![R.E.M. Popular Song Rankings [2025]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/xwtdhWltSIg/maxresdefault.webp)
R.E.M. Popular Song Rankings [2025]
Fronted by vocalist Michael Stipe, R.
E.
M.
is an intelligent rock band.
Since forming in 1980, they have enjoyed strong popularity, particularly on the U.
S.
college charts.
Although they didn’t have many hits in Japan, their 1992 release Automatic for the People was a worldwide smash.
R.E.M. Popular Songs Ranking [2025] (1–10)
Losing My ReligionR.E.M.1rank/position
R.
E.
M.
, the legendary rock band that has had a global impact.
They formed in 1980 and disbanded in 2011, yet their popularity remains strong, and they continue to be widely respected by fans in the alternative rock scene today.
Among their works, the one I especially recommend for summer is Losing My Religion.
It’s alternative rock with a slightly dark, acoustic arrangement, and its deeply atmospheric melody makes it a perfect track to listen to on a late summer night.
Everybody HurtsR.E.M.2rank/position
“Everyone gets hurt, and at times is tormented by loneliness.
” This is a gem of a ballad by the American rock band R.
E.
M.
that gently stays close to such universal suffering.
Its solemn tone, infused with gospel and soul influences, and the all-embracing vocals softly loosen the knots in the listener’s heart.
When life feels on the brink of despair, its message—that you are not alone—sounds exactly like the words you would offer a friend who’s feeling down, evoking a profound form of friendship.
Featured on the 1992 masterpiece Automatic for the People and released as a single in April 1993, the song’s powerful message even led to its adoption in a campaign by a UK suicide prevention organization.
It’s a track that shares tears with you on nights of unbearable loneliness and gives you the strength to step into tomorrow when a friend is hurting.
NightswimmingR.E.M.3rank/position
Included on the 1992 release Automatic for the People.
With its simple piano accompaniment, a touch of orchestration, and above all Michael Stipe’s poignant vocals, this song evokes the end of summer and the beginning of autumn for the listener.
I’ll Take The RainR.E.M.4rank/position
This song’s lyrics are beautifully crafted.
The slow tempo and clear, gentle vocals feel soothing.
It may be rain, but it seems to be a kind, gentle kind of rain.
The lyrics sing about how to relate to a loved one.
Rather than taking the obvious route, it feels like there’s a strong will that deliberately chooses the rain and accepts it with grace.
There isn’t only one way of thinking.
Clinging to a single idea isn’t good.
I feel it carries a message that there are many different ways of thinking.
Imitation Of LifeR.E.M.5rank/position
This is a song by the American rock band R.
E.
M.
, who were selected as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time by Rolling Stone.
It is included on their 2001 album Reveal.
Its refreshing sound and encouraging lyrics can bring you to tears when you listen to it when you’re feeling worn out.
Shiny Happy PeopleR.E.M.6rank/position
A song described by frontman Michael Stipe as “a really fruity, bubblegum song.” B-52’s Kate Pierson provides backing vocals.
The track was used in Michael Moore’s 2004 documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11.
StandR.E.M.7rank/position
When it comes to music of the ’80s, many people might picture a flood of hit songs born from flashy, big-budget productions.
In reality, though, it was also an era when indie bands—who would later sweep the world under the banner of alternative rock—were beginning to find their voice, distinctly separate from the mainstream.
Formed in 1980 in the United States, R.
E.
M.
was truly a pioneering presence.
Regulars on college charts across the country and wildly popular at the time, they continued on to massive success after going major.
“Stand,” included on Green—their first major-label release and the record that can be considered their breakthrough—was a hit notable for its catchy melody even among their catalog.
Influenced by the bubblegum sound of the ’60s, it’s an unusually bright, upbeat pop song for them.
As the band’s self-deprecating remark puts it, it’s “the most ridiculous song we’ve ever written,” and it’s interesting that the lyrics are deliberately straightforward.
That said, the simplicity of the message is precisely what makes it hit so directly.