Document was the first R.E.M. album to be certified platinum in the United States.
Released in 1987, Document was R.E.M.’s fifth studio album and marked a major step toward mainstream success. It reached No. 10 on the Billboard 200, making it the band’s first U.S. Top 10 album, while “The One I Love” became their first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
The album earned a U.S. gold certification on November 2, 1987, and reached platinum status on January 25, 1988. Its success helped establish the band as a major alternative-rock act before their later international breakthroughs with Green, Out of Time, and Automatic for the People.
Listeners sometimes choose Lifes Rich Pageant because it came immediately before Document and was also commercially important. In the United States, however, Lifes Rich Pageant was certified gold, whereas Document was the first R.E.M. album to reach platinum certification. The album also began the band’s long creative partnership with producer Scott Litt.