View source for Losing My Religion

{{Short description|R.E.M. single from 1991}}
{{About|the R.E.M. song}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name          = Losing My Religion
| cover         = R.E.M. - Losing My Religion.jpg
| alt           = 
| type          = single
| artist        = [[R.E.M.]]
| album         = [[Out of Time (album)|Out of Time]]
| B-side        = Rotary Eleven
| released      = {{start date|1991|2|19}}
| recorded      = September–October 1990
| studio        = {{hlist|[[Bearsville Studios|Bearsville]] (Woodstock, New York)|[[John Keane (record producer)|John Keane Studios]] (Athens, Georgia)|Soundscape (Atlanta)}}
| genre         =
* [[Alternative rock]]<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/the-making-of-r-e-m-s-iconic-losing-my-religion-video-20160311|title=The Making of R.E.M.'s Iconic 'Losing My Religion' Video|date=March 11, 2016|access-date=June 28, 2017|first=Eric|last=Ducker|magazine=Rolling Stone|archive-date=June 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619232658/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/the-making-of-r-e-m-s-iconic-losing-my-religion-video-20160311|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2017/07/ranking-every-alternative-rock-hit-from-worst-to-best/19/|title=Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit From Worst to Best|date=March 28, 2016|access-date=January 31, 2022}}</ref>
* [[folk rock]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U3rJxPYT32MC&q=Losing+My+Religion+-+folk+rock&pg=PA286|title=The Guide to United States Popular Culture|first1=Ray Broadus|last1=Browne|first2=Pat|last2=Browne|date=January 1, 2001|publisher=Popular Press|isbn=9780879728212|via=Google Books}}</ref>
* [[jangle pop]]
| length        = {{Duration|m=4|s=28}}
| label         = [[Warner Records|Warner Bros.]]
| writer        =
* [[Bill Berry]]
* [[Peter Buck]]
* [[Mike Mills]]
* [[Michael Stipe]]
| producer      =
* [[Scott Litt]]
* R.E.M.
| prev_title    = [[Get Up (R.E.M. song)|Get Up]]
| prev_year     = 1989
| next_title    = [[Shiny Happy People]]
| next_year     = 1991
| misc          = {{Audio sample
 | type = single
 | file = R.E.M. - Losing My Religion.ogg
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|xwtdhWltSIg|"Losing My Religion"}}}}
}}

"'''Losing My Religion'''" is a song by American [[alternative rock]] band [[R.E.M.]], released on February 19, 1991 by [[Warner Records|Warner Bros.]] as the first single from their seventh album, ''[[Out of Time (album)|Out of Time]]'' (1991). It developed from a [[mandolin]] riff improvised by the guitarist, [[Peter Buck]]. The lyrics, written by the singer, [[Michael Stipe]], concern disillusionment and [[unrequited love]].

"Losing My Religion" is R.E.M.'s highest-charting hit in the United States, reaching No. 4 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]] and expanding their popularity. Its music video, directed by [[Tarsem Singh]], features religious imagery. At the [[Grammy Awards of 1992|1992 Grammy Awards]], "Losing My Religion" won [[Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video|Best Short Form Music Video]] and [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal|Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal]]. Its video won awards for [[MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year|Video of the Year]], [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video|Best Group Video]], [[MTV Video Music Award&nbsp;– Breakthrough Video|Breakthrough Video]], [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction|Best Art Direction]], [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction|Best Direction]], and [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]] at the 1991 [[MTV Video Music Awards]]. It was inducted into the [[Grammy Hall of Fame]] in 2017, and ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked it at number 112 in its 2024 list of the [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|"500 Greatest Songs of All Time"]]. In 2020, "Losing My Religion" became the first R.E.M. video to reach one billion views on [[YouTube]].

==Recording==
The R.E.M. guitarist, [[Peter Buck]], wrote the main riff and chorus for "Losing My Religion" on a [[mandolin]]. He had recently bought it and was learning how to play, recording as he practiced while watching television. Buck said that "when I listened back to it the next day, there was a bunch of stuff that was really just me learning how to play mandolin, and then there's what became 'Losing My Religion', and then a whole bunch more of me learning to play the mandolin".<ref name="black 177">Black, p. 177.</ref> He said he likely would not have written the chord progression in the same way had he not played it on mandolin.<ref name="5gs">{{cite web |date=February 16, 2024 |title=The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/r-e-m-losing-my-religion-3-1225226/ |accessdate=March 7, 2025 |work=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref>

In July 1990, R.E.M. recorded a demo version with the working title "Sugar Cane" in a studio in [[Athens, Georgia]], featuring [[banjo]] and [[Hammond organ]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Webb |first=Robert |date=15 August 2008 |title=Story of the Song: 'Losing My Religion', REM (1991) |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/story-of-the-song-losing-my-religion-rem-1991-897255.html |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> [[Mike Mills]] wrote a bassline inspired by the [[Fleetwood Mac]] bassist [[John McVie]].<ref name="black 177" /> The final version was recorded in September at [[Bearsville Studios|Bearsville Studio A]] in [[Woodstock, New York]].<ref name="black 177" /> 

Finding the song lacked midrange between the bass and mandolin, R.E.M. enlisted the touring guitarist [[Peter Holsapple]] on [[acoustic guitar]].<ref name="Guitar School">Mettler, Mike. "R.E.M.: Radio Songs". ''Guitar School''. September 1991.</ref> Buck said, "It was really cool: Peter and I would be in our little booth, sweating away, and [[Bill Berry|Bill]] and Mike would be out there in the other room going at it. It just had a really magical feel."<ref name="Guitar School" /> [[Michael Stipe]] recorded his vocals in a single take.<ref name="buckley205">Buckley, p. 205.</ref> The strings, arranged by Mark Bingham, were performed by members of the [[Atlanta Symphony Orchestra]] at Soundscape Studios in [[Atlanta]], Georgia, in October 1990.<ref>Black, p. 178.</ref>
==Composition and lyrics==
"Losing My Religion" is based on Buck's mandolin part. Buck said, "The verses are the kinds of things R.E.M. uses a lot, going from one minor to another, kind [of] like those '[[Driver 8]]' chords. You can't really say anything bad about E minor, A minor, D, and G ... We are trying to get away from those kind of songs, but like I said before, those are some good chords."<ref name="Guitar School" /> He felt "Losing My Religion" was the most "typical" R.E.M. song on the album.<ref name="Guitar School" /> The song is in [[minor scale#Natural-minor system|natural minor]].<ref>Stephenson, Ken (2002). ''What to Listen for in Rock: A Stylistic Analysis'', p. 89. {{ISBN|978-0-300-09239-4}}.</ref>

The title phrase is an expression from the Southern United States that means "losing one's temper or civility" or "feeling frustrated and desperate".<ref name=Sloane2008>Robert Sloane. [https://books.google.com/books?id=m6E_BHxPWiwC&dq=stipe+%22losing+my+religion%22&pg=PA80 Tensions Between Popular Music: R.E.M. as Artists-Intellectuals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805045317/https://books.google.com/books?id=m6E_BHxPWiwC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&lpg=PA80&dq=stipe%20%22losing%20my%20religion%22&pg=PA80#v=onepage&q=stipe%20%22losing%20my%20religion%22&f=false |date=August 5, 2020 }}. Chapter 4 in ''A Companion to Media Studies'', Angharad N. Valdivia (ed.), John Wiley & Sons, 2008.</ref> Stipe said the song was about romantic expression and [[unrequited love]].<ref>Holden, Stephen. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE0DD1438F930A25750C0A967958260&scp=1&sq=%22Losing+My+Religion%22 "The Pop Life"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. March 13, 1991. Retrieved on January 13, 2008.</ref><ref>Snow, Mat. "R.E.M." ''Q''. October 1992.</ref> The lines "That's me in the corner / That's me in the spotlight" were originally "That's me in the corner / That's me in the kitchen", describing a person at a social event too shy to approach the person they like.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Aniftos |first=Rania |date=2022-04-27 |title=Michael Stipe Reveals the Lyric Switch on R.E.M.'s 'Losing My Religion' That Changed Everything |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/michael-stipe-losing-my-religion-lyric-change-1235063832/ |access-date=2024-09-07 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Stipe compared the theme to "[[Every Breath You Take]]" (1983) by [[the Police]], saying, "It's just a classic obsession pop song. I've always felt the best kinds of songs are the ones where anybody can listen to it, put themselves in it and say, 'Yeah, that's me.'"<ref name="black180">Black, p. 180.</ref>

==Music video==
[[File:Tarsem Singh at WonderCon 2011.jpg|thumb|269x269px|The music video was directed by [[Tarsem Singh]].]]
The music video for "Losing My Religion" was directed by the Indian filmmaker [[Tarsem Singh]]. Unlike previous R.E.M. videos, Stipe agreed to [[lip sync|lip-sync]] the lyrics.<ref>Buckley, p. 206.</ref> The video begins inside a dark room where water drips from an open window. Recreating a scene from the [[Andrei Tarkovsky]] film [[The Sacrifice (1986 film)|''The Sacrifice'']], Buck, Berry, and Mills run across the room while Stipe remains seated as a pitcher of milk drops from the windowsill and shatters.

The video originated as a combination of ideas envisioned by Stipe and Singh. Stipe wanted a straightforward performance video, akin to [[Sinéad O'Connor]]'s "[[Nothing Compares 2 U]]". Singh wanted to create a video in the style of a certain type of Indian filmmaking, where everything would be "melodramatic and very dreamlike", according to Stipe.<ref>Fricke, David. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20080501001409/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/rem/articles/story/5938078/the_rolling_stone_interview_michael_stipe The Rolling Stone Interview: Michael Stipe]". ''Rolling Stone''. March 5, 1992. Retrieved on May 19, 2008.</ref> Singh said the video was modeled after the [[Gabriel García Márquez]] short story "[[A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings]]", in which an angel crashes into a town and the villagers have varied reactions to him.<ref>Ducker, Eric. "[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/the-making-of-r-e-m-s-iconic-losing-my-religion-video-20160311 The Making of R.E.M.'s Iconic 'Losing My Religion' Video] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913033940/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/the-making-of-r-e-m-s-iconic-losing-my-religion-video-20160311|date=September 13, 2017}}". ''Rolling Stone''. March 11, 2016. Retrieved on February 15, 2016.</ref> He also drew inspiration from the Italian painter [[Caravaggio]], and the video uses religious imagery such as [[Saint Sebastian]], the Biblical episode of the [[Doubting Thomas|Incredulity of Thomas]], and Hindu deities, portrayed in a series of [[Tableau vivant|tableaux]].<ref>Buckley, pp. 206–07.</ref> The actor [[Wade Dominguez]] appears in the video.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wade Dominguez biography |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0231546/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm |website=imdb}}</ref>

The "Losing My Religion" video was nominated in nine categories at the 1991 [[MTV Video Music Awards]] and won for [[MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year|Video of the Year]], [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video|Best Group Video]], [[MTV Video Music Award&nbsp;– Breakthrough Video|Breakthrough Video]], [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction|Best Art Direction]], [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction|Best Direction]], and [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]].<ref>"[http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/past-vmas/1991/ Video Music Awards | Past VMAs | 1991] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080105055413/http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/past-vmas/1991/|date=January 5, 2008}}". MTV.com. Retrieved on January 21, 2008.</ref> It ranked second in the music video category of the 1991 [[Pazz & Jop]] poll.<ref name="pazz jop" /> In September 2020, "Losing My Religion" became the first R.E.M. video to reach one billion views on [[YouTube]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Aniftos |first=Rania |date=2022-09-21 |title=R.E.M.'s 'Losing My Religion' Reaches 1 Billion YouTube Views |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/rem-losing-my-religion-1-billion-youtube-views-1235142496/ |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |lang=en-US |accessdate=2022-09-26}}</ref>

==Release and promotion==
[[File:Peter Buck playing Losing My Religion.jpg|thumb|Buck performing "Losing My Religion" on mandolin]]
"Losing My Religion" was released on February 19, 1991, in the United States as the lead single from R.E.M.'s album ''Out of Time''.<ref name="black180" /> Their record label, [[Warner Bros. Music|Warner Bros.]], was wary of the choice of lead single. Steven Baker, then the vice president of product management., said there were "long, drawn-out discussions" about releasing such an "unconventional track" as the single until the label agreed.<ref name="Browne-1991" />

R.E.M. did not tour to promote ''Out of Time'', but visited radio stations, gave press interviews and made television appearances.<ref name="Browne-1991" /> On November 10, 1991, R.E.M. performed "Losing My Religion" with members of the [[Atlanta Symphony Orchestra]] to celebrate the tenth anniversary of MTV. It was recorded at the Madison Morgan Cultural Centre in [[Madison, Georgia]], about 20 miles south of [[Athens, Georgia|Athens]].<ref>{{cite web |date=November 14, 2014 |title=Watch 'Losing My Religion' Live From MTV's 10th Anniversary Celebration |url=http://www.remhq.com/news/watch-losing-my-religion-live-from-mtvs-10th-anniversary-celebration-3/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170508125843/http://www.remhq.com/news/watch-losing-my-religion-live-from-mtvs-10th-anniversary-celebration-3/ |archive-date=May 8, 2017 |access-date=April 19, 2017 |publisher=R.E.M. HQ}}</ref> 

Warner Bros. worked to establish "Losing My Religion" at [[Campus radio|campus]], [[modern rock]], and [[album-oriented rock]] radio stations before promoting it to American [[Top 40]] stations, where it became a success. According to one program director, "Losing My Religion" was "a hard record to program; you can't play [[L.L. Cool J]] behind it. But it's a real pop record—you can dance to it." He said it "crosses the boundaries of just being an alternative record".<ref name="Browne-1991">{{Cite magazine |last=Browne |first=David |date=May 31, 1991 |title=R.E.M. number one album |url=https://ew.com/article/1991/05/31/rem-number-one-album/ |access-date=2024-09-07 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |language=en}}</ref>

"Losing My Religion" became R.E.M.'s biggest hit in the US, reaching No. 4 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]].<ref name="charts">Buckley, p. 358.</ref> It stayed on the chart for 21 weeks.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20061109104928/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6596014/losing_my_religion Losing My Religion]". ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. December 9, 2004. Retrieved on January 15, 2008.</ref> It topped  the ''Billboard'' [[Mainstream Rock (chart)|Album Rock Tracks]] chart for three weeks and the [[Alternative Songs|Modern Rock Tracks]] chart for eight weeks, the best performance of any R.E.M. song on either chart. It reached number 19 on the UK singles chart, No. 16 in Canada and No. 11 in Australia.<ref name="charts" />

With "Losing My Religion", R.E.M. crossed over into mainstream pop culture.<ref name="Rolling Stone Australia-2021">{{Cite web |date=2021-09-15 |title=R.E.M., 'Losing My Religion' |url=https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-30065/r-e-m-losing-my-religion-2-30455/ |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Rolling Stone Australia |language=en-AU}}</ref> Asked if he was worried the success might alienate older fans, Buck told ''Rolling Stone'', "The people that changed their minds because of 'Losing My Religion' can just kiss my ass."<ref>Giles, Jeff. [https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938699/no_1_with_an_attitude "No. 1 With an Attitude"]{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. June 27, 1991. Retrieved on January 13, 2008.</ref> Mills said R.E.M. understood they had a worldwide hit when they heard it on local radio in the jungle of [[Paraguay]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ivie |first=Devon |date=2023-09-13 |title=The Most Heartfelt and Goofy of R.E.M., According to Mike Mills |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/mike-mills-rem-michael-stipe-superlatives.html |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=Vulture |language=en}}</ref> Years later,{{When?|date=September 2024}} Mills said: "Without 'Losing My Religion', ''Out of Time'' would have sold two or three million [copies], instead of the ten [million copies] or so it did. But the phenomenon that is a worldwide hit is an odd thing to behold. Basically that record was a hit in almost every civilised country in the world."<ref name="buckley205" /> 

==Reception==
Caren Myers from ''[[Melody Maker]]'' named the song "Single of the Week", writing that it "occupies a smaller, more intimate space, delicately picking a path with mandolins and acoustic guitars, soothed by the mournful sweep of a string section. Deceptive echoes of '[[Green (R.E.M. album)|World Leader Pretend]]' dissolve on second listen as the song wraps itself around the impossibility of communication with glancing but painful accuracy. Stipe's writing is getting sparser and more intense, riddled with oblique insights but unwilling to point out where. This is R.E.M. at their most tender and unsettling, Stipe's careworn voice filled with inexplicable sadness, but as warm and familiar as ever."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Caren|last=Myers|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/52306843110/|title=Singles|magazine=[[Melody Maker]]|date=March 9, 1991|page=30|access-date=April 6, 2023}}</ref> A reviewer from ''[[Music & Media]]'' wrote: "Hearing such a beautiful song with a striking mandolin arrangement, provides an ample religious substitute."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=|last=|title=New Releases: Singles|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-03-16.pdf|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|date=March 16, 1991|page=10|accessdate=December 14, 2022}}</ref> Terry Staunton from ''[[New Musical Express|NME]]'' found that it "is likely to be read as self-reflection on R.E.M.'s position in the worldwide musical scheme of things, doubt and discomfort at the prospect of unwanted disciples".<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Terry|last=Staunton|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/52310823567/|title=Long Play|magazine=[[New Musical Express|NME]]|date=March 16, 1991|page=30|access-date=April 6, 2023}}</ref> 

Parry Gettelman from ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]'' wrote that R.E.M. had returned to its "trademark jangle", and that "Stipe touches again on what seems to be ambivalence about his role as a pop star, and about the need to communicate with an audience".<ref>Gettelman, Parry (March 22, 1991). "R.E.M.". ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]''.</ref> [[David Fricke]] from ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' felt that "there is melancholy in the air: in the doleful strings and teardrop mandolin".<ref>[[David Fricke|Fricke, David]] (December 12, 1991-December 26, 1991). "The year in records". ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. Issue 619/620.</ref> [[Celia Farber]] from ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' praised it as "a gorgeous, gorgeous song" and said "I actually get a hot/cold flash and have to play the song about 30 more times" when she hears the opening lyrics.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Celia|last=Farber|title=Spins|magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|date=March 1991|page=73|accessdate=January 23, 2023|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QurB9YiFO9QC|author-link=Celia Farber}}</ref>

"Losing My Religion" placed second in the ''[[Village Voice]]'' [[Pazz & Jop]] annual critics' poll, behind [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]'s "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]".<ref name="pazz jop">[[Robert Christgau|Christgau, Robert]]. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20060507034515/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres91.php The 1991 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll]". ''[[Village Voice]]''. March 3, 1992. Retrieved on January 20, 2008.</ref> At the [[Grammy Awards of 1992|1992 Grammy Awards]], it earned several nominations, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year,<ref>Pareles, Jon. "[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE1DE163CF93AA35752C0A964958260&scp=4&sq=%22Losing+My+Religion%22 Grammy Short List: Many For a Few]". ''[[The New York Times]]''. January 9, 1992. Retrieved on January 20, 2008.</ref> and won for [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal|Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals]] and [[Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video|Best Short Form Music Video]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=r.e.m.&field_nominee_work_value=losing+my+religion&year=All&genre=All|title=The Grammys: Past Winners Search|access-date=April 19, 2017|work=grammys.com|archive-date=April 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420143957/https://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=r.e.m.&field_nominee_work_value=losing+my+religion&year=All&genre=All|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2007, VH1 named it the ninth-best song of the 90s,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.vh1.com/2007-12-13/top-100-songs-of-the-90s/ |title=Digital Videos - Episodes (TV Series) - VH1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214035830/http://blog.vh1.com/2007-12-13/top-100-songs-of-the-90s |archive-date=February 14, 2012 }}</ref> and in 2009, ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'' ranked it No. 79 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".<ref>Blender Staff. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20101228140631/http://www.blender.com/lists/68125/500-greatest-songs-since-you-were-born-451-500.html?p=9 The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born]". Blender.com. April 1, 2009. Retrieved on April 15, 2009.</ref> The [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] included it in its 2004 list of "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/halloffame.htm|title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - 500 Songs That Shaped Rock|date=2004|access-date=April 20, 2017|website=Rocklist|url-status=usurped|archive-date=April 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420005440/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/halloffame.htm}}</ref>  In 2004, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' listed "Losing My Religion" at No. 169 on its list of the "[[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]", writing that "never before had Michael Stipe sounded so vulnerable, yearning, and articulate".<ref name="Rolling Stone Australia-2021" /> It ranked it at No. 112 in its updated 2024 list.<ref name="5gs" />

==Personnel==
Personnel adapted from ''Out of Time'' liner notes,<ref>{{Cite AV media notes|title=Out of Time |others=R.E.M. |date=1991 |type=CD liner notes}}</ref> except where noted

'''R.E.M.'''
* [[Bill Berry]]&nbsp;– drums, percussion
* [[Peter Buck]]&nbsp;– [[mandolin]], electric guitar
* [[Mike Mills]]&nbsp;– bass guitar, backing vocals, [[string synthesizer]] and arrangement
* [[Michael Stipe]]&nbsp;– lead vocals

'''Additional musician'''
*[[Peter Holsapple]]&nbsp;– acoustic guitar

'''Strings'''
*[[Mark Bingham (musician)|Mark Bingham]]&nbsp;– [[String section|string arrangements]]
*David Arenz&nbsp;– violin
*Ellie Arenz&nbsp;– violin  
*David Braitberg&nbsp;– violin
*Andrew Cox&nbsp;– cello
*Reid Harris&nbsp;– viola 
*Ralph Jones&nbsp;– double bass
*Dave Kempers&nbsp;– violin
*Elizabeth Murphy&nbsp;– cello
*Paul Murphy&nbsp;– viola
*[[Jay Weigel]]&nbsp;– orchestral liaison

==Track listing==
All songs were written by [[Bill Berry]], [[Peter Buck]], [[Mike Mills]], and [[Michael Stipe]] except where noted.

'''7-inch'''
# "Losing My Religion"&nbsp;– 4:29
# "Rotary Eleven"&nbsp;– 2:32

'''12-inch and compact disc'''
# "Losing My Religion"&nbsp;– 4:29
# "Rotary Eleven"&nbsp;– 2:32
# "[[After Hours (The Velvet Underground song)|After Hours]]" ([[Lou Reed]]) (Live)<sup><span id="ref_A" ></span>[[#endnote A|1]]</sup>&nbsp;– 2:08

'''UK "Collector's Edition" CD one'''
# "Losing My Religion"&nbsp;– 4:29
# "[[Stand (R.E.M. song)|Stand]]" (Live)<sup><span id="ref_A" ></span>[[#endnote A|1]]</sup>&nbsp;– 3:21
# "Turn You Inside-Out" (Live)<sup><span id="ref_A" ></span>[[#endnote A|1]]</sup>&nbsp;– 4:23
# "World Leader Pretend" (Live)<sup><span id="ref_A" ></span>[[#endnote A|1]]</sup>&nbsp;– 4:24

'''UK "Collector's Edition" CD two'''
# "Losing My Religion"&nbsp;– 4:29
# "Fretless"&nbsp;– 4:51
# "Losing My Religion" (Live [[Acoustic music|acoustic version]]/Rockline)&nbsp;– 4:38
# "Rotary Eleven"&nbsp;– 2:32

{{Refbegin}}
'''Notes'''
* <span id="endnote_A" ></span>1. Taken from the live performance video, ''[[Tourfilm]]''.
{{Refend}}

==Charts==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col"| Chart (1991–1992)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
{{single chart|Australia|11|artist=R.E.M.|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=March 25, 2013|refname="AUS"}}
|-
{{single chart|Austria|6|artist=R.E.M.|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=January 20, 2008|refname="AUT"}}
|-
{{single chart|Flanders|1|artist=R.E.M.|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=January 20, 2008|refname="BEL (FL)"}}
|-
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|6|chartid=1552|rowheader=true|access-date=November 22, 2019}}
|-
{{single chart|Canadaadultcontemporary|17|chartid=1523|rowheader=true|access-date=April 27, 2020}}
|-
!scope="row"|Denmark ([[IFPI Danmark|IFPI]])<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-06-29.pdf|title=Top 10 Denmark|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|access-date=March 21, 2018|archive-date=July 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715095521/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-06-29.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
|align="center"|9
|-
!scope="row"|Europe ([[European Hot 100 Singles]])<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-08-17.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=8|issue=33|page=21|date=August 17, 1991|access-date=April 27, 2020|archive-date=July 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718145315/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-08-17.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
|align="center"|14
|-
!scope="row"|Europe (European Hit Radio)<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-04-27.pdf|title=European Hit Radio|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|issue=17|volume=8|date=April 27, 1991|page=28|access-date=November 17, 2025}}</ref>
|align="center"|8
|-
{{single chart|France|3|artist=R.E.M.|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=January 20, 2008|refname="FRA"}}
|-
{{single chart|Ireland2|5|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=November 22, 2019|refname="IRL"}}
|-
!scope="row"|Italy (''[[Musica e dischi]]'')<ref name="ITA">{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-07-27.pdf|title=Top 10 Sales in Europe|magazine=Music & Media|volume=8|issue=30|page=20|date=July 27, 1991|access-date=November 22, 2019|archive-date=July 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713225438/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-07-27.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
|align="center"|8
|-
!scope="row"|Luxembourg ([[Radio Luxembourg]])<ref>[http://www.umdmusic.com/default.asp?Lang=English&Chart=F&ChDate=19910324&ChMode=N Radio Luxembourg Singles. March 31, 1991.]</ref>
|align="center"|5
|-
{{single chart|Dutch40|1|year=1991|week=17|rowheader=true|access-date=November 22, 2019|refname="NLD"}}
|-
{{single chart|Dutch100|1|artist=R.E.M.|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=December 15, 2009|refname="NLD2"}}
|-
{{single chart|New Zealand|16|artist=R.E.M.|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="NZ"}}
|-
{{single chart|Norway|4|artist=R.E.M.|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="NOR"}}
|-
{{single chart|Sweden|3|artist=R.E.M.|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=January 20, 2008|refname="SWE"}}
|-
{{single chart|Switzerland|11|artist=R.E.M.|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=January 20, 2008|refname="SWI"}}
|-
{{single chart|UK|19|date=19910316|rowheader=true|access-date=November 22, 2021|refname="UK"}}
|-
!scope="row"|UK Airplay (''[[Music Week]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1991/MW-1991-04-13.pdf|title=Playlist Chart|magazine=[[Music Week]]|date=April 13, 1991|page=14|access-date=October 22, 2025}}</ref>
|align="center"|8
|-
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|4|artist=R.E.M.|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=September 8, 2021}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|28|artist=R.E.M.|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=September 8, 2021}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|1|artist=R.E.M.|rowheader=true|access-date=August 7, 2017}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|1|artist=R.E.M.|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=September 8, 2021}}
|-
!scope="row"|US [[Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles|''Cash Box'' Top 100]]<ref> {{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=[[Cash Box|Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996]]|year=2014|publisher=Sheridan Books, Inc.|isbn=978-0-89820-209-0}}</ref>
|style="text-align:center;"|6
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col" width=250| Chart (2008)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
{{single chart|Italy|14|artist=R.E.M.|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="ITA2"}}
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col" width=250| Chart (2013)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Slovenia ([[SloTop50]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slotop50.si/Glasbene-lestvice/Tedenske-lestvice/?year=2013&week=7|title=SloTop50: Slovenian official singles weekly chart|publisher=[[SloTop50]]|language=sl|access-date=February 17, 2013|archive-date=December 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222082555/http://www.slotop50.si/Glasbene-lestvice/Tedenske-lestvice/?year=2013&week=7|url-status=live}}</ref>
|align="center"|14
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col" scope="col" width=250| Chart (2015)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
{{single chart|Poland|88|chartid=1825|year=2015|rowheader=true|access-date=December 20, 2015}}
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col" width=250| Chart (2017)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Slovenia ([[SloTop50]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slotop50.si/Glasbene-lestvice/Tedenske-lestvice/?year=2017&week=24|title=SloTop50: Slovenian official singles chart|publisher=[[SloTop50]]|access-date=December 20, 2017|archive-date=December 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209100006/http://www.slotop50.si/Glasbene-lestvice/Tedenske-lestvice/?year=2017&week=24|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|align="center"|46
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2025 weekly chart performance for "Losing My Religion"
! scope="col"| Chart (2025)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Israel International Airplay ([[Media Forest]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mediaforest-group.com/weekly_charts.html#!#menu2|title=מדיה פורסט {{ndash}} המצעד הבינלאומי השבועי {{ndash}} Week 22 {{ndash}} 25/05 {{ndash}} 31/05/2025|trans-title=Media Forest {{ndash}} International Weekly Chart {{ndash}} Week 22 {{ndash}} 25/05 {{ndash}} 31/05/2025|publisher=[[Media Forest]]|access-date=June 1, 2025|date=June 1, 2025|language=he|type=Select the year 2025 and the option "22 25-05-25 31-05-25" from the stretched lists, then click "שירים מובילים - רדיו - בינלאומי" to see the chart.}}</ref>
| 13
|-
! scope="row"| Portugal ([[Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa|AFP]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://audiogest.pt/uploads/files/file_2025-10-09-11-11-42.pdf|title=Top 200 Singles Semana 40 de 2025|page=9|publisher=[[Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa]]|access-date=October 9, 2025|lang=pt-pt}}</ref><!--{{single chart|Portugal|171|artist=R.E.M.|song=Losing My Religion|rowheader=true|access-date=October 9, 2025}}</ref> NOTE: Replace citation with the template if portuguesecharts.com is updated.-->
| 171
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col"| Chart (1991)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia (ARIA)<ref>{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}</ref>
|54
|-
!scope="row"|Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://austriancharts.at/year.asp?cat=s&id=1991|title=Jahreshitparade Singles 1991|language=de|access-date=November 22, 2019|archive-date=December 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203124545/https://austriancharts.at/year.asp?cat=s&id=1991|url-status=live}}</ref>
|24
|-
!scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1991|title=Jaaroverzichten 1991|publisher=[[Ultratop]]|language=nl|access-date=November 22, 2019|archive-date=May 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502125734/https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1991|url-status=live}}</ref>
|12
|-
!scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.2024&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.2024.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.2024|title=RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991|magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|via=[[Library and Archives Canada]]|access-date=November 22, 2019|archive-date=April 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401011747/http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.2024&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.2024.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.2024|url-status=live}}</ref>
|28
|-
!scope="row"|Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-12-21.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 1991|magazine=Music & Media|volume=8|issue=51–52|page=21|date=December 21, 1991|access-date=January 17, 2020|via=World Radio History|archive-date=December 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201231193733/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-12-21.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
|22
|-
!scope="row"|Europe (European Hit Radio)<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-12-21.pdf|title=EHR Year-End Top 100|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|volume=8|issue=51–52|page=20|date=December 21, 1991|access-date=February 22, 2024}}</ref>
|54
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1991|title=Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1991|publisher=[[Dutch Top 40]]|access-date=April 16, 2020|archive-date=March 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303140244/https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1991|url-status=live}}</ref>
|7
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1991&cat=s|title=Jaaroverzichten – Single 1991|publisher=[[Dutch Charts|MegaCharts]]|language=nl|access-date=November 22, 2019|archive-date=March 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324115846/https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1991&cat=s|url-status=live}}</ref>
|4
|-
!scope="row"|Sweden (Topplistan)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grammotex.se/topp91singlar.htm|title=Årstopplistan 1991, Singlar|publisher=Grammotex|language=sv|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010225020647/http://www.grammotex.se/topp91singlar.htm|archive-date=February 25, 2001|access-date=April 7, 2025}}</ref>
|20
|-
!scope="row"|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref>{{cite web|url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts/1991|title=Billboard Top 100 – 1991|access-date=September 15, 2009|archive-date=January 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107064417/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts/1991|url-status=live}}</ref>
|33
|-
!scope="row"|US Album Rock Tracks (''Billboard'')<ref name="usrockye">{{cite magazine|title=The Year in Music 1991: Top Modern Rock Tracks|magazine=Billboard|volume=103|issue=51|page=YE-41|date=December 21, 1991}}</ref>
|6
|-
!scope="row"|US Modern Rock Tracks (''Billboard'')<ref name="usrockye"/>
|9
|-
!scope="row"|US ''Cash Box'' Top 100<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/90s_files/1991YESP.html|title=Cash Box Top 100 Singles|access-date=January 8, 2023|archive-date=September 15, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915071849/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/90s_files/1991YESP.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|39
|}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for "Losing My Religion"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|award=Platinum|type=single|artist=R.E.M.|title=Losing My Religion|relyear=1991|certyear=2024|access-date=December 30, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|award=Platinum|id=10245|type=single|artist=R.E.M.|title=Losing My Religion|relyear=1991|certyear=2021|access-date=May 18, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|award=Platinum|type=single|artist=R.E.M.|title=Losing My Religion|relyear=1991|certyear=2025|access-date=May 29, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|award=Platinum|number=3|type=single|artist=R.E.M.|title=Losing My Religion|relyear=1991|certyear=2024|id=13714|access-date=December 30, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|award=Platinum|number=3|type=single|artist=REM|title=Losing My Religion|relyear=1991|certyear=2023|source=radioscope|access-date=December 30, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Portugal|award=Platinum|number=4|id=file_2025-01-20-11-18-33.pdf|type=single|artist=R.E.M.|title=Losing My Religion|relyear=1991|certyear=2025|certweek=2|access-date=January 28, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|award=Platinum|number=3|type=single|artist=R.E.M.|title=Losing My Religion|relyear=1991|certyear=2024|id=rem-losing-my-religion-2|access-date=March 4, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|award=Platinum|number=3|type=single|artist=REM|title=Losing My Religion|relyear=2004|certyear=2025|id=12657-840-1|access-date=October 19, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|award=Gold|note=Physical single|type=single|artist=R.E.M.|title=Losing My Religion|relyear=1991|certyear=1991|access-date=March 28, 2014}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|award=Platinum|refname=PlatinumCert|digital=true|note=Digital single|type=single|artist=R.E.M.|title=Losing My Religion|relyear=1991|certyear=2019|access-date=October 18, 2020}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|streaming=true}}

==Release history==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release dates and formats for "Losing My Religion"
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Format(s)
!scope="col"|Label(s)
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
!scope="row"|Europe
|rowspan="2"|February 19, 1991
|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|12-inch vinyl|CD}}
|rowspan="6"|[[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]]
|<ref name="AUS"/>
|-
!scope="row"|United States
|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|cassette}}
|<ref name="black180"/>
|-
!scope="row"|United Kingdom
|February 25, 1991
|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|12-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}}
|<ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=vi|date=February 23, 1991}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" rowspan="3"|Australia
|March 11, 1991
|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|cassette}}
|<ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Release Summary – Product Available from : 11/03/91: Singles|magazine=[[The ARIA Report]]|issue=59|page=19|date=March 10, 1991}}</ref>
|-
|March 18, 1991
|CD
|<ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Release Summary – Product Available from : 18/03/91: Singles|magazine=The ARIA Report|issue=60|page=18|date=March 17, 1991}}</ref>
|-
|April 1, 1991
|12-inch vinyl
|<ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Release Summary – Product Available from : 01/04/91: Singles|magazine=The ARIA Report|issue=62|page=20|date=March 31, 1991}}</ref>
|}

==Covers==
Italian metal band [[Graveworm]] covered the song on their 2003 album ''[[Engraved in Black]]''. [[Finn Hudson]] ([[Cory Monteith]]) covered the song in the 2010 ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'' episode "[[Grilled Cheesus]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/10/glee-cory-monteith-talks-losing-my-religion.html|title='Glee': Cory Monteith talks 'Losing My Religion'|last=Nguyen|first=Hanh|date=October 7, 2010|work=[[Zap2it]]|publisher=[[Tribune Media Services]]|access-date=October 12, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011195037/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/10/glee-cory-monteith-talks-losing-my-religion.html|archive-date=October 11, 2010}}</ref> The song reached number 60 in the US on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]] and number 47 on the [[Canadian Hot 100]].<ref name="USGlee">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/2010-10-23/hot-100?order=gainer|title=Hot 100: Week of October 23, 2010 (Biggest Jump)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]|access-date=November 4, 2010}}</ref><ref name="CanGlee">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2010-10-23/canadian-hot-100?order=gainer|title=Canadian Hot 100: Week of October 23, 2010 (Biggest Jump)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|BIllboard]]|publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]|access-date=November 4, 2010|archive-date=July 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130709232000/http://www.billboard.com/charts/2010-10-23/canadian-hot-100?order=gainer|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tori Amos]] recorded a cover version which appeared in the film ''[[Higher Learning]]''. Italian band [[Lacuna Coil]] covered the song on their 2012 album ''[[Dark Adrenaline]]''. American heavy metal band [[Trivium (band)|Trivium]] covered the song on their 2013 album ''[[Vengeance Falls]]''.<ref>{{Citation |title=Trivium - Losing My Religion Album Reviews, Songs & More {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/losing-my-religion-mw0002989130 |access-date=2023-07-06 |language=en}}</ref> Canadian singer-songwriter [[Dan Mangan]] covered the song on his 2020 album ''[[Thief (Dan Mangan album)|Thief]]''.<ref>Alex Hudson, [https://exclaim.ca/music/article/dan_mangan_releases_covers_album_thief "Dan Mangan Releases Covers Album 'Thief'"]. ''[[Exclaim!]]'', November 20, 2020.</ref> [[Hootie & the Blowfish]] covered the song for the 2020 reissue of their 2019 album ''[[Imperfect Circle]]''. In a 2020 interview, guitarist Mark Bryan emphasized how influential R.E.M. had been in the band's development.<ref>{{Cite web |accessdate=July 31, 2020 |language=en-US |url=https://www.hootie.com/new-r-e-m-cover-of-losing-my-religion-now-available-on-imperfect-circle/ |date=July 17, 2020 |title=New R.E.M. Cover of "Losing My Religion" Now Available on ''Imperfect Circle'' |publisher=[[Hootie & the Blowfish]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |accessdate=July 31, 2020 |language=en-US |date=May 20, 2020 |url=https://americansongwriter.com/hootie-and-the-blowfish-cover-of-losing-my-religion-rem/ |work=[[American Songwriter]] |last=Taylor |first=Katherine Yeske |title=Hootie & the Blowfish Explains Influence, Importance of R.E.M.}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Black, Johnny. ''Reveal: The Story of R.E.M.'' Backbeat Books, 2004. {{ISBN|978-0-87930-776-9}}
* Buckley, David. ''R.E.M.: Fiction: An Alternative Biography''. Virgin, 2002. {{ISBN|978-1-85227-927-1}}

{{R.E.M.}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for "Losing My Religion"
|titlestyle = background: lightblue
|list1 =
{{Grammy Award for Best Music Video}}
{{MTV Video Music Award – Breakthrough Video}}
{{MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video}}
{{MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1991 singles]]
[[Category:R.E.M. songs]]
[[Category:Ultratop 50 Singles (Flanders) number-one singles]]
[[Category:Dutch Top 40 number-one singles]]
[[Category:MTV Video of the Year Award]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Scott Litt]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Michael Stipe]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Bill Berry]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Peter Buck]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Mike Mills]]
[[Category:Songs written by Bill Berry]]
[[Category:Songs written by Michael Stipe]]
[[Category:Songs written by Mike Mills]]
[[Category:Songs written by Peter Buck]]
[[Category:Abigail (singer) songs]]
[[Category:Tori Amos songs]]
[[Category:Warner Records singles]]
[[Category:American folk rock songs]]
[[Category:Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video]]
[[Category:1990 songs]]
[[Category:Music videos directed by Tarsem Singh]]
[[Category:MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction]]