Song · R.E.M.
“Sitting Still” by R.E.M.
From the album Murmur (1983)
“Sitting Still” by R.E.M. appears on 8 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 1999 and 2005. It was first released in 1983 on the album Murmur. Its best result is #1753 on the CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #4,302 alternative song of all time.
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"Sitting Still" is one of the first songs R.E.M. ever wrote, dating to late 1980 alongside "Radio Free Europe" and "Shaking Through", and it first surfaced in July 1981 on the flip side of that debut Hib-Tone single. Hib-Tone founder Jonny Hibbert put the record out in exchange for the publishing, and the band had to win those rights back before the song could take its place on Murmur in 1983, eighth in the running order.
Unlike its A-side, it was never re-cut. The Murmur track is the same take made at Mitch Easter's Drive-In Studio in April 1981, with some of Michael Stipe's vocals redone that May, then touched up for the album: the tape slowed down, some sour backing vocals fixed and Mike Mills replaying his bass. Easter and Don Dixon share the production credit, and all four members share the songwriting.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1780 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 2000 |
| 2000 | 1781 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) | 2001 |
| 2001 | 1782 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 2002 |
| 2002 | 1771 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) | 2003 |
| 2003 | 1753 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) | 2004 |
| 2003 | 1901 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
| 2004 | 1753 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) | 2005 |
| 2005 | 1753 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) | 1994 |
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