Losing My Religion

"Losing My Religion"
Single by R.E.M.
from the album Out of Time
B-side"Rotary Eleven"
ReleasedFebruary 19, 1991 (1991-02-19)
RecordedSeptember–October 1990
Studio
Genre
Length4:28
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
R.E.M. singles chronology
"Get Up"
(1989)
"Losing My Religion"
(1991)
"Shiny Happy People"
(1991)
Audio sample
Music video
"Losing My Religion" on YouTube

"Losing My Religion" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in February 1991 by Warner Bros. as the first single from their seventh album, Out of Time (1991). It developed from a mandolin riff improvised by the guitarist, Peter Buck, with lyrics about unrequited love.

"Losing My Religion" is R.E.M.'s highest-charting hit in the United States, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and expanding their popularity. Its music video, directed by Tarsem Singh, features religious imagery.

At the 1992 Grammy Awards, "Losing My Religion" won Best Short Form Music Video and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Its video won awards for Video of the Year, Best Group Video, Breakthrough Video, Best Art Direction, Best Direction, and Best Editing at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2020, "Losing My Religion" became the first R.E.M. video to reach one billion views on YouTube In 2004, Rolling Stone listed "Losing My Religion" at No. 169 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2017.

  1. ^ Ducker, Eric (March 11, 2016). "The Making of R.E.M.'s Iconic 'Losing My Religion' Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  2. ^ "Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit From Worst to Best". March 28, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  3. ^ Browne, Ray Broadus; Browne, Pat (January 1, 2001). The Guide to United States Popular Culture. Popular Press. ISBN 9780879728212 – via Google Books.