XTC. No other group grew as much musically or lyrically over the same 
time span.

Bill

Mark Eichelberger wrote:
> OK...the iPod was on shuffle mode while I was preparing dinner and it happened to be kicking out a lot of early to mid period R.E.M.  As I listened, I began to think that more than any other band, these guys really seemed to be the soundtrack to my coming of age, both on a musical and personal level.  I realized that so many memorable and fun moments occurred while R.E.M. were blasting away in the background.  Maybe it was the two glasses of wine I had ingested, but I suddenly realized that R.E.M were my Beatles, in that they seemed to encapsulate both everything I was experiencing at that time and everything I aspired to be.  
>
> If there is another younger band or artist that had a major impact on your life in a way that the Beatles impacted an earlier generation, what is it?  
>
> Mark E.
>
>