R.E.M.

When R.E.M. came busting out of the South with a style that stamped the word jangle forever into the rock lexicon and put Athens, GA, on the map as a new-wave-era hotspot, anyone could tell their mysterious, melodious sound was something special. But nobody guessed they would become one of the biggest bands on the planet. With Peter Buck’s chiming, Byrds-y guitar, Michael Stipe’s insistent-but-understated growl, and Bill Berry and Mike Mills putting some post-punk urgency into the groove, R.E.M.’s first single, “Radio Free Europe,” breathed a bold new sound into the world. They soon began stretching their style in different directions, from the bittersweet, country-flecked melancholy of “So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)” to the James Bond-goes-surfing six-string signature of “Driver 8.” And by the time they laid into the instant-classic riff and heart-rending wail of “The One I Love,” their world-beating status seemed assured.

Follow the Athens alt-rock gods from gentle jangle to something spookier, in Next Steps.

Kicking off their career as young lions in the rock ’n’ roll jungle, R.E.M. grew up in public, and few bands have covered as much ground in the course of their evolution. The group whose warm, rootsy “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville” reclaimed folk-rock for the “alternative” generation was a far cry from the stark-sounding foursome that snuck into the Top 40 with the ominous, almost sinister single “Drive.” And, of course, both of those identities are a world apart from the art-rock expansiveness of the R.E.M. that unfurled the atmospheric, stream-of-consciousness swirl of “E-Bow the Letter” with some haunting vocal help from Patti Smith.

Catch up on moments you might’ve missed, from soulful slow jams to post-punk power plays, in Deep Cuts.

With 30 years in the rearview, and a staggering stack of classic singles hogging the spotlight, a few of R.E.M.’s finest moments have flown under the radar. Those who were hypnotized by Document’s hits might’ve missed the mighty mix of punky guitar and poppy, candy-coated harmonies on the band’s cover of Wire’s “Strange.” Monster’s slow-rolling “Strange Currencies” didn’t climb as high as “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth,” but it’s still a waltz-time wonder of postmodern soul. Meanwhile, the deliciously doom-y post-punk postcard “I Remember California” hints at what might’ve happened if Manchester main men Joy Division had ever made it out to Venice Beach.

Not only did R.E.M. come to define “alternative” rock for an entire generation; they shook off that somewhat limiting label and somehow managed the miraculous feat of ascending to stadium status without losing an ounce of their cool cachet. The group began life as a scrappy bunch of arty Athens kids whose heads were turned around by punk, but with a combination of try-anything fearlessness, musical might, and songwriting smarts, they became one of the biggest, most beloved bands in the land. Summing up the three-decade journey of these Georgia giants is no snap, but we’ve delved deep into everything from the innocent jangle of early-’80s college-rock classics, like “Gardening At Night,” to mainstream monster hits, like “Losing My Religion” and the slow-burning, sympathetic strains of MTV staple “Everybody Hurts,” in addition to covering the more exotic corners of the catalog, all to bring you the ultimate R.E.M. anthology.