On this day August 31 1987, R.E.M. released their fifth studio album, Document. This was the album that marked a turning point for the band, transitioning them from underground college radio favorites to mainstream rock figures. Document featured a tighter, more urgent sound compared to their earlier work and became their first album to break into the US top 10.
The album includes the hit single The One I Love, which became R.E.M.’s breakthrough chart success and introduced their cryptic yet powerful songwriting to a wider audience. Other standout tracks like It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) and Finest Worksong carried the band’s trademark energy while capturing the growing unease of the late 1980s.
Document showcased a politically charged R.E.M. taking bold creative risks with sharper production and more direct messaging. It also marked their final album with I.R.S. Records before signing with Warner Bros.
80s insight: Document was the first R.E.M. album produced by Scott Litt, who would go on to produce their biggest 80s and early 90s albums including Green and Out of Time.