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R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and vocalist Michael Stipe. The group emerged from the local music scene while its members were associated with the University of Georgia. The band's sound was characterized by Buck's arpeggiated guitar style, Stipe's distinctive vocals and lyrics, Mills's melodic bass playing and backing vocals, and Berry's restrained drumming. R.E.M. became one of the most influential and commercially successful alternative rock bands, selling more than 90 million records worldwide before disbanding in 2011. The band's first release was the single "Radio Free Europe" in 1981 on the independent label Hib-Tone. It was followed by the EP "Chronic Town" in 1982, released through I.R.S. Records. During the 1980s, R.E.M. established a growing audience through extensive touring and support from college radio stations. The group's early albums included "Murmur" (1983), "Reckoni