When R.E.M. dropped Document on September 1, 1987, the alternative rock scene opened wide and never looked back. The band’s fifth studio album lit up the Billboard 200, broke into the Top 10 for the first time, and delivered their first platinum plaque. From distorted sax solos to fast-talking doomsday rants, Document opened a new chapter in R.E.M.’s sound—louder, clearer, bolder. It marks the beginning of their decade-long creative partnership with Scott Litt and proves that five really is a magic number.
Here are 5 wild facts about the album that gave us “The One I Love,” a song, a scream, a simple prop to occupy your time:
1. Scott Litt Enters the Chat
Document is the first R.E.M. album co-produced by the band and Scott Litt, launching a streak of six albums together. His crisp production lets the vocals shine and guitars punch harder. This move helped the band edge toward the mainstream, while still keeping their weird intact. Litt sticks around for the ride through Green, Out of Time, Automatic for the People, Monster, and New Adventures in Hi-Fi.
2. The Saxophone? On an R.E.M. Album? Yes.
The band adds a saxophone to “Fireplace,” played by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. His connection to Scott Litt brings the instrument into the fold. A dulcimer also pops up on “King of Birds,” proving R.E.M. was deep in their “let’s try everything” era. That spirit soon leads to mandolins, instrument-swapping, and a whole new R.E.M. soundscape.
3. File Under: Fire. Seriously.
The album cover says “File under Fire,” a nod to both the central theme and the chorus of “The One I Love.” Other working titles included “R.E.M. No. 5,” “Table of Content,” and the delightfully strange “Mr. Evil Breakfast.” Peter Buck floated “Last Train to Disneyland,” inspired by Ronald Reagan’s America feeling a bit too theme park-ish. All of them live in the liner notes.
4. It’s the Stream of Consciousness as We Know It
“It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” drops a lyrical tornado of TV snippets, dream sequences, and famous L.B.s—Leonard Bernstein, Lenny Bruce, Leonid Brezhnev, and Lester Bangs. Stipe dreams them into existence at a party where everyone shares the same initials. The song’s roots trace back to a track called “PSA,” later reborn as “Bad Day” in 2003.
5. “The One I Love” Becomes the One They All Love
R.E.M.’s first Top 10 hit lands at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and later climbs the UK charts too. The track becomes a radio dedication staple, though its lyrics tell a much deeper story. Michael Stipe calls it “incredibly violent,” but he’s also fine with people thinking it’s a love song. The video? Directed by artist Robert Longo, with Alton Brown as director of photography.