R.E.M. was just about the biggest band in the world when on February 19, 1991, they released their greatest hit “Losing My Religion.” The band had an insane ride at the top of the charts in the 1990s, with Platinum album after Platinum album. The four-piece were also a force to be reckoned with live, as seen when they played “Losing My Religion” in front of a sold-out crowd at the open-air Bowling Green in Wiesbaden, Germany on July 19, 2003.
The band was in blistering form, which is probably why the video attracted 110 million views on YouTube, becoming their most popular live performance on the platform. As fans pointed out in the comments, the four-piece sounded as good live as they did in the studio, if not better. The combination of the band firing on all cylinders, frontman Michael Stipe’s legendary vocals, and the power of hearing “Losing My Religion” live made for a very special performance.
R.E.M. is not a fiery live band like Metallica or AC/DC, but just the passion with which they perform, and their incredible songs make for a mesmerizing live show. Fans couldn’t get enough of hearing the alt rock legends do their thing onstage, and added comments such as “Michael Stipe: One of the all-time best voices in rock history” and “Look into the faces of the crowd as they sing along. You can see the passion, the memories and the heartfelt feeling this classic brings to our souls.”
R.E.M.’s performance at the Bowling Green, which was packed to its 11,700 capacity, was captured for a concert film. The band’s sprawling 23-song set was released March 9, 2004, as the DVD Perfect Square. The band’s second most popular live performance on YouTube is their cut of “Everybody Hurts” at Live 8 in London’s Hyde Park on July 2, 2005.
It’s no surprise that R.E.M.’s take on “Losing My Religion” in Germany was such a hit online. The alt-rock anthem quickly became the group’s signature song after it was released as the lead single of their seventh studio album Out of Time in 1991. “Losing My Religion” peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and went Platinum in the US, as well as multi-Platinum in several European markets. The song also has the distinction of being the band’s most popular song on streaming services, having clocked up 1.3 billion streams on Spotify.
If you would like to hear more from this talented band you can subscribe to their YouTube Channel for more incredible music. For more information, you can visit their website.