It’s been a big week for R.E.M. fans — even bigger than we thought, with not just the release of the band’s 1991 and 2001 “MTV Unplugged” sets and the previously reported digital collection of I.R.S.-era rarities, but also a digital companion featuring a whopping 131 tracks from the band’s Warner Bros. period.

This week’s releases include a pair of titles from R.E.M. (the band’s 1991 and 2001 “Unplugged” sessions, plus a digital rarities set), a collection of Devo demos, a new best-of from The MIssion, a new album from Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbot of The Beautiful South, a Cramps vinyl reissue and more.

As the Arcade Fire’s current arena tour has crisscrossed the country, the band has selected a geographically significant cover song to perform each night — sometimes in full, sometimes just barely — and last night in Atlanta, the group performed a full version of R.E.M.’s 1981 debut single “Radio Free Europe.”

A new 50-song compilation of early R.E.M. material called Complete Rarities: I.R.S. 1982-1987 is due out digitally next month, but appears to be largely, if not completely, comprised of tracks previously assembled on 1987’s out-of-print Dead Letter Office, a more recent I.R.S. years best-of and singles.

Former R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe inducted Nirvana into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last night at a massive ceremony at the Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn, declaring of the genre-shaping alt rock act that, “This is not just pop music. This is something much greater than that.”

Last night at the venerable 40 Watt Club in Athens, Ga., Drivin’ N Cryin’ paid tribute to late guitarist Buren Fowler, who played with that band from 1988 to 1993 after working as Peter Buck’s guitar tech and an occasional second guitarist on two R.E.M. tours.

By now you’ve heard about R.E.M.’s Mike Mills breaking the news of David Letterman’s retirement yesterday, but here’s the reason he was even there: Mills and former bandmate Peter Buck reunited on “The Late Show” to back Joseph Arthur’s performance of “Walk on the Wild Side.”

R.E.M. will release a limited-edition 4LP set on Record Store Day that collects the audio from the band’s two appearances, in 1991 and 2001, on MTV’s “Unplugged” series, featuring all 33 songs the band performed at the two tapings, including 11 that never aired on either broadcast.

Buren Fowler — who played lead guitar in Southern rock act Drivin’ n’ Cryin’ from 1988 to 1993 after working as Peter Buck’s guitar tech and an occasional second guitarist on two R.E.M. tours — passed away Friday night, according to messages posted to both Drivin’ n’ Cryin’s official website and Facebook page.

Peter Buck is back with his second solo album, another vinyl-only release — ambitiously titled I Am Back To Blow Your Mind Once Again — that he’ll support with a short round of dates later this month in the Midwest and South opening for and then backing roots-rocker Alejandro Escovedo

Each year from 1988 to 2011, R.E.M. mailed a special holiday single to every dues-paying member of its fan club, a total of 24 singles that featured Christmas songs, covers, live tracks and originals, spread across 7-inch vinyl for the first 10 years, then alternating between CDs, DVDs, vinyl and VHS.

As we noted over the weekend, the former members of R.E.M. seemed to go out of their way to avoid staging a full reunion Saturday night at Peter Buck’s wedding in Portland, Ore., as all four ex-bandmates took the stage to perform at the Wonder Ballroom at one point or another — just never all at once.

There very well could have been a full-fledged R.E.M. reunion in Portland, Ore., on Saturday night as all four members of the defunct college-rock superstars performed after Peter Buck’s wedding. But, by all appearances, they managed to avoid such headlines, just barely, by not actually sharing the stage together.