R.E.M. completely changed my life, in so many ways. No hyperbolic accolades when I say that as a lonely kid, Michael Stipe made me feel absolutely acceptable as a human being. Once I heard R.E.M. my standards for what kind of music I sought out shot up to interstellar levels.
They were a great, great band, and they had a phenomenal run.
Their last album was the best thing they've done in fifteen years.
But these guys are in their 50s. They supplied the world with their singularly artistic music for over three decades. But they're human beings, and eventually there are other things to do. Sometimes bands need to know when is when, and move on as individuals.
If they continued for a whole lot longer, they'd run the risk of repeating themselves, and becoming sad self-parodies. They had the dignity to know better, and to quit while still ahead. There's no shame in knowing when to call it a day.
I'll miss them as a band, one of my favorites of all time, but the music will always be there.