CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Members of the rock band R.E.M. said Wednesday that they have decided to split up, ending a 31-year run as a group. In a statement posted on their official website, lead singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills said: "To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening." The band released its 15th album, "Collapse Into Now," earlier this year on the Warner Bros. label, its home since 1988. In a separate comment on the site, Stipe said he hoped fans "realize this wasn't an easy decision," but that the band "wanted to do it right, to do it our way." Warner Bros. is part of Warner Music Group, which was acquired for $3.3 billion in July by privately held Access Industries.