Murmur (album)

This article is about the R.E.M. album. For the Caroline Lufkin album, see Murmurs (album). For the record label, see Murmur (record label).
Murmur
A train trestle covered in thick kudzu with "R.E.M. / MURMUR" written in blue
Studio album by
R.E.M.
ReleasedApril 12, 1983 (1983-04-12)
RecordedJanuary 6 – February 23, 1983
StudioReflection (Charlotte)
Genre
Length44:11
LabelI.R.S.
Producer
R.E.M. chronology
Chronic Town
(1982) 		Murmur
(1983) 		Reckoning
(1984)
Singles from Murmur
  1. "Radio Free Europe"
    Released: June 8, 1983
  2. "Talk About the Passion"
    Released: November 1983

Murmur is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on April 12, 1983, by I.R.S. Records. The album was recorded at Reflection Studios in Charlotte, North Carolina, with musicians Don Dixon and Mitch Easter serving as producers. Murmur drew critical acclaim upon its release for its unusual sound, defined by lead singer Michael Stipe's cryptic lyrics, guitarist Peter Buck's jangly guitar style, and bass guitarist Mike Mills's melodic basslines. In 2003, the album was ranked number 197 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[6] It retained the position in the 2012 list and was raised to number 165 in the 2020 revision.[7]

  1. ^ "A Brief History of Jangle Pop". Masterclass.com. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  2. ^ "R.E.M.'s legacy: 6 ways the band changed American music". The Week. September 22, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "R.E.M. - Reckoning review". Allmusic. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  4. ^ Sheffield, Rob (December 6, 2001). "Automatic For The People : R.E.M. : Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  5. ^ Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2002). All Music Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). p. 930. ISBN 0-87930-653-X.
  6. ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 31 May 2009.
  7. ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 31 December 2023.