R.E.M. released five studio albums in the 1990s: Out of Time, Automatic for the People, Monster, New Adventures in Hi-Fi, and Up.
The decade began with Out of Time in 1991, the album that turned R.E.M. into an international superstar through songs such as “Losing My Religion” and “Shiny Happy People.” Automatic for the People followed in 1992, taking a darker, more reflective direction. Monster arrived in 1994 with a deliberately rougher guitar sound, while New Adventures in Hi-Fi was released in 1996 and drew heavily on recordings made during the band’s tour.
The fifth and final album of the decade was Up, released in 1998. It was R.E.M.’s first studio album after drummer Bill Berry left the band in 1997, and its electronic textures made it sound noticeably different from the group’s earlier work.
A common mix-up is counting 1988’s Green or 2001’s Reveal. Neither belongs to the 1990s: Green came before the decade, and Reveal began R.E.M.’s 2000s studio-album run.