R.E.M. Disband, A Chapter in the History of Alternative Rock Comes to An End

The 1980s were dominated by progressive rock, disco and bands that still had a hangover of the 60s and 70s sound.R.E.M, when they started as a band in the early 1980s started a sound that was markedly different from the existing sound of that time, and influenced a number of bands to form a sound that became a genre in itself.

This new sound was to become the alternative rock of the later part of the 1980s and 1990s. R.E.M. not only influenced a number of bands, but inspired bands such as Nirvana to try and change existing popular sounds that were watered down hard rock fare. After 31 years of commercial success, R.E.M. is in news again for breaking up, and calling it a day. The band revealed on their website that they have lived as lifelong friends and co-conspirators for 3 decades, and that they have decided to call it a day.

The curtain unfortunately closes in on R.E.M., and has already saddened music fans regardless of which genre they mostly listen to. R.E.M. has released 15 albums in a span of 3 decades and their final album 'Collapse Into Now' was released in March 2011. Earlier sometime, R.E.M. had mentioned that the band had spent some time together in an Athens studio. It is quite likely that nothing will come out of it now, and another great band goes down the pages of the history of rock. R.E.M. fans worldwide have expressed anguish and a sense of nostalgia.

Michael Stipe was recently in news for flashing his junk on his Tumblr site and just when people were talking about that ad having a good laugh about it, the real shocker came in that R.E.M. has finally disbanded, on the 21st of September, 2011. It is not clear what plans the former members of R.E.M. have for their own professional lives. Perhaps they will work on solo projects, or engage themselves in music production, mixing and recording. Michael Stipe for instance, has taken up art as a hobby, and has begun to create and curate art on his Tumblr website.

All good things have to come to an end, but when they do come to an end, it does not mean that those memories would be forgotten. Fans would continue to play R.E.M., and radio stations would continue to air their singles for many decades to come. Perhaps it is the end of alternative rock as we knew it. No matter what it is, it certainly is time to play ‘Losing My Religion’, ‘Shiny Happy People’, ‘One I love’ and other college favourites again, and bring back feelings and memories from an era that is almost forgotten.