35 years ago today (10/16/84), R.E.M. released “Don’t Go Back To Rockville,” the second and final single from its second album Reckoning. The plea based song about a girlfriend’s opportunity to return to a city in Maryland was written by bassist Mike Mills but credited to the entire band. Although originally sung by Michael Stipe, Mills began to take over lead vocals when R.E.M. played the song live. Watch Mills lead R.E.M. through the song live Athens (2008).
