Accelerate // R.E.M.
After a series of increasingly experimental and underwhelming albums, many had written R.E.M. off as has-beens. Accelerate, then, proved everyone wrong – it was replete with Peter Buck’s stinging arpeggios (‘Man-Sized Wreath’), Mike Mills’ glorious backing vocals (‘Supernatural Superserious’) and Michael Stipe’s politicised punches (‘Living Well is the Best Revenge’). They released one more LP before amicably parting ways.