Which four musicians formed R.E.M. in 1980?

Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry

Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and Pat Smear

Athens Georgia Music Quiz: How R.E.M. Got Started

A small university town in Georgia produced The B-52's and then R.E.M., and this Athens Georgia music quiz explains how the scene grew. Play 10 interactive questions on Michael Stipe and Peter Buck at Wuxtry Records, the 1980 church party gig, Radio Free Europe, Murmur, college radio, the 40 Watt Club and Rock Lobster.

Start Athens Georgia Music Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

University
Which university is in Athens, Georgia?
Store
Where did Peter Buck work when he met Michael Stipe?
Members
Which four musicians formed R.E.M. in 1980?
Gig
Where did R.E.M. play their first show?
Single
Which song was R.E.M.'s first single in 1981?
Album
Which 1983 debut album did Rolling Stone name album of the year?
Radio
Which kind of radio helped R.E.M. build an audience?
B-52's
Which Athens band released Rock Lobster before R.E.M. formed?
Venue
Which Athens club became a legendary music venue?
End
When did R.E.M. break up?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which university is in Athens, Georgia?
Answer: University of Georgia
Students and dropouts formed many local bands.
Q2: Where did Peter Buck work when he met Michael Stipe?
Answer: Wuxtry Records
Stipe was a regular customer at the record store.
Q3: Which four musicians formed R.E.M. in 1980?
Answer: Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry
They played their first show in April 1980.
Q4: Where did R.E.M. play their first show?
Answer: A party in a converted church
The church's steeple still stands in Athens.
Q5: Which song was R.E.M.'s first single in 1981?
Answer: Radio Free Europe
It was released on the small Hib-Tone label.
Q6: Which 1983 debut album did Rolling Stone name album of the year?
Answer: Murmur
It beat Michael Jackson's Thriller in the critics' poll.
Q7: Which kind of radio helped R.E.M. build an audience?
Answer: College radio
Student stations championed alternative rock in the 1980s.
Q8: Which Athens band released Rock Lobster before R.E.M. formed?
Answer: The B-52's
The B-52's formed in 1976 and helped put Athens on the map.
Q9: Which Athens club became a legendary music venue?
Answer: The 40 Watt Club
It hosted many local and touring bands.
Q10: When did R.E.M. break up?
Answer: 2011
They ended amicably after 31 years.

Athens Georgia Music Quiz – How a College Town Changed Rock

Athens, Georgia, home of the University of Georgia, became a center of alternative music in the late 1970s and 1980s. The B-52's formed there in 1976 and broke through with Rock Lobster.

R.E.M. formed in 1980 after Peter Buck, who worked at Wuxtry Records, met customer Michael Stipe. With Mike Mills and Bill Berry, they played their first show at a party in a converted old church. Their 1981 single Radio Free Europe and 1983 album Murmur won wide praise.

College radio stations spread their jangly sound across the US, and clubs like the 40 Watt Club kept the scene alive. R.E.M. went on to global fame with songs like Losing My Religion and split in 2011.

What This Quiz Teaches

Music fans will enjoy these questions on a famous scene.

Where the scene grew
How R.E.M. formed
What their first records were
Which bands came first
Which venues mattered

Did You Know?

Pylon was another influential Athens band.
The documentary Athens, GA: Inside Out captured the scene in 1987.
R.E.M. entered the Rock Hall in 2007.
Bill Berry left the band in 1997.
Murmur's cover shows kudzu-covered trees.