R.E.M. Document LP

R.E.M.'s fifth studio album, Document was originally released in 1987 a few months after their rarities collection appeared. It was R.E.M.'s breakthrough album after half a decade of languishing in semi-obscurity on the college-rock circuit. Document features the hits "The One I Love," "It's the End of the World as We Know it (And I Feel Fine)," and "Finest Worksong." This was the last album of new material by the band released on the I.R.S. Records label, and marked the first album on which the band worked with producer Scott Litt.

R.E.M. were trying something new with each new album in the Eighties, but this straight-ahead rock move was the one that made them mainstream stars. 'The One I Love' and 'Finest Worksong' were hits, but the best-loved fan favorite is the manic 'It's the End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine).'

Where Lifes Rich Pageant sounded a bit like a party record, Document is a fiery statement, and its memorable melodies and riffs are made all the more indelible by its righteous anger. In other words, it's not only a commercial breakthrough, but a creative breakthrough as well, offering evidence of R.E.M.'s growing depth and maturity, and helping usher in the P.C. era in the process.