The band has been named one of Ology.com’s “Musicians of the Year” in the cultural website’s ongoing “Year in Review” rollout:
A lot of great bands called it quits in 2011, but none with the same level of accomplishment, integrity, and influence as Athens, GA’s original alternative rock heroes: R.E.M. Over the course of three decades and an astonishing fifteen studio albums, Michael Stipe, Peter Buck—¹ and Mike Mills—¹ (plus original drummer Bill Berry—¹, who left the band in the mid-’90s) performed music both intimate and bombastic… raw and meticulous… independent and mainstream. No other indie rock group in history jumped onto a major label with as much creative control— Sonic Youth—¹, Nirvana, Death Cab For Cutie, The Decemberists—¹, and countless others looked to R.E.M. as a model of artistic credibility.
Read the full article here.