So, when you divide the world into music lovers, music fans and then those people who are just very casual about their music, it's wallpaper to them, it's elevator music, it's just the thing that's playing in the background that helps them through their day.
Michael Stipe

Sometimes before we make a record I go back and listen to a few. It's equally humbling and uplifting.
Michael Stipe

Super casual music listeners. That's most of the people in the world. And you have to understand, that's why Top 40 radio exists. It's not there for people who seek out music and who love music.
Michael Stipe

There are people that very strongly identify themselves as gay and then lesbian, and then I think there are a lot of people who are kind of some percentage or some version of that.
Michael Stipe

There was a point in the '80s when I looked out at my audience and I saw people that - were I not on the stage - they'd sooner slug me as they walked by me on the sidewalk. And I realized that I was way beyond the choir.
Michael Stipe

There was never a golden era of American radio as far as I can tell.
Michael Stipe

They always want me to play myself and that's a big snooze.
Michael Stipe

We made part of the record in Miami, and I would go down to the beach, and not 20 feet from the water I see a fish that is at least seven feet long swimming close to the shore. I did not go back in the ocean the entire month.
Michael Stipe

We toured that record for a year, which turned out to be the culmination of ten years of being constantly on the road. We were sick to death of touring.
Michael Stipe

We're absolutely American and distinctly so, I think. That's part of what people respond to outside of this country, part of the reason that we're such a huge band outside of the U.S., where we're not so popular now as we were 10 or 12 years ago.
Michael Stipe

When I get really hammered I take my clothes off. That's a sure sign. It's been a long time since the last time I did that. Probably a year.
Michael Stipe

When we first started, we were a band from Athens and that was so off the map.
Michael Stipe

When you meet a stranger, look at his shoes. Keep your money in your shoes.
Michael Stipe