REM Most Famous Songs
On The Acoustic

Losing My Religion by REM is off of their 1991 album "Out Of Time". The song revolves around a mandolin riff from Peter Buck who just purchased a mandolin and was trying to learn how to pay it.

This became the groups biggest charting song in the US to date at #4 on the Billboard chart. This song won 2 Grammy's in 1992. 

For rhythm here play a down down down up down up and repeat pattern with some lead work. The chords you'll need are Am, F, G, Em, Dm and Fmaj7.

Man On The Moon is from the album "Automatic For The People" released in 1992 and the 2nd single from this album. The song did reach #1 in Iceland of all places and was a #30 in the US and #18 in the UK.

The song was also featured in the 1999 film of the same name starring Jim Carey.

For this one I play a down down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern with no lead work. The chords you'll need are C, D, Am and a G6.

Nightswimming is a song about skinny dipping at night according Mike Mills, whereas lead singer Michael Stipe said he wrote the lyrics about a nightwatchman but had to change the title to night swimming, because the night watchman said he would sue Stipe.

The string arrangement here was arranged by the former bass player of Led Zeppelin, John Paul Jones. The song is from 1992 and the album "Automatic For The People". Lead singer Michael Stipe sings this one along with the bass player Mike Mills, who is playing piano on this track.

You'll want to blend in some picking into the rhythm using mostly down strokes because of all of the underlying riffs going on throughout but the odd spot where there is some arpeggio 1-2-3 up down up. For chords play G, G6, C, D and Am.

Pop song 89 hails from the bands 1989 album "Green". The single peaked at #86 on Billboards Hot 100 charts.

Stipe was asked by MTV to cover the 3 naked women he was dancing with somehow in the music video so he placed black stripes to cover their nipples. 

For rhythm play a down down up down up down up and repeat pattern and in several spots where there are some down strokes, add in some picking riffs. For chords play A, D, B7, Am, E and G.

Shiny Happy People is found on the 1991 the album "Out Of Time" which released this single that hit the top 10 in the US, Canada, Norway and the UK and featured Kate Pierson from the B-52's in both the music video and on the track itself. 

Chords here are G, Em, Bm, C, E and A using some arpeggio and then basically just a down down up down up down up and repeat pattern with some down strokes along the way. In standard tuning and with a small riff for lead.

Talk About The Passion hails from REM's debut album entitled "Murmur" but as a single was only released in the European market. The song failed to make the charts.

The song was about hunger around the world and the music video made this point, but according to Stipe the song itself failed to showcase that fact.

No lead but some riffs blended into the rhythm in standard while playing a down up down up rhythm or use a down down up down up and repeat that as you sing. The chords needed are D, C, A , G6, Em13, Em7, A and a Dsus2/F.

The One I Love was released in 1987 from the album "Document"  with three singles, and this song becoming the band's first top 10 hit reaching #9 in the US and #11 in Canada.

Played in standard tuning  and some lead required, play a root down up root up down up and repeat rhythm pattern with the chords Em, D, G, C and D#.