# Out of Time (album)

Out of Time is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on March 12, 1991, by Warner Bros. Records. With Out of Time, R.E.M.'s status grew from that of a cult band to a massive international act. The record topped the album sales charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom, spending 109 weeks on U.S. album charts, with two separate spells at the top, and spending 183 weeks on the British charts, including one week at the top. The album has sold more than four and a half million copies in the United States and more than 18 million copies worldwide. Out of Time won three Grammy Awards in 1992: one as Best Alternative Music Album, and two for its first single, "Losing My Religion".

## Details

Out of Time combines elements of pop, folk and classical music heard on the band's previous album, Green, with a new concentration on country elements that would continue on 1992's Automatic for the People. It features guest appearances by KRS-One and Kate Pierson from The B-52's.
Preceded by the release of "Losing My Religion", which became R.E.M.'s biggest U.S. hit, Out of Time gave them their first U.S. and UK No. 1 album. The band did not tour to support the release, although they did make occasional appearances on television or at festivals. In Germany, it is the band's best-selling album, selling more than 1,250,000 copies, reaching 5× gold. Out of Time was the first R.E.M. album to have an alternative expanded release on CD, including expanded liner notes and postcards. In Spain, a contest was held to have a limited-edition cover, with the winner being an abstract oil painting.
For the 25th anniversary the album was remastered. The standard version of the reissue comes with a second disc of demos, the deluxe version adds a third disc featuring live acoustic tracks. It was released through Concord Records on November 18, 2016.

## Songs
### Time Side
#### "Radio Song"

"Radio Song" opens Out of Time with an unconventional introduction featuring KRS-One of Boogie Down Productions, whose spoken word segment sets the tone: "Hey, I can't find nothing on the radio. Yo, turn to that station." The band's characteristic sound—Peter Buck's ringing guitar, Mike Mills' bass, and Michael Stipe's vocals—enters only after this opening gambit, with Stipe singing about the world "collapsing around our ears." The track then transitions into a funk-influenced groove, a style R.E.M. had not explored in such depth since Fables of the Reconstruction's "Can't Get There From Here". KRS-One contributes a rap that both Stipe and Bill Berry credit with revitalizing the song. While initially intended only to provide vocal interjections, KRS-One developed a full rap that aligned with the song's critique of radio programming. Stipe, a fan of Boogie Down Productions' Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop, noted that KRS-One's contributions were fueled by shared frustrations with the radio industry. Other guest performers on the track include Peter Holsapple on additional bass, Kidd Jordan on tenor, alto, and baritone saxophones, and strings arranged by Mark Bingham. Producer Scott Litt added echo and tape loop effects.
Musically, the track features Mills on Hammond organ, which evokes the sound of a classic Stax recording according to Craig Rosen in R.E.M. Inside Out: The Stories Behind Every Song, complemented by Buck's funky, minimalist guitar riffs and Berry's syncopated drumming. Stipe's vocal delivery alternates between heartfelt and humorous, reflecting the song's critique of formulaic radio playlists. Lyrically, "Radio Song" protests the repetitive and uninspired nature of commercial radio, a theme underscored by Berry's pointed comment that "We don't owe radio shit" due to the band's early struggles for airplay. Stipe, however, viewed the song with a lighter perspective, calling it a humorous critique, including his own performance. He hoped listeners would grasp the irony in his dramatic opening plea about the collapsing world and KRS-One's thought-provoking rap. An alternate version of the song, the Tower of Luv Bug Mix remixed by Herby "Luvbug" Azor, was included on a promotional CD single. This mix added spoken-word radio parody elements, female backing vocals, and jazzy instrumentation.

#### "Losing My Religion"

"Losing My Religion" emerged from an initial idea by Buck. He experimented with a mandolin while drinking beer and watching a baseball game, recording the result on a boom box. During rehearsals, the band worked on this initial idea, with Berry initially playing bass before switching to drums. The song developed into a full band arrangement, with Buck on mandolin and electric octave guitar, Mike Mills on bass and keyboard strings, Berry on drums and percussion, and Peter Holsapple on acoustic guitar. When previewed live at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia, the band performed it acoustically without Berry.
Stipe described "Losing My Religion" as "a classic obsession song", explaining that it explores themes of unrequited love, though he was quick to deny any autobiographical connection. Instead, Stipe suggested the song was written as an extension of "World Leader Pretend" and composed from an "everyman" perspective, reflecting on significant revelations and the changes they bring. Despite this, lines like "That's me in the corner / That's me in the spotlight" have often been interpreted as deeply personal, leading to speculation about Stipe's own psyche. In 1991, Buck remarked to the Independent that the song seemed autobiographical, a claim Stipe resisted. Another popular theory that circulated after the song's release was that it reflects the perspective of Mark David Chapman during his assassination of John Lennon. Nevertheless, Stipe has maintained that the song's themes are broader, drawing on universal experiences of vulnerability and obsession rather than specific personal or historical events.

#### "Low"

"Low" features an organ played by Mike Mills as its musical foundation, described by Stipe as evoking the atmosphere of a funeral parlor. Often performed during the Green tour, "Low" was among the earliest songs completed for the album. Its instrumentation includes Mills on organ, Berry on congas, Buck on guitar, Holsapple on bass, and additional string arrangements by Bingham. The song's lyrics reflect Stipe's critical perspective on love songs, particularly in the lines, "I skipped the part about love / It seemed so silly, it seemed so shallow." While Stipe generally avoided using the word "love" in his songwriting, he reintroduced it in "Low," marking the first instance since "The One I Love". Stipe noted that the song hinges on the word "time," particularly in the final verse: "You and me, we know about time."

#### "Near Wild Heaven"

"Near Wild Heaven", described as a Beach Boys-influenced pop song, is one of two tracks on the album featuring Mills as the primary vocalist, with Buck noting it functions as a duet between Mills and Stipe, who co-wrote the lyrics. Buck acknowledged the influence of the Beach Boys on the track, citing their albums Smiley Smile and Wild Honey as sources of inspiration during the recording process. He noted that Capitol Records had recently released a series of Beach Boys reissues with outtakes, which he listened to extensively. Buck explained that he suggested the song's high harmony part to evoke the Beach Boys' style. Both Mills and Bill Berry also shared a history of singing along to the Beach Boys' music while driving around Macon, Georgia. Despite this influence, Stipe stated that he was not a fan of the Beach Boys, describing his limited experience with Pet Sounds as unconvincing, even as he acknowledged Brian Wilson's talent.

#### "Endgame"

"Endgame" is an instrumental track with Stipe contributing wordless "la la las" over its orchestral arrangement. The piece, described by Peter Buck as an "end title sequence", was conceived to evoke the atmosphere of a film's closing theme. Buck stated, "It sounds like the movie's over, and that's the last theme." Stipe offered a different visual interpretation, imagining Buck on a grand stage, surrounded by classically trained musicians, playing guitar as the music swirls around him "like the ocean." The song marked Buck's first substantial effort in composing with live musicians. He replaced most of his original vocal melodies with instrumental lines, retaining his voice only for the opening verse. Stipe chose not to write lyrics for the track, explaining that imposing words would limit its interpretive possibilities, reducing its emotional scope. He commented, "Music has its shifts and ebb and flow, but the minute you put a word on it, you’ve truncated it, tunnel-visioned it into something."
The recording featured several collaborators. Cecil Welch, a flugelhorn player known for his work with Henry Mancini, contributed a horn part that Stipe wrote, which he said sounded remarkably like a Mancini composition. Stipe described the experience of working with Welch as a thrill, citing his admiration for Mancini's work. In addition to Welch, the track incorporated strings arranged by Stipe and Mark Bingham. Other instrumentation included percussion by Berry, acoustic and electric guitars by Buck, bass and backing vocals by Mills, bass clarinet and tenor saxophone by Ralph Carney, and Stipe playing bass melodica. While "Endgame" features orchestral elements, Buck contrasted its approach to classical music with what he called the bombastic tendencies of his generation. He noted a preference for the intimacy of smaller string arrangements over the grandeur of large-scale orchestral references, adding that Endgame avoids the pretentiousness often associated with rock acts incorporating classical elements.

### Memory Side
#### "Shiny Happy People"

"Shiny Happy People", described by Buck as a "silly, stupid little song", features a collaboration with Kate Pierson of the B-52s, marking R.E.M.'s first time working with her. Pierson's contribution was highlighted as a major aspect of the track, with both Mills and Stipe praising the experience. Stipe referred to Pierson as "probably my favorite female singer", while Mills called working with her a "highlight". The recording features Buck on electric guitar, Mills playing upright bass, Berry contributing drums, and acoustic guitar provided by Holsapple. The song was recorded in one take, with Pierson and Stipe adding vocals shortly thereafter. Stipe described the song as "the happiest song" he had ever written, highlighting its lyrical construction with "so many E sounds" that he claimed make it impossible not to smile when singing it.
Musically, the song features a 3/4 waltz-time signature section in its introduction and middle, which Berry described as part of the band's effort to keep their recordings interesting through experimentation. Berry viewed the unusual time signature as a way to challenge conventional pop song structures. In contrast, Mills expressed skepticism about mid-song time changes, remarking, "I personally think that 'Psychotic Reaction' is the only good song that changes time in the middle."

#### "Belong"

"Belong" features spoken word vocals by Michael Stipe, a stylistic choice previously explored on the alternate take of "7 Chinese Bros." titled "Voice of Harold". The track relies on background vocals by Mills and Berry. Stipe's spoken vocal line was recorded using a Walkman in a three-car garage at a rental house rather than in the studio. Dissatisfied with the clarity of his studio-recorded vocals, Stipe borrowed producer Scott Litt's Walkman to capture a rawer sound. The garage's acoustics provided the desired reverb for the track, with Stipe later reflecting on the risk of recording near a tank of noxious gas.
The song's lyrics introduce a woman and her child responding to an unspecified event. Stipe clarified that the woman's act of opening a window is not violent, stating, "It's not a song about defenestration." The event in question is described as something far away that profoundly impacts the woman, leading her to reflect on its significance to her child and herself. The lyrics also reference "creatures" that "jumped the barricades", though the nature of these creatures remains ambiguous. Stipe once described "Belong" as "probably the most political song on the record", though its political context is not explicit. In live performances, Stipe has introduced the song as addressing "a more intimate type" of war.

#### "Half a World Away"

"Half a World Away" opens with Michael Stipe singing the line, "This could be the saddest dusk I've ever seen," over a foundation of organ, acoustic guitar, and mandolin. The song conveys a melancholy tone, which Stipe has described in concert as "the saddest song ever written". The track's composition was influenced by Buck's experiences playing with folk musicians during the recording period. Buck described these jam sessions as a departure from his rock background, involving traditional songs performed on porches. Though R.E.M.'s music is not traditional folk, Buck noted that some of these influences "leaked through" into their work, particularly in the acoustic instrumentation. He emphasized, however, that R.E.M.'s songs are more complex, using a greater number of chords and varied time signatures compared to traditional folk music. In addition to R.E.M.'s usual instrumentation, the track incorporates a harpsichord, played by Mike Mills, which adds a baroque quality to the arrangement. A string arrangement by Mark Bingham further enhances the song’s orchestral texture. While the song's lyrics suggest a longing for a loved one, Stipe explained that "Half a World Away" is a "complete fabrication", drawn from a mixture of personal knowledge, stories he heard, and things he saw on television. Despite its constructed narrative, Stipe acknowledged that there is an emotional core to the song.

#### "Texarkana"

"Texarkana" features Mills as the lead vocalist, with Stipe providing background vocals. Mills described the role reversal as enjoyable but noted that he would not want to take on lead vocal duties regularly. Despite the title referencing the city that straddles the border between Texas and Arkansas, the lyrics make no mention of Texarkana or its characteristics. Peter Buck explained that the song originally had lyrics written by Stipe that referenced Texarkana, but when Stipe was unable to complete them, Mills wrote new lyrics and recorded the vocal part in just half an hour. The original title was retained, even though it had no connection to the new lyrics. Musically, the track features a galloping bass line and a blend of real and synthesized strings, creating a melody that has been compared to the sound of the Moody Blues by Rosen. John Keane, a frequent collaborator with R.E.M., contributes pedal steel guitar to the song while Holsapple provides instrumental support.

#### "Country Feedback"

"Country Feedback" was recorded as a demo before formal sessions for the album began. According to Buck, the song was created quickly, with its initial recording taking only 35 minutes. Buck contributed acoustic guitar and "loud guitar," while Bill Berry played bass and percussion. Mike Mills provided organ, Pierson contributed backing vocals that are barely audible in the mix, and Keane added pedal steel guitar.
The song's title reflects its musical style, blending elements of country with feedback-laden instrumentation. Buck explained that the process began with four chords and a basic structure, to which Michael Stipe later added lyrics. While Buck initially claimed Stipe wrote the lyrics immediately, he later clarified that a day passed between the music's creation and Stipe's vocal contributions. Stipe employed what he called a "projectile vomiting" approach to lyric writing, using stream-of-consciousness techniques and sketching symbols, including an "Indian head and an arrow", as visual cues during the process. The vocal delivery is described as bitter and desperate by Rosen, with Stipe at one point appearing to say "Fuck off," though he clarified the lyric as "Fuck all". Stipe characterized the song as a love song that explores the "uglier side" of a relationship, reflecting themes of desperation and resignation. Buck praised the lyrics as an authentic expression of Stipe's emotions at the time of recording.

#### "Me in Honey"

"Me in Honey" originated from a simple one-chord riff played by Mills. Buck recalled to Melody Maker that Mills's riff was recorded as a short 30-second section at the end of a cassette featuring other songs. Stipe became fixated on the snippet and developed a complete song from it. Buck explained that the riff was divided into sections to create verses of varying lengths, and a single additional chord was introduced for the chorus at Stipe's request. Stipe wrote the lyrics through a process of working out lines on paper, a development Buck described as surprising given the song's minimal starting point.
Thematically, Stipe explained that "Me in Honey" serves as a response to 10,000 Maniacs' song "Eat for Two", offering a male perspective on pregnancy. He described the song's dynamic as grappling with conflicting emotions—on one hand, distancing himself from responsibility, and on the other, expressing personal feelings about the situation. Musically, "Me in Honey" features R.E.M.'s traditional instrumentation, with contributions from Pierson, whose voice opens and closes the track, as it does on the album's opening song, "Radio Song". The band kept the arrangement straightforward, refraining from adding any additional instrumentation beyond Pierson's vocals.

## Packaging

Warner Bros. Records executive Jeff Gold, alongside Rock the Vote campaign co-founder and Virgin Records executive Jeff Ayeroff, approached R.E.M. in regards to printing a petition on the back of Out of Time's CD longbox packaging in the United States, where buyers were encouraged to sign their name in support for Rock the Vote, who were in support of the Motor Voter Act to ease voter registration, and would allow voters "to register through their local DMV". Gold reasoned, considering many of the album's buyers would be young, that this could "vote out" the controversial Parents Music Resource Center music censorship bill, who "put pressure on the creators and distributors of 'objectionable' music", as well as make good use of the popular longbox packaging format of the day, which many artists and customers considered unnecessary and wasteful. Michael Stipe also appeared in a public service announcement for the campaign.
In July 2014, radio show 99% Invisible said that because of this packaging, Out of Time is "the most politically significant album in the history of the United States". They said that three weeks after the album's release, "they had received 10,000 petitions, 100 per senator, and they just kept coming in droves", and a month following its release, the campaign's political director and members of KMD "wheeled a shopping cart full of the first 10,000 petitions into a senate hearing". The bill was eventually passed in 1993 by Bill Clinton and was in effect January 1, 1995; one commentary later said this happened "in no small part because of R.E.M.'s lobbying".

## Critical reception

Contemporary professional reviews :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| Chicago Tribune | |
| Entertainment Weekly | B− |
| Los Angeles Times | |
| NME | 10/10 |
| Q | |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Select | 5/5 |
Out of Time received mostly positive reviews on release. Critics offered varied perspectives on the album, highlighting its experimentation and emotional depth. Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune called the album "R.E.M.'s most consistent effort since Reckoning" and appreciated its use of strings, horns, and guest musicians, which "accent the band's melodic strengths". He described the album as "a song cycle of love songs that sound intimate even in the wide open spaces of the arrangements". Writing for Entertainment Weekly, David Browne felt the album fell short of the band's previous standards, stating that while "strings, organs, and collaborations with rappers and the B-52's" gave the album a different texture, it "never matches the vibrancy of the band's earlier work." In the Los Angeles Times, Richard Cromelin observed that the album diverged from the sound of Green, noting that it "draws a line between the bright polish of its radio-ready pop songs and the impressionistic allure of its more shadowy tracks." He acknowledged the string arrangements and moments where R.E.M. aimed to "recapture the aura of their early mystique." Mark Cooper of Q agreed, highlighting Stipe's vocals and the harmony singing while describing the album as a "brooding departure [that] offers them at their most reflective, challenging and intriguing".
Terry Staunton of NME highlighted the album's eclecticism, noting it "veers from the playful exuberance of 'Shiny Happy People' to the desolate beauty of 'Country Feedback'". He concluded, "This is a band growing older with dignity, without losing their sense of adventure." Parke Puterbaugh of Rolling Stone praised the record for achieving a balance between new mainstream appeal and the band's original identity, writing, "R.E.M. have managed to simultaneously branch out and consolidate their strengths." David Cavanagh of Select labeled Out of Time the band's "finest album to date". He noted a shift from political themes toward introspection, remarking, "This is an album of sweet melodies and tender words", with Mike Mills taking a larger role, as exemplified by his lead vocals on "Near Wild Heaven".
Out of Time was one of R.E.M.'s more successful albums in terms of awards and nominations. It was their only album to win a Grammy Award, for Best Alternative Music Album. It also won the Q Award for Best Album of 1991.

## Legacy

Retrospective professional reviews :
| Aggregate scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 80/100 |
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| American Songwriter | 4/5 |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide | A |
| Classic Rock | |
| Drowned in Sound | 9/10 |
| Pitchfork | 8.4/10 |
| Record Collector | |
| Uncut | |
| Under the Radar | |
In 2000, Out of Time was voted number 49 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums. It was featured in Time magazine's 2006 list of the "All-Time 100 Albums". According to the review aggregator Metacritic, the 25th anniversary re-release of Out of Time received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 from nine critic reviews.

## Track listing

All tracks written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe.
Time Side
* "Radio Song" – 4:15
* "Losing My Religion" – 4:28
* "Low" – 4:55
* "Near Wild Heaven" – 3:17
* "Endgame" – 3:48
Memory Side
* "Shiny Happy People" – 3:44
* "Belong" – 4:03
* "Half a World Away" – 3:26
* "Texarkana" – 3:36
* "Country Feedback" – 4:07
* "Me in Honey" – 4:06

## Personnel

Personnel adapted from Out of Time liner notes, except where indicated.
R.E.M.
* Bill Berry – drums ("Radio Song", "Losing My Religion", "Near Wild Heaven" , "Shiny Happy People", "Belong", "Texarkana", "Me In Honey"), percussion (all tracks), congas ("Low"), bass guitar ("Half a World Away", "Country Feedback"), piano ("Near Wild Heaven"), vocals ("Near Wild Heaven", "Belong", "Country Feedback"); production
* Peter Buck – electric guitar (all except "Half a World Away"), acoustic guitar ("Endgame", "Half a World Away", "Country Feedback"), mandolin ("Losing My Religion", "Half a World Away"); production
* Mike Mills – bass guitar ("Radio Song", "Losing My Religion", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Belong", "Texarkana", "Me In Honey"), vocals ("Losing My Religion", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Belong", "Half a World Away", "Texarkana", "Me In Honey"), organ ("Radio Song", "Low", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", "Country Feedback"), piano ("Belong"), harpsichord and percussion ("Half a World Away"), string synthesizer and arrangement ("Losing My Religion", "Texarkana"); production
* Michael Stipe – vocals (all tracks), bass melodica and arrangements ("Endgame"); production, packaging, photography
Additional musicians
* David Arenz – violin ("Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", "Texarkana")
* Ellie Arenz – violin ("Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", "Texarkana")
* Mark Bingham – string arrangements ("Radio Song", "Losing My Religion", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", "Texarkana")
* David Braitberg – violin ("Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", "Texarkana")
* Andrew Cox – cello ("Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", "Texarkana")
* Reid Harris – viola ("Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", "Texarkana")
* Peter Holsapple – bass guitar ("Radio Song", "Low"), acoustic guitar ("Losing My Religion", "Shiny Happy People", "Texarkana"), electric guitar ("Belong")
* Ralph Jones – double bass ("Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", "Texarkana")
* Kidd Jordan – baritone saxophone ("Radio Song", "Near Wild Heaven"), tenor saxophone ("Radio Song", "Endgame"), alto saxophone ("Radio Song"), bass clarinet ("Low", "Endgame")
* John Keane – pedal steel guitar ("Texarkana", "Country Feedback")
* Dave Kempers – violin ("Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", "Texarkana")
* KRS-One – rapping ("Radio Song")
* Scott Litt – echo-loop feed ("Radio Song")
* Elizabeth Murphy – cello ("Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", "Texarkana")
* Paul Murphy – viola ("Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", "Texarkana")
* Kate Pierson – backing vocals ("Near Wild Heaven"), and duet ("Shiny Happy People", "Me In Honey")
* Jay Weigel – orchestral liaison ("Radio Song", "Low", "Near Wild Heaven", "Endgame", "Shiny Happy People", "Half a World Away", "Texarkana")
* Cecil Welch – flugelhorn ("Endgame")
Production
* Dave Friedlander – engineering
* Tom Garneau – engineering
* Ben Katchor – illustrations
* John Keane – engineering
* Scott Litt – production, engineering
* Ted Malia – engineering
* Stephen Marcussen – mastering, at Precision Mastering, Los Angeles, California, United States
* Frank Ockenfels – photography
* Tom Recchion – packaging
* Mike Reiter – engineering
* Ed Rogers – illustrations
* Karina Santo – photography
* Doug Starn – photography
* Mike Starn – photography

## Certifications and sales

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Argentina (CAPIF) | Gold | 30,000$^^$ |
| Australia (ARIA) | 2× Platinum | 140,000$^^$ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria) | Platinum | 50,000$^*$ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) | Gold | 100,000$^*$ |
| Canada (Music Canada) | 7× Platinum | 700,000$^^$ |
| France (SNEP) | 2× Platinum | 600,000$^*$ |
| Germany (BVMI) | 5× Gold | 1,250,000$^^$ |
| Italy sales as of 1999 | — | 500,000 |
| Italy (FIMI) sales since 2009 | Gold | 25,000$^‡$ |
| Netherlands (NVPI) | 2× Platinum | 200,000$^^$ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | Gold | 7,500$^^$ |
| Norway | — | 60,000 |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | 5× Platinum | 500,000$^^$ |
| Sweden (GLF) | Gold | 50,000$^^$ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) | 2× Platinum | 100,000$^^$ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | 5× Platinum | 1,786,954 |
| United States (RIAA) | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000$^^$ |
| Summaries |||
| Worldwide | — | 18,000,000 |
| $^*$ Sales figures based on certification alone. $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. $^‡$ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |||

## Release history

In 2005, Warner Bros. Records issued an expanded two-disc edition of Out of Time which includes a CD, a DVD-Audio disc containing a 5.1-channel surround sound mix of the album done by Elliot Scheiner, lyrics, a photo album, and the original CD booklet with expanded liner notes. In 2011 Warner Bros. released a 96 kHz, 24-bit and 192 kHz, 24 bit stereo release (the same High-Resolution stereo mix as featured on the DVD-Audio and later, the Blu-Ray editions) of the album at HDtracks.
Out of Time
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
| Germany | March 8, 1991 | Warner Bros. | Compact Disc | 7599-26496-2 |
| United Kingdom | March 11, 1991 | Warner Bros. | LP | 7599-26496-1 |
| United Kingdom | March 11, 1991 | Warner Bros. | Compact Disc | 7599-26496-2 |
| United States | March 12, 1991 | Warner Bros. | LP | 1-26496 |
| United States | March 12, 1991 | Warner Bros. | Compact Disc | 2-26527 |
| United States | March 12, 1991 | Warner Bros. | Cassette | 4-26496 |
| Canada | March 12, 1991 | Warner Bros. | Compact Disc | CD 26496 |
| France | March 1991 | Warner Bros. | Compact Disc | WE 833 |
| Germany | March 1991 | Warner Bros. | Digital Compact Cassette | 7599-26496-5 |
| Argentina | 1991 | Warner Bros. | Cassette | 4-26496 |
| Bolivia | 1991 | Warner Bros. | LP | WEA WL-1152 |
| Brazil | 1991 | Warner Bros. | LP | 6709323 |
| Germany | 1991 | Warner Bros. | LP | 7599-26496-1† |
| Israel | 1991 | Hed Arzi | Compact Disc | 9 26496-2 |
| Japan | 1991 | Warner Bros. | Compact Disc | WPCP 4195 |
| Mexico | 1991 | Warner Bros. | LP | LPNB-7069 |
| Russia | 1991 | Warner Bros. | LP | 1092MD/RGM 7028-1A/2 |
| South Africa | 1991 | Warner Bros./Tusk | Compact Disc | WBCD 1701 |
| South Korea | 1991 | Warner Bros. | LP | 7599-26496-1 |
| Zimbabwe | 1991 | Tusk | LP | WBC 1701 |
| Australia | 1991 | Warner Bros. | Compact Disc | 7599264962 |
| United States | 2005 | Warner Bros. | Compact Disc/DVD-Audio DualDisc | 73951 |
| Internet | 2011 | Warner Bros. | LPCM FLAC 96 kHz/24bit, LPCM FLAC 192 kHz /24bit | |
Note
* † Edition packaged with a bonus 7" single—"World Leader Pretend"/"Turn You Inside Out" from Tourfilm
Box sets
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog | Notes |
| Australia | 1995 | Warner Bros. | Compact Disc box set | 9362460742 | Packaged with Green |