R.E.M.’s best albums – ranked

There’s a unique challenge in ranking all of R.E.M.’s 15 albums. The Athens, Georgia group weren’t the kind of band given to standing still. From the post-punk ruminations of ‘Murmur’ and jangle pop of ‘Reckoning’ to the acoustic perfection of ‘Automatic For The People’ and glam rock stomp of ‘Monster’, change was the only guarantee. Pick any R.E.M record and you’ll find a fan who thinks it’s their best. OK, except maybe for the last three.