What's the Frequency, Kenneth?

R.E.M. wrote "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" at Kingsway Studio in New Orleans in October 1993, about two months after work on their album Monster began. Michael Stipe said the lyrics concerned the Generation X phenomenon in contemporary mass media, sung in character as an older critic whose information came exclusively from media products. He described the protagonist as a man desperately trying to understand what motivates the younger generation, and by the end of the song he had gotten nowhere.

The title referred to a 1986 incident in New York City in which two assailants attacked journalist Dan Rather while repeating "Kenneth, what is the frequency?" Released by Warner Bros. Records on September 5, 1994, as the first single from Monster, the song peaked at number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the first song to debut at number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. In Iceland it spent four weeks at number one.

Guitarist Peter Buck later explained that the song slows toward its conclusion because bassist Mike Mills slowed the pace mid-take and the rest of the band followed. Mills then looked strange, and it turned out he had appendicitis and had to be rushed to the hospital, so the take was never redone. A music video directed by Peter Care was shot in Hollywood in August 1994, showing the band performing under flashing blue, red, yellow and green lights.