More than 40 years on from its college-radio breakthrough, R.E.M.’s debut single “Radio Free Europe” has found new life—and new purpose. Today the band unveils Radio Free Europe 2025, a five-song benefit EP anchored by a never-before-heard remix of the classic track by longtime collaborator Jacknife Lee. This special release honors the 75th anniversary of the original Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and arrives just in time for World Press Freedom Day on May 3.
Radio Free Europe 2025 is streaming and available for download now. For collectors, a limited-edition 10″ orange vinyl pressing—available for pre-order today via the official R.E.M. store and select independent shops—ships September 12, with all proceeds supporting RFE/RL’s mission of delivering independent news behind censorship walls worldwide.
Since 1950, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has broadcast in 27 languages across 23 nations where journalism is under siege. R.E.M. members have long championed that fight:
“Censorship anywhere threatens the truth everywhere. On World Press Freedom Day, here’s to the brave souls at Radio Free Europe,” says Michael Stipe.
“Pissing off dictators for 75 years—that’s the sign of a job well done. Happy World Press Freedom Day to the OG RFE,” adds bassist Mike Mills.
The EP—overseen by R.E.M.’s original producer Mitch Easter—pairs Jacknife Lee’s fresh 2025 remix with four landmark 1981 recordings from those first Drive-In Studio sessions: the Hib-Tone single mix of “Radio Free Europe,” its flip-side “Sitting Still,” the instrumental demo “Wh. Tornado,” and Easter’s newly surfaced “Radio Free Dub” mix.
Inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry in 2009, “Radio Free Europe” set the template for generations of indie rock. Now, R.E.M. resurrects it once more—turning nostalgia into action and reminding us that, in music and in media, freedom still needs champions.
Click here to pre-order/stream Radio Free Europe 2025 now.
Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.