R.E.M. split in 2011, and guitarist Peter Buck says a full band reunion won’t happen. In a recent interview he called the breakup a clear beginning and end. He said he was happy with the band’s run and that everyone moved on to other projects.
Buck was blunt about reunion tours. He said R.E.M. won’t do a nostalgia-driven tour or rehash old albums just to make money. “It’s just not going to happen,” he said. He added he has no interest in playing the same hits for the sake of ego or cash, and that he’s satisfied with what they’ve done.
All four members — Buck, Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Bill Berry — did come together to perform at the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024. They also reunited briefly in February 2025 for a performance of “Pretty Persuasion” in Athens, Georgia. But Buck makes it clear: a full-scale reunion tour is off the table.
