AP photo; In this Sept. 24, 2008 image, Michael Stipe, frontman of US rock band R.E.M., performs in Zurich, Switzerland.
Here are a few questions about R.E.M., which announced its breakup Wednesday:
Why did it happen? Well, the statement from the band’s website doesn’t tell us much. Maybe this is as simple as they say it is: It’s time. Let’s face it, R.E.M. has gotten old. Michael Stipe is 51 and his stubble has been gray for a while. For many music lovers, it didn’t even seem like the band was still together anyway. R.E.M. hadn’t toured since 2007. Like most, their album sales have dropped.
Why do I care? We posted the story on our Facebook site and didn’t get any comments. Five hours after the news broke, fewer than 30 tweets mentioning R.E.M. or REM had been sent within 20 miles of York. It wasn’t big news.
How does such a band go from important and relevant to barely getting a notice when calling it quits? R.E.M. might have seen sales drop, but can you really measure them by numbers? They certainly were bigger than that. Many bands that came up through the ’80s and ’90s — including York’s own Live — listed them as an influence. Their music is still regularly played on classic rock radio stations. So, while they might not have been making money, R.E.M. remained an important part of music culture.
Will I see you at the reunion tour? Do you care/not care about the R.E.M. breakup? Why or why not? Leave us a comment. Read the entire column.
