When drummer Bill Berry left R.E.M., Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills could have taken the route that dozens of bands before them had by hiring a new guy. But that’s not who R.E.M. were. Instead, the remaining members took the road less traveled: they hired a drum machine.
After more than 30 years together, during which time they rose from critical alternative-rock favorites to international pop superstars and eventually Rock and Roll Hall of Fame status, R.E.M. announced Wednesday they have “called it a day as a band.”