R.E.M. made their first national television appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in October 1983, during which the group performed “Radio Free Europe” and a new untitled song. Eventually titled ” So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) “, the latter song became the first single from the band’s second album, Reckoning (1984), which was also recorded with Easter and Dixon. The album was met with critical acclaim; NME ‘ s Mat Snow wrote that it “confirms R.E.M. as one of the most beautifully exciting groups on the planet”. While Reckoning peaked at number 27 on the US album charts—an unusually high chart placing for a college rock band at the time—scant airplay and poor distribution overseas resulted in it charting no higher than number 91 in Britain.
First national TV appearance
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