It’s almost too much to take: A famous band breaks up after three decades, and you have to choose just one of their songs to riff on when it comes time to write the headline or a lede. Alas, 31 years of recordings didn’t lead to much variety in the initial round of obituaries for the band. Some samples from around the media:

1. “The End of R.E.M., and They Feel Fine.” ( New York Times)

2. “R.E.M.: They Stood in the Place Where They Lived.” (Time)

3. “It’s the End of the Band as We Know It.” (The Atlantic)

4. “Everybody hurts. Today it’s the turn of R.E.M fans.” (News.com.au)

5. “R.E.M. Split After Finding They Are Out of Time.” (Beehivecity.com)