REM have scored their highest position on the US Billboard chart in 12 years with their new album 'Accelerate'.
The Athens rock veterans sold 115,000 copies of the album in the past week, garnering them the Number Two position on the chart.
It's the first time the band have made such a strong chart debut since 1996's 'New Adventures In Hi-Fi', which also hit Number Two.
REM were beat out by country star George Strait, who earned the Number One spot with his new album 'Troubadour'.
Meanwhile, another veteran songwriter, Van Morrison, achieved the highest chart spot of his four-decade career with 'Keep It Simple', which debuted at Number 10.
'Shine A Light', the soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's concert film about The Rolling Stones, came in at Number 11, while Ohio blues-rock duo The Black Keys debuted at Number 14 with their Danger Mouse-produced album 'Attack And Release'.
--By our Los Angeles staff.
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