For a lot of people, no most people, REM began with 'Out of Time' which led people eventually to delve back a bit deeper due to the re-release success of 'The One I Love' and 'End of the World as We Know it (And I Feel Fine)' but most still don't know 'Reckoning' or 'Fables of the Reconstruction' which is an eternal abomination.
The early style, set out on 'Murmur' (Still One of the greatest debut albums ever) and continued through the early to mid 80's was of jangly rickenbacker guitar work that made them sound more like a spiky version of The Byrds than anything else and an energetic American college sound that doesn't seem to date ever.
Again people argue over the meaning of Pretty Persuasion and certainly Michael Stipe is never One to elaborate for the listener's benefit. Indeed, often he would simply make up contrary nonsense in interviews with journalists just to make mischief with regards to what his lyrics meant.
Anyway, this One seems to be about anti-consumerism and the growing hold of commercial interests but then again some people again think it refers to his sexuality (Which they tend to default to at the drop of a hat) All I know is that it is beautifully wrapped up in jangly guitar and a very bloody hummable melody like so much of their 80's work. Seek it out. Seek it all out.