"End of the World" a Boon for R.E.M.

Photo: Anton CorbijnThe Mayan calendar prophecy of the apocalypse on December 21 was a bust, but it was a boon for R.E.M. Their signature song "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" received a surge in sales and airplay.

According to Billboard, sales of the 1987 track jumped 612 percent from December 17-23 as sales increased from 3,000 to 19,000.  The song re-entered the Billboard Rock Digital Songs chart at #18 and the Alternative Digital Songs chart at #14.  In addition, airplay on radio stations monitored by Nielsen jumped from 50 plays on December 20 to 135 on December 21.

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