Biography
Mike Mills served as bassist in R.E.M., the American rock band often cited as the most important and influential of the post-punk period. Born December 17, 1958, in Orange, CA, he grew up in Macon, GA, where he first encountered drummer Bill Berry during junior high. Early personality clashes did not prevent the pair from performing together in several local groups; they eventually became close friends and enrolled jointly at the University of Georgia. There, alongside singer Michael Stipe and guitarist Peter Buck, they assembled R.E.M. The quartet developed an atmospheric, jangly pop style frequently compared to the Byrds and maintained a demanding tour schedule before releasing the debut single “Radio Free Europe” on the independent Hib-Tone label in mid-1981. College-radio success drew IRS Records’ interest, resulting in the Chronic Town EP the following year.
Murmur, R.E.M.’s debut full-length album issued in 1983, solidified the group’s standing as critics’ favorites. Although mainstream exposure remained limited, 1984’s Reckoning entered the Top 30; the darkly beautiful follow-up Fables of the Reconstruction increased MTV presence through the videos for “Can’t Get There From Here” and “Driver 8.” Lifes Rich Pageant, released in 1986, demonstrated growing engagement with sociopolitical themes, among them environmental issues and American foreign policy, and introduced Mills’ first lead vocal on the single “Superman.” Document, the 1987 release, marked R.E.M.’s commercial breakthrough on the strength of the Top Ten hit “The One I Love.” Green, the band’s Warner Bros. debut and a pointedly polemic statement, arrived on Election Day 1988, while the singles “Stand” and “Pop Song 89” showcased its wry humor.
After the Green tour, R.E.M. entered an extended hiatus during which Mills, Buck, and Berry joined singer-songwriter Warren Zevon to record an album under the name Hindu Love Gods. The band resurfaced in 1991 with the chart-topping Out of Time, which yielded the Top Ten singles “Losing My Religion” and “Shiny Happy People”; Mills again took lead vocals on “Near Wild Heaven.” The elegiac masterpiece Automatic for the People followed in 1992, and as alternative rock dominated the charts the group was recognized as a primary influence on a new generation of artists. While supporting 1995’s Monster on the road, Mills underwent abdominal surgery to remove an intestinal tumor; he rejoined the tour to finish its dates. Two years later R.E.M. issued New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Without Berry, the remaining trio released Up in 1998.
Murmur, R.E.M.’s debut full-length album issued in 1983, solidified the group’s standing as critics’ favorites. Although mainstream exposure remained limited, 1984’s Reckoning entered the Top 30; the darkly beautiful follow-up Fables of the Reconstruction increased MTV presence through the videos for “Can’t Get There From Here” and “Driver 8.” Lifes Rich Pageant, released in 1986, demonstrated growing engagement with sociopolitical themes, among them environmental issues and American foreign policy, and introduced Mills’ first lead vocal on the single “Superman.” Document, the 1987 release, marked R.E.M.’s commercial breakthrough on the strength of the Top Ten hit “The One I Love.” Green, the band’s Warner Bros. debut and a pointedly polemic statement, arrived on Election Day 1988, while the singles “Stand” and “Pop Song 89” showcased its wry humor.
After the Green tour, R.E.M. entered an extended hiatus during which Mills, Buck, and Berry joined singer-songwriter Warren Zevon to record an album under the name Hindu Love Gods. The band resurfaced in 1991 with the chart-topping Out of Time, which yielded the Top Ten singles “Losing My Religion” and “Shiny Happy People”; Mills again took lead vocals on “Near Wild Heaven.” The elegiac masterpiece Automatic for the People followed in 1992, and as alternative rock dominated the charts the group was recognized as a primary influence on a new generation of artists. While supporting 1995’s Monster on the road, Mills underwent abdominal surgery to remove an intestinal tumor; he rejoined the tour to finish its dates. Two years later R.E.M. issued New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Without Berry, the remaining trio released Up in 1998.
Singles