Automatic for the People

Automatic For The People, R.E.M.'s eighth album, was released on October 5, 1992 under the Warner Bros. Label. The album was met with the highest critical claim and sold 18 million copies, ultimately becoming 4x Platinum. Automatic took a quieter tone than previous releases, with prominent string and piano arrangements, quiet acoustic melodies, and lyrics regarding mortality.

Automatic charted at 2 on the U. S. Billboard 200 and 1 on the UK Albums Chart.

Track listing

All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe.

Side one – "Drive"

1. "Drive" – 4:31
2. "Try Not to Breathe" – 3:50
3. "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" – 4:06
4. "Everybody Hurts" – 5:17
5. "New Orleans Instrumental No.1" – 2:13
6. "Sweetness Follows" – 4:19
7. "Monty Got a Raw Deal" – 3:17
8. "Ignoreland" – 4:24
9. "Star Me Kitten" – 3:15
10. "Man on the Moon" – 5:13
11. "Nightswimming" – 4:16
12. "Find the River" – 3:50

The track listing on the vinyl and cassette editions of the album lists tracks 1–6 as "Drive" and 7–12 as "Ride"

Personnel

R.E.M.

• Bill Berry – drums, percussion, keyboards, bass, backing vocals
• Peter Buck – electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, bass guitar
• Mike Mills – bass guitar, piano, keyboards, backing vocals
• Michael Stipe – vocals

Additional musicians

• Denise Berginson-Smith – violin ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")
• Knox Chandler – cello ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")
• Lonnie Ditzen – violin ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")
• Patti Gouvas – violin ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")
• George Hanson – conductor ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")
• Reid Harris – viola ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")
• John Paul Jones – orchestral arrangements
• Kathleen Kee – cello ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")
• Daniel Laufer – cello ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")
• Scott Litt – producer, mixing engineer, harmonica, clavinet
• Elizabeth Murphy – cello ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")
• Paul Murphy – viola (lead) ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")
• Heidi Nitchie – viola ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")
• Sandy Salzinger – violin ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")
• Sou-Chun Su – violin ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")
• Judy Taylor – violin ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")
• Deborah Workman – oboe ("Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", "Everybody Hurts", "Nightswimming")

Production

• Ed Brooks – second engineer (Seattle)
• George Cowan – second engineer (Bearsville)
• John Keane – recording engineer (Athens)
• Mark Howard – second engineer (New Orleans)
• Tod Lemkuhl – second engineer (Seattle)
• Ted Malia – second engineer (Atlanta)
• Stephen Marcussen – mastering engineer (Precision Mastering)
• Clif Norrell – recording engineer, mixing engineer
• Andrew Roshberg – second engineer (Miami)