I misread you at first that R.E.M. didn’t have a big hit for a decade before signing their nutso contract, not even these huge hits you would go on to name. Like dude, do you have a Grateful-Dead-were-one-hit-wonders idea of a hit? But yeah, I get what you were really saying.

I heard “Love Will Tear Us Apart” yesterday and “Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go” plays sometimes. The grocery-store DJs really know what they’re doing; it’s easily the best part of working there and it makes up for a lot. It helps that they play the kind of music I like.

I was wrong, btw: “Don’t You Want Me” is only the second-best song ever. Best is “Bat Out of Hell” (which they don’t play) and the third is “You Make My Dreams” (which they do.)

“Don’t You Want Me” is Human League, btw, not Duran Duran. I don’t know if you meant to imply that; if you didn’t, my bad.

np: The Kinks - Do It Again (they also play “Come Dancing”). They really like New Order/Joy Division. “True Faith” just played and I’ve heard “Bizarre Love Triangle”. They definitely played “Total Eclipse of the Heart” yesterday (for the eclipse, if you’re reading this in the future.)