Song · R.E.M.
“Half A World Away” by R.E.M.
From the album Out of Time (1991)
“Half A World Away” by R.E.M. appears on 8 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 1999 and 2023. It was first released in 1991 on the album Out of Time. Its best result is #692 on The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #2,545 alternative song of all time.
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"Half a World Away" is one of the quiet corners of R.E.M.'s Out of Time, released in March 1991, and it aches in all the right places. Peter Buck swaps electric crunch for acoustic guitar and mandolin, Mike Mills layers harpsichord and organ into something that sounds like a chapel in the rain, and Bill Berry handles the bass and percussion.
Michael Stipe sings it low and lonesome, with Mills lifting the harmonies behind him. All four wrote it together, and Scott Litt produced and engineered it with the band, keeping every string and key close enough to touch.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1107 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 2000 |
| 2000 | 1109 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) | 2001 |
| 2001 | 1115 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 2002 |
| 2002 | 1114 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) | 2003 |
| 2003 | 1099 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) | 2004 |
| 2004 | 1099 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) | 2005 |
| 2005 | 1099 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) | 1994 |
| 2023 | 692 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s | 893 |
Also listed as: Half a World Away.
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