Radio Song

{{About|the R.E.M. song|other uses|Radio Songs (disambiguation){{!}}Radio Songs}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Radio Song

| cover = R.E.M. - Radio Song.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = R.E.M.

| album = Out of Time

| B-side = "Love Is All Around" (live)

| released = {{start date|1991|11|4}}{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=23|date=November 2, 1991}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

Funk
rap-rock{{Cite web|url=https://www.treblezine.com/10-bad-songs-on-good-albums/|title=10 Bad Songs on Good Albums|first=Treble|last=staff|date=March 20, 2014}}
pop

| length = 4:15

| label = Warner Bros.

| writer = {{hlist|Bill Berry|Peter Buck|Mike Mills|Michael Stipe}}

| producer = {{hlist|Scott Litt|R.E.M.}}

| prev_title = Near Wild Heaven

| prev_year = 1991

| next_title = It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

| next_year = 1991

}}

"Radio Song" is a song by American rock band R.E.M., released as the fourth single from their seventh album, Out of Time (1991), where it appears as the opening track. Lead singer Michael Stipe once said that he hoped everyone had enough sense of humor to realize that he was "kind of taking the piss of everyone," himself included.{{cite book | first=Johnny | last=Black | title=Reveal: The Story of R.E.M. | publisher=Backbeat Books | location=London | year=2004 | isbn=0-87930-776-5 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/revealstoryofrem00john }} Stipe also asked KRS-One, leader of Boogie Down Productions (of which Stipe was a fan), to contribute to the track. He provides some backing vocals for the track, as well as a closing rap, and appears prominently in the video.

Critical reception

Dele Fadele from NME named "Radio Song" Single of the Week, adding, "The most galvanising radio-wave song since Joy Division's "Transmission" sees Messrs Berry, Buck and Mills pressure-cooking some dirty funk with poignant pauses ('radio silence' as an act of subversion)."{{cite magazine|first=Dele|last=Fadele|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/52487175668/|title=Singles|work=NME|date=November 9, 1991|page=23|access-date=May 2, 2023|author-link=Dele Fadele}} Another editor, Terry Staunton, declared it as "predictably the most curious and out of character track, which switches from gentle Velvet Underground strumming to anxious funk workout."{{cite magazine|first=Terry|last=Staunton|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/52310823567/|title=Long Play|work=NME|date=March 16, 1991|page=30|access-date=April 6, 2023}} Parry Gettelman from Orlando Sentinel viewed it as one of the album's "strongest cuts" and "an adventurous amalgam of jangly funk and sugary-sweet pop balladry, with KRS-1 a good foil for otherworldly singer Michael Stipe." He added, "While Stipe is, as usual, a bit oblique ("I've everything to show/I've everything to hide/ look into my eyes - listen"), KRS-1's words are unambiguous ("Now our children grow up prisoners/all their life - radio listeners")."Gettelman, Parry (March 22, 1991). "R.E.M.". Orlando Sentinel. Celia Farber from Spin felt it's one of the few "that rocks out a little [on the album], settling intermittently on a classic dramatic R.E.M. moment, with a crescendo of arpeggiated guitars and words about the world collapsing."{{cite magazine|first=Celia|last=Farber|authorlink=Celia Farber|title=Spins|magazine=Spin|date=March 1991|page=73|accessdate=January 23, 2023|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QurB9YiFO9QC}}

Track listings

All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe unless otherwise indicated.

7-inch and cassette

"Radio Song" – 4:15
"Love Is All Around" (Reg Presley) (live)¹ – 3:15

UK "Collectors' Edition" CD

"Radio Song" – 4:15
"You Are the Everything" (live)³ – 4:43
"Orange Crush" (live)² – 4:03
"Belong" (live)⁴ – 4:47

CD, 12-inch, and maxi-cassette

"Radio Song (Tower of Luv Bug mix)" – 4:14
"Love Is All Around" (Reg Presley) (live)¹ – 3:15
"Belong" (live)⁴ – 4:07

UK and Germany 12-inch

"Radio Song" – 4:15
"Love Is All Around" (Reg Presley) (live)¹ – 3:15
"Shiny Happy People (Music Mix)"

=Notes=

¹ Recorded on Rockline, Los Angeles, California; April 1, 1991.

² Incorrectly listed as "Fox Theater, Atlanta, Georgia; November 13, 1989"; actually from Miami Arena, Miami (FL), April 29, 1989.

³ Taken from the live performance video, Tourfilm.

⁴ Recorded at the Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina; November 10, 1989.

Details for the second and third live recordings (tracks three and four) for "Collectors' Edition" are not provided on the CD materials.

Personnel

Personnel taken from Out of Time liner notes{{Cite AV media notes|title=Out of Time |others=R.E.M. |date=1991 |type=CD liner notes}}

R.E.M.

Bill Berry – drums, percussion
Peter Buck – guitar
Mike Mills – organ, bass guitar
Michael Stipe – vocals

Additional musicians

Peter Holsapple – bass guitar
Kidd Jordan – baritone, tenor and alto saxophone
KRS-One – rapping
Scott Litt – echo-loop feed

Strings

David Arenz – violin
Ellie Arenz – violin
Mark Bingham – string arrangement
David Braitberg – violin
Andrew Cox – cello
Reid Harris – viola
Ralph Jones – double bass
Dave Kempers – violin
Elizabeth Murphy – cello
Paul Murphy – lead viola
Jay Weigel – orchestral liaison

Charts

class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (1991)

!Peak
position

Australia (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.bubblingdownunder.com/2022/11/week-commencing-25-november-1991.html | title=Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing November 25, 1991|website=Bubbling Down Under|access-date=November 25, 2022}}

|align="center"|105

Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-11-30.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=8|issue=48|page=25|date=November 30, 1991|access-date=October 30, 2020}}

|align="center"|53

Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade){{cite web |url=https://www.top40.nl/tipparade/1991/week-49|title=Tipparade-lijst van week 49, 1991|publisher=Dutch Top 40|language=nl|access-date=April 9, 2023}}

|align="center"|6

Portugal (AFP){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1992/MM-1992-01-25.pdf|title=Top 10 Sales in Europe|magazine=Music & Media|volume=9|issue=4|page=28|date=January 25, 1992|access-date=October 30, 2020}}

|align="center"|3

scope="row" |US Cash Box Top 100 {{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996|year=2014|publisher=Sheridan Books, Inc.|isbn=978-0-89820-209-0}}

|style="text-align:center;"|75

Bingo Hand Job version

A live version of "Radio Song" was released in early 2019 via Noisetrade. Recorded in 1991 at The Borderline in London, the track was credited to Bingo Hand Job, a pseudonym for R.E.M. and guests (who also adopted various fake names). A recording of the much bootlegged full concert was officially released in April 2019 as Live at the Borderline 1991.{{cite web|title=Bingo Hand Job Albums - NoiseTrade|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/noisetrade/music/bingohandjob|access-date=April 20, 2019|website=Paste}}

Use in other media

The song was featured in the Cameron Crowe film Singles (1992), although it is not included in the official soundtrack album.{{Cite web |url=http://www.theuncool.com/films/singles/singles-soundtrack/ |title=Singles Soundtrack |date=2015 |website=TheUncool.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170526050930/http://www.theuncool.com/films/singles/singles-soundtrack/ |archive-date=May 26, 2017 |url-status=live }}