The 25 Best Ever REM Songs. You know, I was totally in agreement with this guy from the beginning, nodding my head and murmuring “Hell yes!” each time he name-checked yet another of my favorites (especially the obscure ones that give me a secret thrill from owning, like the “Where’s Captain Kirk?” fan club single which I hope is still in my Mom’s basement somewhere), until it all came to a screeching halt at #5: “Sweetness Follows.” HUH? I hate that song! And where’s “Man on the Moon,” surely one of the best-written songs of the 90’s? So lift out “Sweetness Follows” and replace it with “Man on the Moon” and we’re in business. (Max questions the #1 pick but I can kinda see it, especially since Stipe commented during Unplugged that it was his favorite REM song.) I also thought of a few Honorable Mentions that, while I wouldn’t necessarily put in the Top 25, are definitely in the Top 30: the Untitled song at the end of Green, “Wendell Gee,” “The Flowers of Guatemala,” “Half a World Away,” and “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” Interesting omissions: “The One I Love,” “Everybody Hurts,” the last couple radio singles. Again, can’t really disagree too much there. For me, Life’s Rich Pageant is the most overlooked album of the bunch. (Original link courtesy of Max.)

Oh, and why am I suddently all obsessed with REM? BECAUSE WE’RE SEEING THEM TONIGHT!