What is the title of R.E.M.'s 1986 album?

R.E.M.’s 1986 album was titled Lifes Rich Pageant.

Released on July 28, 1986, Lifes Rich Pageant was R.E.M.’s fourth studio album and their fourth release for I.R.S. Records. The title is a quotation from a line attributed to American humorist Mark Twain, although the album’s title omits the apostrophe in “Life’s”—the official title is Lifes Rich Pageant.

The band recorded the album at Belmont Mall Studio in Belmont, Indiana, with producer Don Gehman. Gehman helped push R.E.M. toward a clearer, more forceful sound, while the group retained its melodic guitars and cryptic songwriting. The album included “Fall on Me,” one of R.E.M.’s signature songs, and “The Flowers of Guatemala.”

The answer is often confused with the neighboring albums in the band’s early catalog. Fables of the Reconstruction came out in 1985, Document followed in 1987, and Green arrived in 1988. Lifes Rich Pageant sits directly between Fables and Document, making its 1986 release year a useful way to identify it.