Favorite "( )" Songs #9 - "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville"

@teamfreak16 (43421)
Denver, Colorado
April 23, 2017 4:12pm CST
Here we are at #9 in my Favorite "( )" Songs series, which is songs with parentheses in the title. My only rule is that I could only use songs in which the parentheses contained actual lyrics (other than the one upcoming instrumental.) The ninth spot belongs to "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" by R.E.M. Considered one of the pioneers of alternative rock, R.E.M. formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980. Starting life as college radio darlings, the band broke into the mainstream to enjoy a 31-year Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career. During that time, R.E.M. released 15 studio albums and a whopping 63 singles. From their 1984 gold album, Reckoning, "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" is a perfect blend of R.E.M.'s signature jangle pop style and country rock (although guitarist Peter Buck claims it was originally a punk/thrash tune!) The song was released as a single, yet failed to chart in either the US or the UK. Despite it's lack of chart success, "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" remains a solid entry in the band's extremely strong catalog (they've sold over 85 million records worldwide,) and to this day is still one of my favorite R.E.M. songs. Enjoy! (Info verified by Wikipedia)
From the R.E.M.'s second album "Reckoning" released in April 1984. ----------------------- Looking at your watch a third time waiting in the station for the ...
6 people like this
5 responses
• United States
23 Apr 17
I hadn't remembered this one til now you reminded me Scott. It is a solid one isn't it? REM love them.
1 person likes this
• United States
23 Apr 17
@teamfreak16 It sure is as they had so very many.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
23 Apr 17
I think it's one of their best. And that's saying something.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
23 Apr 17
@TiarasOceanView - They were great live, too.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62133)
• United States
23 Apr 17
Ladies and gentlemen..... WE HAVE A MATCH!!!! BTW, this was not the song i thought we'd match on.....
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62133)
• United States
23 Apr 17
@teamfreak16 -- if you do you're special, so special.... And we deserve this after all the duplicate series where we've never matched!
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
23 Apr 17
@FourWalls - Ah, that was the last song cut. I was thinking a British white guy by a certain punk band you know well.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
23 Apr 17
I think I know what the other one is, which would be two in one series!
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
24 Apr 17
@teamfreak16 Another one song of R.E.M I like.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
24 Apr 17
I love this song. It's one of my favorites by them.
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
23 Apr 17
I do remember them.Good sound there.It has been awhile hearing from them.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
23 Apr 17
They've been getting some love on the site lately. And rightly so. What a great band.
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
23 Apr 17
@teamfreak16 good for them.Glad to see things are picking up here for you?
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
23 Apr 17
@amadeo - It's been a good, productive day on here so far.
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
23 Apr 17
Isn't amazing that little Athens spawned R.E.M and the B52s at the same time, both would become giants of alternative/new wave (R.E.M. got into the R&R HOF because they were "serious" while B52s thought silly yet deserving to be in) and despite their very different styles, were friends.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
23 Apr 17
Athens was one of the all-time great scenes. So many great bands came out of there. I wonder if the B-52's will ever get in. Hope so.
1 person likes this