Losing My Religion (4:28)

In the liner notes of ‘In Time: The Best of R.E.M.’ (2003) Peter Buck says that one can divide R.E.M.’s career with this song. Before the release of Losing My Religion, R.E.M. had mostly a cult following, after the release they became one of the biggest rock bands of the 90’s.

‘Losing My Religion’ is a term from the American South that means being at wits’ end.

It was the first song with a mandolin to reach #1 since Rod Stewart’s ‘Maggie May’ in 1971.

“Losing My Religion” is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. The song was released as the first single from the group’s 1991 album Out of Time. Based around a mandolin riff, “Losing My Religion” was an unlikely hit for the group, garnering heavy airplay on radio as well as on MTV due to its critically-acclaimed music video. The song became R.E.M.’s highest-charting hit in the United States, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and expanding the group’s popularity beyond its original fanbase. It was nominated for several Grammy Awards, and won two for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Short Form Music Video.