R.E.M. "Green"

"Green", the sixth studio album by American rock band R.E.M., was released on November 7, 1988 by Warner Bros. Records. The band and producer Scott Litt continued to focus on political issues in their lyrics and packaging, and experimented with new instruments like the mandolin and writing major-key rock songs, as well as switching original instruments on some tracks.

"Green" was well-received by critics and commercially successful, prompting an 11-month world tour and the release of four singles from the album. Prior to recording, R.E.M. had fulfilled its contract with I.R.S. Records but left due to dissatisfaction with the label's overseas distribution. The band ultimately signed with Warner Bros. for their creative freedom, despite accusations of selling out from some fans. Recording for "Green" began with demos in February 1988 and continued in Memphis and Bearsville, New York, until September 1988, with the release just two months later.

Peter Buck characterized R.E.M.'s sixth studio album, Green, as a departure from their typical sound in a 1988 interview. Buck noted that the band usually produced "minor key, mid-tempo, enigmatic, semi-folk-rock-balladish things" but for "Green", they experimented with major key rock songs and changed up their instruments. According to band biographer David Buckley, "Green" was a diverse and eclectic album that included ironic pop songs like "Stand" and "Pop Song 89", harder-hitting tracks like "Orange Crush" and "Turn You Inside-Out" and pastoral acoustic numbers featuring Buck on mandolin. The band initially planned for one side of the album to be electric songs and the other to be acoustic, but they ultimately scrapped this idea due to a lack of suitable acoustic material. On "Green", R.E.M. also incorporated accordion, cello, and lap steel guitar, and the band would continue to swap instruments among members in future albums.

R.E.M.'s album "Green" was released on November 7, 1988, in the United Kingdom, and on the following day in the United States. The band chose to coincide the American release with the 1988 presidential election and used the album's increased profile to criticize George H. W. Bush while praising Michael Dukakis. The album was warmly received by critics, and with the conversion of many new fans, it went double-platinum in the US, reaching number 12, and peaked at number 27 in the UK. "Orange Crush" became R.E.M.'s first American number one single on both the Mainstream and Modern Rock Tracks charts, and the album went gold in the UK. The band toured extensively in support of the album throughout 1989, before taking an extended break, marking the first time they had done so in their career. The album has since gone on to sell four million copies worldwide. It has been ranked on numerous lists of the greatest albums of all time, including a ranking by Nirvana's Kurt Cobain in his top 50 albums of all time. The album was remastered in 2013 for its 25th anniversary and was accompanied by a bonus live album and EP.