10 Amazing Follow Ups To Classic Albums
3. Automatic for the People - R.E.M.
When living the rock and roll lifestyle, the No. 1 fear that comes to mind is getting old. Much like Pete Townshend said may back in the '60s, sometimes it's better to leave a legacy young than to age and see it fall to pieces around you. Though R.E.M. were practically dinosaurs by rock standards at the start of the '90s, Automatic for the People is what happens when you start to age gracefully.
Coming off of the mammoth single Losing My Religion from Green, Michael Stipe approached Automatic from the perspective of turning 30 and what that kind of mindset entails. Far away from the naive songwriting of something like Murmur, this entire album is a lot more mature than most alt-rock albums from around the same time, looking to challenge the audience as well as relate with them.
Even with some of the more somber cuts like Everybody Hurts rising up the charts, this is probably the most heartfelt R.E.M. you could ask, as songs like Sweetness Follows and Nightswimming detail the struggles that come with growing up, whether it be the cold world rising in front of you or the first waves of nostalgia hitting you all at once. While R.E.M. was only going to go up from here, you will never find another album where they are more human than this.