jakobnicholas Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 How hard would it be to name R.E.M.'s Top 20 songs?! Paste magazine gives it a shot. Here's their Top 20, plus a link (the writer gives a small blurb for each song): 1. Talk About the Passion2. Driver 83. Swan Swan H4. Nightswimming5. Finest Worksong6. Losing My Religion7. Don't Go Back to Rockville8. So. Central Rain9. Radio Free Europe10. It's The End of the World...11. Everydoby Hurts12. Fall On Me13. 7 Chinese Bros.14. Man on the Moon15. Gardening At Night16. What's the Frequency Kenneth17. Cuyahoga18. World Leader Pretend19. These Days20. King of Birds http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/07/the-20-best-rem-songs-of-all-time.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
remphish1 Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 How hard would it be to name R.E.M.'s Top 20 songs?! Paste magazine gives it a shot. Here's their Top 20, plus a link (the writer gives a small blurb for each song): 1. Talk About the Passion2. Driver 83. Swan Swan H4. Nightswimming5. Finest Worksong6. Losing My Religion7. Don't Go Back to Rockville8. So. Central Rain9. Radio Free Europe10. It's The End of the World...11. Everydoby Hurts12. Fall On Me13. 7 Chinese Bros.14. Man on the Moon15. Gardening At Night16. What's the Frequency Kenneth17. Cuyahoga18. World Leader Pretend19. These Days20. King of Birds http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/07/the-20-best-rem-songs-of-all-time.html Here we go again! I Believe, Harborcoat, Sitting Still and Find the River should 100% be on the top 20 list...Newest song on the list is from Monster? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Atticus Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 glad to see 7 chinese bros. making an REM list Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Here we go again! I Believe, Harborcoat, Sitting Still and Find the River should 100% be on the top 20 list...Newest song on the list is from Monster? So should "Wolves, Lower". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ELS Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 How about the startling omission of "Country Feedback" on this list? (grunt) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Understandably omitted, but still among MY favorites:"Texarkana" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Any list without "Harborcoat" is flawed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benny Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 agreed...COUNTRY FEEDBACK certainly belongs in the TOP TEN!!!!!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 nice seeing driver 8 so high but everybody hurts? jesus, that's total shit and no sitting still or harborcoat? that's fucking daft Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oil Can Boyd Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Any list without "Harborcoat" is flawed.HA - that is exactly what I was going to say ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dbf65 Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 While lists in general are just conversation fodder, count how many (and which) songs this guy thinks are better than "Pilgrimage" (their best song). The nausea starts with Finest Worksong, which blows. By the time I get to the World Leader Pretends of this list, its time to projectile vomit. This could almost be called the top 20 most randomly selected REM songs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
auctioneer69 Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 While lists in general are just conversation fodder, count how many (and which) songs this guy thinks are better than "Pilgrimage" (their best song). The nausea starts with Finest Worksong, which blows. By the time I get to the World Leader Pretends of this list, its time to projectile vomit. This could almost be called the top 20 most randomly selected REM songs. Agreed. REM were a massive part of the soundtrack of my life during my late teens into my early twenties (as I suspect was the case for quite a few board members here also.) . I went to Uni (in Britain) for my first year when "Document" was released and have been a really big REM fan since the release of "Life's Rich Pageant". I'd get a massive rush going to record fairs at 16 or 17 to get hold of bootleg videos and tapes. As such, on a subjective and emotional level REM's early days are peerless to me. I'd say that such a list has to include "Sitting Still", "Harborcoat", "Feeling Gravity's Pull", "These Days" and "Cuyohoga". I'd also say that I love the "NAIHF" songs "Binky The Doormat" and "Undertow" with a passion (especially the live b-side versions). I think "You're In the Air" from "Up" is one of REM's most underrated songs and "Living Well's The Best Revenge" from "Accelerate" deserves consideration. I Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Atticus Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 some of you are just better at R.E.M. don't let it upset you Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kim Bodnia Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Not sure if I'm going to mention 20, but here it goes, a personal ranking in no particular order: 1. Living well is the best revenge2. I Believe3. Drive4. Fall on me5. All the Best6. New test leper7. Bittersweet me8. Be mine9. She just wants to be10. Sing for the submarine11. Until the day is done12. Why not smile?13. Daysleeper14. The worst joke ever15. Final straw16. Harbourcoat17. Talk about the passion Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Henry Snow Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 1 Be Mine2 Try Not to Breathe3 Talk About the Passion4 Country Feedback5 Fall on Me6 I Took Your Name7 Night Swimming8 Perfect Circle9 Drive10 Why Not Smile11 Feeling Gravitys Pull12 I've Been High13 All the Right Friends14 E-bow the Letter15 Strange Curtencies16 Sweetness Follows17 Let Me In18 Driver 819 Letter Never Sent20 Chorus & the Ring Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 So. Central RainFall On MeTalk About the PassionFall On MeWolves, Lower7 Chinese BrothersTexarcanaand some more when I feel like actually putting some effort into it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dtram Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Can't resist. Nightswimming is the best, everything else in no particular order:NightswimmingPerfect CircleLife and how to Live itWolvesFlowers Of GuatemalaSo. Central RainDriver 8Begin The BeginI BelieveKing Of BirdsDisturbance At The Heron HouseHairshirtYou Are The EverythingBelongMe In HoneyMan On The MoonElectroliteUndertowIt Happened TodaySad ProfessorHavent listened to R.E.M. in a while. Putting together this list is getting me in the mood to dive into the catalog for a few weeks. If you haven't heard it, check out this Beat Happening cover they put on the Hollow man single. Just tremendous. Has kind of a VU feel, love the slow build.: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kim Bodnia Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 I like Hollow Man, forgot to put it in my list. I think a lot of R.E.M. songs define me as a person and I relate to them, not because of the lyrics exactly but because of the emotion Stipe puts into the performance, Hollow Man is just one of those songs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpqbPJwOLH4 By the way it has become almost impossible to find a mint copy of the Hollow Man single. Unfortunately when I wanted to order they had ran out of stock on amazon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 some of you are just better at R.E.M. don't let it upset you some people have opinions. i pray to allah it won't let it stop you from snarkiness. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GtrPlyr Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Understandably omitted, but still among MY favorites:"Texarkana"We used to cover that song in one of my old bands. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kim Bodnia Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 The very last really great R.E.M. song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJtuE1XJl10 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
theashtraysays Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 in no particular order, although I the top 10 are the top 10... You Are the EverythingBegin the BeginFlowers of GuatemalaPerfect CircleLeaveHalf a World Away7 Chinese BrothersSaturn ReturnThe Wrong ChildEndgame What's the Frequency, Kenneth?Can't Get There From HereWorld Leader PretendSwan Swan HBinky the DoormatLowAll the Way to RenoDaysleeperCountry FeedbackSuperman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IRememberDBoon Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight is up there for me Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kim Bodnia Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 1 Be Mine Glad to see Be Mine so high in your list, I personally think New Adventures in Hi Fi is their best album, and the instrumental section of Be Mine is epic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Henry Snow Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Glad to see Be Mine so high in your list, I personally think New Adventures in Hi Fi is their best album, and the instrumental section of Be Mine is epic. I do love NAIHF, so many good songs... it comes and goes out of my top 3 REM albums. Sometimes I find that it's just a couple of songs too long. And Leave... I have to be in the right mood to put up with 7 minutes of those 'sirens'. I might attempt an REM albums ranking in the next couple of days Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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