After 31 years together as a band, R.E.M announced their breakup today.
Michael Stipe:
A wise man once said–’the skill in attending a party is knowing when it’s time to leave.’ We built something extraordinary together. We did this thing. And now we’re going to walk away from it.
I hope our fans realize this wasn’t an easy decision; but all things must end, and we wanted to do it right, to do it our way.
We have to thank all the people who helped us be R.E.M. for these 31 years; our deepest gratitude to those who allowed us to do this. It’s been amazing.
From my seat, R.E.M is arguably the most important band in the history of Alternative Rock. Part of their importance was certainly the high quality and innovative nature of their music. Their first 4 albums are nothing short of a revelation.
But equally important was R.E.M’s commitment to community, communication and a sense of shared purpose with their fans.
If you talk to anyone who played a part in the College Radio Era of 1977-1983, they will regail you with tales of fanzines, weak college radio signals, dirty clubs, couch surfing, kids as promoters and inevitably, — transcendent R.E.M. shows that brought a community together.
R.E.M hardly invented alternative rock. Other innovators and brilliant artists shaped the scene before, during and after R.E.M.’s heyday.
But if you were lucky enough to engage with them in their prime, R.E.M. certainly changed music, and being a music fan, for the better.
I’m glad to have known them and played a tiny role in their legacy, and I’m sorry to see them go.
