Talk:List of songs recorded by R.E.M.

Suggestions

Hey, Fantailfan, a couple of suggestions.

• I'd remove the number of songs from the first paragraph, so the list gets more flexibility to be edited. Otherwise, you'll have to keep track and update the number every time. OR... I don't know if Wiki has that feature, but maybe you could add a very short numbered column to the left of the table, so the numbers show automatically?

• "Sitting Still" also has two versions, same as "Radio Free Europe". It was completely reworked for Murmur after the Hib-tone single. I'd also argue something similar for "All The Right Friends". It actually has an earlier, official studio version (I remember it's on a special edition of Dead Letter Office) and later was completely re-worked for Vanilla Sky.

• In terms of compliance to Wikipedia rules -- and please correct me if I'm wrong -- maybe all the links to BBMS should be removed, except for the first. You know what I mean? Keep the first, leave the rest just as "Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe" in plain text. Maybe the same is valid for album names, since they repeat a lot. It also helps in loading the page faster, I guess.

Aside from that, I think the list is absolutely complete. All else I can think of is member contributions, like "I'll Give You My Skin". - 187.20.71.73 (talk) 13:39, 7 June 2014 (UTC)

• I took my formatting cues from List of songs recorded by U2, which includes a manual song count. I don't know if there's a Wiki function, but since I did everything manually, I wouldn't know. But I see your point and a song count isn't necessary for the article.

• I would differ on "Radio Free Europe" and "Sitting Still." I think they are the same songs, regardless of arrangement. R.E.M. has never claimed otherwise. I'm leaving the two versions of RFE but not splitting "Sitting Still," just to avoid reversioning, and because it's RFE.

• I go by first released date, regardless of how the song evolved before it was released. With "All the Right Friends," I would put that one in the same category as "One After 909," which sounded very different between the first recording (not released until Anthology 1) and the Let It Be version; they are the same song with different arrangements. See below regarding the European reissues.

• Someone with a bot created all of the BBMS/BMS links. I believe that Wikipedia rules are that with lists, each row is treated as if it were a new page entry. I haven't double-checked on that, but the U2 list links every instance of (for example) Brian Eno. Perhaps it is because the list is sortable, and so it is not possible to designate a first instance.

• On member contributions, we'd have to go much further than I am willing. This is a list of the songs of the R.E.M. collective. Again, I'm following the U2 list in this judgment call.

• Finally, I don't have any of the European I.R.S. bonus track reissues or comps, so I have conveniently ignored them, including the fact that some songs on this list were released earlier there than on the various US R.E.M. comps. If someone else who has access to them wants to change the appropriate entries here, feel free. It is Wikipedia after all. (I know I am being inconsistent here. I did include European single releases for some songs, because I own them or did own them. I have never bought any of the European I.R.S. reissues.) Fantailfan (talk) 15:29, 7 June 2014 (UTC)

• Sure, no count or numbers. Sounds very reasonable to me and it's ok.
• Hm, I guess we'd have to agree to disagree on those three songs. I honestly see each pair as different songs, as the band actually had to re-record them and they sound very differently each time. In practice, to me that corresponds to two different songs. But if we take "Leave" (alternate mix), for example, I see it as only a remix -- as in, the same song, only remixed. But hey, you're the original author and I'll sure respect that.
• Oh, I understand the thing about the list being sortable and it seems very right now that you put it that way. So it should remain like that, yes.
• About member contributions, I was just mentioning that I couldn't think of any other official R.E.M., really. That list would be something very different altogether and shouldn't be mixed here, you're very right in that.
• Not sure why you mention the European releases, but it's ok as it is now. I mean, the IRS bonus tracks had all been released before in some form, so to point them as b-sides for singles (as they are now) seem to be the correct way. I just happen to not remember very well how some songs were originally released, like "Tighten Up". Had to look that up. Same goes for others, but we'll get there in little time.

All in all, great job with all this, man. - 187.20.71.73 (talk) 22:28, 7 June 2014 (UTC)

"Sing for the Submarine"

I have no idea how I missed this one. Thanks, anonymous user! Fantailfan (talk) 18:08, 3 October 2014 (UTC)

To Do

Add unique REMTV entries. Fantailfan (talk) 18:08, 3 October 2014 (UTC)

Isn't "I'm not over you" its own track, only hidden on Up? -- 186.206.229.161 (talk) 10:39, 26 July 2017 (UTC)

Column Headers

The column headers were all links. That made it hard to sort on mobile (you can't touch without hitting the link), and are too trivial to be useful (don't need to link to "Song" for instance). So I removed the links.Palehose5 (talk) 19:17, 23 September 2022 (UTC)