10 Perfect Soft Rock Albums Of The '90s

In a sane world, there's a good chance that we wouldn't be talking about R.E.M. as one of the greatest bands that had hits in the '90s. After being the world's favorite college rock band in the '80s, it looked like they were bound to be under the radar for the rest of their lives, making songs that were a bit more esoteric than what radio rock could understand. These boys had become men though, and Automatic for the People is when you start facing your own mortality.

Across this entire record, you can hear Michael Stipe getting more introspective in the lyrics, talking about the past passing him by and having to deal with losing friends along the way. The rest of the band follow suit as well, with every single instrument being a lot more mellow this time around. This isn't a care free record though, as every single song seems to dissect a different emotion that comes with making it past your 30s, from the suicidal spirit present on songs like Try Not to Breathe to braving the world with your loved ones beside you on Sweetness Follows.

As much as this might seem like a dark record in some spots, there's still that subtle hint of optimism poking through the cracks. Something like Nightswimming might be a little melodramatic these days, but you start to understand it that much more as you get older. Once you approach your own quarter life crisis, these are the songs that you can hold onto like a life raft, being nostalgic for the past but also knowing that you can never go back.