R.E.M. formed in the early 1980s with the close-knit members Bill Berry as drummer, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and vocalist Michael Stipe. Formed during college in Athens, Georgia, R.E.M. had a slow steady rise to fame. They released an album every year for five years and toured constantly, beginning to gain success on the college rock stations. R.E.M. earned recognition in the early 1980s with the Murmur album being named the best album of 1983 by Rolling Stone Magazine. Their success grew with the alternative rock scene.