Studio Album · No. 5

Document Songwriting Credits by R.E.M.

1987 I.R.S. 11 tracks 39:30

Produced by Scott Litt, R.E.M.  ·  Engineered by Steve Catania, Tom Der, Bob Ludwig

I.R.S. Alternative Rock
91%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 10 of 11 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 10 / 11 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether R.E.M. carries a lyricist or composer credit.

91%
10 trackswritten by R.E.M. 1 trackoutside writers
R.E.M.'s roles on this album

Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist91%
Composer91%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

11
Tracks
8
Lyricists
2
Producers
1987
Released
Data Insight

Ten of the eleven are the band and the eleventh is a Wire cover. It is also the record that gave them a top ten single, and the credit on that single is the same shared block as everything else.

Document came out on I.R.S. in September 1987, the first album with Scott Litt producing and the last on the label.

Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Finest Worksong
Bill BerryPeter BuckMike MillsMichael Stipe William Thomas BerryPeter Lawrence BuckMichael Edward MillsJohn Michael Stipe Scott LittR.E.M. R.E.M. (Performer)
2
Welcome to the Occupation
Bill BerryPeter BuckMike MillsMichael Stipe William Thomas BerryPeter Lawrence BuckMichael Edward MillsJohn Michael Stipe Scott LittR.E.M. R.E.M. (Performer)
3
Exhuming McCarthy
Bill BerryPeter BuckMike MillsMichael Stipe William Thomas BerryPeter Lawrence BuckMichael Edward MillsJohn Michael Stipe Scott LittR.E.M. R.E.M. (Performer)
4
Disturbance at the Heron House
Bill BerryPeter BuckMike MillsMichael Stipe William Thomas BerryPeter Lawrence BuckMichael Edward MillsJohn Michael Stipe Scott LittR.E.M. R.E.M. (Performer)
5
Strange
Bruce GilbertGraham LewisColin NewmanRobert Grey Bruce GilbertGraham LewisColin NewmanRobert Grey Scott LittR.E.M. R.E.M. (Performer)
6
It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) #69
Bill BerryPeter BuckMike MillsMichael Stipe William Thomas BerryPeter Lawrence BuckMichael Edward MillsJohn Michael Stipe Scott LittR.E.M. R.E.M. (Performer)
7
The One I Love #9
Bill BerryPeter BuckMike MillsMichael Stipe William Thomas BerryPeter Lawrence BuckMichael Edward MillsJohn Michael Stipe Scott LittR.E.M. R.E.M. (Performer)
8
Fireplace
Bill BerryPeter BuckMike MillsMichael Stipe William Thomas BerryPeter Lawrence BuckMichael Edward MillsJohn Michael Stipe Scott LittR.E.M. R.E.M. (Performer)
9
Lightnin' Hopkins
Bill BerryPeter BuckMike MillsMichael Stipe William Thomas BerryPeter Lawrence BuckMichael Edward MillsJohn Michael Stipe Scott LittR.E.M. R.E.M. (Performer)
10
King of Birds
Bill BerryPeter BuckMike MillsMichael Stipe William Thomas BerryPeter Lawrence BuckMichael Edward MillsJohn Michael Stipe Scott LittR.E.M. R.E.M. (Performer)
11
Oddfellows Local 151
Bill BerryPeter BuckMike MillsMichael Stipe William Thomas BerryPeter Lawrence BuckMichael Edward MillsJohn Michael Stipe Scott LittR.E.M. R.E.M. (Performer)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 14 contributors

BB
Bill Berry
Writer
On this album10 written
JM
John Michael Stipe
Writer
On this album10 written
ME
Michael Edward Mills
Writer
On this album10 written
MS
Michael Stipe
Writer
On this album10 written
MM
Mike Mills
Writer
On this album10 written
PB
Peter Buck
Writer
On this album10 written
PL
Peter Lawrence Buck
Writer
On this album10 written
WT
William Thomas Berry
Writer
On this album10 written
BG
Bruce Gilbert
Writer
On this album1 written
CN
Colin Newman
Writer
On this album1 written
GL
Graham Lewis
Writer
On this album1 written
RG
Robert Grey
Writer
On this album1 written

More from R.E.M.

1983 100%
Murmur
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1984 100%
Reckoning
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1985 100%
Fables of the Reconstruction
I.R.S.
11 tracksProd. Joe Boyd
1986 92%
Lifes Rich Pageant
I.R.S.
12 tracksProd. Don Gehman
1988 100%
Green
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1991 100%
Out of Time
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1992 100%
Automatic for the People
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12 tracksProd. Scott Litt
1994 100%
Monster
Warner Bros.
12 tracksProd. Scott Litt
1996 100%
New Adventures in Hi-Fi
Warner Bros.
14 tracksProd. Scott Litt
1998 100%
Up
Warner Bros.
14 tracksProd. Pat McCarthy
2001 100%
Reveal
Warner Bros.
12 tracksProd. Pat McCarthy
2004 100%
Around the Sun
Warner Bros.
13 tracksProd. Pat McCarthy
2008 100%
Accelerate
Warner Bros.
11 tracksProd. Jacknife Lee
2011 100%
Collapse into Now
Warner Bros.
12 tracksProd. Jacknife Lee

Frequently Asked Questions Document

Who wrote Document?
Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe on ten of the eleven tracks. "Strange" is a Wire cover written by Bruce Gilbert, Graham Lewis, Colin Newman and Robert Grey.
How high did the singles chart?
"The One I Love" reached number 9 on the Hot 100 and "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" number 69.
How did it sell?
The discography publishes certifications rather than a sales figure for it.
Who engineered it?
Steve Catania and Tom Der among others, with Bob Ludwig mastering.
Who produced it?
Scott Litt with the band, the start of a run of albums together.
Why did it change things?
"The One I Love" gave the band their first mainstream hit and took them out of college radio.
How long is the album?
39:30 across eleven tracks.

Sources

Wikipedia: Document Wikipedia: R.E.M. discography Wikipedia: R.E.M. Wikipedia: The One I Love Cover Art Archive: Document by R.E.M.