Mid-Week Birthday Song

Groundbreaking alternative rock band R.E.M.'s lead singer / composer / leader Michael Stipe turns 56 (!) today. Since R.E.M.'s disbanding in 2011, Stipe has been involved in film production, direction and visual arts. His band (and it's truly his band) had enormous success in the '90s, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 in their first year of eligibility. Here's R.E.M.'s first hit, 1987's "The One I Love."