The alternative rock band that had a hit with “Losing My Religion” is R.E.M. The song was released in 1991 as the lead single from the band's seventh studio album, Out of Time, and became R.E.M.'s highest-charting hit in the United States.
Its signature sound began with a mandolin riff written by guitarist Peter Buck while he was learning to play the instrument. Michael Stipe wrote the lyrics, which describe emotional uncertainty, disillusionment, and unrequited love. Although the title comes from a Southern expression meaning to reach the limits of one's patience, the song is not literally about abandoning a religion.
“Losing My Religion” reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and expanded R.E.M.'s audience far beyond college-rock listeners. Its religiously suggestive music video, directed by Tarsem Singh, won multiple awards, including two Grammys and several MTV Video Music Awards. The song's unusual mandolin-led arrangement is a common reason listeners remember it as distinctive alternative rock.