I think this one calls for a proper rank and compare technique.
Pop Vs. Up, and I'll neglect my two least favorite UP songs, since that would give it a bonus 2 points...a bit unfair.
1. Wake Up Dead Man vs. Walk Unafraid
WINNER: Walk Unafraid, no contest, one of REM's greatest achievements
2. Do You Feel Loved vs. Falls to Climb
WINNER: Falls to Climb
3. If You Wear That Velvet Dress vs. Suspicion
WINNER: Suspicion
4. Please vs. Daysleeper
WINNER: Daysleeper
5. Discotheque vs. Hope
WINNER: Hope
6. MOFO vs. Sad Professor
WINNER: MOFO
7. Gone vs. Lotus
WINNER: Lotus
8. Miami vs. At My Most Beautiful
WINNER: Hahaha, funny, At My Most Beautiful, of course
9. Staring At The Sun vs. You're In The Air
WINNER: You're In the Air
10. The Playboy Mansion vs. Diminished
WINNER: The Playboy Mansion
11. If God Will Send His Angels vs. Why Not Smile
WINNER: Why Not Smile
12. Last Night On Earth vs. The Apologist
WINNER: The Apologist
FINAL TALLY:
UP= 10
Pop = 2
Pop wins a couple lucky rounds, because sometimes the weaker somes on UP can leave a lot to be desired, not fully fleshed out, not unlike much of Pop. Overall though, there really isn't much of a contest. When the mood strikes me, I usually consider UP to be R.E.M.'s finest album. It's everything a rebirth of a band should be, and a fantastic, miraculous, and incredibly inspiring work or art in its own right. It inspired Radiohead to create the amazing Kid A, which itself it almost like an extension of UP, build by a different band altogether.