10 Most Underrated Rock Songs Of The 90s

As much as the '90s were about more serious topics, no one really thought about growing up too often. With all of the more insipid hair metal bands falling by the wayside, the focus had shifted towards living in the moment and soaking the glory of your youth for all it was worth. Then R.E.M. comes into the picture and puts things into perspective on Nightswimming.

Taken from the coming of age opus Automatic for the People, this entire song plays like looking back on old photos that you have from high school, as you reminisce with a hint of regret. Coming towards the end of the album, it's almost like Michael Stipe is putting everything in perspective at this point, knowing that it's good to have those memories but also aware that you can never really go back to where you were in your youth.

Then again, it's pretty easy to see why something like this was never a hit on the charts, what with the fact that most of the song is dominated by a string section rather than the distorted guitars and vocals. As it stands though, Nightswimming might not be the R.E.M. song you'd necessarily seek out, but maybe the one that you'll need as the hair starts getting gray around the temples.