Monster  by R.E.M.

With their previous two albums, Out Of Time and Automatic For The People, R.E.M. reached the peak of their fame. However, they realized that the acoustic style dominating both of these albums had tired them. Thus, 1994's Monster would be an electric dynamite of alternative rock.

Monster was recorded in four different locations in the U.S. Its initial form started in New Orleans in October 1993, continued in Atlanta, followed in Miami, and was completed in Hollywood in May 1994. During this time, there were some illnesses among R.E.M. members, the deaths of Kurt Cobain and River Phoenix, who were friends of Michael Stipe, and family matters that kept some members away from the recordings. All of this led to tensions and misunderstandings to the point where they were not speaking to each other. Fortunately, at some point, they realized the situation and peace was restored among the quartet.

Under these conditions, Monster was created, which immediately upon its release reached No.1 in the United States and the United Kingdom as well as in several other countries. Monster is R.E.M.'s third best-selling album with approximately 6,700,000 copies sold worldwide.