Losing My Religion

This article is about the R.E.M. song. For other uses, see Losing My Religion (disambiguation).
"Losing My Religion"
Single by R.E.M.
from the album Out of Time
B-side "Rotary Eleven"
Released February 19, 1991 (1991-02-19)
Format CD, 7", 12"
Recorded September–October 1990, Bearsville Studios, Woodstock, New York, United States; John Keane Studios, Athens, Georgia, United States (recording); Soundscape Studios, Atlanta, Georgia, United States (strings)
Genre
Length 4:28
Label Warner Bros.
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
Certification Gold (RIAA)
R.E.M. singles chronology
"Get Up"
(1989)		 "Losing My Religion"
(1991)		 "Shiny Happy People"
(1991)
Audio sample
file info · help

"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. Built on 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 No. 4 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.

Background

R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck wrote the main riff and chorus to the song on a mandolin while watching television one day. Buck had just bought the instrument and was attempting to learn how to play it, recording the music as he practiced. Buck said that "when I listened back to it the next day, there was a bunch of stuff that was really just me learning how to play mandolin, and then there's what became 'Losing My Religion', and then a whole bunch more of me learning to play the mandolin."[3]

Recording of the song started in September 1990 at Bearsville Studio A in Woodstock, New York.[3] The song was arranged in the studio with mandolin, electric bass, and drums.[4] Bassist Mike Mills came up with a bassline inspired by the work of Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie; by his own admission he could not come up with one for the song that was not derivative.[3] Buck said the arrangement of the song "had a hollow feel to it. There's absolutely no midrange on it, just low end and high end, because Mike usually stayed pretty low on the bass." The band decided to have touring guitarist Peter Holsapple play acoustic guitar on the recording. Buck reflected, "It was really cool: Peter and I would be in our little booth, sweating away, and Bill and Mike would be out there in the other room going at it. It just had a really magical feel."[4] Singer Michael Stipe's vocal was recorded in a single take.[5] Orchestral strings, arranged by Mark Bingham, were added to the song by members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at Soundscape Studios in Atlanta, Georgia in October 1990.[6]

Composition and lyrics

"Losing My Religion" is based on Peter Buck's mandolin-playing. Buck said, "The verses are the kinds of things R.E.M. uses a lot, going from one minor to another, kind [of] like those 'Driver 8' chords. You can't really say anything bad about E minor, A minor, D, and G – I mean, they're just good chords." Buck noted that "Losing My Religion" was "probably the most typical R.E.M.-sounding song on the record. We are trying to get away from those kind of songs, but like I said before, those are some good chords."[4] Orchestral strings play through parts of the song. The song is in natural minor.[7]

In the song, Michael Stipe sings the lines "That's me in the corner/That's me in the spotlight/Losing my religion". The phrase "losing my religion" is an expression from the southern region of the United States that means losing one's temper or civility, or "being at the end of one's rope." Stipe told The New York Times the song was about romantic expression.[8] He told Q that "Losing My Religion" is about "someone who pines for someone else. It's unrequited love, what have you."[9] Stipe compared the song's theme to "Every Breath You Take" by The Police, saying, "It's just a classic obsession pop song. I've always felt the best kinds of songs are the ones where anybody can listen to it, put themselves in it and say, 'Yeah, that's me.'"[10]

Release and reception

"Losing My Religion" was released on February 19, 1991 in the United States as the lead single from R.E.M.'s forthcoming album Out of Time.[10] The band's record label, Warner Bros., was wary about the group's choice of the song as the album's first single. Steven Baker, who was vice president of product management at Warner Bros. at the time, said there were "long, drawn-out discussions" about releasing such an "unconventional track" as the single until the label agreed. While R.E.M. declined to tour to promote Out of Time, the band visited radio stations, gave numerous press interviews, and made appearances on MTV to promote the record. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. worked to establish the single at campus, modern rock, and album-oriented rock radio stations before promoting it to American Top 40 stations, where it became a success. "The record crosses the boundaries of being just an alternative record", one Top 40 radio station program director said; he admitted that "Losing My Religion" was "a hard record to program; you can't play L.L. Cool J behind it. But it's a real pop record—you can dance to it."[11]

"Losing My Religion" became R.E.M.'s biggest hit in the U.S., peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.[12] The single stayed on the chart for 21 weeks.[13] It charted at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart, and peaked at No. 16 and No. 11 in Canada and Australia, respectively.[12] Mills said years later, "Without 'Losing My Religion', Out of Time would have sold two or three million [copies], instead of the ten [million copies] or so it did. But the phenomenon that is a worldwide hit is an odd thing to behold. Basically that record was a hit in almost every civilised country in the world."[5] The success of "Losing My Religion" and Out of Time broadened R.E.M.'s audience beyond its original college radio-based fanbase. When asked at the time if he was worried that the song's success might alienate older fans, Buck told Rolling Stone, "The people that changed their minds because of 'Losing My Religion' can just kiss my ass."[14]

The song received a number of critical plaudits. The single placed second in the Village Voice Pazz & Jop annual critics' poll, behind Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit".[15] R.E.M. was nominated for seven awards at the 1992 Grammy Awards. "Losing My Religion" alone earned several nominations, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.[16] The song won two awards, for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best Short Form Music Video. In 2004, Rolling Stone listed the song at No. 169 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2007, the song was listed as No. 9 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.[17] In 2009, Blender ranked it at No. 79 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".[18] The song is also included on The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

Music video

The music video for "Losing My Religion" was directed by Tarsem Singh. As opposed to previous R.E.M. videos, Michael Stipe agreed to lip sync the lyrics.[19] The video originated as a combination of ideas envisioned by Stipe and Singh. Stipe wanted the promo to be a straightforward performance video, akin to Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U". Singh wanted to create a video in the style of a certain type of Indian filmmaking, where everything would be "melodramatic and very dreamlike", according to Stipe.[20]

The video begins with a brief sequence inside a dark room where water drips from an open window. Recreating a scene from the Andrei Tarkovsky film The Sacrifice, Buck, Berry, and Mills run across the room while Stipe remains seated as a pitcher of milk drops from the windowsill and shatters; the song then begins. Director Singh also drew inspiration from the Italian painter Caravaggio and the video is laden with religious imagery such as Saint Sebastian, the Biblical episode of the Incredulity of Thomas and Hindu deities, portrayed in a series of tableaux.[21]

The music video was nominated in nine categories at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. The video won six awards, including Video of the Year, Best Group Video, Breakthrough Video, Best Art Direction, Best Direction, and Best Editing.[22] "Losing My Religion" also ranked second in the music video category of the 1991 Pazz & Jop poll.[15]

MTV Unplugged Session

R.E.M. recorded an MTV Unplugged session of "Losing My Religion" with members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the 10th anniversary of MTV. The 1991 recording was made in the auditorium of the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center in Madison, Georgia, about 20 miles south of Athens. Subsequently the song won the award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

Cover versions

Track listing

All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe, except where noted

7"
  1. "Losing My Religion" – 4:29
  2. "Rotary Eleven" – 2:32
12" and Compact Disc
  1. "Losing My Religion" – 4:29
  2. "Rotary Eleven" – 2:32
  3. "After Hours" (Lou Reed) (Live)1 – 2:08
UK "Collector's Edition" CD one
  1. "Losing My Religion" – 4:29
  2. "Stand" (Live)1 – 3:21
  3. "Turn You Inside-Out" (Live)1 – 4:23
  4. "World Leader Pretend" (Live)1 – 4:24
UK "Collector's Edition" CD two
  1. "Losing My Religion" – 4:29
  2. "Fretless" – 4:51
  3. "Losing My Religion" (Live acoustic version/Rockline) – 4:38
  4. "Rotary Eleven" – 2:32
Notes
  • 1. Taken from the live performance video, Tourfilm.

Charts

Chart (1991) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[29] 11
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[30] 6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[31] 1
Canada (RPM)[32] 6
France (SNEP)[33] 3
Ireland (IRMA)[34] 5
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[35] 1
Italy (FIMI)[36] 8
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[37] 16
Norway (VG-lista)[38] 4
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[39] 3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[40] 11
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[41] 19
US Billboard Hot 100[42] 4
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[43] 28
US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)[44] 1
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[45] 1
Chart (2008) Peak
position
scope="row" Italy (FIMI)[36] 14
Chart (2015) Peak
position
scope="row" Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[46] 88

Certifications

Region Certification
Italy (FIMI)[47] Platinum
United Kingdom (BPI)[48] Silver
United States (RIAA)[49]
Physical single		 Gold
United States (RIAA)[49]
Digital single		 Gold

Notes

  1. ↑ The Making of R.E.M.'s Iconic 'Losing My Religion' Video
    Rolling Stone
    Retrieved 5 August 2016
  2. ↑ The Guide to United States Popular Culture By Ray Broadus Browne, Pat Browne
  3. 1 2 3 Black, p. 177
  4. 1 2 3 Mettler, Mike. "R.E.M.: Radio Songs". Guitar School. September 1991.
  5. 1 2 Buckley, p. 205
  6. ↑ Black, p. 178
  7. ↑ Stephenson, Ken (2002). What to Listen for in Rock: A Stylistic Analysis, p. 89. ISBN 978-0-300-09239-4.
  8. ↑ Holden, Stephen. "The Pop Life". The New York Times. March 13, 1991. Retrieved on January 13, 2008.
  9. ↑ Snow, Mat. "R.E.M." Q. October 1992.
  10. 1 2 Black, p. 180
  11. ↑ Browne, David. "It's About 'Time' for R.E.M.". Entertainment Weekly. May 31, 1991. Retrieved on January 13, 2008.
  12. 1 2 Buckley, p. 358
  13. ↑ "Losing My Religion". Rolling Stone. December 9, 2004. Retrieved on January 15, 2008.
  14. ↑ Giles, Jeff. "No. 1 With an Attitude". Rolling Stone. June 27, 1991. Retrieved on January 13, 2008.
  15. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "The 1991 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". Village Voice. March 3, 1992. Retrieved on January 20, 2008.
  16. ↑ Pareles, Jon. "Grammy Short List: Many For a Few". The New York Times. January 9, 1992. Retrieved on January 20, 2008.
  17. ↑ 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s
  18. ↑ Blender Staff. "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". Blender.com. April 1, 2009. Retrieved on April 15, 2009.
  19. ↑ Buckley, p. 206
  20. ↑ Fricke, David. "The Rolling Stone Interview: Michael Stipe". Rolling Stone. March 5, 1992. Retrieved on May 19, 2008.
  21. ↑ Buckley, p. 206-07
  22. ↑ "Video Music Awards | Past VMAs | 1991". MTV.com. Retrieved on January 21, 2008.
  23. ↑ Off the Deep End (liner). "Weird Al" Yankovic. Scotti Bros. Records. 1992.
  24. ↑ Nguyen, Hanh (October 7, 2010). "'Glee': Cory Monteith talks 'Losing My Religion'". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  25. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYW9GVDb4Pk,
  26. ↑ http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Graveworm/Engraved_in_Black/22078
  27. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZOA0DMogzg
  28. ↑ http://www.jacquinaylor.com/music.html
  29. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – R.E.M. – Losing My Religion". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  30. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – R.E.M. – Losing My Religion" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
  31. ↑ "Ultratop.be – R.E.M. – Losing My Religion" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
  32. ↑ "Top Singles – Volume 54, No. 3, June 22, 1991". RPM. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  33. ↑ "Lescharts.com – R.E.M. – Losing My Religion" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
  34. ↑ "Search the charts" (To access, enter the search parameter "Losing My Religion" in the "Search by Song Title" field). Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  35. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – R.E.M. – Losing My Religion" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 15, 2009.
  36. 1 2 "Italiancharts.com – R.E.M. – Losing My Religion". Top Digital Download. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  37. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – R.E.M. – Losing My Religion". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  38. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – R.E.M. – Losing My Religion". VG-lista. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  39. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – R.E.M. – Losing My Religion". Singles Top 100. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
  40. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – R.E.M. – Losing My Religion". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
  41. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1991-03-09" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  42. ↑ "R.E.M. – Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  43. ↑ "R.E.M. – Chart History: Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  44. ↑ "R.E.M. – Chart History: Mainstream Rock Tracks". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  45. ↑ "R.E.M. – Chart History: Alternative Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  46. ↑ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  47. ↑ "Italian single certifications – R.E.M. – Losing My Religion" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved March 28, 2014. Select Online in the field Sezione. Enter R.E.M. in the field Filtra. The certification will load automatically
  48. ↑ "British single certifications – R.E.M. – Losing My Religion". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 28, 2014. Enter Losing My Religion in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  49. 1 2 "American single certifications – R.E.M. – Losing My Religion". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 28, 2014. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH

References

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