Song · R.E.M.
“Star 69” by R.E.M.
From the album Monster (1994)
“Star 69” by R.E.M. appears on 13 radio countdowns from 7 stations between 1995 and 2021. It was first released in 1994 on the album Monster. Its best result is #44 on the WDRE Top 103.9 Songs of 1995. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #106 alternative song of 1995 and #1,593 alternative song of all time.
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"Star 69" tears through Monster, the ninth R.E.M. album, released in September 1994, as one of its fastest, scrappiest moments. The title borrows the code North Americans dialed to call back whoever just rang them, and the song circles a phone call and its fallout; NME's Keith Cameron read it, with a hedge, as a mystery tale about celebrity obsession, while another reviewer heard a back-to-roots glam-punk anthem.
It took more reworking than anything else on the record: the demo ran about six minutes before the bridge got chopped and the first chorus thrown out. What's left is lean and loud, Peter Buck's guitar buzzing, Mike Mills and Bill Berry charging underneath, Michael Stipe's voice echoing through the din. Scott Litt produced with the band. Never an official single, it still reached 74 on Billboard's Hot 100 Airplay chart.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 73 | Radio 104.1 Hartford-New Haven, CT | WMRQ Top 104 Songs of 1995 | 104 |
| 1995 | 73 | Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) | Radio & Records Top 95 Songs of 1995 | 95 |
| 1995 | 44 | WDRE Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | WDRE Top 103.9 Songs of 1995 | 104 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 779 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 2000 |
| 2000 | 830 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) | 2001 |
| 2001 | 785 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 2002 |
| 2002 | 747 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) | 2003 |
| 2002 | 399 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2003 | 747 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) | 2004 |
| 2004 | 747 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) | 2005 |
| 2005 | 747 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) | 1994 |
| 2005 | 228 | 99X | 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) | 1000 |
| 2021 | 498 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s | 908 |
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