Michael Stipe says New Adventures in Hi-Fi was born out of R.E.M.’s refusal to stand still, shaped by the aftershocks of Monster, glam rock, and watching other bands deconstruct their own fame in real time. “We were already on to the next thing and trying not to repeat ourselves,” Michael Stipe said, explaining how influences ranging from Seattle’s grunge scene to U2’s ironic self-reckoning fed into what he still calls “my favorite record of us as a four-piece,” made alongside Mike Mills and the

The one song that made Michael Stipe dedicate his life to music