trying to be flashy just have solid rock jams and Michael Stipes voices is maybe the best part of R.E.M. for me.

3.5/5 - Ihan mukava ja toimiva levy. Mun mielestä alkuosa oli kuitenkin vähän tylsä ja biisit todella samantyyppisiä, mut loppulevy oli mun makuun. Laulajan ääni meni myös välillä hermoille, mutta joissakin biiseissä se taas toimi tosi hyvin. Koko levyn fiilis ja rakenne oli kuitenkin todella kaunis. Kiinnitin erityisesti huomiota tän levyn pianoon, mikä sopi todella hyvin tän levyn fiilikseen. Voisin kuunnella uudestaan!

Just a really good album. It’s sad but powerful, can be intense but also relaxing. I don’t love REM but everything about this album, including the sound, is very solid. I remember when the Everybody Hurts music video was on MTV and VH1 allllll the time and I still love that song.

Wow, surprised by how high the ratings are for this one. I've always been an R.E.M. fan, but this album is a bit on the languid side on the whole so I was expecting more 2s (especially since I thought a bunch of people just irrationally hate Michael Stipe). Anyway, this one is a mixed bag for me. The musicianship is high throughout and there are some great songs...but it drags somewhat in the middle. I liked the album overall, I just wish it had a little more juice. A good album for sad days, I guess. Random note: I'm again glad that Spotify gives you lyrics on most songs; "Ignoreland" is entirely unintelligible outside of the chorus, but the lyrics are really good! I wish the mix were better. 4.0

Full of great songs, I have a thing for The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight, the vocal melodies in the verse is so satisfying! Every once in a while, I'm thinking this might be the day I'm finally enjoying Man on the Moon, but that day has never come. It never hits for me... Also, I wanna say I do not like Stipe's lyrics, or at least on this record, I've just listened to it, so I don't feel conflicted about that statement. It often feels like placeholder lyrics before you'd come back to make it sound good and meaningful ! To be fair, many albums that I have been through here have awful or lame lyrics and I haven't mentioned it, it's just a shame with this one I think because this could be greater than it is. Oh and my rating is going to be good btw.

Vr 6 feb 2026 22:19 pm Ignoreland (0:00)

Makes me have will to live again. The energy is ELECTRIFYING. Best album I´ve gotten so far. Fucking banger. Makes me feel like a main character.

This is the first time I listened to a full REM album. Drive starts the album and as it started playing I knew this song but I didn’t know why. I liked this song. It’s really good. I love Everybody Hurts and Man on the Moon. I knew them from watching too much MTV back when they still kind of showed videos. MTV loved REM. Try Not to Breathe was another standout on this album. I liked most of it.

Gotta hand it to em, den er sgu meget fed den her

Great songs.

Immediately identifiable sound. Unique and emotive. Brilliant lyrics and vocals throughout. Strings and instrumentation are powerful. Great dynamic shifts as the album progresses. Two or three classics that will never be forgotten.

This was really really good. Every song was well done and unique. I dont think I would add any to my playlist but I would love to hear it come on in passing or at a bar/resturant.

Whoa...I knew some REM songs, of course, but this album is...amazing?

Love it. Own it.

Really excellent, feels like a proper complete album.

A near flawless record

REM is a pretty unique group, even for their time. They were part of a counter culture fighting back against the bombast and eccentricities of the 80s, helping to bolster the grunge movement. Hopeful and sad, their music mourns what has been lost but still seeks for better times. Michael Stipe’s vocals being it together while the rest of the band provides wonderful backup vocals and instrumentals. Clear influence from the goth music of the 80s mixed with folk from the 70s help give this album definition. Truly a solid, though not wholly fun, album.

A pretty good album with some great classic rock on it

A 1992 highlight. This album still sounds as fresh and as important as it did 35 years ago. We never really did deserve R.E.M..

Listened 3 times today. Overall a smidge below 4, but gets better on each listen. I realized I have never fully listened to "Everybody Hurts" till today and it is surprisingly really good. Also the last 3, hell 4 songs are immaculate with "Man on the Moon" and "NightSwimming" and maybe my favorite song on the album "Find the River". high 3.5 (rounds to 4)

Having this album pop up today was right time right place. It's been a challenging few days, weeks, months, so listening to this emotional album full of joy and sadness, but importantly hope and optimism, was uplifting in the best way possible. I had heard half the album through various singles and loved the rest. Great record.

Great album, Everybody Hurts was my fav song

Not my favorite REM album, but still a great record. Sweetness Follows is the standout track for me, juxtaposing the beautifully simple instrumentation with the unpleasant subject of the lyrics to great effect.

it's one of those albums where i will bob my head throughout and when the album's done i'll go "mm, good album!".. and that's honestly all i can say about this one, it's hard to find other words for it. it's good! i like it!

Some great songs, but also some that strike me as filler, as with most R.E.M. albums. My personal enjoyment: 3.5/5, but taking into account its huge impact on alt/indie rock, 4/5.

One of my favourite REM albums, albeit still with a couple of lower points: The vocal on sidewinder is so high in stipe’s range that I think it gets grating, and ignoreland is just a skipper. Overall though, some brilliant songs and arrangements, and a good mix of acoustic feel and expansive strings. And Drive is a cracking album opener.

MW: 8.4 Fav: Nightswimming Least Fav: Ignoreland

la più carina everybody hurts, album non male devo dire lo ascolterei se stessi attraversando la route 66 in un van, quelle vibes mi dà

Good one. Liked it. Heard a lot about it but never actually listened. Of course, I knew the single

Forgot just how good this album was

Started really strongly with Drive and I really enjoyed the first three songs. Everybody hurts felt like a tonal change and this was the only song on the album that I’d heard before. Then the middle part of the album felt a bit flat but Man on the Moon, and Nightswimming were very good towards the end.

I have this album on cassette. It's one of two I spent a _lot_ of time listening to back in the early 90s (the other one being Metallica's black album). As such, I can't disentangle this LP from my life at that time. Basically, listening to it again, it makes me very sad to think of how good we had it in the 90s compared with now. Not only was I between 15 and 25 years of age, but the cold war was over, environmental progress was on the radar, and the culture wars and jihads of the 20th century hadn't yet started. This album was one of the soundtracks to a golden age of peace, prosperity and culture. If you didn't dig this back then, I somehow doubt you'll dig it now, basically.

Really liked!!

Dichtbij vijf sterren. De hoogtepunten als drive, nightswimming en man on the moon zijn simpele maar mooie nummers die op een of andere manier een soort nostalgie opwekken. De strijkers zijn erg geslaagd. 8/10

Good album, possibly their last great one. There are certainly some memorable lyrics.

aside from the new orleans instrumental track, this is a great listen …. so many lovely memories of this album and it still holds up as a comforting listen. Stand out track and still one of my favourite songs ever is “night swimming” …. honestly not a die hard REM fan, but have much love for this particular album!

Pretty good. Started sounding like Pink floyd but diverted a bit eventually. Questionable conspiracy slop undertones?

Good songs:

A lot better than expected!

A classic!

Het was een droevige bedoeling op deze Blauwe Maandag. Deze plaat - die door velen, alsmede de band zelf, als R.E.M.'s beste wordt beschouwd - staat vol met melancholische, nostalgische melodiën. De snaar arrangementen, gitaar melodiën, rauwe vocals en poëtische teksten sleuren je mee; als je daarvoor open staat. Tijdens werk, werkte dit niet echt. Echter zijn er natuurlijk af en toe wel dagen dat ik comfort zou kunnen vinden in de klanken van dit album. Naast ballads, staan er ook een paar wat meer 'rocky' tracks in, welke mooi in balans staan met de rest. Alleen The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite lijkt niet helemaal in het plaatje te passen. Grappig genoeg las ik later dat de band dat zelf ook vond achteraf. En dan ja, Everybody Hurts. Wat moet ik er nog over zeggen? Drummer Bill Berry schreef het als een anti suicide nummer, een poging om hoop te bieden en levens te redden, wat schijnbaar gelukt is. Het lied wordt in het album opgevolgd door de instrumentale New Orleans Instruments No. 1, wat ik een hele goede keuze vind. Het geeft de luisteraar even de ruimte om het lied ervoor te laten bezinken en bemediteren (is dat een woord?). Mooi spul. Liked songs: Drive, Try Not To Breathe, Everybody Hurts, Man On The Moon, Find The River.

Great songwriting and Stipe’s vocals are iconic

I had it on 3 stars … and then I remembered what a great song nightswimming is 😊

I think R.E.M. might be the prime example of what alternative rock is. So many times during this album I was struck by how interesting the melody and harmony were together, and the number of non-traditional instruments they were played on for a rock band. Something about it is just feel-good music, even when the lyrics are contemplative and melancholic. I will likely listen to this again.

honestly a good start, listened to it twice

Not a bad album overall, but I'm not really into it. The lyrics are great, though. The interesting fact about this one is that it was the last album Kurt Cobain listened to before his death.

It's a bit boring, but still really good.

Not too bad! A little bit floaty at times, but a solid modern version of Simon and Garfunkel

Most excellent

The good songs make up for Man on the Moon, which I find viscerally irritating. I even like Everybody Hurts! This is the sort of album that I could get a lot out of if I get back to it outside of the album-a-day pace.

It is difficult to approach "Everybody Hurts" as an actual song instead of a punchline. That's how it feels approaching a lot of albums like this really, the ones by Important Bands or that have outsized pop culture presence or are foundational to other groups, so on. Ideally(?) you approach each album as its own thing independent of anything else and rate it on its musical merit alone. That's not easy. You've got this weight bearing down on you, pretending it doesn't influence how you rate the album. Listening to "Everybody Hurts", it is absolutely that overly sincere song so easily used as a punchline. It's also kind of beautiful as you focus on the strings and gentle melodies, how the song crests and falls. That's why I'm enjoying the album list even though I've spent as many hours complaining about its inclusions/exclusions as I have listening to the music. Even something I know as well as Automatic For The People can feel like a new experience with proper listening. Anyway. It's good! I don't think I ever properly appreciated how good the string work is here or that John Paul Jones was involved with the album. I don't think REM's ever going to quite hit a 5 for me on an individual album and it definitely wouldn't be this one (Man on the Moon is godawful, like anything associated with Andy Kaufman) but it's a confident 4.

Always a classic.

Album number three baby! I had a great time listening - it does feel like each of the albums I've listened to so far has had one iconic, zeitgeist song. In this case it was everybody hurts. Rather than the one song that I'll know, I tend to like some other song much better. Toward the end of the album, my attention span started to fade.

“Monty got a raw deal”

It gives me Phil Collin’s kind of vibes. I love it

A little too much Pop for me but still good. My favorites were “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight” and “Man On The Moon”.

I'm not a big R.E.M. fan besides Losing my religion and Everybody hurts but this was a nice opportunity to revisit their discography. It gave me a nostalgic rock vibe. I'd probably give it another more focused listen and hear the lyrics.

Everybody hurts is here! Better than I expected

I'm not a big REM fan, and there are far too many of their albums in this collection (although weirdly they didn't include "Out of Time"), but this is definitely the best REM album I've listened to, by a long shot. I'm not sure exactly why or how the band tamed Michael Stipes' often nasal/whiny style, but aside from the fluffy "The sidewinder sleeps tonite", and to some degree "Man on the moon", the tracks are much more somber and weighty, and they sound so much better for it. My favorites of the lot are the opening "Drive", crowd favorite "Everybody hurts" (with an interesting video too), and the curious "Sweetness follows". Also interesting to read that they got Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones to do the string arrangements on several tracks. It's a shame that this collection doesn't pick from any of their albums after "Automatic for the People", as it would be (mildly) interesting to see where they headed after this, but I'll admit not interesting enough to pursue that on my own.

very good

Feels like looking out the backseat window, face pressed to the glass, breath fogging it up dramatically (positive)

Forgot how many great songs were on this album

overall a very beautiful album. It’s very melancholy and bittersweet sounding. I I love the guitar and how jangly some of these songs sound. Fav songs: everybody hurts, sweetness follows, nightswimming

REM are conspiracy theorists?

Great

Man on the Moon is probably one of the first contemporary rock songs I remember hearing on the radio as a kid. Perhaps the lyrics were fun? Do you remember hearing songs in your very early years and then later in life wondering if they ever existed? I always felt that way about Beck's 'Loser'. Regardless, I've been pretty anti anything REM on this list (that's right, I ignored the full stops!). This one was slightly more engaging than what I expected it to be. Everybody Hurts was actually the first song I ever learned on guitar. I'm going to give it 4, purely because it rose beyond the background music that the rest of the albums gave me from this band. 4 stars.

This album is like driving home from a family holiday. You were stuck in traffic earlier, but that has died down now. It is getting late, and the sun has set. You press your head against the windows and look up at the night sky, while trying to get a bit of sleep. You have a couple more days of holiday before going back to school, so you don't need to worry about that yet. Instead you'll just bask in the joy of the refreshing time away you have just had with loved ones.

I loved this, which came as no surprise since I just completely vibe with R.E.M.’s sound. Just a classic listen.

Clearly this is a masterpiece, but not one I think I will ever come back to. I love Stipe's voice, the songs, the mood... and yet there's something off. Maybe it's the lyrics. Too much allusive nonsense interspersed with faux-deep emotive lines that don't quite hang together. Maybe it's just overwrought. Almost cheesy.

loved this but you gave it to me yesterday, can i please get a new album?????

Its a REM album, a good one but I really only thought about how yeah it sounds like REM

Perfect atmosphere for current times, with a few cuts I hadn't heard before. Nightswimming is a haunting highlight.

some nostalgia via the man on the moon movie

I really enjoy this. Some great tracks I’ve heard a lot before and others wondering why they didn’t get the airtime? Something about R.E.M. just sounds dated although this was mixed very well. I think it’s just the era or style of music.

I’ve been looking forward to listening to this album given Man on the Moon is a banger. Enjoyed the album with a few key songs and the album is certainly REM. Shoutout nightswimming for a fun piano backing and everybody hurts for being a song im pretty sure I knew but now I definitely know

Half the album was mush that wasn't memorable. Songs that were memorable were quite good and made sense for the album to be on this list.

I’m moving in a few weeks and this was a great album to pack to. Very melodic, soothing.

Great album. Everybody Hurts still hits!!

I really liked this. First album of the project and I listened all the way pretty much instantly. First track grabbed me and I recognised the lead's voice instantly. It includes Everybody Hurts on it which is a famous one of theirs I reckon. Have now put it together that Losing My Religion is probably why I know his voice - and now I also know his name is Michael Stipe! Enjoyed this album a lot and love this concept as a way to listen to new music!!

Refreshing and new for the time. Holds up wekk

Their singer might not be as technically gifted as others, but boy does he know how to deliver a song.

This is for the people who feel that life moves forward automatically. The songs do not give clear answers. Instead, they show the feeling of living inside a flow that cannot be stopped. There is both resistance and quiet acceptance toward this automatic river. I did not understand this album when I was much younger, but feels different to me now.

Didn’t Mind the record I liked Ignoreland I can see how this resonates with lots of people in that era

Great easy listening with good post-punk guitars TOP 3: Man On The Moon, Nightswimming, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite

Favorite Track: Man On The Moon

Beautiful songs. Beautiful album

I think I prefer their earlier stuff but there are some great songs on here.

I think these must be up there as four of the best opening tracks on an album ever. But then, well, how do you follow Everybody Hurts. Turns out you stick a nothingy instrumental in, and then a good second half which just doesn’t quite stack up against the openers. Maybe there is a drop, or I couldn’t fully cope with the melancholy any longer, probably a bit of both. I’ve never thought of them as musically that strong, but the strings were used really help, but overall it’s definitely a Stipe masterclass. I can’t quite give it a 5 though.

Uno de los mejores discos denla banda. Grandes clásicos como “Everybody hurts” y “Man on the moon”

Another 90's classic. Moody but solid, has the hits, classic cover, no one didn't own this at the time. The Hits" "Drive" (108M listens) is an anthem, still heavily played. Check out the MTV music awards version, it's faster and got a bit of anger weaved in. "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight" (37M) is catchy and upbeat. "Everybody Hurts" (547M) is a timeless song that bridges generations and gets a ton of airplay still. "Man On The Moon" (223M) is a huge hit in it's own right, hooky, great video and you can hear it regularly on the radio. "Nightswimming" is a giant fan favorite. The Glue Tracks: "Try Not To Breathe" (16M) revisits their early sound. "Find The River " (45M) is another fan favorite and a lovely way to finish the album. Solid from top to bottom! The firepower of songs that defined 1992 and 1993 is undeniable. Influential, hits, impact and longevity.

Banger after banger

7/10. A classic. Really enjoyed this. Forgot how good it is.

I don't think this is the craziest hottest take I've ever thrown out but I wanted to love this album, I'd only listened to it a couple weeks ago and I thought the same then. I really like R.E.M, not my favourite of the 80s/90s bands but extremely important and foundational to my taste so when I threw this on with relatively high expectations based on reviews (both here and on RYM) as well as my other opinions of R.E.M albums I came away wanting... more? It's also worth saying I am sick to death of Everybody Hurts, seriously god knows why it's so beloved it sounds like it was written by a teenager trying too hard. Maybe as an album it's a bit too melancholy for me at this exact moment but it's definitely a bit too casual and slow, even if I love that sort of sound usually it just presents in an uninteresting and uninterested fashion for most of this albums bulk. Songs like Man on the Moon and Nightswimming are excellent, if the whole album were of this energy and calibre I'd be singing praises but the pacing just varies a little too much for a coherent listen. It's still a good album album, if I could be specific I'd say something like 3.7 which tracks with the reviews and lines up with the rating of a 4 but there are maybe 3 R.E.M albums I'd slot above this (one of which isn't even on this list. Reckoning absolutely robbed) but they will get their love down the line. This album is ultimately good but I can't at all agree this was R.E.M at their most influential nor at their best or most interesting. Best songs: Man on the Moon, Nightswimming Worst songs: N/A Rank compared to everything else so far: 17/31 (below Boston, above If I should Fall from Grace with God)

REM il rate jamais

Excellent super voix super mélodie rien à redire. Grosse hésitation avec le 5

Wasn`t expecting to know that many songs from this album and it was a pleasant surprise. Even though this genre is not exactly my cup of tea I thoroughly enjoyed it! Also, listening to Ignoreland in today's political climate is... certainly an experience. My top three songs: Drive, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, Sweetness Follows.

Classic.

Good memories. Not my favorite album of theirs but still one of the good ones. 3.8

evrybdy Hz

There’s a feeling of grandiose and maturity in this record. This was R.E.M.’s launch into the stratosphere, but they did it on their terms.

This album exudes how I perceive rural/suburban American youth. It's both concrete and earth, fireflies and lampposts. Driving in your parent's car and exploring with the backwoods with your friends. Combines the Ying and Yang and the transition to a different kind of society.

Classic REM

Beautiful album. I had already heard "Everybody hurts" before and loved it. I'm from a different generation so I'll need to do some research to fully understand some things and get the music on a deeper level. But simply from a musical point it felt like a warm embrace from the beginning and as someone dealing with grief I felt understood. Ignoreland is deeply underrated, I was surprised to see it was the least listened to on the album since the topic of the song is very relatable to today. I didn't like a couple of sounds and the kitten song but overall I feel it's an album that I will listen again and again in the future and I hope one day to own it physically.

There was one song that I didn't like, but the rest carried. Easy listening. 4/5

Great album. Feels a little lower energy than Document, but still some amazing tracks.

Michael Stipe's haunting voice, orchestrated alt rock backing and understated but catchy meldies melt together perfectly on this one. Put it on and float away. Faves: The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, Everybody Hurts, Find The River

1. Good but a bit repetitive (there's french tho) 2. Vrm bonne melo et accords sympatoches 3. Un chouille repetitive mais Dididi + côté police sympa 4. 🥀🥀🥀 5. Interlude mais cool 6. Ouuuuh avec violoncelles super however paroles bien tristes 7.great 8. Moins bien à cause de l'effet sur la voix mais c'est ok 9. Chill et sympa 10. Très jolie but stop the yeah yeah yeahs, refrain < couplets 11. Chiantos 12. Plutôt bien Bilan : the contrast between happy chords and depressing lyrics est au top + good melodies in general but sometimes his voice...

Loved it kinda reminded me of taking heads and weezer idk

Good use of unconventional instruments in pop music like mandolin, English horn

I've heard of this band but never got around to listening to them, glad I finally did. They're like a more country Bowie, and remind Willow of "high winds and the smell of fish". I can see them playing this in a clapboard house on the east coast. "Nightswimming" was teetering towards "Dear Evan Hansen" at first, but grew on me. Would get high and just exist to this album. 7.5/10

honestly dope album, would listen to some of the songs again. felt like a coastal town and an old cat

better than I remember 4/5

It's a fairly rhythmic album, and I must admit I enjoyed listening to it... without being too enthusiastic. The worldwide hit "Everybody Hurts" is quite unique on this album, but it has such poetry, such a beautiful melody, that I'm almost tempted to give it 4 stars... and that's exactly what I'm doing!

Just great Alternative rock. The hits like Drive, Man on the Moon and Everybody Hurts. are amazing and the rest is solid too.

Well, I honestly only understood about half of this when it first came out. I was 10, hearing it via honestly mediocre music videos on MTV. Coming back to it now, it is clearly a masterpiece. I don't think of myself as an R.E.M. fan, but this could sing along to probably half of this album.

Great album. Remember buying both this and Out of Time on CD. Listening again, I think I slightly prefer Out of Time - I know the critics rave about this album, but there we are.

Yeah a really solid R.E.M. album. They have such a unique sound and I enjoyed it immensely. Everybody Hurts is just one of those quintessential sad songs and it’s one of my faves.

I think I maybe know one REM song, so I'm excited for this. This album is 1 year older than me! Tracklist thoughts: 1. Drive: I'm bad with music comparisons, so I looked up who they were influenced by/influenced and I can hear Velvet Underground, definitely Radiohead, and even bits of the Decemberists. It's fairly simple in construction with the finger picking guitar and ethereal voice (almost Smiths/Doors-y?). I do think the song is a little too long for how simple it is and how much they repeat the chorus, but in the age of 1min TikTok songs, maybe it's not a bad thing (or my brain is broken). 2. Try Not to Breathe: I keep thinking the singer sounds like someone else, but I wonder if I'm just thinking of other REM songs. Very repetitive lyrics again. They're good lyrics, but they're said over and over without much change in the guitar melody. Again, maybe 4 minutes is a bit long? They probably did something crazy with their instruments or voices or whatever that makes them revolutionary in 1992, but I'm a bit bored. I actually zoned out the last minute. 3. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight: I love that he vocalizes the beginning of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" for a hot second before he launches into the lyrics. The music and lyrics of these one are the most unique and fun so far. I love the chorus and the bridges as well as the harmonies in the back. 4. Everybody Hurts: ohhhhhhkay, yes. Now I remember which song everyone knows by REM lol Amazing singing here, sad af. The guitar feels a bit 50s/ Buddy Holly, but the string instruments and his shaky voice plus when the electric guitar layers in makes it such a unique and messed up song. Almost 6minutes for this song and I feel it's a bit too long again, but it does change up a lot and I can see someone just vibing to it and their feelings over and over. I'd never heard the ending "newscast" part before where apparently people just leave their cars and disappear?? I wonder if it's just for the music video. 5. New Orleans Instrumental No. 1: There isn't a No 2 on the album, so I wonder if they never made one? I love the idea of an interlude/short instrumental on an album though, especially one where they obviously love messing around with their sound and layers so much. 6. Sweetness Follows: oh man these lyrics are fucked up-- definitely a 90s grungey vibe. I really like how he sings the refrain "sweetness follows". More experimenting with electric guitar and organ music now. I wonder if these guys are classically trained? Note: the answer is no, they just have been jamming for a while 7. Monty Got a Raw Deal: love a song with characters/a story (see: Rocky Raccoon by The Beatles). **Note: I got so comfy in bed at this point that I fell asleep to the rest of the album. It was actually rather soothing.

Мое первое прослушивание данной группы. В целом, альбом достаточно хороший, но не более. Опять же, эффекта «вау, что за мелодия ласкает мои уши» не было. Просто хороший релиз, который приятно слушать, он по-любому меньше 4 не заслуживает, но 5 я не поставлю. Твердая 4

Great album. Loads of famous tracks. I’m not even an REM fan but I knew almost all of them.

Wasn't keen on the first track but man did it pick up after that! So many classics! Such a great use of a distinctive sound

Great album, but not their absolute best

On this one, REM mixed indie sensibilities with a bit of acoustic instrumentation. They didn’t follow a country or folk format, just borrowed some of the sounds. I really like Peter Buck. He stands out as a guitarist. Michael Stipe is what makes REM but at the same time I get tired of his voice. Really good record. Not perfect.

Good One!

80

Really cool, great stuff. 4 stars

Some great songs on here that really pushed the curve for the time period it was in. Always will like R.E.M.

Pretty good album. The non hits are largely like "hey, this is REM". When the hits play though, they're just so good. Love Michael Stipe and the gang. Incredibly unique while still having a quintessential 90s sound and vibe. Good combo

My first introduction to R.E.M. and its an automatic four for me! Tracks to Track: Man On The Moon, Try Not to Breathe

Very good, but it feels like there are a bit to many effects, like they were just starting to throw things at the wall.

After spending much of the 1980s as one of the brightest acts of the American underground, R.E.M. had started to infiltrate the mainstream with 'Document' (1987) and 'Green' (1988), before landing their first worldwide success in 'Out of Time' (1991). The alternative rock explosion in the early 90s benefitted R.E.M. greatly, but 'Out of Time's' generally happy, upbeat tone was a bit out of place in the more angst-ridden, pessimistic culture of the time. R.E.M.'s response to this was 'Automatic For the People', an album considered by many to be the greatest from the Georgian quartet. With three stellar rock singles in 'Drive', 'The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight' and the Andy Kaufman tribute 'Man on the Moon', as well the ultimate sad song 'Everybody Hurts' and thr tender piano ballad 'Nightswimming', R.E.M. hit a creative and commercial peak on 'Automatic For the People', with Michael Stipe's deep, introspective lyrics, Peter Buck's stunning guitar and string arrangements, and the ever-solid rhythm section Mike Mills and Bill Berry coming together to craft this enriching and lyrically dense set of songs. There's even a prominent guest appearance by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, who contributes orchestral arrangements that help build upon the grandiosity of the record. It's fair to say 'Automatic For the People' is R.E.M. at the peak of their powers and were finally reaping the commercial rewards for their meticulous work as an underground band in the 1980s. The eclecticism of the 90s were a better fit for R.E.M., and they were one of the few 80s underground acts to successfully transition into 90s success. While I wouldn't call it a perfect album; there's some parts where you can tell Stipe's getting a bit pretentious and preachy; 'Automatic For the People' deserves its legacy status as a standout 90s classic. Best songs: Drive, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, Everybody Hurts, Ignoreland, Man on the Moon, Nightswimming, Find the River

REM best

This is the only R.E.M. record that's ever done much for me. It felt like their songwriting craft took a massive leap forwards at this stage, away from the jangly indie nonsense and middling alt-rock of their earlier works into something much more memorable and engaging. It combines moroseness and self-reflection with energy, vigour and rich, yet relatively simplistic soundscapes.

This seems to be everyone’s peak REM, but to me it is a little bit too well produced. I like my REM a little more raw. This one does have a couple of bangers and really like the way it ends. Those last 4 songs are so epic, especially Nightswimming!

Pleasantly surprised! Not a R.E.M. fan, so I didn't know what to expect. Really nice music, easy to listen to, finally an album I must listen to that doesn't suck!

Very good album with some of their most recognisable songs, good vibes listening to it. One I’ll come back to every now and again

R.E.M. never seems to come up in the conversation of best rock bands. Their run of albums through the 80s and 90s is genuinely impressive, but they never quite have that one masterpiece. I have been enjoying Automatic For The People more with every re-listen -- maybe one day I will see it as that masterpiece?

It was omnipresent growing up. All thriller, no filler.

REM at their peak.

Very enjoyable album!

Es un grupo que normalmente no me apetece escuchar pero cuando suenan me gustan bastante. Este disco es probablemente mi preferido. Es un disco formidable.

I had a friend a long time ago who LOVED REM and would always tell me to check out their discography. I feel bad that I never did until today, especially since I really enjoyed this one.

Nice

Solid 4, easy listening, clean. Soothing voice and just in general well balanced album. time spent well. The end is powerful

R.E.M. was the first band that I would say I was a fan of. This album got me into them. It has a special place in my heart. This is actually a 4.5. Liked Songs: Every Song

Again, first real dive into REM besides the hits. I like it. Will listen to more albums

R.E.M. have such a distinctive sound. I don’t know *that* many of their songs names, but you could put on anything from their discography and I could identify it as an REM song. This has seeped into my subconscious because of growing up with my dad’s music playing. It’s pretty darn good

I liked it! Chill, some really nice moments with 80s drums blending well with acoustic instruments to make sad songs more interesting. I'll probably come back to this one

REM is some melancholy stuff. Everybody Hurts and Man On The Moon are the well known tracks from this album and they're pretty typical of the rest of the album. Decent album, but kinda sleepy.

This was surprisingly great, I wonder why I never gave it a fair shake when I was younger. Singles are obviously strong, but so is some of the back-half material - Nightswimming and Find the River end things well.

Whilst not my favourite REM album, it's still good. I know this is the one which the public tends to gravitate towards, but I find it's one where you have to be in the right mood to really enjoy it.

Excellent

I always have a hard time with REM. They're good at what they're doing and sound very tight and deliberate. The tragically hip being the Canadian REM always feels fair when you listen to either of them. It's not my favourite way for music to sound but I wish more bands were this good and purposeful in their own direction. Ignoreland had a vibe that kept my attention.

It's interesting that this followed the greatest hits album and this would contain most of their greatest hits. I enjoy a lot of these songs. I haven't heard most in a very long time. But I won't need to hear them again for a while. There is just something that is overall bland about the production. If there was a dial that could turn up the folk I'd do that. Get some of the 1980s stank off. All that said, this is a great album for fans of R.E.M.

these guys rock

Not my favorite REM but any REM is good…this is when they started making the turn to a megaband — and started losing the rough energy that made them so so so amazing….

I know Everybody Hurts is supposed to be the big hitting song of the album, but I find Man On The Moon to be a lot more agreeable. Overall, this is just one of those other 90's album that I feel we have a ton of in this list. It's not bad, but it's not revolutionary either. I'm getting sick of 90's alternative rock, but it would be disingenuous to give it anything below a 4; the album is still enjoyable.

Only familiar with Everybody Hurts and Man on the Moon before listening. I enjoy the guitars in most of the songs, however they tend to blend together.

Na primeira escuta não me fez muito. Mas, por algum motivo, foi um álbum que me chamou de volta todos os dias por mais de uma semana – e a cada escuta foi ficando melhor e melhor.

Very middle of the road radio rock. I guess one of the more iconic radio rock bands??

4 stars

Generally good; some classic tracks, but a bit of filler.

7/1001 прикольный и ненапряжный рок где никто не орет во всю глотку или мычит, слушается целосно, без ощущения затянутости или какого-то резкого падения в качестве примечательно: 1-3, 4

Listened to this album - at least twice - when working from home in Oberkochen around mz dad’s 75th birthday. It was a crisp and sunny autumn day, and I was mostly happy.

Good

I love REM. So many great recognisable songs on this. But there are a few that don't do anything for me. Stand out songs, sidewinder sleeps tonight, Man on the moon, night swimming

I have tried REM multiple times and it never really sticks. I must have been listening to the wrong albums. This one was excellent. Good lyrics and instrumental parts. Stipes voice wasn’t too annoying either.

Ein entspannter Vibe von Anfang bis zum Ende. 3,5/5

B+

Great album

A great album, but this was my little sister's R.E.M. My R.E.M. was the earlier, less scrutable version that kept College Radio DJ's awake at night.

Solid

Great memories listening to this one on cassette in Laurel Drive back in the 90s (4.5)

Is this how I discover I've been a closeted R.E.M. fan this whole time? Great album, not as good as Green but very close. Highlights: Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, Nightswimming

2nd REM album in 10 days. It got almost perfect ratings, probably because everyone thought the lead singer was dying of AIDS at the time and critics started connecting dots that didn't exist. Of course, Michael Stipe is still alive today and doesn't have AIDS. Overall it's a good album and IMO better than Document. I can't help but think the overall rating is inflated due to the rumors that he was dying. Obviously, it's an emotional album, and a great album, but let's not get carried away. Their singles are still simply iconic, there's no debate about that. Everybody Hurts is an incredibly emotional and relatable song and probably still resonates with new listeners. Favorite songs are New Orleans Instrumental No 1 and Sweetness Follows.

8/10

I enjoyed this a lot.

Prettty good

Classic one, have one of the most iconic songs from movies

Good

deep, dark; teenage time

This is such a great album – wish I could rate it 4.75 stars. Read the notes in iTunes about the re-released Dolby Atmos 2017 version - cool "insider" stuff.

This is a much more somber and dark affair from R.E.M. that hits pretty well. I guess in the state of the world today, the somber music kind of feels validating. It's very well made too, and the brighter moments aren't absent. Man on The Moon is on this album, after all. Probably my favorite songs are Everybody Hurts, Drive, Man on the Moon, and Nightswimming.

A lot of memories, I like this album. Weird but well put together.

College classic album. Listened to many times back in the day.

It aged for me, I don't like to play it anymore. But I remember it very well and have fond memories with it.

Great album. Poetic and dark and languid. Not precisely as feel-good as some of their music but still a really solid listen through the whole album. Nightswimming is quite nice and beautiful in its imperfection. It's small and human.

Just discovered I like REM! Very cool

Easy listening and quite nice but nothing really captivating.

Great album all the way through. This is definitely their best one. JPJ helping out with the strings brings a great element. This just has more substance than any of their other stuff.

Delightful blast from the past. ★★★★

Це вже третій альбом R.E.M. в цьому списку (і я впевнений що буде ще). Як я вже писав в рецензії на мурмур, це "мій" гурт, в кожній декаді вони примудрялись видати класний матеріал, хоча й грішили філерами. Automatic for the people вважається чи не найкращим їхнім релізом, принаймні для середньостатистичного слухача, бо тут є їхній головний хіт після реліджн - everybody hurts. Але навіть якщо не брати цю пісню, то альбом кайфовий, Майкл Стайп як завжди пише цікаві метафоричні тексти, а man on the moon, присвячена Енді Кауфману, завжди була однією з моїх улюблених пісень R.E.M. До речі й кіно, де ця пісня була саундтреком, теж дуже щемке, завжди його любив.

Fantastic record. Need to go back and listen to Murmur again as I didn't like it at first. The overall sound of the record isn't reeeally my thing but I can't deny these are some great tunes. Reminded me a bit of the Tragically Hip, especially the vocals, and a google search suggested the Hip have been referred to as the Canadian REM. A lot of the songs have kind of an east coast thing going which is strange for a band from Athens, Georgia. A strong 4

Great 90s Alternative album

The album with Everybody Hurts on it. The whole album is definitely very same-y sounding, but it's a good sound. Songs you'd play in a boutique to sell knicks and knacks to middle aged white women

This REM album is fantastic. So many great songs. Quintessentially them.

This albums acts as a book end of sorts to Murmur. That album certainly rocks but what set it apart from many contemporaries were the moments that pull back. The layers that created atmosphere amidst the jangle. Ten years of on - it is not just overdubbed guitars and reverb that creates the atmosphere but sweeping strings. Big sweeping strings. They perfectly augment the mostly acoustic based record. A beautiful record that feels like the passage of time. Songs that immerse you but are uncluttered enough to allow you to think, ponder, lament and transcend. Sweetness Follows has long been a favorite of mine and it was great to revisit like am old friend assuring me it will be ok. In spite of its ubiquity - Man on the Moon still has the ability to transport you somewhere else. And Nightswimming - I can imagine a version of this song that could have appeared on Murmur - written by 4 young men with nothing but future - full of indomitable youthful energy and perhaps a little sexual energy. This version instead looks back. You feel the passage of time. It's a reminder that - as days past stack up - youthful memories become more resonant. It's not that you want to go back to those simpler times but you have learned to treasure their existence. Not bad for a little band from Athens, GA. 4.5

8/10

Some great songs and wonderful sounding album. Misses some of their biggest songs but has some classics. On the good songs I love Michael Stipe's voice. Peter Buck on guitar and Mike Mills on bass are amazing.

It's ok