Question
What R.E.M. song is about an '80s street attack on journalist Dan Rather?

What R.E.M. song is about an '80s street attack on journalist Dan Rather?

Last updated: December 4, 2023

I was once in a karaoke bar in Athens, Georgia, filming a video for my work, when the bartender politely noted: "If Michael comes in here, you'll have to put that camera down."

In Athens, with all due apologies to everyone else with this name, there is only one Michael: Michael Stipe, frontman for R.E.M.

Spoiler alert: "Michael" never came in, but it was a great bar and Athens is a great town that fosters some great musicians.

With a career as long and decorated as R.E.M.'s, you take song-writing inspiration from a variety of sources. In this case, a strange and largely forgotten 1980s news story serves as inspiration. But for which song?

Click START to answer.

 

The answer is: What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? In 1986 the CBS news anchor Dan Rather was chased and beaten on a New York City street. While one well-dressed man attacked him, another asked “Kenneth, what is the frequency?”More than a decade later, the convicted murderer William Tager was charged with the attack. Tager believed that TV networks were beaming signals to his brain; if only he knew the frequency, then he could stop the noise.Source

Share This Trivia

Want More Nostalgia?

Check out our other quizzes and random trivia questions!