Michael Stipe (12,823 views)

[Holsety]

John Michael Stipe (January 4, 1960)
Member of: R.E.M. (1980-2011)
Vocal Range: D2-G♯5

Michael Stipe entered the limelight as an unlikely frontman; shy and sly with his words, reluctant to enunciate and more than satisfied blending in with his bandmates. It would come as no surprise that as this personality develops into its more outspoken, flamboyant counterpart, that the band's sound would change considerably as a result. My favorite example of this development is on Lifes Rich Pageant, where the same singer gets rough and loud, pronouncing his clearest syllables yet up to this point. Another notable point in this hypothetical graph is Automatic for the People, where our hero experiments with his twang and re-thinks his relationship with melody. Easy as it is to dismiss Stipe as the weak link to R.E.M., both he and his bandmates hold their place in the collective conscious that convinced those same naysayers. In other words, listen to this great band.

Significant High Notes:
G♯5 ("Begin the Begin")
G5 ("All the Right Friends" Complete Rarities version, "Burning Hell")
F♯5 ("Underneath the Bunker")
F5 ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight")
E5 ("Burning Hell", "Just a Touch")
D5 ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight", "Second Guessing", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", "Theme from Two Steps Onward")
C5 ("Boy in the Well", "Gardening at Night", "Ghost Rider", "See No Evil", "Tongue")
B4 ("Can't Get there from Here", "Endgame", "I Don't Sleep, I Dream", "Life and How to Live It", "Near Wild Heaven", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", "Stand", "Texarkana", "Underneath the Bunker", "Welcome to the Occupation")
B♭4 ("Get Up", "See No Evil", "You")
A4 ("40 Sec. (40 Second Song)", "(All I Have to Do Is) Dream", "Bad Day" single version, "Dark Globe", "Departure", "Endgame", "Everybody Hurts", "Find the River", "Fretless", "It's a Free World Baby", "Kohoutek", "Let Me In", "Lightnin' Hopkins", "Man on the Moon" live 2003 at Wiesbaden, Germany, "Only in America", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", "Tongue", "Wicked Game")
G♯4 ("All the Right Friends", "The Ascent of Man", "Leave", "Only in America")
G4 ("Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter", "The Apologist", "Around the Sun", "The Ascent of Man", "Belong", "Binky the Doormat", "Burning Hell", "Country Feedback", "Dark Globe", "Departure", "Everybody Hurts", "Femme Fatale", "Get Up", "Hallelujah", "I Don't Sleep, I Dream", "Imitation of Life", "It's a Free World Baby", "It's the End of the World as We Know it (and I Feel Fine)", "Kohoutek", "Man on the Moon" live 2003 at Wiesbaden, Germany, "Near Wild Heaven", "Redhead Walking", "Saturn Return", "See No Evil", "Summer Turns to High", "Strange Currencies", "Texarkana", "Tongue", "Toys in the Attic", "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" live Dublin 2005, "The Wrong Child", "You", "You're in the Air")
F♯4 ("9-9", "Academy Fight Song", "All the Best", "Around the Sun", "Blue", "Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)", "Chorus and the Ring", "Crush with Eyeliner", "Discoverer", "Disturbance at the Heron House", "Everybody Hurts", "Finest Worksong", "The Flowers of Guatemala", "Fretless", "Funtime", "Get Up", "I Wanted to Be Wrong", "It's a Free World Baby", "I'm Gonna DJ", "Ignoreland", "Leave", "Leaving New York", "Living Well is the Best Revenge", "Love is All Around", "Me in Honey", "Mine Smell Like Honey", "Only In America", "Orange Crush" live T in The Park 2008, "Shiny Happy People", "Strange", "That Someone Is You", "Turn You Inside Out", "Undertow", "Wanderlust", "Welcome to the Occupation", "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?", "Where's Captain Kirk?", "Wicked Game")
F4 ("Bad Day", "Bittersweet Me", "Crazy", "Dark Globe", "Daysleeper", "Electron Blue", "Fall on Me", "Femme Fatale", "First We Take Manhattan", "The Great Beyond", "I've Been High", "King of the Road", "Life and How to Live It", "The Lifting", "Low Desert", "Radio Song", "Saturn Return", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", "Untitled", "We All Go Back to Where We Belong", "Where's Captain Kirk?", "The Worst Joke Ever")
E4 ("7 Chinese Bros.", "40 Sec. (40 Second Song)", "Academy Fight Song", "Aftermath", "All the Right Friends", "Animal", "The Apologist", "The Arms of Love", "Around the Sun", "Auctioneer (Another Engine)", "Bad Day", "Bang and Blame", "Belong", "Binky the Doormat", "Burning Down", "Bittersweet Me", "Catapult", Circus Envy", "Crazy", "Crush with Eyeliner", "Daysleeper", "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville", "Endgame", "Fall on Me", "Feeling Gravitys Pull", "Finest Worksong", "The Flowers of Guatemala", "Fretless", "High Speed Train", "Hollow Man", "Hyena", "I Remember California", "I'll Take the Rain", "Imitation of Life", "Just a Touch", "King of Birds", "King of the Road", "Laughing", "Leaving New York", "Let Me In", "Lightnin' Hopkins", "Little America", Living Well is the Best Revenge", "Lotus", "Low Desert", "Lucky" live Tibetan Freedom Concert 1998, "Man on the Moon", "Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I", "Mine Smell Like Honey", "A Month of Saturdays", "Mr. Richards", "Moral Kiosk", "Oddfellows Local 151", "The One I Love", "Orange Crush", "Pilgrimage", "Pop Song 89", "Romance", "Redhead Walking", "Sad Professor", "See No Evil", "She Just Wants to Be", "Shaking Through", "Sing for the Submarine", "So Fast, So Numb", "So. Central Rain", "Stand", "Star Me Kitten", "Strange", "Strange Currencies", "Superman", "Supernatural Superserious", "Sweetness Follows", "These Days", "Tired of Singing Trouble", "There She Goes Again", "Try Not to Breathe", "Undertow", "Wait", "The Wake-Up Bomb", "Walk Unafraid", "Wanderlust", "We All Go Back to Where We Belong", "We Walk", "Wicked Game", "What If We Give it Away?", "Windout", "Wolves, Lower", "The Worst Joke Ever", "You Are the Everything", "You're in the Air")
E♭4 ("1,000,000", "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)", "The Ascent of Man", "Exhuming McCarthy", "The Great Beyond", "Oh My Heart", "Stand", "Star 69", "Überlin")
D4 ("9-9", "Accelerate", "All the Best", "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)", "Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter", "Animal", "Beat a Drum", "Begin the Begin", "Boy in the Well", "Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)", "Catapult", "Chorus and the Ring", "Country Feedback", "Cuyahoga", "Daysleeper", "Diminished / I'm Not Over You", "Disturbance at the Heron House", "Driver 8", "Elecrolite", "Gardening at Night", "Disappear", "Discoverer", "Electron Blue", "Every Day is Yours to Win", "Falls To Climb", "Feeling Gravitys Pull", "Find the River", "Ghost Reindeer in the Sky", "High Speed Train", "How the West Was Won and Where it Got Us", "I'll Take the Rain", "Ignoreland", "It's the End of the World as We Know it (and I Feel Fine)", "King of Comedy", "Leaving New York", "Let Me In", "Life and How to Live It", "The Lifting", "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", "Little America", "Living Well is the Best Revenge", "Low", "Lucky" live Tibetan Freedom Concert 1998, "Make it All Okay", "Man on the Moon", "Man-Sized Wreath", "Moon River", "Moral Kiosk", "Mystery to Me", "Old Man Kensey", "The One I Love", "Pilgrimage", "Pop Song 89", "Pretty Persuasion", "Radio Free Europe", "Romance", "Second Guessing", "Shaking Through", "Sing for the Submarine", "So Fast, So Numb", "Sponge", "Strange", "Stumble", "Summer Turns to High", "Summertime", "Supernatural Superserious", "Swan Swan H", "Talk About the Passion", "Theme from Two Steps Onward", "There She Goes Again", "Toyland", "Toys in the Attic", "Turn You Inside Out", "Wait", "Walk Unafraid", "Welcome to the Occupation", "West of the Fields", "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?", "Wolves, Lower", "The Wrong Child", "You", "You're in the Air")

Significant Low Notes:
D3 ("Auctioneer (Another Engine)", "Boy in the Well", "Can't Get There from Here", "Catapult", "Country Feedback", "Crush with Eyeliner", "Cuyahoga", "Diminished / I'm Not Over You", "Disturbance at the Heron House", "Drive", "Driver 8", "E-Bow the Letter", "Electrolite", "Electron Blue", "Every Day Is Yours to Win", "Everybody Hurts", "Fall on Me", "The Flowers of Guatemala", "Green Grow the Rushes", "Hairshirt", "Hallelujah", "Houston", "I Took Your Name", "King of Birds", "Kohoutek", "Leaving New York", "Life and How to Live It", "Make it All Okay", "Maps and Legends", "Monty Got a Raw Deal", "Orange Crush", "The Outsiders", "Perfect Circle", "Sad Professor", "So. Central Rain", "Star Me Kitten", "Stumble", "Supernatural Superserious", "Suspicion", "Swan Swan H", "Sweetness Follows", "Theme from Two Steps Onward", "Try Not to Breathe", "Until the Day is Done", "Wendell Gee", "Why Not Smile", "You Are the Everything")
C♯3 ("Begin the Begin", "Diminished / I'm Not Over You", "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville", "Letter Never Sent", "Mine Smell Like Honey", "Hollow Man", "Sad Professor", "Superman")
C3 ("All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)", "At My Most Beautiful", "Bad Day", "Bandwagon", "Camera", "Country Feedback", "Crush with Eyeliner", "Final Straw", "Ghost Rider", "Hope", "I Believe", "I Will Survive", "I've Been High", "King of the Road", "Lotus", "Make it All Okay", "Man on the Moon", "Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I", "Moon River", "Monty Got a Raw Deal", "Oh My Heart", "Perfect Circle", "Pilgrimage", "Radio Song", "Revolution", "Summer Turns to High", "Toyland", "Überlin", "Untitled", "Wanderlust", "We All Go Back to Where We Belong", "West of the Fields")
B2 ("(All I Have to Do Is) Dream", "Be Mine", "Binky the Doormat", "Chorus and the Ring", "Disappear", "Driver 8", "E-Bow the Letter", "Favorite Writer", "Good Advices", "Half a World Away", "Hallelujah", "How the West Was Won and Where it Got Us", "I Remember California", "It Happened Today", "Love is All Around", "Low", "Oddfellows Local 151", "Only in America", "Parakeet", "So. Central Rain", "Underneath the Bunker", "Walk it Back", "Welcome to the Occupation", "Wolves, Lower", "World Leader Pretend")
B♭2 ("Christmas Griping", "Ghost Reindeer in the Sky", "I Believe", "Sponge", "Time After Time (Annelise)")
A2 ("7 Chinese Bros.", "(All I Have to Do Is) Dream", "Animal", "Begin the Begin", "Chorus and the Ring", "Drive", "E-Bow the Letter", "Final Straw", "Find the River", "First We Take Manhattan", "Get Up", "Green Grow the Rushes", "High Speed Train", "How the West Was Won and Where it Got Us", "Hyena", "Indian Summer", "It Happened Today", "King of Birds", "Lotus", "Low Desert", "New Test Leper", "Pop Song 89", "Radio Song", "Sad Professor", "Sweetness Follows", "Walk it Back", "Wanderlust", "Welcome to the Occupation", "World Leader Pretend")
G♯2 ("Airportman", "The Ascent of Man", "Can't Get There from Here", "High Speed Train", "Tired of Singing Trouble")
G2 ("I Don't Sleep, I Dream", "Favorite Writer", "King of Comedy", "Love is All Around", "Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I", "Monty Got a Raw Deal", "Star Me Kitten", "Summertime", "We All Go Back to Where We Belong", "Wendell Gee")
F♯2 ("Low", "A Month of Saturdays", "What If We Give it Away?")
F2 ("King of the Road")
E2 ("Chorus and the Ring", "High Speed Train", "King of Comedy", "Love is All Around")
D2 ("Love is All Around")

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}
A5 ("Can't Get There from Here"[1])
E5 ("You"[2])
B4 ("Belong"[2])
A4 ("Lotus"[5])
G4 ("Suspicion"[2])

G2 ("Bang and Blame"[1], "Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)"[2], "Pilgrimage"[2])
E2 ("Good Advices"[2], "Hot Java"[5], "Old Man Kensey"[2])
.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks instances questionable identity; it's possible that Mike Mills or Bill Berry could be singing notes listed under this category, so to be safe, they're listed here.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.

.......................................................
Blue marks falsetto or whistle notes.
Underlines mark notes that are obscured in the song mix.
Italics mark non-melodic notes.
Boldface marks notes that are considered to be particularly notable examples of this person's vocal capabilities.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Album Ranges}Chronic Town (1982): B2-F♯4-C5
Murmur (1983): C3-F♯4
Reckoning (1984): A2-E4-D5
Fables of the Reconstruction (1985): G2-F4-B4
Lifes Rich Pageant (1986): F♯2-F♯4-G♯5
Document (1987): A2-G4-B4
Green (1988): A2-G4-B4
Out of Time (1991): F♯2-B4
Automatic for the People (1992): G2-A4-D5
Monster (1994): E2-B♭4-C5
New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996): A2-A4
Up (1998): G♯2-G4
Reveal (2001): E2-G4
Around the Sun (2004): E2-G♯4
Accelerate (2008): C♯3-F♯4
Collapse into Now (2011): G2-G4

• Non-album singles, compilation exclusives, rarities, etc.
  

[IhateMana]

it would appear that you are yet to stumble upon the inexplicable phenomena that every rock singer ever has a song from a fucking pirate shanty compilation out there somewhere

[queenfan11]

I think that the listed G4 from the Wiesbaden 2003 "Man on the Moon" actually gets up to A4 on "Are ya having FUN?"

[queenfan11]

Nice F#4 in "Orange Crush" live at T in the Park 2008:

[Osmosis]

G4 in this performance of "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?". I prefer the chorus melody like this if I'm honest.

[StYoseph]

Michael Stipe can out gravel singers who can sing much lower than him. Must be the tone.

[StYoseph]

Ya'll know Michael Stipe has a-    lot of D2's on "Around The Sun"..?

[wilf]

I LOVE MICHAEL STIPE