R.E.M.'s ninth album,?Monster, was released at a time when the band were coming off the peak of their mainstream success, following?Out of Time?(1991) and?Automatic?For?The People?(1992). Coming from a long break in touring (the band famously didn't tour with the two previous records), Monster represented an intentional shift in R.E.M.'s sound, a "return to rock" with guitar laden, simple arrangements. It was released to strong reviews and significant global success - reaching #1 on Billboard.