Album · Compilation · 35 years old this year
The Best of R.E.M.
The Best of R.E.M. gathers the band's I.R.S. Records years into a single disc, and it appeared on 30 September 1991, just after Out of Time had given them a hit for Warner Bros. Because the earlier label held the rights, the sixteen tracks stop at their first five albums, so the story runs from 1982 to 1987. That means three songs from each record, plus one from the debut EP, Chronic Town.
It is a tidy way to hear the group's early sound in one go. It was not the first collection of this period, and it repeats all but two of the songs on the earlier Eponymous, though some appear in different versions. Release was limited to Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil and Chile, and the liner notes come from Tony Fletcher's book Remarks: The Story of R.E.M.
The Best of R.E.M.: tracklist and credits
16 tracks · 59:17Tracklist
- 1Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe3:51
- 2Radio Free EuropeBerry, Buck, Mills, Stipe4:03
- 3Perfect CircleBerry, Buck, Mills, Stipe3:23
- 4Talk About the PassionBerry, Buck, Mills, Stipe3:22
- 5So. Central RainBerry, Buck, Mills, Stipe3:11
- 6(Don’t Go Back to) RockvilleBerry, Buck, Mills, Stipe4:34
- 7Pretty PersuasionBerry, Buck, Mills, Stipe3:53
- 8Green Grow the RushesBerry, Buck, Mills, Stipe3:42
- 9Can’t Get There From Here4:10
- 10Driver 8Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe3:18
- 11Fall on MeBerry, Buck, Mills, Stipe2:49
- 12I Believe3:32
- 13CuyahogaBerry, Buck, Mills, Stipe4:17
- 14The One I LoveBerry, Buck, Mills, Stipe3:17
- 15Finest WorksongBerry, Buck, Mills, Stipe3:48
- 16It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe4:07
- Produced by
- Mitch Easter, R.E.M., Don Dixon, Joe Boyd, Don Gehman, Scott Litt
- Recorded at
- Reflection Sound Studios, Belmont Mall, Sound Emporium Studios
- Recorded
- 1982–1987
- Mixed by
- Mitch Easter, Steve Catania
- Mixed at
- Can‐Am Recorders, Master Control
- Engineered by
- Don Dixon, Mitch Easter, Scott Litt, Gary Laney
- Labels
- I.R.S. Records, I.R.S.
- Length
- 59:17
Line-up
- Bill Berry · drums (drum set)
- Peter Buck · guitar
- Mike Mills · bass, bass guitar, lead vocals
- Michael Stipe · vocals, lead vocals
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Germany | Gold |
| United Kingdom · 2013 | Gold |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
66.7
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
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Released the same week
Also released on 30 September
Every year →
More from R.E.M.
Full discography →
Chronic Town
1982
Murmur
1983
Reckoning
1984
Fables of the Reconstruction
1985
Lifes Rich Pageant
1986
Dead Letter Office
1987
Document
1987
Eponymous
1988
Green
1988
Out of Time
1991
Automatic for the People
1992
The Automatic Box
1993
Singles Collected
1994
Monster
1994
New Adventures in Hi‐Fi
1996
Essential R.E.M.: R.E.M. in the Attic (Alternative Recordings 1985–89)
1997
Up
1998
Reveal
2001
R.E.M. Vancouver Rehearsal Tapes - May 10, 2003 2003
Vancouver Rehearsal Tapes - May 10, 2003
2003
In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003
2003
Around the Sun
2004
iTunes Originals: R.E.M.
2004
And I Feel Fine… The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982–1987
2006
Live
2007
Accelerate
2008
Reckoning Spotify Sampler
2009
Live at the Olympia
2009
Collapse Into Now Sampler
2011
Collapse Into Now
2011
Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982–2011
2011
Live in Greensboro
2013
Unplugged: The Complete 1991 and 2001 Sessions
2014
Complete Warner Bros. Rarities 1988–2011
2014
Complete Rarities – I.R.S. 1982–1987
2014
R.E.M. at the BBC
2018
Live at the Borderline 1991
2019
Radio Free Europe 2025
2025
The best of 1991
All of 1991 →
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Nirvana · 1991
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Metallica · 1991
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Pearl Jam · 1991
Use Your Illusion I
Guns N’ Roses · 1991
Use Your Illusion II
Guns N’ Roses · 1991
Out of Time
R.E.M. · 1991
No More Tears
Ozzy Osbourne · 1991
On Tour Now!
Guns N’ Roses · 1991
Badmotorfinger
Soundgarden · 1991
Kerplunk!
Green Day · 1991
Innuendo
Queen · 1991
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The Smashing Pumpkins · 1991
More on I.R.S. Records
The label →Document
R.E.M. · 1987
Lifes Rich Pageant
R.E.M. · 1986
Murmur
R.E.M. · 1983
Fables of the Reconstruction
R.E.M. · 1985
Headless Cross
Black Sabbath · 1989
Reckoning
R.E.M. · 1984
TYR
Black Sabbath · 1990
Forbidden
Black Sabbath · 1995
Cross Purposes
Black Sabbath · 1994
Eponymous
R.E.M. · 1988
The Sabbath Stones
Black Sabbath · 1996
Cross Purposes – Live
Black Sabbath · 1995
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 30 September 1991 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 30 September 1991 | |
| Wikidata | 30 September 1991 | |
| UK / Europe release | 30 September 1991 | earliest UK or European date |
4 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | XE | I.R.S. Records | 077771312823 | other |
| 1991 | AU | I.R.S. Records | 077771312847 | other |
| 1991 | AU | I.R.S. Records | 077771312823 | other |
| 30 September 1991 | GB | I.R.S. Records | 5013747000122 | original |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1000×1000 | upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |