On this day August 31 1987, R.E.M. released their fifth studio album, Document. This was the album that marked a turning point for the band, transitioning them from underground college radio favorites to mainstream rock figures. Document featured a tighter, more urgent sound compared to their earlier work and became their first album to break into the US top 10.
The album includes the hit single The One I Love, which became R.E.M.'s breakthrough chart success and introduced their cryptic yet powerful songwriting to a wider audience. Other standout tracks like It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) and Finest Worksong carried the band’s trademark energy while capturing the growing unease of the late 1980s.
Document showcased a politically charged R.E.M. taking bold creative risks with sharper production and more direct messaging. It also marked their final album with I.R.S. Records before signing with Warner Bros.
80s insight: Document was the first R.E.M. album produced by Scott Litt, who would go on to produce their biggest 80s and early 90s albums including Green and Out of Time.
The album includes the hit single The One I Love, which became R.E.M.'s breakthrough chart success and introduced their cryptic yet powerful songwriting to a wider audience. Other standout tracks like It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) and Finest Worksong carried the band’s trademark energy while capturing the growing unease of the late 1980s.
Document showcased a politically charged R.E.M. taking bold creative risks with sharper production and more direct messaging. It also marked their final album with I.R.S. Records before signing with Warner Bros.
80s insight: Document was the first R.E.M. album produced by Scott Litt, who would go on to produce their biggest 80s and early 90s albums including Green and Out of Time.
