On this day in 1981, R.E.M. played Ron’s Place in New Haven, Connecticut. “R.E.M., on a Tuesday night,” remembers Spike Priggen, “back when all they had out was the ‘Radio Free Europe’ single and Pete Buck was using my guitar as his had just been stolen.” 1/2

On this day in 1983, R.E.M. played the Paradise Theatre in Boston, supported by The Replacements. “We did a three-hour soundcheck so it’d be fine for the radio, and the PA column blew up in the third song! So it was like ‘scritzy, scratzy’ for everyone that was in the hall.” - Peter.

On this day in 1980, the band played Hedgens in Atlanta, a show organised by a friend of the band. Allegedly, there were only seven people there, including Mike’s mother, Adora.

On this day in 1980, R.E.M. played a benefit for John Kupris at the 40 Watt East in Athens. Meanwhile, over on Barber Street, Pylon played at a party.

On this day in 1981, Johnny Hibbert released the ‘Radio Free Europe’ single on his independent Hib-Tone label, with ‘Sitting Still’ as the B-side. Upon returning from New York, the band were less than impressed with the result.

On this day in 2001, a belated celebration of twenty years of R.E.M. took place at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, North Carolina, in an event that doubled as a benefit for Don Dixon, who was recovering from a heart attack. Mike joined The Mayflies USA onstage for a performance of ‘Toys in the Attic’

On this day in 2000, it was revealed that four disused railway trestle bridges in Athens, including the one featured on the rear sleeve of Murmur, were soon to be dismantled. The structure was torn down and replaced by a replica in 2023.

On this day 45 years ago, R.E.M. played Club Foot in Austin, Texas, in support of The Judys and supported by The Make. The band played on Independence on only three other occasions during their career: in Werchter, Belgium (1999) and in Berlin, Germany (2003) and Dublin, Ireland (2007).

On this day in 1982, R.E.M. played the Strand Cabaret in Marietta, Georgia, supported by Love Tractor. ‘Perfect Circle’, with a drum machine, was given a live debut.

And in 1995.

On this day in 1989. Taken from zonderdank.be/uploads/oudh...

On this day in 2003, the band headlined their second Glastonbury Festival.

On this day 35 years ago, R.E.M. appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone for the third time.

On this day in 1999, the band headlined their first Glastonbury Festival.

On this day in 1982, R.E.M. made their debut at the i & i Club in Athens. ‘Moral Kiosk’ and ‘We Walk’ were performed live for the first known time.

On this day in 1995, R.E.M. returned to the Late Show with David Letterman (albeit on a different network and with a different title) 12 years after their debut appearance, performing "Crush With Eyeliner".

On this day 45 years ago, R.E.M. played The Bayou in Washington, D.C., supporting the Gang of Four.

On this day in 1985, R.E.M. performed acoustically for MTV's The Cutting Edge. The show was recorded at I.R.S. Records’ offices in Hollywood. Wendell Gee was given a live debut, having been written that day.

On this day 41 years ago, R.E.M.’s third studio album, Fables of the Reconstruction, was released.

Michael and Courtney Love at the MTV Movie Awards in Culver City, California, on this day in 1994. The former presented Tom Hanks with the award for Best Male Performance for his role in Philadelphia. Earlier in the day, Thurston Moore recorded his vocal for 'Crush With Eyeliner'.

On this day in 1992, week-long writing began for what would become Automatic for the People. Twenty demos written between this point and the release date were included on the 25th-anniversary edition of the album, released in 2017.

On this day in 1981, R.E.M. played Von Henmon’s in Columbia, South Carolina. ‘Stumble’ and ‘Laughing’ were performed live for the first known time.

What a guy.

On this day in 1982, R.E.M. finished Chronic Town at Mitch Easter's Drive-In Studio. They recorded a slower version of ‘Wolves, Lower’ (which is included on the EP) and added a new vocal track and acoustic guitar part to the version of ‘Gardening at Night’ recorded in October the previous year.

On this day in 1982, I.R.S. announced they had signed R.E.M.

The flyer for a show which took place on this day in 1983.

A couple of photos of the band from this day in 1983 in Chicago, taken by Paul Natkin.

On this day in 1988, R.E.M. begin recording Green, their sixth album, at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Scott Litt was hired as co-producer for the second time.

On this day in 1987, having completed the mixing for Document, Peter, Mike and Michael played two acoustic sets at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, California.

On this day in 1995, R.E.M. played the Delta Centre in Salt Lake City, Utah. ‘Undertow’ was performed live for the first time

On this day 25 years ago, Reveal gave R.E.M. their fourth #1 album in a decade as it reached top of the album charts in the UK. Other chart placings around the world saw it debut at the peak in Italy, Ireland, Norway, Austria and Switzerland, number 2 in Germany and Sweden and number 6 in the U.S.

On this day in 1988, R.E.M., supporting Vic Chesnutt and Orgusmorgue, played the 40 Watt Club in Athens as a benefit for The Grit restaurant. ‘Stand’, ‘I Remember California’ and ‘You Are the Everything’ were given live debuts.

On this day in 1991, R.E.M. scored their first number-one album as Out of Time topped the Billboard 200 in its eighth week, toppling Mariah Carey from the summit. ‘Losing My Religion’ became the band’s biggest hit single to date as it reached #4 on the Hot 100.

Around this time in 2000, Peter took time out of recording Reveal to pen the liner notes to the reissue of the Beach Boys album, Love You. "In many ways this is a Brian Wilson solo album. For the first and last time on a Beach Boys record, Brian was responsible for a large percentage of the lyrics."

On this day in 1995, ten weeks after his life-saving surgery, Bill returned to the drum kit at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, San Francisco, as the Monster Tour resumed.

On this day in 1987, R.E.M.’s hard-to-find Succumbs compilation was released, featuring the following eight videos: ‘Radio Free Europe’, ‘So. Central Rain’, ‘Left of Reckoning’, ‘Cant Get There from Here’, ‘Driver 8’, ‘Life and How to Live It’, ‘Feeling Gravitys Pull’ and ‘Fall on Me’.

On this day 25 years ago, R.E.M.'s twelfth studio album, Reveal, was released. It topped the charts in several European countries, but only reached number 6 in the U.S.

On this day in 1982, R.E.M. played at the Arts Festival of Atlanta at Piedmont Park. ‘Pilgrimage’ was performed live for the first known time.

On this day in 1983, R.E.M. shot a promotional video for ‘Radio Free Europe’ at Reverend Howard Finster’s Paradise Gardens in Pennville, Georgia. It was directed by Arthur Pierson over two days.

On this day 25 years ago, R.E.M. played in front of Cologne Cathedral. Who remembers watching it live on MTV Europe? The hosts said the band were 'just warming up', even though they had played six songs. Viewers were taken to the show during 'Daysleeper'.

On this day in 1985, R.E.M. played the Stock Pavilion at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. @millsish.bsky.social found a placard that said "Meat Science". "I stuck it on my amp, and it’s been there ever since,” he said. Either he or Bob Weber added "Mr." to the placard.

On this day in 1998, Mike's mother, Adora, interviewed U2’s Bono on Atlanta's 99x FM.

Photograph taken by Ed Colver on this day in 1985 in Amherst, New York, prior to the band's show at the Alumni Arena at the University at Buffalo.

The reason Don Dixon and Mitch Easter were given the green light to produce Murmur. Their offering in the "audition" alongside Hague for I.R.S.'s blessing was the version of 'Pilgrimage' which appears on the album.

On this day in 1985, R.E.M. played the New Athletic Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Thomas T. Huang reviewed the show in The Tech, M.I.T.’s original newspaper: tech.mit.edu/V105/N23/rem...

On this day 25 years ago, R.E.M. performed seven songs in Trafalgar Square, London, for South Africa Freedom Day, in honour of President Nelson Mandela.

On this day 35 years ago, R.E.M. performed acoustically on Mountain Stage, broadcast live on National Public Radio from the Capitol Plaza Music Hall in Charleston, West Virginia. Four songs from the show were released as B-sides on singles from Out of Time.

One of the songs performed on the BBC's Top of the Pops on this day 25 years ago today.

On this day 30 years ago, a 16-year-old Ethan Kaplan, of Fullerton, California, founded the murmurs.com R.E.M. fan site. It ran for the next eighteen years. It was relaunched in 2022.