"Shiny Happy People" is a song by the band R.E.M. It appeared on their 1991 albumOut of Time, and was released as a single in the same year. The song features guest vocals by Kate Pierson of the B-52's, who also appears in the music video. The song was released as a single in May 1991 in the UK, but did not go on sale in the U.S. until four months later. It peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, the fourth and last R.E.M. single to reach the top 10. It also peaked at No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the first R.E.M. song to reach the top 10 in the UK and the only one to reach the top 10 in both countries. It is R.E.M.'s most successful song in Ireland, where it reached No. 2, and in Germany, where it peaked at No. 10. R.E.M. performed the song with Pierson on Saturday Night Live on April 13, 1991. It was used as the theme song to the unaired pilot for the sitcom Friends, known at that time as Friends Like Us. It was replaced by The Rembrandts' "I'll Be There for You," but it was later briefly used in the first season's 10th episode, "The One with the Monkey". R.E.M. was ambivalent about being known for a pop song that lacked gravitas. Singer Michael Stipe said in 2016: "It's a fruity pop song written for children... If there was one song that was sent into outer space to represent R.E.M. for the rest of time, I would not want it to be 'Shiny Happy People.
Reception
In its 2006 "Song of the Summer" countdown, CBC Radio'sFreestyle named "Shiny Happy People" 1991's "Song of the Summer". By contrast, in 2006, the song received the No. 1 position on AOL Music's list of the "111 Wussiest Songs of All Time". Blender magazine also ranked the song No. 35 on its list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever", and Q magazine included it in a list of "Ten Terrible Records by Great Artists" in 2005. When Michael Stipe made an appearance on Space GhostCoast to Coast in 1995, after Space Ghost asks him to sing the “Shiny Shiny People” song, he simply states "I hate that song, Space Ghost." Due to the band's dislike of the song, it was one of their few Warner-released singles not included on their 2003 greatest hits album , and they have since refused to play it live throughout their career save for their performance for it on Saturday Night Live in 1991. It was, however, included on their 2011 greatest hits album Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011.
Track listing
All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe unless otherwise stated. US/UK 7"/cassette singles
Despite R.E.M's dislike of the song, they created a parody called "Furry Happy Monsters" in 1999, and performed it on Sesame Street with a Muppet version of Kate Pierson singing backing vocals, voiced by Stephanie D'Abruzzo of Avenue Q. The monsters from the Monsters in Day Care segments were also featured in this video. Alvin and the Chipmunks recorded a cover of the song as a playable track for their 2007 video game. The song has also been covered by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, but without the lyrics. A cover version of the song is featured on the 2004 video game Donkey Konga 2. The Fatima Mansions recorded an obscene version of the song, with R.E.M.'s members credited as the authors. It appeared on the EPs Bertie's Brochures and Tima Mansió Dumps the Dead and used only a sample of the main title line, otherwise the music and the verse lyrics were totally changed. The song appears in the Space Pirates episode "Music To Paint To". "Shiny Happy People" is one of several anachronistic songs that appear in the 2013 video game BioShock Infinite, which is set in 1912. This version of the song is performed as an Al Jolson-esque big band piece by Tony Babino, Scott Bradlee, Adam Kubota, Allan Mednard, and Tom Abbott.
Trivia
The lyrics for the song were written as a satirical translation of the Chinese government's propaganda used after the 1989 Tiananmen massacre.
