10 Songs That Ruined Otherwise Perfect Albums
6. Automatic For The People - "Everybody Hurts"
“Everybody Hurts” is not a bad song by any means. In fact, it’s a good song, with a strong melody, impactful lyrics, and a stirring, swelling string section that comes in at just the right time.
The problem? It’s a bit much. R.E.M’s enormously successful album Automatic For The People is, the odd track aside, a startlingly sparse and sombre release. Most of the songs are about death or disappointment in one way or another. It’s musically rich and varied, but subtle and thoughtful throughout.
“Everybody Hurts”, by comparison, is like a cannonball of feelings being shot into your gut. It’s so packed with emotion that it’s parodic - you couldn’t use it for a sad scene on a TV show without seeming like you were joking.
It’s not hard to see what R.E.M were going for with “Everybody Hurts” - if anything, they achieved their goal too well. Automatic For The People is for the most part about small, specific moments which are thoroughly dissected for maximum effect. This song is about every sad thing that’s happened in the history of the world.