The differentiation of fans

May 16, 2008


REMSince it’s release, I’ve been getting a lot of play out of the newest REM album, Accelerate. It’s good. Not Automatic for the People or Life’s Rich Pageant good, but good all the same – a return to when REM was making their style of music, when Out of Time and Automatic for the People had propelled them into the rock stratosphere.

Though I am one of the few who enjoyed Monster, I understand how many didn’t care for that album. For those people, Accelerate may be a godsend – it seems to be the album that was meant to come between Automatic for the People and New Adventures in Hi-Fi. This is what Monster could have been. What it should have been.

Listening to the album, and in turn filtering throughout the entire REM canon, I’ve been thinking about the differentiation of fans, and how the longer a band has been around, the more diverse their fans become.

In the early days of a band, most fans are similar. They like a band because they like the first album, or the first single, or whatever. There’s less to choose from, so every fan is essentially a carbon copy of the next. They’ve all been brought together by one set of songs, creating a community of support for the band that’s near fanatic.

Take that band and look 20 years into the future. The fans aren’t carbon copies anymore. Some have left. Others have grown. The bandwagon has taken on more and more fans until the originals are shoved to the back. Tastes diverge and branch out again, until one fan is hardly recognizable from next.

There are currently three generations of REM fans. The first generation is filled with lifelong fans – those that caught on with REM when they were still a smaller, more independent band – the IRS years through the initial major label signing; Murmur through Document.

The second generation - my generation - caught on somewhere between Green and Automatic for the People. We’re the generation that grabbed a hold of them as radio classics and hung on for dear life. We’ve held on because we still hold great memories from those songs and from the band at its peak.

The new generation probably views REM with a longing nostalgia. I doubt many fans are created through the albums alone, instead relying on an older sibling or coworker who loved the band in the 80s and 90s, or though rock radio (or classic rock radio).

Even with fans grouped together like this, there’s a vast differentiation. If you ask 100 REM fans what their ten favorite REM songs are, you’ll get 100 completely different answers, with the total number songs reaching the hundreds.

It shows the power of a non-tangible creative outlet. There are no right or wrong choices – it’s all dependent upon tastes. Though fans are often lumped in together, the longer a band has been together, the more every fan is different. Like a musical fingerprint, every fan is unique.

What it comes down to is that the larger you get, the more wide sweeping your fan base becomes.

And the harder it becomes to satisfy everyone.

Someday I’ll talk about the REM mixtape that set me up as a fan – and why my favorites are so heavy with IRS year classics even though I’m more of a second generation, Automatic for the People guy.

Until then, here are my choices for the 15 best REM songs. How different are they from yours?

“Begin the Begin” – Life’s Rich Pageant
“Belong” – Out of Time
“(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville” - Reckoning
“E-Bow the Letter” – New Adventures in Hi-Fi
“Electrolite” – New Adventures in Hi-Fi
“Fall on Me” – Life’s Rich Pageant
“Find the River” – Automatic for the People
“Finest Worksong” - Document
“Man on the Moon” – Automatic for the People
“Perfect Circle” - Murmur
“Swan Swan H” – Life’s Rich Pageant
“Try Not to Breathe” – Automatic for the People
“Walk Unafraid” - Up
“What’s the Frequency, Kenneth” - Monster
“World Leader Pretend” - Green

Tags: Music, The Top... |

Comments

37 Responses to “The differentiation of fans”

  1. Dan on May 21st, 2008 943 pm

    Wow. Top fifteen. That’s a list I’ve never considered. Here’s a crack at it, no particular order…

    “Suspicion”, Up
    “Walk Unafraid”, Up
    “Me In Honey” Out Of Time
    “Binky the Doormat”, New Adventures in Hi-Fi
    “Talk About The Passion”, Murmur
    “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?”, Monster
    “Begin The Begin”, Lifes Rich Pageant
    “These Days”, Lifes Rich Pageant
    “I Believe”, Lifes Rich Pageant
    “Orange Crush”, Green
    “Turn You Inside-Out”, Green
    “Favorite Writer”, Bad Day b-side (a cover, but I’ll include it anyway)
    “Drive”, Automatic For The People
    “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite”, Automatic For The People
    “Man-Sized Wreath”, Accelerate

  2. Bob on May 21st, 2008 1026 pm

    O.K. here goes (no particular order)
    Carnival of sorts (Chronic Town)
    Wendell Gee (Fables)
    Driver 8 (Fables)
    So. central rain (Reckoning)
    I believe (Lifes rich pagent)
    Swan swan H. (Lifes rich pagent)
    Turn you inside out (Green)
    You are the everything (Green)
    Country feedback (Out of time)
    Monty got a raw deal (Automatic)
    So fast, so numb (New adventures)
    Welcome to the occupation (Document)
    Leave (New adventures)
    9 - 9 (Murmur)
    Crazy (Dead letter office) I know it’s a cover, but it’s so beautifully done.

  3. Chris on May 21st, 2008 1142 pm

    OK - top 15? Not enough for 25 years of work. Even I question this list. Oh well, nothing like an opinion to stir the masses. Here it is:
    Wolves, Lower - EP
    Sitting Still - Murmur
    So. Cental Rain (I’m Sorry) - Reckoning
    Life and How to Live It - Fables
    I Believe - Life’s Rich Pageant
    Disturbance at the Heron House - Document
    Strange (the best cover) - Document
    Get Up - Green
    Belong - Out of Time
    Man on the Moon - Automatic for the People
    Find the River - Automatic for the People
    Binky the Doormat - New Adventures
    So Fast So Numb - New Adventures
    She Just Wants to Be (the live version on Perfect Square) - Reveal
    Man-Sized Wreath - Accelerate(would you release this as a single - it’s a classic!)

  4. dbporter on May 22nd, 2008 121 am

    my quick 15: talk about the passion, harbourcoat, pretty persuasion, driver 8, begin the begin, cuyahoga,welcome to the occupation, world leader pretend, nightswimming, country feedback,i don’t sleep i dream, bittersweet me, electrolite, beat a drum, mr richards.

  5. Barna on May 22nd, 2008 334 am

    Here’s a go at my fav 15:
    1. Country Feedback
    2. World Leader Pretend
    3. I took your name
    4. Man-sized wreath
    5. Sweetness Follows
    6. 7 Chinese Brothers
    7. Wolves, Lower
    8. Crazy
    9. So. Central Rain
    10.Losing my religion
    11.Walk Unafraid
    12.Falls to climb
    13.Pretty Persuasion
    14.Bang and blame
    15.Cuyahoga

  6. danielefromitaly on May 22nd, 2008 503 am

    only 15???mmm, it’s very difficult…
    - gardening at night
    - radio free europe
    - driver 8
    - fall on me
    - begin the begin
    - end of the world
    - losing my religion
    - nightswimming
    - i took you name
    - fretless
    - leave
    - ebow the letter
    - daysleeper
    - beat a drum
    - hollow man

    these are my favourite songs…for today…

  7. Mosco on May 22nd, 2008 520 am

    This is my R.E.M. top 15.

    1. Drive - Automatic for the people
    2 Fall on me - Lifes rich pageant
    3 Half a world away- Out of time
    4 Nightswimming- Automatic for the people
    5 Feeling gravitys pull - Fables of the reconstruction
    6 Country feedback- Out of time
    7 Let me in- Monster
    8 Perfect circle -Murmur
    9 Whats the frequency,kenneth?- Monster
    10 World leader pretend- Green
    11 Pilgrimage - Murmur
    12 These Days - Lifes rich pageant
    13 Swan swan h.- Lifes rich pageant
    14 Man sized wreath- Accelerate
    15.Harborcoat - Reckoning

  8. Corey Vilhauer on May 22nd, 2008 829 am

    Wow. I go from zero comments to seven, overnight. Thanks to the official R.E.M. site at R.E.M.HQ for linking me.

    For those who are curious, yes - 15 songs was the chosen number on purpose. It’s supposed to be difficult, and was selected to more clearly show the differentiation. I mean, if you have twenty or twenty five songs, you are afforded the opportunity to add the songs you think you SHOULD ad, not just your favorites.

    Trust me - it wasn’t easy leaving So. Central Rain and Bittersweet Me off of the list.

    Thanks to everyone for participating.

  9. Corey Vilhauer on May 22nd, 2008 909 am

    Just some quick numbers.

    Of the 8 people (including myself) who have submitted lists, there are 80 different songs represented.

    Of these 80 songs, only 34 were chosen by more than one person.

    12 were chosen by three or more: Begin the Begin, Fall on Me, Swan Swan H, Walk Unafraid, What’s the Frequency Kenneth, World Leader Pretend, I Believe, Man-Sized Wreath, Driver 8, So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry), Country Feedback and Nightswimming.

    Only Begin the Begin, Man-Sized Wreath, World Leader Pretend and Country Feedback were picked by more than three.

    That’s differentiation.

  10. Denise on May 22nd, 2008 912 am

    15 songs.

    Bittersweet Me
    Suspicion
    Low
    Try Not to Breathe
    Country Feedback
    Sing for the Submarine
    High Speed Train
    Perfect Circle
    Camera
    Wendell Gee
    I’ve Been High
    Walk Unafraid
    You Are the Everything
    King of Birds
    I Believe

  11. Denise on May 22nd, 2008 916 am

    I just want to add that was hard to choose and I realized how many favorites I had to leave out.
    I really love just about all of their songs with the exception of a few.

  12. Lidia on May 22nd, 2008 1034 am

    15 songs? Really hard to pick the 15 best REM-songs, but here´s a try:

    -The one I love
    -Orange crush
    -Maps and legends
    -Perfect circle
    -suspicion
    -Country feddback
    -Begin the begin
    -Drive
    -Everybody hurts
    -Daysleeper
    -Leaving New York
    -Accelerate
    -Radio Free Europe
    -Try not to breath
    -walk unafraid

    of coure it´s hard to choose teh favorite ones, because all of us know that there are many other good ones! So let´s have fun at the tour and enjoy!!!

  13. Josh on May 22nd, 2008 1148 am

    OK… why the hell not… I know I’ll think of something later not on this list that should have been!

    01. End of the World
    02. Nightswimming
    03. Fall on Me
    04. Losing My Religion
    05. Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
    06. Sweetness Follows
    07. One I Love
    08. Life and How to Live It
    09. Wrong Child
    10. Try Not to Breathe
    11. Sad Professor
    12. Man on the Moon
    13. Great Beyond
    14. Beat a Drum
    15. Daysleeper

  14. Josh on May 22nd, 2008 1148 am

    OK… why the hell not… I know I’ll think of something later not on this list that should have been!

    01. End of the World
    02. Nightswimming
    03. Fall on Me
    04. Losing My Religion
    05. Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
    06. Sweetness Follows
    07. One I Love
    08. Life and How to Live It
    09. Wrong Child
    10. Try Not to Breathe
    11. Sad Professor
    12. Man on the Moon
    13. Great Beyond
    14. Everybody Hurts
    15. Daysleeper

  15. Clint on May 22nd, 2008 110 pm

    Can’t…resist…making…list!

    1. Letter Never Sent
    2. World Leader Pretend
    3. Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)
    4. Fall On Me
    5. Driver 8
    6. Perfect Circle
    7. Nightswimming
    8. Pretty Persuasion
    9. King of Birds
    10. Cuyahoga
    11. Feel Gravity’s Pull
    12. Sitting Still
    13. Lower, Wolves
    14. So. Central Rain
    15. Find the River

  16. Jemma on May 22nd, 2008 111 pm

    Top 15.. Favorite REM songs.. This is going to be hard…right

    1. Shiny happy people - (No. 1 differs every once in a while.. what? it makes me happy :))
    2. losing my Religion (a Battle between no.1 and 2)
    3. Drive
    4. Lotus
    5. crush with eyeliner/ Took your name/ Circus envy… decisions, decisions..hmm?
    6. Sidewinder sleeps tonite
    7. country feedback
    8. laughing/ Pilgrimage
    10. Living well the best revenge
    11. Wake up bomb!
    12. Man Sized wreath
    13. Orange crush
    14. Animal
    15. Texarkana

    I love many.. and the List will change no doubt.. :)
    cheers

  17. adam on May 22nd, 2008 212 pm

    1) Pretty Persuasion (reckoning)
    2) Endgame (out of time)
    3) Laughing (murmur)
    4) Cant get there From Here (fables)
    5) Sweetness Follows (automatic)
    6) Begin the Begin (pageant)
    7) So. Central Rain (reckoning)
    8) Suspicion (up)
    9) Fireplace (document)
    10)Pop Song ‘89 (green)
    11)These Days (pageant)
    12)So Fast, So Numb (new adventures)
    13)Driver 8 (fables)
    14)Pilgrimage (murmur)
    15)Leaving New York (Around the Sun)

  18. Luke on May 22nd, 2008 259 pm

    1. Fall on Me
    2. Driver 8
    3. (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville
    4. Flowers of Guatemala
    5. You are the Everything
    6. Camera
    7. So. Central Rain
    8. Nightswimming
    9. Stumble
    10. World Leader Pretend
    11. Low Desert
    12. Good Advices
    13. Find the River
    14. Shaking Through
    15. Gardening at Night

  19. Eric on May 22nd, 2008 521 pm

    Wow! I’ll try. In time order:

    1.) Radio Free Europe
    2.) Wolves, Lower
    3.) Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)
    4.) Sitting Still
    5.) Harborcoat (surprised I didn’t see this more!)
    6.) Pretty Persuasion (and this!)
    7.) Driver 8
    8.) Can’t Get There From Here
    9.) Live and How To Live it
    10.) Begin the Begin
    11.) I Believe
    12.) Cuyahoga
    13.) These Days

    Crap! 2 left and I’m only on Life’s Rick Pagaent.

    Oh well…14.) Turn You Inside Out and 15.) Man Sized Wreath

    So cool that so many others love Man Sized Wreath too! I agree…it should be a singer…great song!

    http://www.myspace.com/manchesterschool

  20. Eric on May 22nd, 2008 522 pm

    Wow! I’ll try. In time order:

    1.) Radio Free Europe
    2.) Wolves, Lower
    3.) Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)
    4.) Sitting Still
    5.) Harborcoat (surprised I didn’t see this more!)
    6.) Pretty Persuasion (and this!)
    7.) Driver 8
    8.) Can’t Get There From Here
    9.) Live and How To Live it
    10.) Begin the Begin
    11.) I Believe
    12.) Cuyahoga
    13.) These Days

    Crap! 2 left and I’m only on Life’s Rick Pagaent.

    Oh well…14.) Turn You Inside Out and 15.) Man Sized Wreath

    So cool that so many others love Man Sized Wreath too! I agree…it should be a single…great song!

    http://www.myspace.com/manchesterschool

  21. Cheryl on May 22nd, 2008 602 pm

    Wow, this is cool, here are my top 15 of today but tomorrow this could change.

    1. I Believe
    2. Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
    3. Belong
    4. So. Central Rain
    5. I’ve Been High
    6. Walk Unafraid
    7. Boy in the Well
    8. Wendell Gee
    9. Orange Crush
    10. Wolves, Lower
    11. Hollow Man
    12. Crush With Eyeliner
    13. Turn You Inside Out
    14. Sitting Still
    15. At My Most Beautiful

  22. Craig Rosen on May 22nd, 2008 704 pm

    A random 15 in no particular order that could change at any given time depending on my mood.

    1. Electrolite
    2. Walk Unafraid
    3. Life and How to Live It
    4. Man Sized Wreath
    5. Begin The Begin
    6. Feeling Gravity’s Pull
    7. Fall On Me
    8. Try Not to Breathe
    9. Sweetness Follows
    10. Driver 8
    11. So. Central Rain
    12. Turn You Inside-Out
    13. Harborcoat
    14. These Days
    15. Catapult

  23. Cherise on May 22nd, 2008 723 pm

    Only 15?! In no particular order:

    Originals:
    Fall on Me
    Star 69
    Don’t Go Back to Rockville
    Begin the Begin
    Horse to Water
    Wolves, Lower
    So. Central Rain
    Turn You Inside-Out
    Man Sized Wreath
    Animal
    You Are the Everything
    Exhuming McCarthy
    I Believe
    Catapult
    Can’t Get There From Here

    Favorite Covers:
    Superman
    Love is All Around
    King of the Road
    The Lion Sleeps Tonight
    Gentle on My Mind
    Paint it Black
    There She Goes Again
    Goo Goo Muck
    Munich

  24. Gabe on May 22nd, 2008 913 pm

    Here’s my 15 in no order:

    1. Camera
    2. Until the Day is Done
    3. WTFK
    4. Find the River
    5. Half a World Away
    6. Begin the Begin
    7. These Days
    8. Orange Crush
    9. Can’t Get there from Here
    10. Perfect Circle
    11. Drive
    12. Man on the Moon
    13. Daysleeper
    14. Leave
    15. Disturbance at the H-House

  25. K on May 22nd, 2008 946 pm

    1. Sitting Still
    2. Seven Chinese Brothers
    3. Carnival of Sorts
    4. Talk about the Passion
    5. Cuyahoga
    6. Life and How to Live it
    7. I Believe
    8. Begin the Begin
    9. These Days
    10. Harborcoat
    11. Gardening at Night
    12. World Leader Pretend
    13. So. Central Rain
    14. Catapult
    15. Feeling Gravity’s Pull

  26. Chris on May 22nd, 2008 1128 pm

    Crikey, my list changes day by day, and would prefer to have the whole lot - but here goes:

    1)Wolves, Lower - my favourite R.E.M. song
    2)Moral Kiosk
    3)Sitting Still
    4)Life And How To Live It
    5)Cuyahoga
    6)Low
    7)Man On The Moon
    8)Radio Free Europe
    9)Nightswimming
    10)Undertow
    11)Crush With Eyeliner
    12)Belong
    13)Seven Chinese Brothers
    14)Circus Envy
    15)King Of Birds

  27. Penelope on May 22nd, 2008 1134 pm

    Oh, this is fun. But so difficult. OK, here they are, not in order. Did no one pick Little America? That’s such a brilliant song.

    Find the River
    Little America
    Begin the Begin
    Red Head Walking (B-side cover from Accelerate, this song fu!*ing rocks!)
    Walk Unafraid
    Wolves, Lower
    These Days
    Country Feedback
    Swan Swan H
    Oddfellows Local 151
    Old Man Kensey
    West of the Fields
    Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)
    Cuyahoga
    Feeling Gravity’s Pull
    These Days (…fly to carry each his burden…)
    Welcome to the Occupation

    OK, that’s 17. I cheated. But I’m not sorry.

  28. John O on May 23rd, 2008 508 am

    Ok heres a 15 from little ol’ England!

    1. Walk Unafraid
    2. Perfect Circle
    3. Fall on Me
    4. Disturbance at the Heron House
    5. Country Feedback
    6. Bad Day
    7. Whats the Frequency Kenneth?
    8. Begin the Begin
    9. Undertow
    10. I wanted to be Wrong
    11. The Outsiders
    12. Electrolite
    13. Nightswimming
    14. Man Sized Wreath
    15. Turn you inside out

    Oh, and by the way a confession, I love Around the Sun and dont care who knows!!!

  29. Mark on May 23rd, 2008 624 am

    My top 15 list changes with my mood, so this essentially amounts to an exercise in futility. But a fun one. Heck, I’d be hard-pressed to find 15 R.E.M. songs I DON’T love. Here’s my top 15 at this moment in time (no particular order):

    1- Cuyahoga
    2- Sweetness Follows
    3- Perfect Circle
    4- Pilgrimage
    5- Man Sized Wreath
    6- so. Central Rain
    7- Begin the Begin
    8- Exhuming McCarthy
    9- World Leader Pretend
    10- I Took Your Name
    11- The Lifting
    12- Finest Worksong
    13- Try Not to Breathe
    14- Texarkana
    15- Leave

    …I need more space.

  30. Craig on May 23rd, 2008 1056 am

    Top 15 (at the moment)

    in no particular order:

    Sing for the Submarine (Accelerate)
    Try not to breathe (Automatic for he People)
    Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)(Chronic Town)
    9-9 (Murmur)
    I took your name (Monster)
    Feeling Gravtity’s Pull (Fables)
    Low Desert (New Adventures)
    E-Bow the Letter (New Adventures)
    You’re in the Air (Up)
    I remember California (Green)
    Hollow Man (Accelerate)
    The Wrong Child (Green)
    Find the River (Automatic)
    Living Well’s the Best Revenge (Accelerate)
    Old Man Kensey (Fables)

    That was harder than I thought…

  31. Jeff on May 23rd, 2008 1227 pm

    Just yesterday I was listening to my Ipod and the last song I listened to on my run was Belong off of Out of Time. That is a great, great song and I was thrilled to see it in someone’s top 15 songs. Finest Worksong is also in it for me. It’s the first song (other than The One I Love) that I ever heard and I was just blown away. Document is still my favorite album. I can’t wait to see them in Philly on June 18th.

  32. John on May 23rd, 2008 331 pm

    On my way to watch the concert in Vancouver’s Deer Lake Park as we speak. As I’m listening to Perfect Circle to prep, here’s 15 of my favs in no particular order …

    Begin the Begin (Life’s Rich Pagent)
    Orange Crush (Green)
    Don’t Go Back to Rockville (Reckoning)
    Shaking Through (Murmur)
    So. Central Rain (Reckoning)
    Can’t Get There From Here (Fables of the Reconstruction)
    The One I Love (Document)
    Try Not to Breathe (Automatic for the People)
    Country Feedback (Out of Time)
    E-Bow The Letter (New Adventures in Hi-Fi)
    Electrolite (New Adventures in Hi-Fi)
    The Ascent of Man (Around the Sun)
    Wanderlust (Around the Sun)
    All the Way to Reno (Reveal)

    Here’s to a good show tonight and a great tour for fans and performers alike.

    Cheers.

  33. toompea on May 24th, 2008 454 am

    well, my best ones at the moment in NON particular order but chronological:

    1. Gardening at night
    2. Perfect circle
    3. Harborcoat
    4. Life & how to live it
    5. Cuyahoga
    6. It’s the end of the world
    7. World leader pretend
    8. Half a world away
    9. Nightswimming
    10. You
    11. E-bow the letter
    12. Why not smile
    13. I’ve been high
    14. The outsiders
    15. I’m gonna Dj

  34. chris howerton on May 24th, 2008 319 pm

    fall on me,cuyahoga,radio free europe,end of the world,one i love,country feedback,me in honey,man on the moon,i believe,begin the begin,nightswimming,harborcoat,maps and legends,shaking through,electolite

  35. eric on May 25th, 2008 130 pm

    top 10 (in no particular order)
    1. it’s the end of the world as we know it
    2. losing my religion
    3. man on the moon
    4. what’s the frequency kenneth
    5. shiny happy people
    6. everybody hurts
    7. radio song
    8. the one i love
    9. daysleeper
    10. drive
    heehee

  36. joseph on May 27th, 2008 832 pm

    my top 14 (then it got too hard)

    - nightswimming
    - turn you inside out
    - country feedback
    - crush with eyeliner
    - how the west was won
    - drive
    - sing for the submarine
    - losing my religion
    - half a world away
    - why not smile (strictly the acoustic version)
    - try not to breathe
    - let me in
    - fall on me
    - you are the everything

  37. JRL on May 28th, 2008 1207 pm

    “So. Central Rain”
    “Fall On Me”
    “Half A World Away”
    “Monty Got a Raw Deal”
    “Electrolite”
    “All The Way To Reno”
    “Strange Currencies”
    “Find the River”
    “Begin the Begin”
    “Gardening at Night”
    “Don’t Go Back to Rockville”
    “Drive”
    “Time After Time”
    “Leave”
    “Country Feedback”

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