What does R.E.M. (Band) stand for? it cannot be rapid eye movement, can it?!
Question: seems like a dumb name if that is the case. any other ideas?
Answers: seems like a dumb name if that is the case. any other ideas?
Really entertainin' Musik.
thats what!!!!!
After considering names like Twisted Kites, Cans of Piss, and Negro Wives, the band settled on R.E.M., which Stipe pulled at random from a dictionary.
Chris Anderson, one of the editors for Wired Magazine, and author of ‘The Long Tail‘ — an excellent book about the niche economy, recounts the story of how the multi-platnum band REM got it’s name, or should I say got to keep it’s name, on his blog.
The long and the short of it? Chris was in a synth-pop band back in the day, that was also called REM. Both bands were just starting out, and got booked at the same club on the same night (they staged it as a battle of the REM bands). The winner, chosen by audience applause, got to keep the name. The loser got renamed by the winner. You can already guess what happened, but you should read the anecdote for yourself.
And if you haven’t you should pick up ‘The Long Tail‘ for yourself, if you expect to survive and thrive in the “new” new economy of niche media.
I've heard that this group got its name from the name of the dream stage of sleep but they have also denied it.