Michael Stipe on R.E.M.’s Legacy and Writing Music Again | The RS Interview

Michael Stipe invented a new kind of rock n' roll singer with the legendary band R.E.M., and a new paradigm of rock stardom. But he didn't stop there. He evolved along with his audience. He grew and mutated as we did. He's arguably the only great 80's rock star who mattered even more after the 80's were over. Ever since, fans have looked up to Stipe as an inspirational model of a lifelong, independent, creative artist.
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[@jennbeth1]

The world is a better place with Michael Stipe and REM in it.

[@michaelstipe4838]

I am glad to hear that Jennbeth. Thank you.

[@markb20]

All these anniversaries of their classic albums, the years are just flying by. God I miss those guys.

[@eboethrasher]

Fucking feels like yesterday when I saw them in 1989 on the Green tour twice.

[@sexobscura]

they really just weren't all that special

[@randomizedred]

Michael stipe’s voice is the soundtrack of my life ... I chose wisely

[@lynnepashley4281]

You certainly did

[@thewarthog101]

There's no other voice In music that resonates with me so much.

[@MrVanalen]

What a great comment

[@michaelstipe4838]

Thank you for such a wonderful compliment

[@themusic5229]

There is a little angel reading this message. Good luck to you today. 💌💌💌 Love R.E.M 💛💛💛💛💛 There is a little angel reading this message. Good luck to you today. 💌💌💌 Love R.E.M 💛💛💛💛💛 There is a little angel reading this message. Good luck to you today. 💌💌💌 Love R.E.M 💛💛💛💛💛 There is a little angel reading this message. Good luck to you today. 💌💌💌 Love R.E.M 💛💛💛💛💛 There is a little angel reading this message. Good luck to you today. 💌💌💌 Love R.E.M 💛💛💛💛💛

[@DonnieWittNow]

I have always wanted to hear a Michael Stipe solo album. R.E.M. is probably my single favorite band of all time, but I've always been curious what Michael's voice would be like in a new universe of sounds and styles. I can't wait to hear anything he puts out. I hope he does some shows at some point.

[@dev0uredtv1]

Stipe gotta be one of the purest lyrics writter that we've been blessed with

[@iremarbezerra9593]

REM musics had and still having an important part of my life in many dificults, sad and happy end times and I always will keep their songs in my heart. Thank you REM for all these special moments.

[@1971bdott]

This is a killer interview thanks so much. We miss you so much Michael

[@ozziet2009]

Michael Stipe is beautiful inside and out, REM is the best, so happy to see this interview ♡

[@danielalorenzoni3413]

Lo Amo da SEMPRE.CARISMATICO.. SENZA ESSERE NULLA PER ESSERLO!

[@celinebeurle7915]

What a wonderful interview. Michael Stipe gave his time so readily and so gracious and gentle.

[@mariannatrench5677]

"Half A World Away" Really comforted me when I was 11 years old and lost my best friend.

[@Themsheetz]

Sorry for your loss I must have been really hard at that age. I was around that same age when Out of Time came out. I remember loving the beauty of that song but also I felt like I was drowning in some kind of loneliness and disconnection from society as I kept rewinding that track on my Walkman. Stipe is a true poet and his words resonate and have so many different meanings to the listener.

[@eboethrasher]

I love the version of that from the first Unplugged, it is wonderful on there. Hugs for your loss, that had to have been tough at any age, much less at that age.

[@mister3566]

One of my favourite songs ❤

[@mpratt]

Wow! Thanks. I thoroughly enjoyed this interview! I became enthralled initially because my hometown is Texarkana. And shortly thereafter became a Huge fan. REM is my favorite group of all time.

[@matodon7778]

Terrific interview. The journalist's love of music and appreciation of REM let Stipe share wonderful insights

[@paulmurphy7327]

I hate that he and the band always feel they have to explain or somehow apologize for Shiny Happy People and Stand and now even Get Up. Those are great songs that people love. Any band should be proud to have written those songs or any R.E.M. song for that matter. 35 years after I discovered them R.E.M. is still on my every day playlist.

[@ozziet2009]

Of those I love Shiny Happy People, the combination of Michael Stipe's and Kate Pierson's voices is amazing.

[@ozziet2009]

Also, I'm far from a music expert, but it seems to me that SHP is in a different/more unusual register than a typical pop song, which makes it interesting

[@burmajones803]

Truth! What's the band supposed to say? "Gee, we wrote some great melodic pop songs that had no greater meaning than to be fun and joyful. For that we are sorry." As if fun and joy are meaningless.

[@bernhardsonn7758]

Yeash

[@jimmygownley9573]

@@burmajones803 amen

[@llamasarus1]

R.E.M. is one of those bands where they have phenomenal album after phenomenal album non stop. I will tune into his current projects and see how he's doing!

[@chrisduchaney9281]

wow, great interview. The interviewer ws spot on and was in step with Stipe the entire time. Stipe is very modest but his music was incredible to say the least

[@tommonk7651]

I am so lucky that I was in school at UGA when REM was coming along. I lost count of how many times I saw them play in their infant stage. They were fantastic even then. I had their first EP and every album after. Stipe was kind of a weird dude back then, but it was probably a bit of stage fright. He often turned away from the audience and sang with his back to us. He has matured beautifully. Athens was a great incubator for musical talent. So many great songs.... In the early days, Stipe saw his voice as just another instrument in the band; the sounds from his voice were more important than the odd, sometimes nonsensical lyrics he sang. I love some of their deep cuts more than the singles. A great artist....

[@GWaite82]

I so wish they did a reunion tour. I was a casual REM fan but appreciate them so much more as time goes on

[@amybeug7682]

Fascinating interview. Thank you. I love R.E.M. & Michael Stipe.

[@lindseeziegler90]

I do miss R.E.M and I do truly love Stipe-- hes a true artist.

[@ryanscarola]

I run to "What's the Frequency Kenneth?" every single morning!

[@TJRadway]

I love that band R.E.M. so much

[@kphedges1]

He walked into a record store I worked in, in London 93 and I plucked up the courage to ask him autograph a cd. I guess he thought It was going to be sold as a mark up. I’ve still got it and still treasure it. Thanks Michael.

[@RebelRebelious]

What a great memory for you. You done well to get an autograph. Stories in Berlin where I live, he's often been reluctant to sign autographs when asked. Always polite when he refuses apparently.

[@carloscortes7756]

REM was revolutionary back in the 90s and still today a very influential band.

[@robjones2408]

REM was a great, great band who left a formidable body of work. "Life's Rich Pageant" is my personal favourite of their recorded output. Saw them in 1999, and they were superb. Good luck to Michael. Sometimes the good guys do win.

[@dommccaffry3802]

Fables is my favourite album ; so atmospheric and enigmatic

[@mikefellows3901]

What a lovely guy, and he is a total star !!! God bless you Michael !

[@catherinesmith9820]

I got to choose one R.E.M. song for my brother's funeral playlist and I chose "Find the River," and even 10 years after the fact I cry every time I hear it.

[@GaryDZ]

Great selection.... Hope with time your perspective can change--- and you can celebrate his life with this song.

[@darrentaylor4984]

When my Mum learnt that she had Cancer and that it was uncurable, she told us she wanted Find The River played at her funeral. We honoured that wish. It's a great song. and could be interpreted as a narrative for the journey of live. Good choice for you brother.

[@jegarajramoo3873]

Boy bands and pop metal bands were dominating the airwaves circa 1990. Hip hop was growing in popularity. Then came REM's out of time album. It was a real blast of fresh air. It marked the ascendancy of American college rock into the mainstream. It gave new life to rock music. That album practically paved the way for nirvana and many other alternative rock acts.

[@iggypopisgod9]

Document lp was the real breakthrough in terms of indie/college making a dent: it was their first to go platinum, and spawned a top ten single. Some might aregue the lp prior, LRP.

[@PoochieVince]

Fun fact: Nightswimming was played on the same piano as the outro of Layla. Once you know this you can totally hear it.

Totally

[@AlexanderGreensmith]

TBH this type of content is so much better for your channel than the posted-the-day-after-they-break news stories. Love Michael, love Rob and love this!

[@markb20]

Loved to listen to Rob's enthusiasm for REM, a real fan of their music.

[@MrsFitzDarcy1]

Nightswimming is possibly my favorite REM song. So simple, so poignant, so beautiful.

[@rickirichardson8671]

I hear you 👍

[@michaelstipe4838]

Thank you Jessica

[@michaelstipe4838]

Thank you for your love and support these years. You can keep in touch with me on Signal Messenger [phone] and also on hangout messenger [e-mail]

[@greensombrero3641]

Life and How to Live It - is one of the greatest songs in rock and roll history.

[@danpearce4547]

'Half a world away' is absolutely genius

[@SonicVisionX]

Reveal is absolutely amazing. One of my favorites. So glad to hear the praise for it.

[@cynthiarucker9090]

Ohhhhh, glad to see you. We need you. Thank you Michael. ❤️

[@iankilfoil6428]

Intelligent, articulate, artistic, and beautiful man, I've looked up to him for many years ❤

[@melanieh3834]

Michael Stipe is my all time, forever #1

[@TheLiveMusicGroup]

nice curls, norm-ahhhh

[@ozziet2009]

Me too ♡

[@michaelstipe4838]

Thank you for your love and support these years. You can keep in touch with me on Signal Messenger [phone] and also on hangout messenger [e-mail]

[@wrightcarl1181]

Miss Stipe and REM, still the greatest rock band in my opinion. From the college rock of murmur to the elder statesmen masterpieces of automatic. Legends

[@whychromosomesmusic5766]

"It's another night and I'm trying to sleep. But is that you keeping me awake? I'm deafened by the subtlety. Of all the noise that you don't make. And when I've finally had enough. Well then I'll kick the covers off. What the hell I'll shiver anyway!" I really should give Michael some writing credit for those lyrics. He definitely inspired them. Love the interview. And have LOVED the music since I first heard "Radio Free Europe" when it was released on the local radio station when I was at Presidio of Monterey, California in the early 80's.

[@timtom904]

Really appreciate the knowledge of the interviewer in this one. Great job.

[@Acujeremy]

The best REM was all before any of he questions this interviewer asked.

[@krism6260]

Dear memories of REM and Michael Stipe. They and his beautiful voice were right there to help me through puberty. My heart ached heavily when their concert was cancelled due to the drummers brain accident. Years and years later, about a decade or so, they came back to NL. I hád to go again of course. It striked me right in my heart when Michael shared his memory of not being able to come ten years earlier... ❤❤❤❤

[@ryanthomas5507]

Great interview…Michael is the best

[@Crinkle65]

I genuinely am so thankful for this man and the impact he has had on my life. (Without him knowing it of course). Thanks

[@TCC309]

was in a supermarket called Food Lion way back in 1992 (near Wrightsviile Beach, NC) and saw Michael Stipe walking through the place. very nice, kind of quiet, told him I was a huge fan. when I asked him when they would tour again he said "probably never". fortunately they changed their minds.

[@lomarsweed6604]

Carolina is the Panthers, not the Lions

[@cocoygranada9403]

Refreshing to learn about him writing music again.

[@sood9876]

I quite liked R.E.M. until I saw them when Jools Holland introduced them to the UK in their own show back in the 90's. Then I LOVED them. Mike Mills bass nearly blew my mind!

[@komoleeray687]

My 10 favourite REM songs ( sorry I’m a grown man but love this band so much and can’t help but share) . Like with all true REM fans this list changes constantly but here’s my 10 right now : Fall on me ( Life’s Rich Pageant) Pretty Persuasion ( Reckoning) Try not to Breathe ( Automatic for the people) Tongue ( Monster) Belong ( Out of Time) Sitting Still ( Murmur) World Leader Pretend ( Green ) Wendell Gee ( Fables of the Reconstruction) At my most beautiful ( Up) The one I love ( Document)

[@IAmRobertAndrews]

Love it. I love how self-aware Michael is. The tale about living in and ultimately leaving LA has put a bit of a new spin on Electrolite.x

[@mrrobot7185]

i could listen to Michael speak for hours, such an interesting person.

[@jonathandufern7421]

R.E.M. is my favorite band with also the Moody Blues. R.E.M. inspired so many and are under rated. Stipe is one of my favorite lyricists. He’s non conventional and writes of feeling more than pure story. Almost what one could cal existential in nature. Mike Mills is also one of the greatest bass players and the arpeggios of Peter Buck. Soo great

[@dos9167]

Similar to the comment before me, Michael's voice is like home or something very close to it.

[@MrZerosphere]

Everybody Hurts is his crowning achievement. I really think it's a helpful song to many, much like Hold On by Wilson Phillips.

[@playingmusiconmars]

My favorite Band ever and Michael Stipe is my favorite vocalist ever. His newer solo-stuff doesn't really click with me though - goes to Show how much REM was a genuine group effort!

[@waterwatereverywhere]

So influential on my life that hearing his voice makes me think I am hearing the voice of someone I know. I could go on and on about how much his voice and work have meant to me through the years, and I love his Covid-song-that-wasn't. I need his voice and lyrics in my life always. All that being said, the best news of all is that he is no longer wearing that bent staple-looking thing through his septum.

[@sfgofficial]

Fantastic interview. Brightened my day. Great questions, knowledge and love from the Robbie. Superb. Thank you. Er.... can we speak about a reunion ???

[@maxmalagnino8360]

Thank you very much for this. I really enjoyed it from the very beginning to the very end. Michael never has a banal thing to say, and has never been cocky despite being a fantastic writer and performer.

[@jobuckley2999]

A beautiful human being. So few of them are left.

[@danielo174]

Get back to music Michael. We miss you. Lovely interview

[@persnickety-do-dah]

Michael's pure, earnest, achingly honest delivery (redundant, yeah, but never enough can be said) blew me away from the go. I heard REM as a young teen on kmuw, wichita state, after midnight, literally had to listen to alternative music from midnight to six a.m. to avoid the music I hated on fm radio- now I am OK with a bit of the '80s radio schlock too, but youth does not compromise and music saved me when I needed it. Mr. Stipe is a major god in my salvation and it is nice to hear his gentle soul and full acceptance of being beautifully different. That saves still.

[@michaelstipe4838]

Thank you for your love and support these years. You can keep in touch with me on Signal Messenger [phone] and also on hangout messenger [e-mail]

[@lennybruce6476]

Michael's charisma got into r.e.m.. Miss them so much.

[@eileenbagshaw5949]

Fantastic interview. Great job Rob and thank you.

[@RaymondTVinyl]

Michael looks really good...Like everyone here...I truly miss hearing him.

[@richsouthall1937]

Absolutley loved REM in the 80's and learned every word of every song and even inspired me to play guitar. I sort of lost a little interest in them in the 90's after they signed with Warner Bros. The music seemed to shift sonically at that time. I liked the ambiguity of the 80's songs because you couldn't always understand the lyrics; which was fine, you made up your own and sometimes it didn't matter what the lyrics were; Stipe's voice provided a wonderful melody and rhythm and that was enough for me. The songs seemed to penetrate your subconscious mind and just sit there and soak into your neurons. Songs like Driver 8 or Wendell Gee; sounds like what living in the South must be like; humid, hot, dusty, full of history and lyricism, ghosts and angels - all wrapped together. Brilliant band and Stipe is a true artist.

[@vinylshawn4757]

Thanks for the great interview. It’s great Reveal was brought up, truly underrated and hoping for a release on vinyl.

[@bigaudiodynamyte]

this was wonderful! so great to hear Michael talking about those songs. His thoughts on Murmur were exactly what I felt about that album when it came out, the lyrics themselves were far less important than how they sounded with the music, using his voice as another instrument. Love this.

[@gerardfletcher1203]

who ever stole my out of time i never for give u micheal stipe is such humble human a treasure

[@mikescott8225]

Interesting how he reflects on the first two records. I always felt like those were almost instrumental albums about the way they made you feel, Stipe’s singing like an instrument that blended with Peter’s guitar, Bill’s drums and Mike’s bass and keyboards (along with the sometimes haunting and sometimes counterpoints of Mike and Bill’s background vocals).

[@mikescott8225]

A great illustration of this is the bridge during West of the Fields - still no idea what’s being said but the emotional lift of the key change is simply soaring and there are times it’s brought tears.

[@Allison-jj1vq]

I’m glad he makes me feel ok about loving all those early albums but not having a clue what they were about. I just knew they were special.

[@mattgilbert7347]

@@mikescott8225 He jokes about that on the Live at the Olympia recording. He doesn't actually know what he originally wrote/sang for that one lol

[@mikescott8225]

@@mattgilbert7347 there's nothing wrong with that at all - no one ever said all songs need to be protest, poetry or prose. Those are still my favorite albums.

[@faulrevere8938]

“Murmur” remains R.E.M.’s best record.

[@mbgames73]

Great interview. Stipe & R.E.M Such a special band, like a personal book of memories. (Everyone talks about MTV Nirvana unplugged show but the MTV R.E.M unplugged is just brilliant, well worth checking out on YT).

[@charlesbolton8471]

The first one or the second one they did MTV Unplugged twice?

[@mbgames73]

@@charlesbolton8471 The first one in 91

[@steve1751]

Half a World Away is brilliant on that Unplugged show. Probably my favorite version.

[@jeanster1000]

Radio Free Europe, Boxcars, Fall on Me...Stipe's snarl was ground breaking..

[@myfriendgoo2816]

It took 35 years, but finally three records by another act were glued to my turntable ALMOST as much as Chronic Town, Murmur and Reckoning were in the early 80s. Tame Impala did it with the self-titled EP, Innerspeaker and Lonerism. In all those cases the records would really grow on you. Was enormously lucky to go to school in Athens from 1981-87 and see 'em a good number of times. The first record of theirs I bought was the Hib-Tone at Wuxtry, but Chronic Town was the one that did it. Everything after that I bought on the day or release. I'm partial to anything where it's hard to understand the words, but I like a lot of their later stuff as well.

[@komoleeray687]

Life long fan of REM . Such a brilliant huge body of work ..Great interview . Wish it was 10 hours long and Stipe talked about every REM record . Would be great if Peter Buck were to be interviewed similarly ( although REM fans know he and Berry were the least interested in retro gazing about the band ..not in a negative way , they were just never into the rock group fame thing ...Stipe’s job was to be the face / voice of the band...and he did it well 😊❤️ ).

[@thegood9]

Fantastic interview. Thank you.

[@trevorbryson6998]

Have been an REM fan since I was a young kid and my brother was in an Athens based band and introduced me. Was hooked for the rest of my life

[@tommynoble685]

great interview . thank you both.

[@jtb1649]

love R.E.M. first saw them in 1985 at the masonic temple toronto. somehow got my camera in and have pictures from that night. michael had just shaved his long hair off. never missed a r.e.m. show from that point on. they never disappointed .even if you didn't get their latest offering if you just had a little patience it would take you over. met michael once in a wolfgang puck restaurant called postrio in san feancisco in 1998 . had plane trouble and were forced to stay overnight. i waited until he had finished his dinner and was ready to leave and went ove against the advice of my waiter. he was very polite to me signed my paper menu and told me he really liked toronto (which is where i mentioned i was from) short and sweet as i don't like to bother people for too long. next day boarded my flight to go see pearl jam in maui. quite the musical trip. and also saw phil lesh of the grateful dead on my beach as well.

[@SoundsofDecay]

I grew up with REM, never seen any interviews of him before but I could listen to him talk for hours.

[@GaryDZ]

Great interview.... Good to see Michael Stipe today. I will have to track down some of his more recent work.

[@void0094]

As you can tell I love them

[@Bea-td2ev]

Fantastic interview Rob. Thanks!

[@michaelbryan1882]

Fascinating interview.

[@patrickol4300]

Fab interview, cheers.

[@irishelk3]

He seems like an intelligent, sort of clued in kind of guy. By far one of the best frontmen and songwriters of all time, incredible songs. I’ll bet they get together again some day, make a new album and tour - leave them wanting more as they say.

[@albietide]

Thanks for the interview. Stipe evolved from the earlier days of REM. I remember Murmur and the Fables of the Reconstruction tour. I can see how he was toying with perfecting a record during that period. By the way, the first couple of albums are my favorite.

[@troygaspard6732]

Having only seen REM on towards the end, I was amazed by Stipes total performance. He was like a one man village.

[@athenassigil5820]

This one goes out to the one I love......Michaaaaeeel!

[@mattgilbert7347]

Um.. that's a song about how one person just uses another and discards them. It ain't about "love"

[@athenassigil5820]

@@mattgilbert7347 I changed the context to show my appreciation of Michael....so, please....excuse yourself....

[@vncvenus]

Michael makes attractive facial expressions. And he always brings out interesting dialogue. I'm looking forward to hearing his first self composed record. I say first because I'm hoping there will be many more after.

[@JetsonDrums]

Really enjoyed that.

[@freesk8]

This was college for me in the 80's. Love REM! :)

[@rogerchang8906]

Watching Michael Stipe's interview all these years after R.E.M. called it a day feels so soothing yet bittersweet. The biggest regret of my life of music consumption is that I never got to see them live. They seemed like such a mainstay in pop music that I thought for sure as long as acts like The Stones were still touring, I would still get another chance to see R.E.M. @michaelstipe4838, if you ever want to make a dream come true for a down-on-their-luck Texas kid who was so influenced by your music and lyrics that he beat the odds and achieved his other dream of becoming a professor of science, please do one more show in NYC that the common folk can see. My favorite album is Reveal as well. The Lifting, All the Way to Reno, Beat a Drum, I'll Take the Rain... All the story of my life across the ceiling...

[@anamariaestanislaafernande3892]

Encantador y talentoso Michael, bravisimoo..👏👏

[@robynaddie2071]

Thank you. This was wonderful.

[@michaelstipe4838]

Thank you for your love and support these years. You can keep in touch with me on Signal Messenger [phone] and also on hangout messenger [e-mail]

[@Acujeremy]

How about REM do a tour of playing the first 3 albums, Murmur, Reckoning and Fables all the way through?

[@ncf1]

oh wow.. that would be unbelievable

[@Acujeremy]

@@ncf1 Yeah those albums are literally genius.

[@djwhiteya.k.a.RuthlessRoux]

The greatest rock band in history for so many.

[@PAULBOGGIE]

Legend of a man. I’ve sent him my book📕🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💂‍♂️❤️🎥

[@djtimtim9979]

Magical genius! I feel we grew up together. Big brother I never had.

[@OneBentMonkey]

Awesome interview! God I miss that band 😢

[@LegendofTheCosmic7]

I love this mans artistic translation! The feeling of shiny happy people just lifted me up as a child, from everybody hurts in my teens to e bow the letter the weatherman all that, even man in the moon..super just envy ❤❤🎉🎉😢😢😮😅

[@timberdoodle6924]

On 1985 i went to see a fav. band The Dream Syndicate - turns out REM was headlining so ... Lifelong fan

[@kerrytaylor1135]

Where?

[@timberdoodle6924]

@@kerrytaylor1135 Royal Oak Music Theater 800 people maybe a thousand

[@calvinmondrago7397]

Stipe looks very well, very good.

[@leninha329]

Amo Michael Stipe ❤️❤️❤️❤️