R.E.M., band of ages, gets inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

by Lauren Hargarten
Features Commentary

Throughout the past 20 years, a band has survived the 80's, held their own in the world of grunge in the 90's, and still managed to hold on to their fans to this day. This band which maintains a large and growing fan base is no other than the band R.E.M. They have had a long, successful run, creating numerous commercial hits and an extraordinary following.
On March 12, all of R.E.M.'s hard work paid off when they, among other bands such as Van Halen and the Furious Five, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
Michael Stipe, the lead singer of R.E.M., founded the band in the beginning of 1980, along with the other band members, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and drummer Bill Berry. From 1982's "Chronic Town" to 1988's "Green," R.E.M. released a record every year they were most likely one of the hardest working band in the 80's. As if recording an album a year for seven consecutive years were not enough, they also toured constantly.
Contradictory to their alternative rock sound, the band spoke out about their political and environmental concerns, breaking out from a mold created by other alternative rockers whose apathetic ways overrode their need to take a stand. For instance, in March 2006, Michael Stipe played a New York Anti-War event.
R.E.M. was also seperated from other bands within the same genre by Stipe's unique voice and meaningful, as well as catchy, lyrics. For instance, many think R.E.M.'s song "Orange Crush," refers to Agent Orange, a herbicide used in the Vietnam War. A section of the chorus supports this, "We are agents of the free/I've had my fun and now it's time to/Serve your conscience overseas."
In 1998, Berry left the band. The President of R.E.M.'s label said, "I thought he was insane...he just didn't want to do it anymore." Although Berry left, the band contiuned to release albums. Since last September, the band has been in the recording studio working on a new album.
The band has various influences and has in turn influenced many other artists. According to iTunes, R.E.M.'s sound evolved from The Velvet Underground, The Byrds, The Clash, and The Beatles. However, like many bands, R.E.M. is paying it forward and has influenced other bands, such as The Verve Pipe, Jars of Clay, and Sloan. R.E.M. is also compared to Neil Young, Wilco, and Pavement.
After 27 years of recording and touring, R.E.M. has been invited to join the other rock elite in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame first inducted artists on Jan. 23, 1986.
The organization started their inductions strong, beginning with James Brown, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, and Little Richard were some of the first artists added to the soon to be long list of influential people in the music industry involved in the Hall.
After all the hard work and effort the band put into their music, one would think that they certainly deserve to have this honor bestowed upon them. R.E.M.'s fan base has remained eminent in the past and will continue to thrive and grow into the future.

By Stephanie Axelrod |  March 23, 2007; 8:04 AM ET
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