Pop Song 89

"Pop Song 89"
Single by R.E.M.
from the album Green
B-side	"Pop Song 89" (acoustic version)
Released	May 1989
Format	7" Single, CD single
Recorded	1988
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	3:03
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Scott Litt & R.E.M.
R.E.M. singles chronology
"Stand" (1989) "Pop Song 89" (1989) "Get Up" (1989)

"Pop Song 89" was the third single released from R.E.M.'s sixth studio album Green. It peaked at #86 on the Hot 100, and in the UK "Stand" was re-released instead.

MTV asked band member Michael Stipe, who directed the video, to censor the three topless women with whom he was dancing in the video. Instead, Stipe superimposed black bars on the chests of all four dancers, himself included, and stated, "a nipple is a nipple."

The acoustic version that was used as the single's B-side was also included on the bonus disc of the limited two-disc edition of In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003 in 2003.

"Pop Song 89" was covered by Motion City Soundtrack for Punk Goes 80's and by Rockfour for their record For Fans Only!.

Charts

Chart (1989)	Peak position
Canadian Hot 100	94
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	86
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	14
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	16

Track listing

All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe.

1. "Pop Song 89" – 3:03
2. "Pop Song 89" (acoustic) – 2:58