In order of 'best' to 'worst':
1. Lifes Rich Pageant
2. Murmur
3. Reckoning
4. Green
5. Fables of The Reconstruction
6. Monster
7. New Adventures in Hi-Fi
8. Automatic For The People
9. Document
Everything after that is woeful and shouldn't count.
REM albums
'Document' and 'Fables Of The Reconstruction' are best. 
Quote: Tim Walker @ July 29 2009, 2:15 PM BST'Document' and 'Fables Of The Reconstruction' are best.
I tend to agree.
I really like those two, especailly Fables. I think Green is their most underapreciated of all their albums and better than any of their 90's (and beyond) stuff. Monster, I feel also gets a raw deal and is every bit as good as Automatic For The People in it's own right. Monster is their most ambitious and enduringly interesting post-Green album, yet will sadly be consigned to music store bargin bins forevermore.
"Strange Currencies" is "Everybody Hurts" done way better, "Let me in" almost out-lovelesses Loveless, and "Tongue" is a very fine song too.
REM are one of those kind of bands that I like, but I don't know if I'd ever buy any of their albums. Having said that, I watched them at Glastonbury a few years back, and they were awesome.
I do prefer the earlier stuff. Gardening at Night and Wolves, Lower and all that.
I've got the album with that End of the World song on. Which is okay. And Out of Time, which is great if you want to get to sleep.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ July 29 2009, 2:28 PM BSTREM are one of those kind of bands that I like, but I don't know if I'd ever buy any of their albums. Having said that, I watched them at Glastonbury a few years back, and they were awesome.
I think I stopped buying their albums shortly after Document. I saw them at a hockey arena in Florida in 1995. The opening band was an unknown group called Radiohead.
Automatic for the people.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ July 29 2009, 2:28 PM BSTREM are one of those kind of bands that I like, but I don't know if I'd ever buy any of their albums.
I've only got the one above but I do love their sound.
Quote: chipolata @ July 29 2009, 2:29 PM BSTI've got the album with that End of the World song on. Which is okay. And Out of Time, which is great if you want to get to sleep.
Document is a fine album, with a few real standouts, but still the weakest of their 80's output I say. Out of Time is terrible appart from 3 songs: the terrific "Country Feedback", "Losing My Religion" (remains a fine song, but obviously overkilled) and "Me In Honey" - other than that one or perhaps two passable songs, but the rest is woeful. Aside from Reveal and the garbage after that Out Of Time is their weakest album.
Up is underrated, it's not that bad and has some good stuff.
Fables - Reckoning - Green - Document - Life's Rich Pageant (esp Superman)
Oh, and Near Wild Heaven and Man on the Moon as the greatest songs outside those albums.
Although I loved REM, Stipe's vocals became increasingly dreary the more ill he began looking. So I ended up not buying anything after Out of Time.
Quote: SlagA @ July 30 2009, 11:25 AM BSTOh, and Near Wild Heaven and Man on the Moon as the greatest songs outside those albums.
Agreed. (Which is probably a huge filip for you, Slag.)
Quote: Tim Walker @ July 30 2009, 2:13 PM BSTAgreed. (Which is probably a huge filip for you, Slag.)
It's a truly great song.