REM is arguably the single greatest American rock band. They are epoch-shifting, as you can really point to their career as when we shifted era from "punk" to "post-punk". they are largely the sound of college rock which morphed into alternative, and they provided the template for bands to navigate from modest indie beginnings to becoming major label superstars without alienating their original fanbase of purists.

In the great great REM-Replacements war that occurred left of the dial in the 80s, I was a hard core Mats partisan, but... REM won.

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Posted by Kafka

I am the moral conscience of TD

Member since Jul 2007

142507 posts

Posted on 1/26/17 at 5:14 pm to Baloo

quote:
REM is arguably the single greatest American rock band

Naw

And I like REM

But The Byrds did it all before

And even The Byrds -- aside from Gram Parsons -- have that emotional coolness that prevents them from being #1. Although they are unquestionably the most influential American band of all time.

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Posted by PiscesTiger

Concrete, WA

Member since Feb 2004

53696 posts

Posted on 1/27/17 at 3:50 pm to Baloo

quote:
we shifted era from "punk" to "post-punk".

Maybe I am misunderstanding you and please tell me if I am (you are one of the few I truly believes know more about music than me). Post punk...I would not categorize them in that, as it's not just an era, but also a sound -- Suicide, Television, The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, The Cult's first two and a half albums, March Violets, AU pairs, etc etc were THAT sound.

You mentioned it and I believe in the states especially, that there just became a true college/alternative sound that did not derive from Great Britain...the Pixies, REM, The Smithereens, The Violet Femmes, et al had a sound that differed greatly from the bands I mentioned above.

This post was edited on 1/27/17 at 3:51 pm

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