Requiem For R.E.M.

I met my husband 28 years ago today. It was 1983 (did I do that math right?) and we were into “alternative” music. I liked Adam Ant and Billy Idol more than he did, but we both were fans of Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cure, New Order, Depeche Mode, Modern English, The Smiths, Violent Femmes, Psychedelic Furs, and others–including R.E.M.

Looking at all of the albums on the R.E.M. website makes me realize how much their music was a part of my high school and college life, and how many songs we adopted as “theme songs.”

• Don’t Go Back To Rockville
• Gardening At Night
• Losing My Religion
• Everybody Hurts
• Talk About The Passion
• It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

(My husband sent me this today to commemorate our “anniversary.” Our wedding anniversary is tommorrow–we got married 5 years and one day after we met.)

I know that over the years their music has changed and my tastes have changed (I don’t think they have any songs that would make the cut for a running playlist), so I’m not really disappointed by their break-up. I am glad that I can still find their songs on-line because I have enjoyed listening to them again.  And, I’m very glad that my husband and I have outlasted another one of “our” bands.

We probably have mix tapes rotting in the basement with songs from all of these “25 Best Alternative Bands of the 1980s”–how about you?