Rhino Factoids: R.E.M. Rocks the Rolling Stone Music Awards

23 years ago today, R.E.M. could easily have been described as the most popular band in America and find little in the way of argument after receiving a six-pack of honors from the Rolling Stone Music Awards.

Now, when we say “Rolling Stone Music Awards,” we’re not talking about some glitzy ceremony. In fact, we’re not talking about a ceremony at all: we’re referring to the awards designated by the magazine within its pages. Still, even after all these years, there are few music publication which have as much street cred as Rolling Stone, and when a band manages to take home – virtually speaking – Artist of the Year, Best Band, Best Guitarist (Peter Buck), Album of the Year for Out of Time, and Best Single and Best Video for “Losing My Religion,” you certainly can’t say that they’re unpopular, that’s for sure.

Of course, by the time R.E.M. received their half-dozen accolades from the magazine, there was little question that they were a pretty big deal: Out of Time was their first-ever #1 album, and it has since gone on to earn platinum status four times over. But, c’mon, when Rolling Stone says you’re a big deal, that really means something.