On this day in 1991, R.E.M. made their first appearance on MTV Unplugged. The broadcast was whittled down to eleven songs, omitting ‘Fretless’, ‘Swan Swan H’, ‘Get Up’ and ‘Endgame’.

On this day in 1984, the band's second album, Reckoning, was released. Produced by Don Dixon and Mitch Easter, it peaked at number 27 on the Billboard 200.

A couple of photos taken around Athens on this day in 1985 by Paul Natkin. natkin.net

On this day 46 years ago, Twisted Kites (or Cans of Piss or Third Wave or Negro Eyes) made their debut as a band at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Athens, Georgia, for Kathleen O'Brien's 20th birthday party.

On this day in 1999, R.E.M. began a two-day recording session for ‘The Great Beyond’ and ‘Draggin’ the Line’ at John Keane Studio in Athens.

On this day 45 years ago, R.E.M. played New York, New York in Augusta, Georgia. ‘9-9’ was performed live for the first known time.

On this day in 2008, Accelerate, R.E.M.’s fourteenth studio album, was released.

On this day in 1981, R.E.M. played Friday’s in Greensboro, North Carolina. Mitch Easter was one of the 150 people at the gig and spoke to Jefferson Holt, giving him a big pitch. He wanted them to come back to the Drive-In because he liked them so much.

Rough mixes of 'You Are the Everything' and 'Stand' from Robbie Collins' Underground Sound Recording, Athens, in 1988. bmac.libs.uga.edu/Detail/objec...

On this day in 1983, R.E.M. played the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, supporting The English Beat. ‘Talk About the Passion’ and ‘Harborcoat’ were performed live for the known first time.

On this day in 1984, ‘So. Central Rain’ was released as the first single off Reckoning with ‘King of the Road’ as the B-side on the 7” release and ‘Voice of Harold’ and ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ on the 12” version.

On this day in 1987, R.E.M. (as Roar Shack for the evening) played The Uptown Lounge in Athens to try out new material before recording Document. Four songs were given their first live airing: 'Welcome to the Occupation', 'Disturbance at the Heron House', 'Exhuming McCarthy' and 'End of the World'.

Not that Charlie Rose's opinion counted for anything.

A photo from this day in 1984, at the Rathskeller (the Rat) in Kenmore Square, Boston.

On this day in 1984, R.E.M. played Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, supported by Hüsker Dü. To make up for the poor sound in the sports hall, the band arranged a show for the following night at the Rathskeller in Boston.

On this day in 1983, R.E.M. made their final appearance at the i & i Club at 286 Oconee Street in Athens. The former location of the B&L Warehouse, it became the short-lived Buckhead Beach. Lunch Paper began at the location in 1984. It currently houses the University of Georgia Police Department.

And three songs on the BBC'S the Late Show on this day 35 years ago.

Peter and Mike performing 'The Ballad of Cat Ballou' on this day in 1988.

On this day in 1982, after a meeting in New Orleans, R.E.M. agreed, in principle, to sign with I.R.S. The deal, a five-album contract, was finalised exactly one month later in New York City.

On this day in 2007, R.E.M. was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.

(Likely to appear on a Reddit near you): On this day 35 years ago, Out of Time was released. Produced by Scott Litt and R.E.M., it became the band’s first chart-topping album.

The lesser known R.E.M. song…

I vividly remember leaving a girlfriend's live out at the UW at 3 AM and as I was walking down the street I heard "Just Like Heaven" from a window. A block later "Killing Moon" from a still happening deck party, and then as I started walking down 45th, "Cuyahoga" from an apartment on the left.

On this day in 1995, a decade after it was first released, Fables of the Reconstruction climbed 29 places to #58 in its second week of reentry into the UK charts. Document was at #49.

On this day in 1984, R.E.M. played the second of a two-night-stand at the Mad Hatter Ballroom in Athens, supported by Nightporters. Thereafter, the band were too big to play the Athens venues and future shows took place outdoors or were performed under pseudonyms or with minimal promotion.

On this day 15 years ago, R.E.M.’s fifteenth and final studio album, Collapse into Now, was released. In 2021, Mike stated his belief that the album, produced by Jacknife Lee, is in the canon of their finest works.

On this day 40 years ago, Mike and Bill (amongst others) debuted as The Corn Cob Webs at the Uptown Lounge in Athens. One of the songs they worked up was The Clique’s ‘Superman’, which R.E.M. subsequently recorded for Lifes Rich Pageant.

On this day in 1984, Peter and Mike appeared on WUOG to debut Reckoning tracks ‘Letter Never Sent’ and ‘Second Guessing’. They also each chose a Pick of the Week to be played. Peter opts for George Jones and Ray Charles’ ‘We Didn’t See a Thing’, while Mike went with the Gap Band’s ‘Party Train’.

On this day in 1992, R.E.M. appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.

On this day 35 years ago, on NDR in Hamburg, Germany, the band gave live debuts to ‘Half a World Away’, ‘Fretless’ and ‘Radio Song’. ‘Losing My Religion’ was performed live for the first time with all band members present.

On this day in 2000, Scott McCaughey answered some questions for ‘We Talk’ at www.murmurs.com.

On this day in 1994, R.E.M. received Rock the Vote’s first annual Patrick Lippert Award in recognition of their support. 1/2

On this day in 1985, the band began recording Fables of the Reconstruction at Livingston Studios in Wood Green, London. “It was a very bleak period in our lives. We’d been touring forever, we were in London where we knew nobody, had no money to do anything." - Mike in 1999

On this day in 1992, R.E.M. won three of the seven Grammys they were nominated for: Best Pop Performance by a Group with ‘Losing My Religion’, Best Alternative Album with Out of Time and Best Video with ‘Losing My Religion’.

On this day in 1985, although they were physically and mentally exhausted from being on the road almost constantly, R.E.M. flew to London, without informing I.R.S., to begin recording their third album in as many years.

On this day in 1981, R.E.M. played the 688 Club in Atlanta. This is the earliest known video footage of the band playing live (with sound), from the archives of Wuxtry’s Dan Wall. The full footage was made available in November 2012.

Happy 70th to the legend that is Peter Holsapple (@halfpear.bsky.social).

On this day 30 years ago, Michael performed at the Tibet House Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City. ‘Low Desert’ was given a live debut.

On this day 35 years ago, ‘Losing My Religion’ was released as the first single off Out of Time with ‘Rotary Eleven’ as the B-side.

The fab Jim Hawkins and Electro-Acoustic Systems. (Knew this old card would come in handy one day.)

On this day in 1997, Stipe performed at the annual Tibet House Benefit, held at Carnegie Hall in New York City. ‘E-Bow the Letter’ was performed live for the first known time, with Patti Smith joining in on vocals.

On this day in 1985, R.E.M. went into Electro-Acoustic Systems, on Broad Street in Athens, with their new producer, Joe Boyd, and Jim Hawkins. The demos recorded were released on the 25th anniversary reissue of Fables in 2010. ‘Throw Those Trolls Away’ was later renamed ‘I Believe’.

On this day in 1983, the band was in the closing stages of recording Murmur at Reflection in Charlotte, North Carolina. Seven tracks were recorded to two-track: ‘There She Goes Again’, ‘That Beat’, ‘Pretty Persuasion’, ‘All the Right Friends’, ‘Tighten Up’, ‘Moon River’ and ‘White Tornado’.

On this day in 2008, the band's guitar technician, Mark ‘Microwave’ Mytrowitz, died, aged 52.

On this day in 1995, R.E.M. kicked off the European leg of the Monster World Tour in San Sebastian, Spain. ‘Departure’, for which the lyrics were written on the inbound flight, was performed live for the first time.

On this day in 1981, R.E.M. made their debut in the studio when they went into Joe Perry’s eight-track Bombay Studio in Smyrna, Georgia. The songs recorded were Sitting Still, Gardening at Night, Radio Free Europe, Shaking Through, Mystery to Me, Rockville, Narrator and White Tornado.

On this day in 1982, R.E.M. became the first band to play at Danceteria at its new location, 30 West 21st Street in New York City, supported by Rough Trade.

On this day in 1982, R.E.M. were at RCA Studios in New York to record seven backing and harmony demos with producer Kurt Munkacsi: ‘Romance’, ‘Wolves, Lower’, ‘Laughing’, ‘Shaking Through’, ‘Catapult’, ‘Stumble’ and ‘Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)’. 1/2