R.E.M. Through the Years

After toying with names including Twisted Kites and Cans of Piss, the band that would pick the name R.E.M. out of a dictionary launched out of the campus of the University of Georgia in 1980. Building on their mutual enthusiasm for '60s-era rock 'n' roll, record-store clerk Peter Buck and art student Michael Stipe recruited two former high school classmates from Macon, drummer Bill Berry and bassist Mike Mills.

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The band quickly attracted a following around Athens, opening for the Police in Atlanta just eight months after their first gig. R.E.M. recorded their first single, 'Radio Free Europe,' for a tiny local label in the summer of 1981. It was named independent single of the year by the Village Voice, immediately establishing the band as a unique presence on college radio.

The aptly titled 1983 debut album 'Murmur' showcased Michael Stipe's impressionistic, nearly-indecipherable vocal style. Despite the singer's seeming reluctance onstage (he often performed with his back to the audience), the band cracked the pop Top 40 and appeared on "Late Night with David Letterman" ? clear proof that such idiosyncracies would not stand in the way of commercial success.

After five well-received albums for the indie label IRS, R.E.M.'s 1988 deal with Warner Bros. brought complaints from some loyal fans. But commercial success was by then inevitable: The album 'Green' featured the Top 10 hit 'Stand,' while the followup, 1991's 'Out of Time,' confirmed the band as international superstars with the singles 'Losing My Religion' and 'Shiny Happy People.'

By the 1990s the band members were taking periodic vacations from each other to relieve the stress of global touring. Guitarist Peter Buck has been especially active in side projects, recording with Robyn Hitchcock, the Minus 5, the exotic pop instrumental group Tuatara and, with Mills and Berry as the Hindu Love Gods, the late Warren Zevon.

Born into a musical family, bassist Mike Mills is the band's multi-instrumentalist, contributing keyboards, horns and other parts in the studio. He is the principle writer on '(Don?t Go Back to) Rockville,' 'What?s the Frequency, Kenneth?' and other signature R.E.M. songs, and he's also the group's resident fashion plate: One of his prize possessions is his collection of Nudie suits.

In March 1995, drummer Bill Berry collapsed onstage in Lausanne, Switzerland after suffering a brain aneurysm. Though he made a full recovery, two years later he announced his retirement from the group. His band mates gave him their blessing and vowed never to officially replace him: "I guess a three-legged dog is still a dog," said Michael Stipe.

With each album Michael Stipe grew more comfortable in his role as the group's mouthpiece, publicly acknowledging his bisexuality and speaking out on a wide array of social issues. He has worked as a film producer ("Velvet Goldmine," "Being John Malkovich") and has published a book of haikus and one with photographs of his friend (and fellow Hall of Fame inductee) Patti Smith.

Singer Michael Stipe, seen here with Bruce Springsteen on the 2004 Vote for Change tour supporting presidential candidate John Kerry, has forged many close relationships in the entertainment world. He is godfather to Frances Bean, daughter of Courtney Love and the late Kurt Cobain; he dedicated the album 'Monster' to River Phoenix; and Radiohead's Thom Yorke counts him as a good friend.

Since re-signing with Warner Bros. in 1996 for a then-record $80 million, R.E.M. have released a string of experimental, modest-selling albums. At the same time, the core trio has settled into their mid-career role as the sage elders of the postpunk musical landscape. The band's election to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame came in their first year of eligibility.

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