REM – Automatic for the People

R.E.M.’s Automatic for the People (1992) is a critically acclaimed, melancholy masterpiece exploring mortality, loss, and nostalgia with lush orchestration, acoustic textures, and introspective lyrics, featuring iconic hits like “Everybody Hurts,” “Man on the Moon,” and “Nightswimming”. Following their breakthrough Out of Time, this album cemented the band’s superstar status with its somber yet beautiful themes, elegant arrangements by John Paul Jones, and deep emotional resonance, becoming one of the defining albums of the 90s despite its lack of upbeat hits.