R.E.M.'s Automatic For the People is 15 years old.

Is this album really fifteen years old? That means I was a freshman in college 15 years ago. Wow. I distinctly remember watching the slow, strobe light heavy, black and white video of a crowd surfer for the song Drive over and over again on the super tiny TV in my Beck Hall dorm room. What a cool song. It's still my belief this is the best R.E.M. album because I come back to it over and over again. As a bonus, John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin create the string arrangements for five songs. Everyone remembers Man on the Moon and Everybody Hurts, but my favorite song is a very melodic Nightswimming.
Much like they did for the 10th anniversary edition of OK Computer, Stereogum has compiled a tribute album with contributions from some great bands like Rogue Wave, Dr. Dog, and the Shout Out Louds. You can download the album for free at Stereogum's website.