If having endured the course of time is the distinction that that makes rock classic, then R.E.M. is one of the best American classic rock bands. R.E.M. began in Athens, Georgia in 1980. They were one of the first fashionable alternative rock bands. Peter Buck's unique guitar playing technique and Michael Stipe's indistinct lyrics quickly made them famous. R.E.M made one of the best classic rock videos of all time. Of course, there are other excellent classic rock videos, but few surpass the above clip for the 1991 song Losing my Religion. I'm by no means the only person who thinks this is one of the best ever classic rock videos. It actually won a Grammy award for Best Short Form Music Video. The video, rich with spiritual imagery, was directed by Tarsem Singh. It features an assortment of Hindu deities and images of Saint Sebastian. It was apparently inspired by the Gabriel Garcia Marquez story A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.
I remember watching this video in my teens. I was fascinated by the strange way Michael Stipe dances in the video. Young people all over the world tried to emulate it at the time. The above clip is, for me, the most memorable of classic rock videos.
