Automatic for the People

An expanded and NSFW clip for "Nightswimming" appears on R.E.M.'s 25th anniversary edition of 'Automatic for the People.'

We've compiled links to all of our stories about the songs on R.E.M.'s 1992 album, 'Automatic for the People.'

A record that began with a message to the kids about control (“Drive”) ends with a song suggesting that we’re all powerless in the face of mortality.

On the 'Automatic for the People' highlight, Michael Stipe employs the only known way to time-travel: memories.

The song was ready. Everything was there: Bass, drums, guitars. There was only one slight problem. It didn’t have a title, or lyrics, or vocals.

The famous actress Meg Ryan convinced R.E.M. to alter the title of the lusty 'Automatic' ballad, so they turned it into an in-joke.

'Ignoreland' was the most biting and specific political critique of R.E.M.'s then-12-year career.

The tragic life of film star Montgomery Clift, and a Greek instrument called the bouzouki, inspired R.E.M.'s mysterious "Monty Got a Raw Deal."

Taking inspiration from the Big Easy, and some wine, R.E.M. created a late-night atmosphere on 'Automatic''s lone instrumental track.

A meditation on loss, the quiet, pulsing "Sweetness Follows" might be the centerpiece of 'Automatic for the People.'