Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Automatic for the People
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
{{Short description|1992 album by R.E.M.}} {{About|the album|the TV episode|List of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles episodes#ep11}} {{Infobox album | name = Automatic for the People | type = studio | artist = [[R.E.M.]] | cover = R.E.M. - Automatic for the People.jpg | alt = | released = {{start date|1992|10|05}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stereogum.com/drive-xv/|title=Stereogum Presents... Drive XV: A Tribute to Automatic For The People – Stereogum|work=Stereogum|access-date=22 March 2015}}</ref> | recorded = June 1991 – July 1992 | studio = * [[Bearsville Studios|Bearsville]], [[Woodstock, New York|Woodstock]] * [[Criteria Studios|Criteria]], [[Miami]] * [[John Keane (record producer)|John Keane]], [[Athens, Georgia|Athens]] * Kingsway, [[New Orleans]] * Bosstown, [[Atlanta]] | genre = * [[Alternative rock]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://theweek.com/articles/481583/rems-legacy-6-ways-band-changed-american-music | title=R.E.M.'s legacy: 6 ways the band changed American music | work=[[The Week]] | date=September 22, 2011 | access-date=September 13, 2015}}</ref> * [[baroque pop]]<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.popmatters.com/post/149009-/ | title=R.E.M.'s 'Automatic for the People' | magazine=[[PopMatters]] | date=October 7, 2011 | access-date=September 13, 2015 | author=Mendelsohn, Jason and Eric Klinger}}</ref> * [[folk rock]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/automatic-for-the-people-mw0000089350 | title=R.E.M. - Automatic for the People Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic | website=[[AllMusic]] }}</ref> * [[chamber pop]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16032-part-lies-part-heart-part-truth-part-garbage-1982-2011/|title=R.E.M.: Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982–2011 Album Review – Pitchfork|website=pitchfork.com}}</ref><ref name= "Treble Staff 2016">{{cite web|last= Treble Staff|title= 10 Essential Chamber Pop Albums|website= Treble|date= September 22, 2016|url= https://www.treblezine.com/best-chamber-pop-albums/|accessdate= September 27, 2024}}</ref> | length = {{Duration|m=48|s=52}} | label = [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]] | producer = * [[Scott Litt]] * R.E.M. | prev_title = [[The Best of R.E.M.]] | prev_year = 1991 | next_title = [[The Automatic Box]] | next_year = 1993 | misc = {{Singles | name = Automatic for the People | type = studio | single1 = [[Drive (R.E.M. song)|Drive]] | single1date = September 21, 1992<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1992/Music-Week-1992-09-19-S-OCR.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=19|date=September 19, 1992|access-date=June 22, 2021}}</ref> | single2 = [[Man on the Moon (R.E.M. song)|Man on the Moon]] | single2date = November 9, 1992<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1992/MW-1992-11-07.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=19|date=November 7, 1992|access-date=July 17, 2021}}</ref> | single3 = [[The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite]] | single3date = February 1, 1993<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-01-30.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=23|date=January 30, 1993|access-date=July 17, 2021}}</ref> | single4 = [[Everybody Hurts]] | single4date = April 5, 1993<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-04-03.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=17|date=April 3, 1993|access-date=June 21, 2021}}</ref> | single5 = [[Nightswimming]] | single5date = July 12, 1993<ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=21|date=July 10, 1993}}</ref> | single6 = [[Find the River]] | single6date = November 29, 1993<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-11-27.pdf|title=Single Releases|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=27|date=November 27, 1993|access-date=June 24, 2021}}</ref> }} }} '''''Automatic for the People''''' is the eighth studio album by the American [[alternative rock]] band [[R.E.M.]], released on October 5, 1992, in the United Kingdom and Europe, and on the following day in the United States, by [[Warner Bros. Records]]. R.E.M. began production on the album while their previous album, ''[[Out of Time (album)|Out of Time]]'' (1991), was still ascending charts and achieving global success. Several tracks include [[String section|strings]] arranged by [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]] and conducted by George Hanson. Yielding six singles, the album reached number two on the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and received widespread acclaim from critics upon release. ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' reviewer Paul Evans concluded of the album, "This is the members of R.E.M. delving deeper than ever; grown sadder and wiser, the Athens subversives reveal a darker vision that shimmers with new, complex beauty."<ref name="uDiscover">{{cite web |first=Tim |last=Peacock |title='Automatic For The People': How R.E.M. Created A Soul-Searching Classic |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/behind-the-albums/r-e-m-automatic-for-the-people/ |date=October 5, 2018 |access-date=June 17, 2019}}</ref> ''Automatic for the People'' has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide.<ref name="billboard">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7990121/rem-automatic-for-the-people-anniversary-essay|title=The Enduring Empathy & Beauty of R.E.M.'s 'Automatic for the People'|magazine=Billboard|first=William|last=Goodman|date=October 6, 2017|access-date=November 11, 2019}}</ref> In 2020, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked the album number 96 on its list of the "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]".<ref>https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/r-e-m-automatic-for-the-people-3-1063137/</ref> ==Background and recording== What would become ''Automatic for the People'' had its origins in the mixing sessions for R.E.M.'s previous album ''[[Out of Time (album)|Out of Time]]'', held at [[Paisley Park|Paisley Park Studios]] in December 1990. There, demos for "[[Drive (R.E.M. song)|Drive]]", "Try Not to Breathe", and "[[Nightswimming]]" were recorded.<ref>{{cite web|title=R.E.M. Timeline - 1990/91 Concert Chronology|url=https://www.remtimeline.com/1990.html|website=The R.E.M. Timeline|access-date=23 November 2017}}</ref> After finishing promotional duties for ''Out of Time'', the members of R.E.M. began formal work on their next album. Starting the first week of June 1991,<ref name="pulse">Robbins, Ira. "R.E.M." ''Pulse!''. October 1992</ref> guitarist [[Peter Buck]], bassist [[Mike Mills]], and drummer [[Bill Berry]] met several times a week in a rehearsal studio to work on new material. Once a month they would take a week-long break. The musicians would often trade instruments: Buck would play mandolin, Mills would play piano or organ, and Berry would play bass. Buck explained that writing without drums was productive for the band members.<ref name="Fletcher, p. 208">Fletcher, p. 208</ref> The band, intent on delivering an album of harder-rocking material after ''Out of Time'', made an effort to write some faster [[Rock music|rock]] songs during rehearsals, but came up with less than a half-dozen prospective songs in that vein.<ref name="remote control">Fricke, David. "Living Up to ''Out of Time''/Remote Control: Parts I and II". ''Melody Maker''. October 3, 1992.</ref> The musicians recorded the demos in their standard band configuration.<ref name="Fletcher, p. 208" /> According to Buck, the musicians recorded about 30 songs. Lead singer [[Michael Stipe]] was not present at these sessions; instead, the band gave him the finished demos at the start of 1992.<ref>Fletcher, p. 209</ref> Stipe described the music to ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' early that year as "[v]ery mid-tempo, pretty fucking weird [...] More acoustic, more organ-based, less drums".<ref>Fricke, David. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20080501001409/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/rem/articles/story/5938078/the_rolling_stone_interview_michael_stipe The Rolling Stone Interview: Michael Stipe]". ''Rolling Stone''. March{{nbsp}}5, 1992. Retrieved on March 12, 2009</ref> In February, R.E.M. recorded another set of demos at [[Daniel Lanois]]' Kingsway Studios in [[New Orleans]].<ref>Black, p.{{nbsp}}190</ref> The group decided to create finished recordings with co-producer [[Scott Litt]] at [[Bearsville Studios]] in [[Woodstock, New York]], starting on March 30.<ref>Black, p. 191</ref> The band recorded overdubs in [[Miami]] and [[New York City]]. String arrangements were recorded in [[Atlanta]].<ref name="Buckley, p. 216">Buckley, p. 216</ref> After recording sessions were completed in July, the album was mixed at [[Bad Animals Studio]] in [[Seattle]].<ref name="pulse" /> "The countermelody I sing on "Try Not to Breathe" is one of my favorites because everybody else left," Mills explained in 2023. "I'm in the studio and looking in the control room — I know there's something that's going to be good in this spot of the song. I try all these different things and I'm not finding it. And then I hit the right thing and I locked eyes with [[Scott McCaughey]] from 40 feet away. We just both knew that was the direction. It was very thrilling to have that moment."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ivie |first=Devon |date=2023-09-13 |title=The Most Heartfelt and Goofy of R.E.M., According to Mike Mills |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/mike-mills-rem-michael-stipe-superlatives.html |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=Vulture |language=en}}</ref> Seattle-based McCaughey spent time with the band while they were at Bad Animals Studio.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-22 |title=R.E.M.'s Prolific Scott McCaughey On THE NO ONES Band - AMFM Magazine.tv |url=https://www.amfm-magazine.tv/r-e-m-s-prolific-scott-mccaughey-on-the-no-ones-band/ |access-date=2024-01-27 |language=en-US}}</ref> ==Music and lyrics== Despite R.E.M.'s initial desire to make an album of rocking, guitar-dominated songs after ''Out of Time'', music critic [[David Fricke]] noted that instead ''Automatic for the People'' "seems to move at an even more agonized crawl" than the band's previous release.<ref name="remote control" /> Peter Buck took the lead in suggesting the new direction for the album.<ref name="Buckley, p. 216" /> The album dealt with themes of loss and mourning inspired by "that sense of [...] turning 30", according to Buck. "The world that we'd been involved in had disappeared, the world of [[Hüsker Dü]] and [[The Replacements (band)|The Replacements]], all that had gone [...] We were just in a different place and that worked its way out musically and lyrically."<ref>Buckley, p. 218</ref> "Sweetness Follows", "Drive", and "Monty Got a Raw Deal" in particular expressed much darker themes than any of the band's previous material and "Try Not to Breathe" is about Stipe's grandmother dying.<ref name="exploder">{{Cite web |url=http://songexploder.net/rem |title=Episode 125: R.E.M. |date=December 20, 2017 |work=Song Exploder}}</ref> The songs "Drive", "[[The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite]]", "[[Everybody Hurts]]", and "Nightswimming" feature string arrangements by former [[Led Zeppelin]] bassist [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]]. Of the fourteen classical musicians, eleven were members of the [[Atlanta Symphony Orchestra]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Duxbury |first=Janell R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2-wyCE21VEQC&dq=automatic+for+the+people+atlanta+symphony+orchestra&pg=PA344 |title=Rockin' the Classics and Classicizin' the Rock:: A Selectively Annotated Discography: Second Supplement |date=2001-02-05 |publisher=Xlibris Corporation |isbn=978-1-4628-0736-9 |pages=344 |language=en}}</ref> which had also been used on ''Out of Time''. Fricke stated that "ballads, in fact, define the record", and noted that the album featured only three "rockers": "[[Ignoreland]]", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", and "[[Man on the Moon (R.E.M. song)|Man on the Moon]]".<ref name="remote control" /> "It pretty much went according to plan," Litt reported. "Compared to ''[[Monster (R.E.M. album)|Monster]]'', it was a walk in the park. ''Out of Time'' had an orchestral arrangement—so, when we did ''Automatic'', judging where Michael was going with the words, we wanted to scale it down and make it more intimate."<ref name="auto">''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' #21, August 1995</ref> "Song by song [...] the whole album is referencing the 1970s," recalls Stipe. "Everybody Hurts" was inspired by [[Nazareth (band)|Nazareth]]'s cover of "[[Love Hurts#Nazareth version|Love Hurts]]". "Drive" was an homage to [[David Essex]] and "[[Rock On (David Essex song)|Rock On]]", especially that song's early [[glam rock]] production style.<ref>{{cite podcast |url=https://www.pushkin.fm/episode/michael-stipe/ |title=Broken Record Podcast: Michael Stipe |website=Puskin.fm |publisher= |host=Rick Rubin |date=April 26, 2022 |access-date=May 15, 2022}}</ref> ==Packaging== The album name refers to the motto of [[Athens, Georgia]]-based eatery [[Weaver D's Delicious Fine Foods]].<ref>Thompson, Jim. "[http://onlineathens.com/stories/041807/living_20070418027.shtml Weaver D's deemed 'American Classic' by James Beard Foundation]". OnlineAthens. April 18, 2007. Retrieved on March 17, 2009.</ref> The photograph on the front cover is not related to the restaurant; rather, it shows a star ornament (a so-called "[[Sputnik 1|Sputnik]] star" that was common in the 1960s<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sputnik Signs {{!}} RoadsideArchitecture.com |url=https://www.roadarch.com/sca/roto2.html |access-date=2024-04-13 |website=www.roadarch.com}}</ref>) that was part of the sign for the Sinbad Motel on [[Biscayne Boulevard]] in Miami,<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/r-e-m-s-automatic-for-the-people-10-things-you-didnt-know-126545/ |title=R.E.M.'s ''Automatic for the People'': 10 Things You Didn't Know |last=Runtagh |first=Jordan |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=October 5, 2017 |access-date=January 18, 2020}}</ref> near Criteria Studios, where the bulk of the album was recorded. The motel is still there, but the star is not since it was damaged during [[Hurricane Andrew]]. The slanted support where it was once attached is still present.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.feelnumb.com/2009/09/04/story-behind-the-rem-automatic-for-the-people-star-cover/ |title=R.E.M. Automatic For The People "Star" Album Cover Location |publisher=feelnumb.comcom |date=2009-09-04 |access-date=2016-09-21 |archive-date=2020-11-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124092517/http://www.feelnumb.com/2009/09/04/story-behind-the-rem-automatic-for-the-people-star-cover/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> "The album was going to be called ''Star'' at one point, hence the object on the cover that Michael had photographed and really dug," [[Scott Litt]] told ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''. "It helps to have some kind of focus in the studio, so the photo was stuck up."<ref name="auto"/> The star photograph is placed over an [[Embossing (paper)|emboss]]ed image, which is also included inside the album's booklet distorted on a white background. The interior jacket shows a two–three story circular platform that was the sign for the old Bon Aire Motel on the former Motel Row on [[Miami Beach, Florida|Miami Beach]]. The Bon Aire and other motel row establishments have mostly been demolished for new high-rise condominiums. The back cover features a photograph of an old building with the track listing written over at the same angle from which the building is viewed. Other photographs, taken by [[Anton Corbijn]], feature the band members on a beach. The compact disc release was originally issued in a jewel case with a translucent yellow CD tray, traded out with a then-standard opaque black tray on later pressings; the cassette shell was also issued with the same color. The yellow was made to match the color of the CD. The band would later use a similar method for their 1994 album ''Monster'', which was released with a metallic orange CD tray on early copies (though this matched the album cover). ==Release== [[File:Invitation to Automatic For The People Show.jpg|alt=A live version of "Drive" recorded at this November{{nbsp}}19, 1992 show appears on Alternative NRG.|thumb|A live version of "Drive" recorded at this 11/19/1992 show appears on ''Alternative NRG.'']] ''Automatic for the People'' was released in October 1992. In the United States, the album reached No.{{nbsp}}2 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] album charts.<ref name="allmusic_album">"[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r58373/charts-awards|pure_url=yes}} Automatic for the People > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums]". [[Allmusic]]. Retrieved on March{{nbsp}}12, 2009.</ref> The album reached No.{{nbsp}}1 in the United Kingdom, where it topped the [[UK Albums Chart]] on four separate occasions.<ref>Buckley, p. 230</ref> Despite only making a handful of promotional appearances and conducting a short mini-tour for ''Out of Time'', R.E.M. drastically scaled back their live appearances even further for ''Automatic for the People'', and did not go any tours whatsoever. ''Automatic for the People'' has been certified four times platinum in the US (four million copies shipped), six times platinum in the United Kingdom (1.8 million shipped), and three times platinum in Australia (210,000 shipped).<ref name="Buckley358">Buckley, p.{{nbsp}}358</ref> The album has sold 3.52 million copies in the US, according to [[Nielsen SoundScan]] sales figures {{as of|2017|lc=y}}.<ref name="Soundscan sales figures">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7965626/rem-automatic-for-the-people-reissue-peter-buck-interview|title=R.E.M.'s Peter Buck Talks 'Automatic for the People' Before 25th Anniversary Reissue: 'I Didn't Expect It to Be a Huge Hit'|last=Rosen|first=Craig|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=2017-09-14|access-date=2017-10-04}}</ref> In 1993, the album has sold 1.7 million copies in the US, according to ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s lists of 1993's best-selling albums domestically.<ref>{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FwgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA73 |title=Billboard |date=1994-01-15 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |language=en}}</ref> ''Automatic for the People'' yielded six singles over the course of 1992 and 1993: "Drive", "Man on the Moon", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming" and "[[Find the River]]". Lead single "Drive" was the album's highest-charting domestic hit, reaching No.{{nbsp}}28 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. Other singles charted higher overseas: "Everybody Hurts" charted in the top ten on the [[UK singles chart|United Kingdom singles chart]], Canada, and Australia.<ref name="Buckley358" /> A live, harder, version of "Drive" appears on the ''Alternative NRG'', recorded at Athens' [[40 Watt Club]] on November 19, 1992, during an invitation-only concert supporting [[Greenpeace]] Action. A re-recorded, slower version of "Star Me Kitten", featuring [[William S. Burroughs]], was released on ''[[Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files]]'' in 1996. The music videos from the album were included in the 1995 video release ''[[Parallel (video)|Parallel]]''. In 2005, [[Warner Records|Warner Bros. Records]] issued a two-disc edition of ''Automatic for the People'' which includes a CD, a [[DVD-Audio]] disc containing a [[5.1]]-channel [[surround sound]] mix of the album done by [[Elliot Scheiner]], and the original CD booklet with expanded [[liner notes]].{{citation needed|date=September 2017}} A 25th anniversary edition was released on November 10, 2017, by [[Craft Recordings]], featuring four discs of live recordings, demos, and the album remixed in [[Dolby Atmos]], making ''Automatic for the People'' the first music release on this format.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7965626/rem-automatic-for-the-people-reissue-peter-buck-interview|title=R.E.M.'s Peter Buck Talks 'Automatic for the People' Before 25th Anniversary Reissue: 'I Didn't Expect It to Be a Huge Hit'|website=Billboard.com|access-date=5 November 2021}}</ref> ==Critical reception and legacy== {{Music ratings | MC = 96/100<ref name="MC">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/automatic-for-the-people-25th-anniversary-deluxe-edition/rem |title=''Automatic for the People'' [25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition] by R.E.M. Reviews and Tracks |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=November 9, 2019}}</ref> | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/automatic-for-the-people-mw0000089350 |title=''Automatic for the People'' – R.E.M. |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=July 28, 2015 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}</ref> | rev2 = ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' | rev2score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/10/04/the-new-automatic-rings-low-key-but-deep/ |title=The New 'Automatic' Rings Low-Key But Deep |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=October 4, 1992 |access-date=November 3, 2015 |last=Kot |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Kot}}</ref> | rev3 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' | rev3score = A<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1992/10/16/automatic-people/ |title=''Automatic for the People'' |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=October 16, 1992 |access-date=September 22, 2011 |last=Sandow |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Sandow}}</ref> | rev4 = ''[[The Independent]]'' | rev4score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/the-corrs-jupiter-calling-sharon-jones-the-dap-kings-rem-jim-white-blitzen-trapper-peter-oren-a8044536.html |title=Album reviews: The Corrs – ''Jupiter Calling'', Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – ''Soul Of A Woman'', REM – ''Automatic For The People'' |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=November 8, 2017 |access-date=November 12, 2017 |last=Gill |first=Andy}}</ref> | rev5 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' | rev5score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-10-04-ca-927-story.html |title=Playfulness, Profundity From a Rusticated R.E.M. |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=October 4, 1992 |access-date=October 1, 2011 |last=Cromelin |first=Richard}}</ref> | rev6 = ''[[NME]]'' | rev6score = 10/10<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Final Reckoning? |magazine=[[NME]] |date=October 3, 1992 |last=Fadele |first=Dele |author-link=Dele Fadele |page=36}}</ref> | rev7 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' | rev7score = 9.3/10<ref name="Pitchfork">{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/rem-automatic-for-the-people/ |title=R.E.M.: ''Automatic for the People'' |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=November 14, 2017 |access-date=November 14, 2017 |last=Berman |first=Stuart}}</ref> | rev8 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' | rev8score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.qonline.co.uk/reviews/server.asp?id=9656%26ss=R.E.M.%26cs=artist%26st=cn%26stars=NaN%26cp=1 |title=R.E.M.: ''Automatic For The People'' |magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] |issue=74 |date=November 1992 |access-date=May 22, 2024 |last=Sutcliffe |first=Phil |page=117 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000122063446/http://www.qonline.co.uk/reviews/server.asp?id=9656%26ss=R.E.M.%26cs=artist%26st=cn%26stars=NaN%26cp=1 |archive-date=January 22, 2000 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | rev9 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' | rev9score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="RS">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/automatic-for-the-people-2-104206/ |title=''Automatic For The People'' |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=October 29, 1992 |access-date=August 26, 2012 |last=Evans |first=Paul |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523082801/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/automatic-for-the-people-2-104206/ |archive-date=May 23, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> | rev10 = ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]'' | rev10score = 5/5<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Everybody Hurts |magazine=[[Select (magazine)|Select]] |issue=29 |date=November 1992 |last=Cavanagh |first=David |author-link=David Cavanagh |page=83}}</ref> }} The album received widespread acclaim from critics upon release. R.E.M. biographer David Buckley wrote, "''Automatic for the People'' is regarded by Peter Buck and Mike Mills, and by most critics, as being the finest R.E.M. album ever recorded."<ref>Buckley, p. 217</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' gave the album five stars. Reviewer Paul Evans wrote, "Despite its difficult concerns, most of ''Automatic'' is musically irresistible."<ref name="RS"/> ''[[Melody Maker]]'' reviewer [[Allan Jones (editor)|Allan Jones]] commented, "It's almost impossible to write about the record without mentioning the recent grim rumours concerning Stipe's health", in reference to the rumors at the time that the singer was dying of [[AIDS]] or [[cancer]]. Jones concluded his review by noting, "Amazingly, initial reactions to ''Automatic for the People'' in this particular vicinity have been mixed. [...] Psshaw to them. ''Automatic for the People'' is R.E.M. at the very top of their form."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=From Hearse to Eternity |magazine=[[Melody Maker]] |date=October 3, 1992 |last=Jones |first=Allan |author-link=Allan Jones (editor) |page=36}}</ref> [[Ann Powers]], reviewing the album for ''[[The New York Times]]'', noted that only three of the songs on the album went beyond mid-[[tempo]] and said, "Only 'Man on the Moon' shines with a wit that balances R.E.M.'s somber tendencies." Powers finished her review by saying, "Even in the midst of such disenchantment, R.E.M. can't resist its own talent for creating beautiful and moving sounds. [...] Buck, Mills and Berry can still conjure melodies that fall like summer sunlight. And Stipe still possesses a gorgeous voice that cannot shake its own gift for meaning."<ref name="NYTimes">{{cite news|last=Powers |first=Ann |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE0D9153AF932A25753C1A964958260&sec=&spon= |title=RECORDINGS VIEW; A Weary R.E.M. Seems Stuck in Midtempo |newspaper=New York Times |date=1992-10-11 |access-date=2011-09-22}}</ref> [[Guy Garcia]], for ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', also noted the album's themes of "hopelessness, anger and loss".<ref name="Time">{{cite magazine|last=Garcia |first=Guy |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,977067,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812200311/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,977067,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 12, 2010 |title=That Sinking Feeling |magazine=TIME |date=1992-11-23 |access-date=2011-09-22}}</ref> Garcia added that the album proves "that a so-called alternative band can keep its edge after conquering the musical mainstream" and that it "manages to dodge predictability without ever sounding aimless or unfocussed."<ref name="Time"/> ''Automatic for the People'' placed third in the ''[[Village Voice]]'' [[Pazz & Jop]] year-end critics' poll.<ref name="PazzJop">{{cite web|author=Christgau, Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres92.php|title=The 1992 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll|work=Village Voice|date=March 2, 1993|access-date= March 16, 2009}}</ref> ''The Village Voice''{{'}}s [[Robert Christgau]] later gave the album a three-star honorable mention rating, indicating "an enjoyable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well treasure."<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=2924 |chapter=R.E.M.: ''Automatic for the People'' |access-date=November 3, 2015 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |title=Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]] |year=2000 |isbn=0-312-24560-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/christgausconsum00chri_0 }}</ref> The album was nominated for [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]] at the [[Grammy Awards of 1994]], but lost to [[Whitney Houston]]'s ''[[The Bodyguard (soundtrack)|The Bodyguard]]''.<ref name=Grammy1994>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mPghAAAAIBAJ&pg=3904,3174680&dq|title=Sting Leads Grammy Nominations With Six|date=January 7, 1994|access-date=May 12, 2013|work=[[Reading Eagle]]|publisher=Reading Eagle Company}}</ref> It was later ranked number 247 in ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]],<ref name="RS500">{{cite book |chapter=247 | ''Automatic for the People'' — R.E.M. |chapter-url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/r-e-m-automatic-for-the-people-20120524 |last=Levy |first=Joe |author2=Steven Van Zandt |title=[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]] |orig-year=2005 |edition=3rd |year=2006 |publisher=Turnaround |location=London |isbn=1-932958-61-4 |oclc=70672814 |ref=RS500}}</ref> 249 in a 2012 revised list,<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-156826/r-e-m-automatic-for-the-people-2-170315/| year=2012| title=500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time| magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]| access-date= September 16, 2019}}</ref> and 96 in a 2020 reboot of the list.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=2020-09-22|title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/|access-date=2021-10-09|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' also ranked it at number{{nbsp}}18 on its 100 Greatest Albums of the 90s list. It was also voted number 6 in [[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]'s ''[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]'' 3rd Edition (2000)''.'' In 2006, ''[[British Hit Singles & Albums]]'' and ''[[NME]]'' organised a poll of which, 40,000 people worldwide voted for the 100 best albums ever and ''Automatic for the People'' was placed at number 37 on the list.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article670515.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070408232353/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article670515.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 8, 2007|title=Oasis album voted greatest of all time|work=[[The Times]]|date=June 1, 2006|access-date=May 12, 2013}}</ref> The album was also included in the book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]''.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Robert|last1=Dimery|first2=Michael|last2=Lydon|title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition|date=7 February 2006|publisher=Universe|isbn=0-7893-1371-5}}</ref> "I'm not so crazy about 'The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite'," Buck reflected in 2001, "but overall I think it sounds great."<ref>''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' October 2001</ref> Buck added in 2003, in regard to the song, "We included this song on ''Automatic'' in order to break the prevailing mood of the album. Given that lyrically the record dealt with mortality, the passage of time, suicide and family, we felt that a light spot was needed. In retrospect, the consensus among the band is that this might be a little too lightweight."<ref>{{Cite AV media notes| title = [[In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003]] | year = 2003 | last = Buck | first = Peter | type = booklet | publisher = [[Warner Bros. Records]]}}</ref> {{Metacritic album prose|{{noitalic|the 25th anniversary re-release of}} Automatic for the People|positive|96|17}}<ref name="MC"/> In 2017, ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' called ''Automatic for the People'' a "nakedly emotional album consumed by the anxiety of aging, the inevitability of death, the loss of innocence, and the impossibility of holding on to the past";<ref name="Pitchfork"/> in 2022, they ranked this album the 63rd best of the 1990s.<ref name="pfork150">{{Cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-best-albums-of-the-1990s/ |language=en-US |date=2022-09-28 |accessdate=2022-09-30 |title=The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s |publisher=[[Pitchfork Media]]}}</ref> According to Tom Ewing of ''[[Freaky Trigger]]'', R.E.M.'s achievement on ''Automatic for the People'' "was to wear their craft on their sleeve, making everything Michael Stipe sang sound both homespun and hard-won – a distillate of a decade making music and a lifetime hearing it."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ewing |first1=Tom |title=All one can do is die (CRASH TEST DUMMIES – "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm") |url=https://freakytrigger.co.uk/nylpm/2019/10/all-one-can-do-is-die-crash-test-dummies-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm |website=Freaky Trigger |access-date=26 February 2024 |date=13 October 2019}}</ref> ==Track listing== ===Original release=== All songs written by [[Bill Berry]], [[Peter Buck]], [[Mike Mills]] and [[Michael Stipe]] '''Side one – "Drive side"''' #"[[Drive (R.E.M. song)|Drive]]" – 4:31 #"Try Not to Breathe" – 3:50 #"[[The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite]]" – 4:06 #"[[Everybody Hurts]]" – 5:17 #"New Orleans Instrumental No. 1" – 2:13 #"Sweetness Follows" – 4:19 '''Side two – "Ride side"''' #"Monty Got a Raw Deal" – 3:17 #"[[Ignoreland]]" – 4:24 #"Star Me Kitten" – 3:15 #"[[Man on the Moon (R.E.M. song)|Man on the Moon]]" – 5:13 #"[[Nightswimming]]" – 4:16 #"[[Find the River]]" – 3:50 ==Personnel== Sources:<ref>{{Cite AV media notes |title=Automatic For The People |others=[[R.E.M.]] |date=1992 |type=CD Liner notes}}</ref><ref name="exploder"/><ref>{{Cite AV media |last1=Mills |first1=Mike |author-link1=Mike Mills |last2=Stipe |first2=Michael |author-link2=Michael Stipe |last3=Kennedy |first3=John |author-link3=John Kennedy (radio broadcaster) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnGwA5gK29g |title=R.E.M - Automatic For The People {{!}} Track By Track {{!}} X-Posure |publisher=[[Radio X (United Kingdom)|Radio X]] |via=[[YouTube]] |date=15 November 2017 |access-date=23 March 2025}}</ref><ref>Cavanagh, David. "Tune in, cheer up, rock out". ''Q''. October 1994.</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/rem-find-the-river/ | title=R.E.M. 'Find the River' and Discover a Sweet Release | date=4 October 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=R.E.M. - Automatic Unearthed (Official Full Documentary) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaiLpMsz2FE |date=December 8, 2017 |website=Youtube}}</ref> '''R.E.M.''' *[[Bill Berry]] – drums, percussion, backing vocals, [[electric piano]] on "New Orleans Instrumental No. 1" *[[Peter Buck]] – electric and acoustic guitars, [[mandolin]], [[Appalachian dulcimer|dulcimer]] on "Try Not to Breathe", [[bouzouki]] on "Monty Got a Raw Deal" *[[Mike Mills]] – bass guitar, backing vocals, organ, piano, [[accordion]], [[double bass]] on "New Orleans Instrumental No. 1", acoustic guitar on "Find the River" *[[Michael Stipe]] – lead vocals '''Additional musicians''' *[[Scott Litt]] – [[harmonica]] and [[clavinet]] on "Ignoreland" *[[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]] – [[orchestral]] [[arrangements]] on "Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", "Everybody Hurts", and "Nightswimming" *George Hanson – [[Conducting|conductor]] on "Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", "Everybody Hurts", and "Nightswimming" *Denise Berginson-Smith, Lonnie Ottzen, Patti Gouvas, Sandy Salzinger, Sou-Chun Su, Jody Taylor – [[violin]] on "Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", "Everybody Hurts", and "Nightswimming" *Kathleen Kee, Daniel Laufer, Elizabeth Proctor Murphy – [[cello]] on "Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", "Everybody Hurts", and "Nightswimming" *[[Knox Chandler]] – cello on "Sweetness Follows" and "Monty Got A Raw Deal" *Reid Harris, Paul Murphy, Heidi Nitchie – [[viola]] on "Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", "Everybody Hurts", and "Nightswimming" *Deborah Workman – [[oboe]] on "Nightswimming" '''Production''' *[[Scott Litt]] – [[Record producer|producer]], [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing engineer]] *Ed Brooks – second engineer ([[Seattle]]) *George Cowan – second engineer ([[Bearsville, New York|Bearsville]]) *Adrian Hernandez – second assistant engineer ([[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]]) *[[John Keane (record producer)|John Keane]] – recording engineer ([[Athens, Georgia|Athens]]) *[[Mark Howard (producer)|Mark Howard]] – second engineer ([[New Orleans]]) *Tod Lemkuhl – second engineer (Seattle) *Ted Malia – second engineer ([[Atlanta]]) *[[Stephen Marcussen]] – [[Audio mastering|mastering engineer]] (Precision Mastering) *[[Clif Norrell]] – [[Audio engineering|recording engineer]], mixing engineer *Andrew Roshberg – second engineer (Miami) ==Charts== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} ===Weekly charts=== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" | Chart (1992–95) ! scope="col" | Peak<br/>position |- {{album chart|Australia|2|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Austria|3|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Canada|4|chartid=1891|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Netherlands|2|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Germany4|2|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|id=1503|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Hungary|38|year=1992|week=46|rowheader=true|access-date=November 25, 2021}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Oricon Albums Chart|Japanese Albums]] ([[Oricon]])<ref>{{cite book|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005|publisher=Oricon Entertainment|location=[[Roppongi]], [[Tokyo]]|year=2006|isbn=4-87131-077-9}}</ref> | 27 |- {{album chart|New Zealand|1|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Norway|4|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- ! scope="row" | Spanish Albums ([[Productores de Música de España|PROMUSICAE]])<ref>{{cite book|last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st|date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref> |6 |- {{album chart|Sweden|7|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Switzerland|3|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|UK2|1|date=19921004|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021|refname=UK1992}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|2|artist=R.E.M.|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- ! scope="col" | Chart (2000–01) ! scope="col" | Peak<br/>position |- {{album chart|Netherlands|27|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|France|135|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Norway|7|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|UK2|15|date=20000206|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021|refname=UK2000}} |- ! scope="col" | Chart (2017–21) ! scope="col" | Peak<br/>position |- {{album chart|Austria|47|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Flanders|105|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Netherlands|94|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Germany4|23|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|id=1503|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Italy|75|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Spain|93|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|Switzerland|87|artist=R.E.M.|album=Automatic for the People|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|UK2|48|date=20171117|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021|refname=UK2017}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|118|artist=R.E.M.|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|BillboardAlternative|8|artist=R.E.M.|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|BillboardRock|16|artist=R.E.M.|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- {{album chart|BillboardVinyl|7|artist=R.E.M.|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}} |- |} {{col-2}} ===Year-end charts=== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" | Chart (1992) ! scope="col" | Position |- ! scope="row" | Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1992&cat=a |title=Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1992 |publisher=[[Dutch Charts]] |language=nl |access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref> | 81 |- ! scope="row"| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-albums/1992-12-31 |title=Top Selling Albums of 1992 |publisher=[[Recorded Music NZ]] |access-date=November 16, 2021}}</ref> | 31 |- ! scope="row" | UK Albums (OCC)<ref name="UKYearend">{{cite web |url=http://chartheaven.9.forumer.com/a/complete-uk-yearend-album-charts_post21.html |title=Complete UK Year-End Album Charts |access-date=2011-09-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120519050548/http://chartheaven.9.forumer.com/a/complete-uk-yearend-album-charts_post21.html |archive-date=2012-05-19 }}</ref> | 18 |- ! scope="row" | US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1992/top-billboard-200-albums |title=Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=November 2, 2021 }}</ref> | 83 |- ! scope="col" | Chart (1993) ! scope="col" | Position |- ! scope="row" | Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref name="AUYearend93">{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-50albums-1993.htm|title=ARIA End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Albums 1993|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association|access-date=2011-08-29}}</ref> |22 |- ! scope="row" | Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://austriancharts.at/1993_album.asp|title=Austriancharts.at – Jahreshitparade 1993 |publisher=Hung Medien |access-date=24 September 2011}}</ref> | 11 |- ! scope="row" | Canada Top Albums/CDs (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.2332&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.2332.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.2332 |title=THE RPM Top 100 Albums of 1993 |website=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]] |date=17 July 2013 |publisher=[[Library and Archives Canada]] |access-date=November 2, 2021 }}</ref> | 26 |- ! scope="row" | Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1993&cat=a |title=Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1993 |publisher=[[Dutch Charts]] |language=nl |access-date=April 2, 2014}}</ref> | 17 |- ! scope="row" | New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-albums/1993-12-31 |title=Top Selling Albums of 1993 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart |publisher=[[Recorded Music New Zealand]] |access-date=November 2, 2021 }}</ref> | 5 |- ! scope="row"| Spanish Albums (AFYVE)<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120818120257/http://www.anuariossgae.com/1999/pdfs/grabada/grabada%20anexos.pdf#page=3|archive-date=August 18, 2012|url=http://www.anuariossgae.com/1999/pdfs/grabada/grabada%20anexos.pdf#page=3|title=LOS 50 TÍTULOS CON MAYORES VENTAS EN LAS LISTAS DE VENTAS DE AFYVE EN 1993|language=es|publisher=Anuarios SGAE|access-date=May 21, 2022}}</ref> | 43 |- ! scope="row" | Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hitparade.ch/year.asp?key=1993 |title=Hitparade.ch – Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1993 |work=Swiss Music Charts |publisher=Hung Medien |access-date=2011-09-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105111425/http://hitparade.ch/year.asp?key=1993 |archive-date=2013-11-05 }}</ref> |13 |- !scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-01-15.pdf#page=39|title=Top 100 Albums 1993|magazine=[[Music Week]]|date=January 15, 1994|page=25|access-date=May 21, 2022|via=World Radio History}}</ref> | 2 |- ! scope="row" | US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1993/top-billboard-200-albums |title=Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=November 2, 2021 }}</ref> | 27 |- ! scope="col" | Chart (1994) ! scope="col" | Position |- ! scope="row" | Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1994&cat=a |title=Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1994 |publisher=[[Dutch Charts]] |language=nl |access-date=April 2, 2014}}</ref> | 70 |- ! scope="col" | Chart (2021) ! scope="col" | Position |- ! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2021&cat=a|title=Jaaroverzichten 2021|publisher=Ultratop|access-date=January 14, 2022}}</ref> | 194 |} ===Decade-end charts=== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" | Chart (1990–99) ! scope="col" | Position |- ! scope="row" | Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)<ref name="atdecadeend">{{cite web|url=http://austriancharts.at/90er_album.asp |title=Austriancharts.at – Bestenlisten – 90-er album |language=de |publisher=Hung Medien |access-date=October 10, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228012232/http://www.austriancharts.at/90er_album.asp |archive-date=December 28, 2010 }}</ref> | 42 |} {{col-end}} ==Certifications and sales== {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Argentina|type=album|title=Automatic Para La Humanidad|artist=REM|award=Gold|relyear=1992|certyear=1993|certref=<ref name=capif>{{cite web|url=http://www.capif.org.ar/Default.asp?PerDesde_MM=0&PerDesde_AA=0&PerHasta_MM=0&PerHasta_AA=0&interprete=&album=&LanDesde_MM=1&LanDesde_AA=1980&LanHasta_MM=12&LanHasta_AA=2010&Galardon=O&Tipo=1&ACCION2=+Buscar+&ACCION=Buscar&CO=5&CODOP=ESOP |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110706084844/http://www.capif.org.ar/Default.asp?PerDesde_MM=0&PerDesde_AA=0&PerHasta_MM=0&PerHasta_AA=0&interprete=&album=&LanDesde_MM=1&LanDesde_AA=1980&LanHasta_MM=12&LanHasta_AA=2010&Galardon=O&Tipo=1&ACCION2=+Buscar+&ACCION=Buscar&CO=5&CODOP=ESOP |archive-date= July 6, 2011 |title=Discos de oro y platino |access-date=November 12, 2019 |publisher=[[Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas]] |language=es |url-status=dead }}</ref>}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|title=Automatic for the People|artist=R.E.M.|type=album|award=Platinum|number=4|certyear=2001|relyear=1992}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Austria|title=Automatic for the People|artist=R.E.M.|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1992|certyear=2001}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|title=Automatic for the People|artist=R.E.M.|type=album|award=Platinum|number=7|relyear=1992|certyear=2003}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=France|title=Automatic for the People|artist=R.E.M.|type=album|award=Platinum|certyear=2001|source=infodisc}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|title=Automatic for the People|artist=R.E.M.|type=album|award=Gold|number=5|certyear=2011|relyear=1992}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|title=Automatic for the People|artist=R.E.M.|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1992|certyear=2021|note=sales since 2009|id=8388}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Netherlands|title=Automatic for the People|artist=REM|type=album|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=1992}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|title=Automatic for the People|artist=REM|type=album|award=Platinum|id=1993-04-02|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|relyear=1992}} {{certification Table Entry|title=Automatic for the People|artist=R.E.M.|type=album|relyear=1992|certyear=1993|region=Spain|award=Platinum|number=2|certref=<ref name="Spanish certifications 1991-1995">{{cite book|url=http://www.mediafire.com/view/vqzno2c0fe48zam|title=Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados 1991–1995|year=2005|publisher=Iberautor Promociones Culturales|isbn=8480486392}}</ref>}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|title=Automatic for the People|artist=R.E.M.|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1992|certyear=2000}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|title=Automatic for the People|artist=R.E.M.|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1992|certyear=1995}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=Automatic for the People|artist=R.E.M.|type=album|award=Platinum|number=8|relyear=1992|certyear=2025|id=622-840-2}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Automatic for the People|artist=R.E.M.|type=album|award=Platinum|number=4|salesamount=3,520,000|salesref=<ref name="Soundscan sales figures"/>|relyear=1992|certyear=1995}} {{Certification Table Summary}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Worldwide|artist=REM|title=Automatic for the people|type=album|nocert=true|salesamount=18,000,000|salesref=<ref name="billboard"/>|access-date=21 November 12, 2019}} {{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true}} ==See also== {{Portal|Rock music}} *''[[Drive XV: A Tribute to Automatic for the People]]'' ==References== *Black, Johnny. ''Reveal: The Story of R.E.M.'' Backbeat, 2004. {{ISBN|0-87930-776-5}} *Buckley, David. ''R.E.M.: Fiction: An Alternative Biography''. Virgin, 2002. {{ISBN|1-85227-927-3}} *Fletcher, Tony. ''Remarks Remade: The Story of R.E.M.'' Omnibus, 2002. {{ISBN|0-7119-9113-8}}. *Platt, John (editor). ''The R.E.M. Companion: Two Decades of Commentary''. Schirmer, 1998. {{ISBN|0-02-864935-4}} ==Notes== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *{{Official website}} *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaiLpMsz2FE R.E.M. - ''Automatic Unearthed''], official documentary about the making of the album {{R.E.M.}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:1992 albums]] [[Category:Albums produced by Bill Berry]] [[Category:Albums produced by Michael Stipe]] [[Category:Albums produced by Mike Mills]] [[Category:Albums produced by Peter Buck]] [[Category:Albums produced by Scott Litt]] [[Category:R.E.M. albums]] [[Category:Warner Records albums]] [[Category:Albums arranged by John Paul Jones (musician)]] [[Category:Albums conducted by George Hanson]] [[Category:Baroque pop albums]] [[Category:Folk rock albums by American artists]] [[Category:Chamber pop albums]]
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page
(
help
)
:
Template:'
(
edit
)
Template:About
(
edit
)
Template:Album chart
(
edit
)
Template:AllMusic
(
edit
)
Template:As of
(
edit
)
Template:Authority control
(
edit
)
Template:Category handler
(
edit
)
Template:Certification Table Bottom
(
edit
)
Template:Certification Table Entry
(
edit
)
Template:Certification Table Summary
(
edit
)
Template:Certification Table Top
(
edit
)
Template:Citation needed
(
edit
)
Template:Cite AV media
(
edit
)
Template:Cite AV media notes
(
edit
)
Template:Cite book
(
edit
)
Template:Cite magazine
(
edit
)
Template:Cite news
(
edit
)
Template:Cite podcast
(
edit
)
Template:Cite web
(
edit
)
Template:Col-2
(
edit
)
Template:Col-begin
(
edit
)
Template:Col-end
(
edit
)
Template:Duration
(
edit
)
Template:EditAtWikidata
(
edit
)
Template:First word
(
edit
)
Template:Has short description
(
edit
)
Template:ISBN
(
edit
)
Template:Infobox
(
edit
)
Template:Infobox album
(
edit
)
Template:Main other
(
edit
)
Template:Metacritic album prose
(
edit
)
Template:Music ratings
(
edit
)
Template:Navbox musical artist
(
edit
)
Template:Nbsp
(
edit
)
Template:Official website
(
edit
)
Template:PAGENAMEBASE
(
edit
)
Template:Portal
(
edit
)
Template:R.E.M.
(
edit
)
Template:Reflist
(
edit
)
Template:Short description
(
edit
)
Template:Start date
(
edit
)
Template:Template other
(
edit
)