R.E.M.are undoubtedly one of the most influential American acts of all time. They formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980, and it took them years before they became a stadium-filling, college-rock-defining group. With each successive album, they developed their signature sound of jangling guitars, driving bass, and urgent vocals. Crafting countless hits as well as introspective fan-favorites, they were one of the world's most multi-dimensional bands.