Frontman Michael Stipe initially objected to including the song on the album, but was convinced by his bandmates Peter Buck and Mike Mills.

Commercially, "Electrolite" reached the top 40 in Canada, Finland, Iceland and the United Kingdom but stalled at number 96 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

The single's music video, directed by Peter Care and Spike Jonze, "involved dune buggies, crazy costumes, and rubber reindeer.

[2] The lyrics were composed by Stipe about the two-year period he spent living in Santa Monica and the trips he would take to look down on Los Angeles from Mulholland Drive.

[4] In June 2006, the website of the Los Angeles Times featured an article on Mulholland Drive including excerpts from an essay written by Stipe:[5][6]

"[citation needed]Paul Lester from Melody Maker wrote that "the cello-plaintive" song was "fine".

June 8, 1997, New York City October 27, 1998, London July 19, 2003, Wiesbaden October 7, 2003, New York City June 30 – July 5, 2007, Dublin March 13, 2008, Austin "Electrolite" "The Wake-Up Bomb" (Live) "Binky the Doormat" (Live) "King of Comedy" (808 State Remix)

A version recorded live in-studio at Clinton Studios in New York City on October 7, 2003 was included in the promotional disc A Joyful Noise – In Time with R.E.M.