R.E.M.'s 'Losing My Religion' is one of the most unlikely hits in history, as it features a mandolin as the primary instrument. Guitarist Peter Buck had recently bought a mandolin and was practicing while watching television; he accidentally came up with the main riff while trying to learn how to play the instrument. Despite the title, the song is not actually about religion. In the Southern United States, 'losing my religion' is a slang phrase meaning 'to lose one's temper' or 'reaching the end of one's rope.' Lead singer Michael Stipe said the lyrics were actually about unrequited love and obsession. The song reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and won two Grammy Awards. Its artistic music video, inspired by the painter Caravaggio and filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky, helped the song become a cornerstone of 1990s alternative culture.