R.E.M.'s National TV Debut in 1983

In October 1983, Americans flocked to the theaters to see Sean Connery return as James Bond after a 12-year break in Never Say Never Again. The Number One song was Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart," though it would soon be eclipsed by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton's "Islands in the Stream" and Lionel Richie's "All Night Long." The top show on TV was CBS's Dallas, which drew over 21 million viewers per broadcast. Over on NBC, Late Night With David Letterman was well into its second season. A few months earlier, the 36-year-old host appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone with the cover line "How Weird Is David Letterman?" His show was reinventing television and comedy on a nightly basis, and on October 6th, 1983 the main guest was Julia Child, though Larry "Bud" Melman stopped by and Chris Elliott debuted his Conspiracy Guy character.
 It was also the night that R.E.M. first played to a national audience.