Song · R.E.M.
“Life And How To Live It” by R.E.M.
From the album Fables of the Reconstruction (1985)
“Life And How To Live It” by R.E.M. appears on 14 radio countdowns from 1 station between 1999 and 2014. It was first released in 1985 on the album Fables of the Reconstruction. Its best result is #961 on the CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #1,820 alternative song of all time.
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"Life and How to Live It" sits on Fables of the Reconstruction, R.E.M.'s 1985 album, and it's one of the record's most restless moments. Credited to all four members, it has Peter Buck's guitar chiming and churning over Mike Mills' bass and Bill Berry's drums, while Michael Stipe sounds half-buried in the mix, his voice drifting in like it's coming from the next room. Joe Boyd produced, and the song carries the same murky, overcast air that hangs over the whole album, with the band sounding darker and more tangled than their chiming guitars might promise.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 961 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 2000 |
| 2000 | 1012 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) | 2001 |
| 2001 | 1016 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 2002 |
| 2002 | 1016 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) | 2003 |
| 2003 | 1001 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) | 2004 |
| 2004 | 1001 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) | 2005 |
| 2005 | 1002 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) | 1994 |
| 2007 | 1527 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) | 2008 |
| 2008 | 1463 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) | 2009 |
| 2009 | 1482 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) | 2010 |
| 2010 | 1513 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) | 2011 |
| 2011 | 1578 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) | 2011 |
| 2013 | 1650 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) | 2012 |
| 2014 | 1716 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) | 2013 |
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