Ranking R.E.M.'s Catalog - from 'Murmur' to 'Collapse Into Now'

Today marks the seventh edition of a special series within my weekly feature, Friday On The Turntable - instead of looking at one album, I am featuring all of R.E.M.'s studio albums from 1983 - 2011 - and ranking them! It was a mammoth task, and proved frustrating when putting albums that I love against other ones that I love. Nonetheless, I've provided a ranked list - from #15 (good) - #1 (the best). 

If you would like the short / textual version of the list, please scroll past the video discussion. As always, I look forward to reading your comments and feedback. At the very bottom of this article is a link to an R.E.M. playlist that I created in Spotify, which features my 3 favorite songs from each album - along with their beautiful swan song 'We All Go Back To Where We Belong.'

And as always, here is a link to my band Audra's Bandcamp Site. Thank you!

Here we go...

Check out The 20 Best Songs of R.E.M. feature also!

The text/pics version is below - don't scroll down yet if you want to enjoy the video.

#15: Around the Sun (2004)

3 Favorite Songs: Leaving New York, Make It All Okay, Aftermath

#14: Reveal (2001)

3 Favorite Songs: Imitation Of Life, Beat A Drum, I'll Take The Rain

#13: Accelerate (2008)

3 Favorite Songs: Hollow Man, Supernatural Superserious, Mr. Richards

#12: Monster (1994)

3 Favorite Songs: What's The Frequency Kenneth, Bang & Blame, Strange Currencies

#11: Up (1998)

3 Favorite Songs: At My Most Beautiful, Walk Unafraid, You're In The Air

#10: Collapse Into Now (2011)

3 Favorite Songs: Uberlin, Mine Smell Like Honey, Oh My Heart

#9: New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996)

3 Favorite Songs: E-bow The Letter, Leave, New Test Leper

#8: Document (1987)

3 Favorite Songs: It's The End Of The World, The One I Love, Finest Worksong

#7: Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)

3 Favorite Songs: Cuyahoga, The Flowers Of Guatemala, I Believe

#6: Automatic for the People (1992)

3 Favorite Songs: Nightswimming, Sweetness Follows, New Orleans Instrumental No. 1

#5: Green (1988)

3 Favorite Songs: You Are The Everything, The Wrong Child, Orange Crush

#4: Out of Time (1991)

3 Favorite Songs: Near Wild Heaven, Belong, Losing My Religion

#3: Fables of the Reconstruction (1985)

3 Favorite Songs: Driver 8, Feeling Gravitys Pull, Green Grow The Rushes

#2: Reckoning (1984)

3 Favorite Songs: So. Central Rain, Harborcoat, 7 Chinese Bros.

#1: Murmur (1983)

3 Favorite Songs: Talk About The Passion, Perfect Circle, Sitting Still

Listen in on Spotify

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