reubs82

I don't own any U2 albums, and that's because I just don't like their sound. It's always seemed just too preachy and pretentious to me. That said, I own almost all of REM's albums and LOTS of their life stuff. My "formative years" musically speaking were the 90s, so that's the REM that sticks with me. Monster was actually the first CD I owned, and REM is sort of a hometown band.

For me, it's REM with a bullet.

statcat

I'd go with U2 just for their first few albums (the only ones I can stomach)

Fist of Doom

I lost interest in both bands in the mid-90s. Love both of their outputs before then, but REM gets the edge. Murmur is IMO a perfect album.

cungar

R.E.M. for me because I totally immersed myself in the band for like 5 years after Reckoning was released. I loved the fact that this was a band from the South that didn't sound like Lynard Skynard or the Allman Brothers and had created their own version of Southern rock mixed with punk and new wave. After the first four or five albums that original sound became more and more diluted but the songwriting was good up until New Adventures in Hi Fi. After that it became a chore to like them.

Decker

REM died for me when their drummer quit. They haven't been nearly as good since, sadly. U2's last album didn't thrill me, but the two previous ones were pretty amazing. U2 for me.

Chrisedge

25 years ago today was the day (IMHO) that U2 went from stardom to superstardom.

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From @u2.com...

Every artist was given 18 minutes to leave their mark on the world. U2 used almost 13 minutes of their set for an epic version of "Bad". Those who miss the power and majesty of Bono's voice and hair never tire of this performance. One week after Live Aid, all four of the band's albums were back in the charts. The next time we saw U2, they released The Joshua Tree.

Chrisedge

^^, and I have to admit, that many of the REM'ers in this thread did a wonderful job reminding me how great early REM was. I have been revisiting all the IRS years albums and they are fantastic!

But I am still going with U2

Hollowgen

islandclaws

Can't stand either one, though I did enjoy "Losing my Religion" when it was popular... and I was 11.

cungar

Don't miss the hair and he sounds like Bobcat Goldthwait when he hits the hard notes.

CRM114

R.E.M.'s first three records is all it takes to easily win this battle.

CRM114

I'm an old-schooler so I pretty much moved on from REM after Life's Rich Pageant having ignored their next two commercial mega hit albums. But Automatic for the People is a masterpiece if you ask me.

clckworang

This is an easy one for me. I've always found U2 to be highly underrated and REM to be maybe not underrated but undervalued, at least by most of the people I hang out with. I know plenty of U2 songs, but I only own one of their CDs - War - and it has never received very much play from me. I own quite a few REM albums, on the other hand, and still enjoy listening to them.

cungar

Stipe's starting to look like Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood.

auto

Wowza, he's looking pretty freaky these days with that 'stache.

yodavigoda

I can't really address the more recent albums, since I drifted away from both bands after New Adventures in Hi-Fi and Zooropa. But they were definitely my two favorite bands growing up. Nowadays I find myself listening to R.E.M. on a regular basis, but don't pull out my U2 albums much at all. Voted for R.E.M. based on the strength of Murmur, Life's Rich Pageant, and Document.

dolphinboy

R.E.M. has been declared the winner by Bono!

auto

Wow, tied at 36 now. R.E.M. is sure making a comeback.

slop101

I voted a tie, as I'll be going to this show:

JeffTheAlpaca

U2 by a landslide

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cdollaz

I wonder how many of the pro-REM votes are really just anti-U2 votes more than anything.

Chrisedge

This. (But as someone who voted for U2, I can see why...zing!)

dolphinboy

I wonder how many of the pro-U2 votes are really just anti-R.E.M. votes more than anything.

JAA

Rockmjd23

Happy to tie this one up for U2