We love celebrating music from all decades, but if you had to choose one for us to dive into, what would it be? Comment below!

We need to keep the legacy of REM alive. They were huge in my musical development. I followed them since the very beginning...Radio Free Europe, Murmur, etc. The remaining band members do not seem interested in reviving or keeping anything going; they've disappeared. So it'll have to be up to us fans to keep it going for them. Thanks for your clip.

I'm glad you highlighted Mike Mills's contribution. For me, he's the real star of REM, hidden in plain sight. His bass lines are the perfect combination of rhythmic drive, melody, and elegant simplicity. They're doubly important for holding the songs together since Buck focuses on jangly, chordal playing over riffs and melodies. Nice tone, too. And then there are his wonderful backing (and sometimes lead) vocals on their songs...

This song punched through hair metal and grunge. 🥊

One thing I notice about Michael Stipe's vocals is how he relies so much on the hard 'e' vowel sound. I think that's what makes it sound so American, especially very Georgia/American South. One of the most unique singers ever.

About mandolin in indie music: The Replacements recorded the song I Will Dare in 1984, featuring a mandoline. The guitar on that song was played by: Peter Buck. ;)

The strings are like those in Comfortably Numb - they're not overly prominent but they add so much to the track.

Great band and incredible song. The reverb on the vocal is very strong, you’d never notice this in the general mix. As an aside, Night swimming literally brought me to tears.

Michael Stipe's pitching is spot on.

My greatest heartbreak happened in Feb '91. I was devastated and felt like a raw nerve. This song, plus Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game," which also came out then, spoke to me so strongly. I can't hear either song without thinking of that time and what I was going through.

R.E.M. was a band I ignored duing their heyday. It just wasn't what I was listening to at that time. Later I realized my mistake, R.E.M. is fantastic. I wish I had given them a chance earlier, I missed seeing them.

Sorry - total REM geekery - but the Song Peter mentions is "Driver 8" - one of my favourities, and yes Em Am G G/F# from memory, so very similar. I'm sure that is a pic of Peter Buck you showed as you mentioned Holsapple's name, but I'm being picky. Lovely to hear the isolated sounds, especially the Vocal and Strings. Mills and Berry are a very under-rated rhythm section in my opinion. NIce to hear some appreciation

"Those 4 chords just write themselves" Oh God Bless the universe for dry, British humor.

I started playing the guitar when I was a really little kid. I clearly remember listening to this song at 5 years old knowing I was going to be a musician as an adult, because I wanted to write badass songs like this.

I have vivid memories of listening to this song when it was on the radio 24/7, out with friends driving around and going to parties. Even though I fancied myself as a prog-snob (later laughing at myself) I couldn't resist this song and band. 16 years old in a small suburban town in America. This song was certainly part of the soundtrack of that time for me, no question. Classic song!

This song IS REM for me...I have fond memories in uni of this track...it is the title track to that time for me.

For sure one of the best popular songs ever written, played and produced. Even today, more than 30 years later, I turn up the volume knob when the radio plays it.

I absolutely love this song

I remember when this album came out, I spent my summer at Southsea skatepark in Portsmouth and this album was on repeat! Incidentally my profile picture was taken at a festival opposite the skatepark on the seafront a few years ago!

Stipe has covered so much terrain with his voice across his career.My fave singer Thank you !

I never understood how strong those drums were. They really helped the energy throughout the song. Every instrument is in its perfect place. Stipe's vulnerable, direct vocal track is not "artistic" or "pretty" but straight.

You really know how to pick them Warren, great song.........

They are my favorite band for many reasons. There are many really great R.E.M. songs. I like Bill Berry's drumming, Mike Mills bass sound on early records is amazing and Peter Buck is an excellent rhythm guitarist. His Rickenbacker with very thick strings always provides melody and serves the song. Michael Stipe is a great singer and unique lyricist. And lastly it is amazing how they handled their success.

Thankyou to Warren and Strongbow for Inspiring so many coments....

I really enjoyed the way you presented the history behind the song. I love the song and after viewing this video, it gave me a greater appreciation for this amazing song. Thank you, Warren!

It's not an indie pop song, but "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls had a great mandolin part in it. Tim Pierce has great video about it. He can tell all the stories about Iris, because he came up with and played that mandolin part on the recording.

Out of Time is such a beautiful album. Low and Country Feedback are also absolute gems.

Great song and a good breakdown..! Please cover Come undone by Duran Duran..

"it's a good lesson", Warren said. And it feels like a good summary of this video :) Fantastic song.

I think there's such a vulnerability in Stipe's vocals as well that adds to the emotional aspect of you discussed. The way he pronounces his "E's" in words like "me," (almost like a child) coupled with the shakiness in his voice really evokes so much vulnerability, I think. Great analysis! BTW: I would love to hear your thoughts on "Automatic for the People," my favorite REM album.

I love the emphasis on spot - light (he's in the spot sometimes.....and maybe I mis-hear he's in the spot 'like losing my religion'). That depth in the vocal makes you listen again to discover more. He's in a situation.There's some of the percussive delivery to other lyrics outside the chorus that really fits with the rest of the song too.

This song was huge right around the time my mother passed. I remember it being everywhere which for me was a good thing. After getting the cassette and loving it, I ended up becoming a big REM fan. My favorite to this day being the 'Chronic Town' EP; which in my opinion, there isn't a bad song on it! So cool to see a breakdown of this song!

Great song and not one bad song on the whole album, Remember listening to this on tape in my mates car and we were all blown away ( in more ways than one....he he ) that feels like a long time ago. Thanks for the great video and a nice trip down memory lane

Great video and wonderful tribute to one of the most gravity-altering pop songs that came out in that time period. R.E.M. was huge part of the eighties and nineties, influence on popular music, in my humble opinion, cannot be overstated. They had such a deep influence on me as a young person, and made me feel okay being the type of shy, quiet, and introspective person that I was as a teenager. No one could have done what they had done creatively, and they still stand alone in that regard. I would have loved to tour Bearsville Studio. So many incredible albums were recorded there... Now it's a theater. Kate Pierson from the B52s runs a motel down the road from there too!

Fantastic analyis once again, Warren... A vocalist myself, I LOVE singing live to an audience... (The combination of nerves, adrenalin, excitement, audience feedback etc. gives you something extra...) Conversely, I HATE STUDIO RECORDING!!! Often The Singer will have been sitting around for hours with really not a great deal to do... THEN they put you into the booth and say, "Go for it!!!" I remember once working with the Irish producer Gareth Mannix... We'd done a 'guide track' including vocal so Mannix knew I could sing. By day three, drums, guitars, bass had all been recorded. It was my turn... ONE VERSE into my delivery Mannix stopped the recording. He CLEARED THE STUDIO of the band, a few hangers on and EVERYONE but me, him and the engineer. He told ME to go get a drink and come back in a half-hour... He said, "Come back alone..." When I arrived back, he'd dimmed the studio lights and lit candles all around the booth. He'd sellotaped a photograph of a girl, (it was the singer Lisa Hannigan, I remember) to the window and he said, ignore us, "Sing to her..." So I did... (I couldn't even see the producer or engineer in the dark... Just the candlelight and me and a picture of a girl I could project to...) (I'd LOVE to say I smashed it on one take, but I think it took about three 'go arounds' of the full song? THEN he got me to do the chorus a few times more... Oh, the joys of 'Pro-Tools'!!!) It's HARD to say what a producer actually does? But A GOOD PRODUCER is, in a weird way, not as 'into' the 'personal' as The Performer sometimes is??? (They CAN SEE 'The Wood AS Well As The Trees!!!') And MANNIX was funny!!! "Steve, fantastic, much more you... Let's do it again just like that?" (I thought, "If it was so good why do I have to do it again????" But, I did of course... Him TELLING ME it had been good gave me confidence? I became more relaxed, more okay with my vocal...COULD I do it better? I could TRY!!!") I still hate recording though!!! xx SF

The other thing is, no one sounds like Michael Stipe, either, so he was a sound to go with the mando/guitar combo. It couldn't be stopped. And that is a killer rhythm section.

I know so little about music and it is all too easy to conclude that pop/rock music is simple. However, these songs that changed videos are so interesting and also accessible for people who have little previous knowledge. Superb.

I don’t usually comment on many videos on you tube. But, I am doing it more on your videos, as you are bringing out the music in me of all the changes in music in the same era. Thank you for that. I hated this band growing up. Could not stand their style of music. Then they brought this out. One of my favourite songs of all time. They brought out a classic in this song. Originally, they were whiney and just Diddy type of stuff. ( as far I was concerned). But like I said in previous comments…… unfortunately and fortunately, I was an alive when this came out, and us rock people didn’t have much have much to too listen too. Except the fact, that I was not just rock, but appreciated good music no matter the genre. This is brilliant. Also have to listen to a band called “Hindu Love Gods”. Which is REM with Warren Zevon as the lead singer. Absolutely brilliant. Anyway. Don’t want to go on too long. In my opinion, and summing up, best song they ever did. Cant stand most of their other music. P.S. The drumming is absolutely brilliant in this song. This guy is underrated as a drummer.

You're right about Americanism. As a British person, Stipe's edgy American accent hooked me. Other examples of Stipe's brilliant edgy vocals from Out of Time are Low, Half A World Away and Country Feedback...

I grew up south of Baltimore during the 80's. Some places near me were very Southern and I have a thick Southern drawl. "Losing My Religion" means you have struggled so hard that you are at your Wit's end. All of your beliefs have been stripped bare. The act of desperation. When I first heard "Losing My Religion," I knew it was a hit. The song that nailed REM's unique ideas and was just hypnotic.

Blues for the Red Sun by Kyuss would be a good album to do.

Until hearing this song, I'd never even heard of REM, but both it & they absolutely blew me away. The lyrics seemed to fit my life exactly, & the song as a whole comforted me whilst I dealt with the difficulties in my life at the time. I fell in love with REM from that moment on, which was & always be a huge blessing.

This is easily one of my favorite songs, period. I LOVE the mandolin and the raw feeling. Outside the wonderful lyrics...

Your amazing Warren we appreciate all that you do so much!

This channel is absolutely fantastic. The quality of the content is professional, the creativity in piecing the videos together explaining in detail how some of the greatest songs were put together is outstanding. Thank you so very much for uploading this amazing quality content. I hope this channel gets the recognition it truly deserves and the most important thing in broadcast media is when the presenter is likable and this presenter is quality. Everyone loves quality.

What a masterpiece. Thanks for posting this too!

I believe it's their best song and one of the best "pop" songs of all time. It is very very peculiar, I'd say OUTSTANDING. Though the structure is simple, easy. But that's the secret of (I'd say) all Great Songs.

It's one of these songs that will surpass generations like many that you feature. I never went in to the history of this song so this is fantastic!

I absolutely love your Channel I am a Huge fan of your series. I Loved REM from the very beginning they're very unique and their lyrics are always amazing. Listening to the musical instruments individually, makes one appreciate the song even more. God bless Thank You so much. 🥰💗🥰

Such a great song. I was going through a painful break up when this song came it, it really resonated.

Hi Warrent, thank you very much for the video, it transported me to the past (the good one). In my 40s, It is so sad to realize nowadays the music is not like in the 90s. Today you can pick a few exceptions, but nothing compares to those musicians and their creations. Best regards from Chile.

As a young teen in the late 80s and early 90s, REM was always a part of the underground or college rock scene that my friends and I dug. There was nothing else like it and when this song came out and blew them up I think it really helped launch "Alternative" music as a cultural touch point in a huge way.

My friend David Kempers played on this--string section.

Wonderfully brilliant episode, Warren. Thank you for such good work and sharing it with us!

Love it when you break down the songs Warren, Music is emotion in motion and this will never change - it's truly a beautiful and creative song, the rock drums with these soulful vocals, incredible!

Have you done an Artists Who Changed Music overview of R.E.M ? For me they are the greatest American band of the last quarter of the twentieth century.

This song means a lot to me 😍

As a music producer who raps, I grew up in the 90's and 2000's and this song has been one of my favorites of any genre, since I've heard it. It reminds me of my childhood. I love this record!

I really love your analysis Warren, especially your honest enthusiasm. Our band used to cover R.E.M. in college and the beauty was the songs were accessible, fairly easy to learn, and EVERYONE loved them. Joe

Very beautiful melancholic song.

Thanks for covering REM. I’ve been a huge REM fan since 1985 and they were very influential on me. Losing My Religion is indeed a great song but it’s not even in my top 30 REM songs. They have such an embarrassment of riches in their catalogue. Great band! So. Central Rain, Fall On Me, Perfect Circle are within my top 5 of their songs.

I was thinking about this band last week and marvelling at how incredible and unique they were, and so many great songs.

That bassline wasn't overlooked by me. I had to learn it for a cover band once a few years ago, it was the last song I was expecting to have trouble with! haha

Thanks, Warren for your video. "Losing my religion" is also one of my favourite songs of that period. Furthermore, their Automatic for the People's songs: "Try not to Breathe" and "Nightswimming" are sublime as well.

One of my fav tracks and production ❤

Love this song. Always a go-to when I pick up my guitar. My friend hates it 🤣🤣🤣

Thank you so much for this episode. I love R. E. M. Thank you 🙏

One of all time favorites indeed ! I remember buying this on tape together with Ten Sharp album 'You' ..been listening those over and over..i would love if you would make a story about 'You' by Ten Sharp as well..one of my reference songs in terms of mixing..Well Done as usuall Waren ✌️🎧♥️

You summarized my emotions in my final year of high school - as this song came out - beautifully!

Love this song...great video! Thank you!

a classic song and I've always loved the production, sounded really fresh at the time. great video, thanks Warren!

truly a timeless piece me and my friends (16yo) still listen to this song

one of my top five favorite bands i was in high school when this dropped ....they have always been a soundtrack to my life...great video guys

back in my 20s, I fell for a woman because she said this is her favourite song on our first date and it kinda make sense the more I know about her. Now, I can't listen to this song without thinking all the good stuff we had back then and realize how stupid I was. 100% my loss. The song being so good and emotional not helping at all.

Such a great song

Very evocative and timely for the period of my life when this came out. I was *literally* losing my religion.

Thank you very much for this great video!

This is a beautiful piece of music.

Still a great song. Seen R.E.M. live during the Monster tour headlining Torhout festival in Belgium.

Wonderful job Warren 👏

love these song breakdowns i find them so interesting

The bass has always stuck out to me, and literally the thing that comes to mind when someone mentions the song. It adds so much motion to the part. Exemplifies what a good bassline can do for a song.

Another great edition of the "Changed" series and one of my favorite songs.

Great episode about one of my favorite songs! How about a dive into 10cc - great band that never seems to get acknowledged for how innovative they really were.

Warren just wanted to personally thank you for all you do and your humble efforts to help others understand music and how it all comes together. My mixes and awareness of songwriting has excelled after watching and applying your methods and advice over the years. You are an awesome human being. Thanks and continue on your legacy!!

Out of Time was one of the first CDs I ever bought. Thanks for the video - I really enjoyed the analysis of the bass part, which I hadn’t paid much attention to before. Well done!

I found this a great example of the music change in REM...a real masterpiece of a song...I found this to be Alternative Prog or Prog College rock. Mandolin??? No real chorus??? Verses galore! Excellent Warren! BTW in my opinion last time Top 40 was adventurous.

I thought it was interesting regarding the comment near the end about the chorus, or lack thereof. David Bennett made a vídeo some time ago about songs without a chorus. A few months ago I left a comment for his video, saying almost the same thing about LMR, how you can’t really determine if it does and does not have a chorus. It’s nice to see I wasn’t the only one who had that opinion.

Great as always Warren & special thanks for soloing the instruments -- there's a whole world in there ❤ Have been a fan of the band since the beginning (& remember calling up the radio station to find out what they had just played which was Radio Free Europe) -- love *all* their music but it's true, there's something archetypal, transcendent, and timeless about this one.

Great video Warren, as usual. Thanks for the amazing content and passion you put in those videos. I love this REM song.

Fantastic video!

Yet another brilliant yet emotionally aware analysis..awesome Warren...

Yes! Thanks Warren.

I was a big fan of REM around this time but at no point did I ever feel that this was anything more than an above average song. Certainly never changed my world!

Well done cover of an excellent song. As always, you help bring music appreciation up to the next level.

Love this video. Epic song and love hearing the soloed tracks.

great video! this music and the album changes me and everybody arounds me, until today. I like to see Prince - Batdance if it's possible, this music change me, and others to, i believe.

I like this kind of video!

The Director of Photography for this video was 'Good Eats' creator Alton Brown. He lived in Athens .. and got the gig because he had a Steadicam rig.

This is my favourite band of all time. I love this channel also. Not to be that guy, I just have to point out that at 2:54 Mike is referring to Mike Mills the bassist, not Michael Stipe the singer. Not a big deal, still a great video, I just think this is the case.