R.E.M. Green: 25th Anniversary Edition on 180g LP + Download

R.E.M. achieved global success with the 1988 release of Green, the Athens, Georgia quartet’s sixth studio album and first for Warner Bros. Records, which would be the band’s label home for the rest of their recording career. While R.E.M. was fast becoming one of the most acclaimed and revered acts in the U.S., Green was their first album to gain the attention of a worldwide audience.

Packed with tracks destined to be definitive additions to the band’s canon, including “Orange Crush,” “Pop Song 89,” and “Stand,” Green was certified double platinum by the RIAA and doubled the domestic sales of the band’s previous release. Green continued R.E.M.’s dedication to the message of social consciousness, as evidenced by the album’s title, which would go on to became a ubiquitous buzzword for environmentally friendly initiatives.

“On paper, this looks to be the band’s biggest album ever – strong singles material (“Get Up,” “Stand” and “Orange Crush”), a major label, a more accessible sound. So it’s not for nothing that the album is titled Green, although environmental concerns, naivete and the generally positive attitude of the record must also have something to do with it.” – Michael Azerrad, Rolling Stone