10 Forgotten Rock Music Gems From The 80s You Need To Rediscover

In the era of the rise of MTV, there shouldn't have been an opportunity for a band like REM to even sniff the mainstream any time soon. How in the hell were these four transplants out of Athens, Georgia going to be able to compete on the same level as giants like Michael Jackson? Well, if you just have the tunes to back it up, you don't really need anything else.

When bringing up the stellar early period of the band, most fans tend to single out songs like Radio Free Europe as the group's crowning achievement. The real beauty behind REM is how reflective they can be, and A Perfect Circle is a prime example of them tapping into something a lot moodier. Coming right smack in the middle of the record, Michael Stipe crafts a beautiful melody over the top of these chords that feels like you're floating above the clouds.

If only you could actually hear what he's actually talking about though, considering most of the lyrics are either indistinguishable or don't make any sense when you break them down. You might not understand what he's saying, but when you really think about it, you don't really need to. This is the kind of melody that you let stand on its own because words won't even be able to do it justice.