R.E.M. achieved global success with the 1988 release of Green, the Athens, Georgia quartet's sixth studio album and first for Warner Bros. Records, which would be the band s label home for the rest of their recording career. While R.E.M. was fast becoming one of the most acclaimed and revered acts in the U.S., Green was their first album to gain the attention of a worldwide audience. Packed with tracks destined to be definitive additions to the band's canon, including "Orange Crush, " "Pop Song 89, " and "Stand," Green was certified double platinum and doubled the domestic sales of the band's previous release. Green continued R.E.M.'s dedication to the message of social consciousness, as evidenced by the album's title, which would go on to became a ubiquitous buzzword for environmentally friendly initiatives.
