R.E.M.

Peter Buck famously bought his first guitar, a Sears Silvertone, for $5 at a flea market. He was largely self-taught, which partly explains his unconventional approach to chord voicings and picking patterns that don't follow textbook rules.

Buck's iconic Rickenbacker 360 jangle tone on early R.E.M. records was so influential that it essentially defined the sound of American college rock and inspired countless bands from The Smiths to Radiohead to pick up Rickenbackers.

On 'Everybody Hurts,' the arpeggiated D and G chord pattern was deliberately written to be simple enough for beginners. The band wanted the song to be emotionally accessible, and they succeeded, it remains one of the most popular first songs for new guitarists to learn.

Buck rarely uses a pick in a traditional way, he often holds it loosely or switches to fingerpicking mid-song. On 'Man On The Moon,' the strumming has a loose, almost folk-like quality that comes from this relaxed grip technique.

During the recording of 'Automatic for the People,' Peter Buck experimented extensively with acoustic guitars, mandolins, and bouzoukis, layering multiple stringed instruments to create the album's lush textures. The guitar parts you hear aren't always standard six-string.

R.E.M. recorded many of their guitar parts with minimal overdubs, what you hear is often a single guitar track with vocals and bass. This forced Buck to develop voicings that filled the frequency spectrum without needing layered parts, a skill every working guitarist should study.

'Shiny Happy People' features one of Buck's most straightforward pop-rock guitar parts, a bright, upstroke-heavy rhythm pattern. It's a perfect example of how a simple, well-executed strumming pattern with the right tone can carry an entire hit single.