“It was R.E.M. who showed other Eighties bands how to get away with ignoring the rules - they lived in some weird town nobody never heard of, they didn't play power chords, they probably couldn't even spell 'spandex.' All they had was songs.”

American music journalist and author

Rob Sheffield is an American music journalist and author. He is known for writing about music with a close, personal voice that connects criticism, memory, and pop culture. His work appears in print as both journalism and books. He writes about songs and the culture around them, drawing on the perspective of a long-time music critic and writer.