Shiny Happy People

Warner Bros.
7-19242 (US, 7")
4-19242 (US, cassette)
W0027 (UK, 7")
W0027C (UK, cassette)
W0027CD (UK, CD)
W0027CDX (UK, Collectors' Edition CD)
W0027T (UK, 12")

Producer(s)

Scott Litt, R.E.M.

R.E.M. singles chronology

"Losing My Religion"
(1991)

"Shiny Happy People"
(1991)

"Near Wild Heaven"
(1991)

"Shiny Happy People" is a song by the band R.E.M.. The song appeared on their 1991 album Out of Time and was released as a single in the same year. The song features guest vocals by Kate Pierson of the B-52's, who also has a prominent role in the song's music video.

It peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, the fourth and, to date, last R.E.M. single to reach the top 10 on the chart. It also peaked at #6 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the first R.E.M. song to reach the top ten in the UK and the only one to reach the top ten in both countries.

It was recorded during the autumn of 1990, and was first released as a single in May 1991 in the U.K. However, the single would not go on sale in the U.S.A. until four months later.

Track listing

All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe unless otherwise stated.

US/UK 7"/cassette singles

"Shiny Happy People" – 3:45
"Forty Second Song" – 1:20

US Promo CD/12"

"Shiny Happy People" (Music Mix) – 4:45
"Shiny Happy People" (Pop Mix) – 4:04
"Shiny Happy People" (Hip Mix) – 3:33
"Shiny Happy People" (Master Chief Mix) – 3:60

UK CD/12"

"Shiny Happy People" – 3:45
"Forty Second Song" – 1:20
"Losing My Religion" (live acoustic version)¹ – 4:36

UK "Collectors' Edition" CD

"Shiny Happy People" – 3:45
"I Remember California" (live)² – 5:42
"Get Up" (live)² – 3:15
"Pop Song '89" (live)² – 3:30

Charts

Chart (1991)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	19^{[citation needed]}
Austrian Singles Chart	14^{[citation needed]}
Canadian Hot 100	5^{[citation needed]}
Dutch Singles Chart	13^{[citation needed]}
French Singles Chart	10^{[citation needed]}
German Singles Chart	10^{[citation needed]}
Irish Singles Chart	2^{[citation needed]}
Italy Singles Chart	12^{[citation needed]}
Swedish Singles Chart	14^{[citation needed]}
UK Singles Chart	6^{[citation needed]}
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	10^{[citation needed]}
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	3^{[citation needed]}
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	8^{[citation needed]}

Reception

In 2005, Q magazine included the song in a list of "Ten Terrible Records by Great Artists".^[1] In its 2006 "Song of the Summer" countdown, CBC Radio's Freestyle named "Shiny Happy People" 1991's "Song of the Summer".^[2] In contrast, in 2006, the song received the number one position on AOL Music's list of the "111 Wussiest Songs of All Time".^[3] Blender magazine also ranked the song at #35 on its list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever".^[4] Also, when talking about the ill-fated song in 1995 on Space Ghost Coast to Coast Stipe simply stated "I hate that song, Space Ghost." Due to the band's dislike of the song, it was one of their few Warner-released singles not included on their 2003 greatest hits album In Time. However, it was later included on their 2011 greatest hits album Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011.

Other versions

The band performed it on Sesame Street in 1999 under the title "Furry Happy Monsters". The female vocal was performed by Stephanie D'Abruzzo of Avenue Q fame. An adaptation was written by Sesame Street writer Christopher Cerf, changing many of the lyrics to fit the context of the scene. Alvin and the Chipmunks recorded a cover of the song as a playable track for their 2007 video game. The song has also been covered by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, but without the lyrics.^[5] A cover version of the song is featured on the 2004 video game Donkey Konga 2. The Fatima Mansions recorded a scabrous song of the same title which used the main title line in its chorus on their EPs Bertie's Brochures and Tima Mansió Dumps the Dead. While the music and verse lyrics were totally changed, R.E.M.'s members are still credited as the authors. "Shiny Happy People" is one of several anachronistic songs that appear in the 2013 video game BioShock Infinite, which is set in 1912. This version of the song is performed as a big band piece by Tony Babino and various musicians.

Personnel

R.E.M.

Additional musicians

David Arenz – violin
Ellie Arenz – violin
Mark Bingham – string arrangements
David Braitberg – violin
Andrew Cox – cello
Reid Harris – viola
Peter Holsapple – acoustic guitar
Ralph Jones – double bass
Dave Kempers – violin
Elizabeth Murphy – cello
Paul Murphy – lead viola
Kate Pierson – vocals

Notes

¹ Recorded on Rockline; April 1, 1991.
² Taken from the live performance video, Tourfilm.

References

↑ The Independent, December 11, 2006
↑ CBC Radio | Freestyle. Retrieved on 5 September 2006.
↑ "The 111 Wussiest Songs of All Time (No. 1)". AOL Music. Retrieved 20 August 2006.
↑ Run for Your Life! It's the 50 Worst Songs Ever! from Blender.com. Retrieved on 3 May 2008.
↑ The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Shiny Happy People, YouTube, May 5, 2008

External links

v t e R.E.M.

Bill Berry Peter Buck Mike Mills Michael Stipe

Personnel	Nathan December Buren Fowler Peter Holsapple Barrett Martin Scott McCaughey Bill Rieflin Ken Stringfellow Joey Waronker

Managers	Bertis Downs IV Jefferson Holt

Studio albums	Murmur Reckoning Fables of the Reconstruction Lifes Rich Pageant Document Green Out of Time Automatic for the People Monster New Adventures in Hi-Fi Up Reveal Around the Sun Accelerate Collapse into Now

Compilations	Dead Letter Office Eponymous The Best of R.E.M. The Automatic Box Singles Collected In the Attic In Time iTunes Originals And I Feel Fine Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011

EPs	Chronic Town Not Bad for No Tour Vancouver Rehearsal Tapes Live from London Reckoning Songs from The Olympia

Other albums	Man on the Moon r.e.m.IX R.E.M. Live Live at The Olympia

Singles	"Radio Free Europe" "Talk About the Passion" "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" "Cant Get There from Here" "Driver 8" "Wendell Gee" "Fall on Me" "Superman" "The One I Love" "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" "Finest Worksong" "Orange Crush" "Stand" "Pop Song 89" "Get Up" "Losing My Religion" "Shiny Happy People" "Near Wild Heaven" "Radio Song" "Drive" "Man on the Moon" "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" "Everybody Hurts" "Nightswimming" "Find the River" "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" "Bang and Blame" "Strange Currencies" "Crush with Eyeliner" "Tongue" "E-Bow the Letter" "Bittersweet Me" "Electrolite" "How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us" "Daysleeper" "Lotus" "At My Most Beautiful" "Suspicion" "The Great Beyond" "Imitation of Life" "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)" "I'll Take the Rain" "Bad Day" "Animal" "Leaving New York" "Aftermath" "Electron Blue" "Wanderlust" "#9 Dream" "Supernatural Superserious" "Hollow Man" "Man-Sized Wreath" "Until the Day Is Done" "Mine Smell Like Honey" "Überlin" "Oh My Heart" "We All Go Back to Where We Belong"

Other songs	"Gardening at Night" "Perfect Circle" "Begin the Begin" "Ages of You" "Turn You Inside-Out" "Texarkana" "Country Feedback" "First We Take Manhattan" "Ignoreland" "Star 69" "New Test Leper" "All the Right Friends"

Videos	Succumbs Tourfilm Pop Screen This Film Is On Parallel Road Movie In View Perfect Square When the Light Is Mine R.E.M. Live This Is Not a Show R.E.M. Live from Austin, TX

Related articles	Discography Tours Peter Buck Athens, Georgia Automatic Baby College radio/college rock Hindu Love Gods The Baseball Project Tired Pony Athens Andover "I Belong to You" I.R.S. Records Warner Bros. Records Hib-Tone Surprise Your Pig: A Tribute to R.E.M. Drive XV: A Tribute to Automatic for the People "Homer the Moe" Scott Litt

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