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Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon,
Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
, in 1985. The band consists of
Thom Yorke Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician and the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and keyboards and is noted for his falsetto. He has been describe ...
(vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers
Jonny Greenwood Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood (born 5 November 1971) is an English musician and composer. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the alternative rock band Radiohead, and has written numerous film scores. Along with his elder brother, th ...
(lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and
Colin Greenwood Colin Charles Greenwood (born 26 June 1969) is an English musician and the bassist for the rock band Radiohead. Along with bass guitar, Greenwood plays Double bass, upright bass and Electronic musical instrument, electronic instruments. With h ...
(bass);
Ed O'Brien Edward John O'Brien (born 15 April 1968) is an English guitarist, songwriter and member of the rock band Radiohead. He releases solo music under the name EOB. O'Brien attended Abingdon School in Oxfordshire, England, where he met the other mem ...
(guitar, backing vocals); and
Philip Selway Philip James Selway (born 23 May 1967) is an English musician and the drummer of the English rock band Radiohead. Along with the other members of Radiohead, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. Selway released his debut ...
(drums, percussion). They have worked with the producer
Nigel Godrich Nigel Timothy Godrich (born 28 February 1971) is an English record producer, recording engineer and musician. He is known for his work with the English rock band Radiohead, having produced all their studio albums since '' OK Computer'' (1997). H ...
and the cover artist
Stanley Donwood Dan Rickwood (born 29 October 1968), known professionally as Stanley Donwood, is an English artist and writer. Since 1994, he has created all the artwork for the rock band Radiohead with their singer Thom Yorke, plus Yorke's other projects. He ...
since 1994. Radiohead's
experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...
approach is credited with advancing the sound of
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
. Radiohead signed to
EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
in 1991 and released their debut album, ''
Pablo Honey ''Pablo Honey'' is the debut studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 22 February 1993 in the UK by Parlophone and on 20 April in the US by Capitol Records. It was produced by Sean Slade, Paul Q. Kolderie and Radiohead's co-m ...
,'' in 1993; their debut single, "
Creep Creep, Creeps or CREEP may refer to: People * Creep, a creepy person Politics * Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CRP), mockingly abbreviated as CREEP, an fundraising organization for Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign Art ...
", became a worldwide hit. Radiohead's popularity and critical standing rose with the release of ''
The Bends "The bends" is a colloquialism for decompression sickness. The Bends may also refer to: * ''The Bends'' (album), a 1995 studio album by Radiohead * "The Bends" (song), a 1995 song by Radiohead * "The Bends", a song by Mr. Bungle from the 1995 alb ...
'' in 1995. Radiohead's third album, ''
OK Computer ''OK Computer'' is the third studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in Japan on 21 May 1997 and in the UK on 16 June 1997. Radiohead self-produced the album with Nigel Godrich, an arrangement they have used for their subsequ ...
'' (1997), brought them international fame; noted for its complex production and themes of modern alienation, it is acclaimed as a landmark record and one of the best albums in popular music. Radiohead's fourth album, ''
Kid A ''Kid A'' is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 2 October 2000 by Parlophone. It was recorded with their producer, Nigel Godrich, in Paris, Copenhagen, Gloucestershire and their hometown of Oxford. After th ...
'' (2000), marked a dramatic change in style, incorporating influences from
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
, jazz, classical music and
krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments ...
. Though ''Kid A'' divided listeners, it later attracted wide acclaim. It was followed by ''
Amnesiac Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use o ...
'' (2001), recorded in the same sessions. ''
Hail to the Thief ''Hail to the Thief'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released on 9 June 2003 through Parlophone internationally and a day later through Capitol Records in the United States. It was the last album released ...
'' (2003), with lyrics addressing the
War on Terror The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international Counterterrorism, counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campa ...
, was Radiohead's final album for EMI. Radiohead self-released their seventh album, ''
In Rainbows ''In Rainbows'' is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 10 October 2007 as a pay-what-you-want download, followed by a physical release internationally through XL Recordings and in North America ...
'' (2007), as a
download In computer networks, download means to ''receive'' data from a remote system, typically a server such as a web server, an FTP server, an email server, or other similar system. This contrasts with uploading, where data is ''sent to'' a remote s ...
for which customers could set their own price, to critical and chart success. Their eighth album, ''
The King of Limbs ''The King of Limbs'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 18 February 2011 as a download, followed by a physical release on 28 March through XL Recordings internationally and TBD Records in Nor ...
'' (2011), an exploration of rhythm, was developed using extensive looping and sampling. ''
A Moon Shaped Pool ''A Moon Shaped Pool'' is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released digitally on 8 May 2016, and physically on 17 June 2016 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Radiohead's longtime producer Nigel Godrich. ...
'' (2016) prominently featured Jonny Greenwood's
orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
l arrangements. Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Selway, and O'Brien have released solo albums; in 2021, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood debuted a new band, the Smile. By 2011, Radiohead had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. Their awards include six
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
and four
Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...
, and they hold five
Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
nominations, the most of any act. Seven Radiohead singles have reached the top 10 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
: "Creep" (1992), "
Street Spirit (Fade Out) "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead. It is the final track on their second studio album, '' The Bends'' (1995). It was released as a single on 22 January 1996 and reached number five on the UK Sing ...
" (1996), "
Paranoid Android "Paranoid Android" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, released as the lead single from their third studio album '' OK Computer'' (1997) on 26 May 1997. The lyrics were written by singer Thom Yorke following an unpleasant exp ...
" (1997), "
Karma Police "Karma Police" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 25 August 1997, as the second single from their third studio album, '' OK Computer'' (1997). It reached number one in Iceland and number eight on the UK Singles ...
" (1997), "
No Surprises "No Surprises" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released as the fourth and final single from their third studio album, '' OK Computer'' (1997), on 12 January 1998. It reached number four on the UK Singles Chart. It featur ...
" (1998), "
Pyramid Song "Pyramid Song" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, ''Amnesiac'' (2001). It features piano, strings, a "shuffling" rhythm and lyrics inspired by the Egyptian underworld. It was ...
" (2001), and "
There There "There There" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released as the lead single from their sixth album, '' Hail to the Thief'' (2003), on 26 May 2003. It reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, number one in Canada and Port ...
" (2003). "Creep" and "
Nude Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to h ...
" (2008) reached the
top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' named Radiohead one of the 100 greatest artists of all time, and ''Rolling Stone'' readers voted them the second-best artist of the 2000s. Five Radiohead albums have been included in ''Rolling Stone''s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time lists. Radiohead were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
in 2019.


History


1985–1992: Formation and first years

The members of Radiohead met while attending
Abingdon School Abingdon School is a day and boarding independent school for boys in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. The twentieth oldest independent British school, it celebrated its 750th anniversary in 2006. The school was described as "highly ...
, an independent school for boys in
Abingdon, Oxfordshire Abingdon-on-Thames ( ), commonly known as Abingdon, is a historic market town and civil parish in the ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, England, on the River Thames. Historically the county town of Berkshire, since 1974 Abingdon has been admin ...
. The guitarist and singer
Thom Yorke Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician and the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and keyboards and is noted for his falsetto. He has been describe ...
and the bassist
Colin Greenwood Colin Charles Greenwood (born 26 June 1969) is an English musician and the bassist for the rock band Radiohead. Along with bass guitar, Greenwood plays Double bass, upright bass and Electronic musical instrument, electronic instruments. With h ...
were in the same year; the guitarist
Ed O'Brien Edward John O'Brien (born 15 April 1968) is an English guitarist, songwriter and member of the rock band Radiohead. He releases solo music under the name EOB. O'Brien attended Abingdon School in Oxfordshire, England, where he met the other mem ...
and the drummer
Philip Selway Philip James Selway (born 23 May 1967) is an English musician and the drummer of the English rock band Radiohead. Along with the other members of Radiohead, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. Selway released his debut ...
the year above; and Colin's brother, the multi-instrumentalist
Jonny Greenwood Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood (born 5 November 1971) is an English musician and composer. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the alternative rock band Radiohead, and has written numerous film scores. Along with his elder brother, th ...
, two years below. In 1985, they formed On a Friday, the name referring to their usual rehearsal day in the school's music room. Jonny was the last to join, first on harmonica and then keyboards, but soon became lead guitarist; he had previously been in another band, Illiterate Hands, with musician
Nigel Powell Nigel Powell (born 1 October 1971) is an English multi-instrumental musician from Abingdon. Powell was born in Bromley, London, and educated at Abingdon School. While at school he was in a band called Illiterate Hands, which also featured futu ...
and Yorke's brother
Andy Yorke Andy Yorke (born 10 January 1972) is an English musician and former lead singer and guitarist for the band Unbelievable Truth. He is the younger brother of Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. Early life Yorke began singing when he was ten. At the ...
. According to Colin, the band members picked their instruments because they wanted to play together, rather than through any particular interest: "It was more of a collective angle, and if you could contribute by having someone else play your instrument, then that was really cool." At one point, On a Friday featured a saxophone section. The band disliked the school's strict atmosphere—the headmaster once charged them for using a rehearsal room on a Sunday—and found solace in the music department. They credited their music teacher for introducing them to
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
,
film scores A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...
, postwar
avant-garde music Avant-garde music is music that is considered to be at the forefront of innovation in its field, with the term "avant-garde" implying a critique of existing aesthetic conventions, rejection of the status quo in favor of unique or original elemen ...
, and
20th-century classical music 20th-century classical music describes art music that was written nominally from 1901 to 2000, inclusive. Musical style diverged during the 20th century as it never had previously. So this century was without a dominant style. Modernism, impressio ...
. Oxfordshire and the
Thames Valley The Thames Valley is an informally-defined sub-region of South East England, centred on the River Thames west of London, with Oxford as a major centre. Its boundaries vary with context. The area is a major tourist destination and economic hub, ...
had an active
independent music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording a ...
scene in the late 1980s, but it centred on
shoegazing Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...
bands such as
Ride Ride may refer to: People * MC Ride, a member of Death Grips * Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut * William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Ride'' (1998 film), a 1998 comedy by Millicent ...
and
Slowdive Slowdive is a British rock band that formed in Reading, Berkshire, in 1989. The band consists of Rachel Goswell on vocals and guitar, Neil Halstead on vocals and guitar, Christian Savill on guitar, Nick Chaplin on bass and Simon Scott on drum ...
. On the strength of an early demo, On a Friday were offered a record deal by
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...
, but they decided they were not ready and wanted to go to university first. On a Friday played their first gig in 1987, at Oxford's
Jericho Tavern The Jericho Tavern is a music venue and pub in the Jericho area of Oxford, England, at 56 Walton Street. In the late 1980s and early 1990s it was an important part of the music scene which spawned Ride, Radiohead, and Supergrass. History R ...
. Although all but Jonny had left Abingdon by 1987 to attend university, On a Friday continued to rehearse on weekends and holidays, but did not perform for four years. At the
University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a public university , public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Min ...
, Yorke played with the band Headless Chickens, performing songs including future Radiohead material. He also met
Stanley Donwood Dan Rickwood (born 29 October 1968), known professionally as Stanley Donwood, is an English artist and writer. Since 1994, he has created all the artwork for the rock band Radiohead with their singer Thom Yorke, plus Yorke's other projects. He ...
, who later became Radiohead's cover artist. In 1991, On a Friday regrouped in Oxford, sharing a house on the corner of Magdalen Road and Ridgefield Road. They recorded another demo, which attracted the attention of Chris Hufford, Slowdive's producer and the co-owner of Oxford's Courtyard Studios. He and his business partner Bryce Edge attended a concert at the Jericho Tavern; impressed, they became On a Friday's managers. In late 1991, Colin met
EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
A&R representative Keith Wozencroft at
Our Price Our Price was a chain of record stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 1971 until 2004. History Founded in 1971 by Gary Nesbitt, Edward Stollins and Mike Isaacs, their first store was located in London's Finchley Road. Until 1976, the ...
, the record shop where Colin worked, and handed him a copy of their latest demo, the ''Manic Hedgehog'' EP. Wozencroft was impressed and attended a performance. That November, On a Friday performed at the Jericho Tavern to an audience that included several A&R representatives. It was only their eighth gig, but they had attracted interest from several record companies. On 21 December, On a Friday signed a six-album recording contract with
EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
. At EMI's request, the band changed their name; "Radiohead" was taken from the song "Radio Head" on the
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talkin ...
album '' True Stories'' (1986). Yorke said the name "sums up all these things about receiving stuff ... It's about the way you take information in, the way you respond to the environment you're put in."


1992–1994: "Creep", ''Pablo Honey'' and early success

Radiohead recorded their debut EP, ''
Drill A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a bit, either a drill or driverchuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to ...
'', with Hufford and Edge at Courtyard Studios. Released in May 1992, its chart performance was poor. As it was difficult for
major labels A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produc ...
such as EMI to promote bands in the UK, where independent labels dominated the
indie charts The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the rele ...
, Radiohead's managers planned to have Radiohead use American producers and tour aggressively in America, then return to build a following in the UK.
Paul Kolderie Paul Q. Kolderie is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer. He has worked with Pixies, Radiohead, Orangutang, Hole, Dinosaur Jr., Juliana Hatfield, Wax, Warren Zevon, Uncle Tupelo, Throwing Muses, Morphine, the Mighty Mighty Bosston ...
and
Sean Slade Sean Slade (born 14 November 1957) is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer. On many of his productions he worked in partnership with Paul Q. Kolderie. Career Slade was born in Lansing, Michigan, United States. He graduated from Yal ...
, who had worked with US indie bands
Pixies A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas arou ...
and
Dinosaur Jr. Dinosaur Jr. is an American rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1984, originally simply called Dinosaur until legal issues forced a change in name. The band was founded by J Mascis (guitar, vocals, primary songwriter), Lou Barlow ( ...
, were enlisted to produce Radiohead's debut album, recorded quickly in Oxford in 1992. With the release of their debut single, "
Creep Creep, Creeps or CREEP may refer to: People * Creep, a creepy person Politics * Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CRP), mockingly abbreviated as CREEP, an fundraising organization for Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign Art ...
", that September, Radiohead began to receive attention in the British music press, not all of it favourable; ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' described them as "a lily-livered excuse for a rock band", and "Creep" was blacklisted by
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
as "too depressing". Radiohead released their debut album, ''
Pablo Honey ''Pablo Honey'' is the debut studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 22 February 1993 in the UK by Parlophone and on 20 April in the US by Capitol Records. It was produced by Sean Slade, Paul Q. Kolderie and Radiohead's co-m ...
'', in February 1993. It reached number 22 in the UK charts, as "Creep" and its follow-up singles "
Anyone Can Play Guitar "Anyone Can Play Guitar" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the second single from their debut album, ''Pablo Honey'' (1993). It reached number 32 in the UK, and remained a staple of Radiohead's live sets throughout the ea ...
" and "
Stop Whispering "Stop Whispering" is a US only single by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released in October 1993. It is an alternative recording to the track on their debut album, ''Pablo Honey'' (1993). It reached #23 on the US Modern Rock Track ...
" failed to become hits. "
Pop Is Dead "Pop Is Dead" is a song by the British alternative rock band Radiohead. It was released as a non-album single on 10 May 1993, several months after their debut album ''Pablo Honey''. It reached number 42 on the UK Singles Chart. It was included in ...
", a non-album single, also sold poorly; O'Brien later called it "a hideous mistake". Some critics compared Radiohead to the wave of
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
music popular in the early 1990s, dubbing them "
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
-lite", and ''Pablo Honey'' failed to make a critical or a commercial impact upon its initial release. In early 1993, Radiohead began to attract listeners elsewhere. "Creep" had been played frequently on Israeli radio by influential DJ
Yoav Kutner Yoav Kutner ( he, יואב קוטנר; born 18 May 1954) is an Israeli music editor, TV and radio presenter, who has significantly promoted performers ranging from Mashina to Radiohead. Life Yoav Kutner was born in Jerusalem, Israel on May 18, ...
, and in March, after the song became a hit there, Radiohead were invited to
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
for their first show overseas. Around the same time, "Creep" began receiving airplay on US radio stations and rose to number two on the US
modern rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. Radio format Mod ...
chart. By the time Radiohead began their first North American tour in June 1993, the music video for "Creep" was in heavy rotation on MTV. It reached number 34 on the ''Billboard''
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
chart, and reached number seven on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
when EMI rereleased it in September. To build on the success, Radiohead embarked on a US tour supporting
Belly Belly may refer to: Anatomy * The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach ** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking ** Belly dance * The fleshy, cent ...
and
PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...
, followed by a European tour supporting
James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...
.


1994–1995: ''The Bends'', critical recognition and growing fanbase

Radiohead began work on their second album in 1994 with the veteran
Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...
producer
John Leckie John William Leckie (born 23 October 1949) is an English record producer and recording engineer. His production credits include Magazine's ''Real Life'' (1978), XTC's ''White Music'' (1978) and Dukes of Stratosphear's '' 25 O'Clock'' (1985), t ...
. Tensions were high, with mounting expectations to match the success of "Creep". Recording felt unnatural in the studio, with the band having over-rehearsed the material. Seeking a change of scenery, they toured the Far East,
Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...
and Mexico and found greater confidence performing their new music live. However, troubled by his new fame, Yorke became disillusioned with being "at the sharp end of the sexy, sassy, MTV eye-candy lifestyle" he felt he was helping to sell to the world. The ''
My Iron Lung ''My Iron Lung'' is the third EP and fifth single by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 26 September 1994 by Parlophone Records in the UK and by Capitol Records in the US. It was produced by Radiohead, John Leckie and Nigel Godrich. T ...
'' EP and single, released in 1994, was Radiohead's reaction, marking a transition towards the greater depth they aimed for on their second album. It was Radiohead's first collaboration with their future producer
Nigel Godrich Nigel Timothy Godrich (born 28 February 1971) is an English record producer, recording engineer and musician. He is known for his work with the English rock band Radiohead, having produced all their studio albums since '' OK Computer'' (1997). H ...
, then working under Leckie as an
audio engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...
, and artist
Stanley Donwood Dan Rickwood (born 29 October 1968), known professionally as Stanley Donwood, is an English artist and writer. Since 1994, he has created all the artwork for the rock band Radiohead with their singer Thom Yorke, plus Yorke's other projects. He ...
, who has produced all of Radiohead's artwork since. Promoted through alternative radio stations, sales of ''My Iron Lung'' were better than expected, and suggested that the band had built a fanbase and were not
one-hit wonder A one-hit wonder or viral hit is any entity that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success. The term is most commonly used in regard to music p ...
s. Having introduced more new songs on tour, Radiohead finished recording their second album by the end of 1994, and released ''
The Bends "The bends" is a colloquialism for decompression sickness. The Bends may also refer to: * ''The Bends'' (album), a 1995 studio album by Radiohead * "The Bends" (song), a 1995 song by Radiohead * "The Bends", a song by Mr. Bungle from the 1995 alb ...
'' in March 1995. The album was driven by dense riffs and ethereal atmospheres from the three guitarists, with greater use of keyboards than their debut. It received stronger reviews for its songwriting and performances. While Radiohead were seen as outsiders to the
Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. It produced brighter, catchier alternative rock, partly in reaction to the popularity of the darker lyrical themes of the US-led grunge music and to the ...
scene that dominated music media at the time, they were finally successful in their home country with ''The Bends'', as singles "
Fake Plastic Trees "Fake Plastic Trees" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on their second album, '' The Bends'' (1995). It was the third single from the album in the UK, and the first in the US. It charted on the UK Singles Chart, ...
", "
High and Dry "High and Dry" and "Planet Telex" are songs by the English rock band Radiohead. They were released as a double-A side single from their second studio album, '' The Bends'' (1995), on 5 March 1995. "High and Dry" was recorded as a demo durin ...
", "
Just Just or JUST may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Just (surname) * Just (given name) Arts and entertainment * ''Just'', a 1998 album by Dave Lindholm * "Just" (song), a song by Radiohead * "Just", a song from the album ''Lost and Found'' by Mudvayne ...
", and "
Street Spirit (Fade Out) "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead. It is the final track on their second studio album, '' The Bends'' (1995). It was released as a single on 22 January 1996 and reached number five on the UK Sing ...
" made their way to chart success. "High and Dry" became a modest hit, but Radiohead's growing fanbase was insufficient to repeat the worldwide success of "Creep". ''The Bends'' peaked at No. 88 on the US album charts, which remains Radiohead's lowest showing there. Jonny Greenwood said ''The Bends'' had been a "turning point" for Radiohead: "It started appearing in people's est-ofpolls for the end of the year. That's when it started to feel like we made the right choice about being a band." In later years, ''The Bends'' appeared in many publications' lists of the best albums of all time,

including '' Rolling Stone's'' 2012 edition of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" at No. 111. In 1995, Radiohead again toured North America and Europe, this time in support of
R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternative ...
, one of their formative influences and at the time one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Attention from famous fans such as the R.E.M. singer
Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Poss ...
, along with distinctive music videos for "Just" and "Street Spirit", helped sustain Radiohead's popularity outside the UK. The night before a performance in Denver, Colorado, Radiohead's tour van was stolen, and with it their musical equipment. Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed a stripped-down acoustic set with rented instruments and several shows were cancelled. Their first live video, ''
Live at the Astoria Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...
'', was released in 1995.


1995–1998: ''OK Computer'' and critical acclaim

By late 1995, Radiohead had already recorded one song that would appear on their next record. " Lucky", released as a single to promote the War Child charity's ''
The Help Album ''The Help Album'' is a 1995 charity album to raise funds for the War Child charity, which provided aid to war-stricken areas, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. All the songs were recorded in a single day. The album features British and Irish ar ...
'', was recorded in a brief session with Nigel Godrich, the young audio engineer who had assisted on ''The Bends'' and produced a 1996
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
, "
Talk Show Host Below is a list of talk show hosts, sorted alphabetically by their surnames. __NOTOC__ A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z See also * List of game show hosts This is a list of ...
", the song being featured in Baz Luhrmann's 1996 ''
Romeo + Juliet Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy '' Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Lord Montague and his wife, Lady Montague, he secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet, through a pr ...
''. Radiohead decided to self-produce their next album with Godrich, and began work in early 1996. By July they had recorded four songs at their rehearsal studio, Canned Applause, a converted apple shed in the countryside near
Didcot Didcot ( ) is a railway town and civil parish in the ceremonial county of Oxfordshire and the historic county of Berkshire. Didcot is south of Oxford, east of Wantage and north west of Reading. The town is noted for its railway heritage, Di ...
, Oxfordshire. In August 1996, Radiohead toured as the opening act for
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...
. They resumed recording not at a studio but at
St. Catherine's Court St Catherine's Court is a manor house in a secluded valley north of Bath, Somerset, England. It is a Grade I listed property. The gardens are Grade II* listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in Engla ...
, a 15th-century mansion near
Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...
. The sessions were relaxed, with the band playing at all hours of the day, recording in different rooms, and listening to
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
,
DJ Shadow Joshua Paul Davis (born June 29, 1972), better known by his stage name DJ Shadow, is an American DJ, songwriter and record producer. His debut studio album, '' Endtroducing.....'' was released in 1996. Biography Early years (1989–1995) DJ Sha ...
,
Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classica ...
and
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...
for inspiration. Radiohead released their third album, ''
OK Computer ''OK Computer'' is the third studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in Japan on 21 May 1997 and in the UK on 16 June 1997. Radiohead self-produced the album with Nigel Godrich, an arrangement they have used for their subsequ ...
'', in May 1997. It found the band experimenting with song structures and incorporating
ambient Ambient or Ambiance or Ambience may refer to: Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgrounds * Ambient music, a genre of music that puts an emphasis on tone and atmosphere * ''Ambient'' (album), by Moby * ...
,
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
and
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
influences, prompting ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' to call the album a "stunning art-rock tour de force". Radiohead denied being part of the
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
genre, but critics began to compare their work to
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
, whose early 1970s work influenced Jonny Greenwood's guitar parts at the time. Some compared ''OK Computer'' thematically to Floyd's bestseller ''
The Dark Side of the Moon ''The Dark Side of the Moon'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 1 March 1973 by Harvest Records. The album was primarily developed during live performances, and the band premiered an early version of ...
'' (1973), although Yorke said the album's lyrics were inspired by observing the "speed" of the world in the 1990s. Yorke's lyrics, embodying different characters, had expressed what one magazine called "end-of-the-millennium blues" in contrast to the more personal songs of ''The Bends''. According to the journalist
Alex Ross Nelson Alexander Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book writer and artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design work. He first became known with the 1994 miniseries ''Marvels'', on which he collaborated wi ...
, Radiohead had become "the poster boys for a certain kind of knowing alienation—as the Talking Heads and R.E.M. had been before". ''OK Computer'' received critical acclaim. Yorke said he was "amazed it got the reaction it did. None of us fucking knew any more whether it was good or bad. What really blew my head off was the fact that people got all the things, all the textures and the sounds and the atmospheres we were trying to create." ''OK Computer'' was Radiohead's first number-one UK chart debut, and brought them commercial success around the world. Despite peaking at number 21 in the US charts, the album eventually met with mainstream recognition there, earning Radiohead their first
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
recognition, winning Best Alternative Album and a nomination for
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...
. "
Paranoid Android "Paranoid Android" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, released as the lead single from their third studio album '' OK Computer'' (1997) on 26 May 1997. The lyrics were written by singer Thom Yorke following an unpleasant exp ...
", "
Karma Police "Karma Police" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 25 August 1997, as the second single from their third studio album, '' OK Computer'' (1997). It reached number one in Iceland and number eight on the UK Singles ...
" and "
No Surprises "No Surprises" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released as the fourth and final single from their third studio album, '' OK Computer'' (1997), on 12 January 1998. It reached number four on the UK Singles Chart. It featur ...
" were released as singles, of which "Karma Police" was most successful internationally. ''OK Computer'' went on to become a staple of "best-of" British album lists. In the same year, Radiohead became one of the first bands in the world to have a website, and developed a devoted online following; within a few years, there were dozens of
fansite A fansite, fan site, fan blog or fan page is a website created and maintained by a fan or devotee about a celebrity, thing, or particular cultural phenomenon. Fansites may offer specialized information on the subject (e.g., episode listings, bi ...
s devoted to them. ''OK Computer'' was followed by the year-long Against Demons world tour, including Radiohead's first headline
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
performance in 1997. Despite technical problems that almost caused Yorke to abandon the stage, the performance was acclaimed and cemented Radiohead as a major live act.
Grant Gee Grant Robert Gee (born 24 October 1964) is a British film maker, photographer and cinematographer. He is most noted for his 1998 documentary ''Meeting People Is Easy'' about the British alternative rock group Radiohead. Early life Gee was born ...
, the director of the "No Surprises" video, filmed the band on tour for the 1999 documentary ''
Meeting People Is Easy ''Meeting People Is Easy'' is a 1998 British documentary film by Grant Gee that follows the English rock band Radiohead on the world tour for their 1997 album ''OK Computer''. It received positive reviews and was nominated for a Grammy Award for ...
''. The film portrays the band's disaffection with the music industry and press, showing their
burnout Burnout or burn-out may refer to: Entertainment * ''Burnout'' (film), a 2017 Moroccan film * ''Burn Out'' (film), a 2017 French film * Burnout (ride), a Funfields amusement ride in Australia * ''Burnout'' (series), a racing game series created by ...
over the course of the tour. Since its release, ''OK Computer'' is often acclaimed as a landmark record of the 1990s and the
Generation X Generation X (or Gen X for short) is the Western world, Western demographic Cohort (statistics), cohort following the baby boomers and preceding the millennials. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1960s as starting birth years a ...
era, and one of the greatest albums in recording history. In 1998, Radiohead performed at a Paris
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
concert and the
Tibetan Freedom Concert Tibetan Freedom Concert is the name given to a series of socio-political music festivals held in North America, Europe and Asia from 1996 onwards to support the cause of Tibetan independence. The concerts were originally organized by the Beast ...
. In March, they and Godrich entered
Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...
to record a song for the 1998 film ''
The Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes ** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...
'', " Man of War", but were unsatisfied with the results and the song went unreleased. Yorke described the period as a "real low point"; he and O'Brien developed depression, and the band came close to splitting up.


1998–2001: ''Kid A'', ''Amnesiac'' and change in sound

In early 1999, Radiohead began work on their next album. Although the success of ''OK Computer'' meant there was no longer pressure from their record label, tensions were high. Band members had different visions for Radiohead's future, and Yorke suffered from
writer's block Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Mike Rose found that this creative stall is not a result of commitment problems or th ...
, influencing him toward more abstract, fragmented songwriting. Radiohead secluded themselves with Godrich in studios in Paris,
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
, and
Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
, and in their new studio in Oxford. O'Brien kept an online diary, reporting their progress. After nearly 18 months, Radiohead's recording sessions were completed in April 2000. Radiohead's fourth album, ''
Kid A ''Kid A'' is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 2 October 2000 by Parlophone. It was recorded with their producer, Nigel Godrich, in Paris, Copenhagen, Gloucestershire and their hometown of Oxford. After th ...
'', was released in October 2000. A departure from ''OK Computer'', ''Kid A'' featured a
minimalist In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Don ...
and textured style with more diverse instrumentation, including the
ondes Martenot The ondes Martenot ( ; , "Martenot waves") or ondes musicales ("musical waves") is an early electronic musical instrument. It is played with a keyboard or by moving a ring along a wire, creating "wavering" sounds similar to a theremin. A player o ...
, programmed
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
beats,
strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
, and jazz horns. It debuted at number one in many countries, including the US, where it became the first Radiohead album to debut atop the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' chart and the first US number-one album by any UK act since the
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...
in 1996. This success was attributed variously to marketing, to the album's leak on the file-sharing network
Napster Napster was a peer-to-peer file sharing application. It originally launched on June 1, 1999, with an emphasis on digital audio file distribution. Audio songs shared on the service were typically encoded in the MP3 format. It was founded by Shawn ...
a few months before its release, and to advance anticipation based, in part, on the success of ''OK Computer''. Although Radiohead released no singles from ''Kid A'', promos of "Optimistic" and "
Idioteque "Idioteque" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released on their fourth album, ''Kid A'' (2000). In 2008, the song was featured on '' Radiohead: The Best Of.'' A live version appears on the 2001 EP '' I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings ...
" received radio play, and a series of "blips", short videos set to portions of tracks, were played on music channels and released free online. Inspired by
Naomi Klein Naomi A. Klein (born May 8, 1970) is a Canadian author, social activist, and filmmaker known for her political analyses, support of ecofeminism, organized labour, left-wing politics and criticism of corporate globalization, fascism, ecofascism ...
's
anti-globalisation The anti-globalization movement or counter-globalization movement, is a social movement critical of economic globalization. The movement is also commonly referred to as the global justice movement, alter-globalization movement, anti-globalist m ...
book ''
No Logo ''No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies'' is a book by the Canadian author Naomi Klein. First published by Knopf Canada and Picador in December 1999, shortly after the 1999 Seattle WTO protests had generated media attention around such issues ...
'', Radiohead continued a 2000 tour of Europe in a custom-built tent free of advertising; they also promoted ''Kid A'' with three sold-out North American theatre concerts. ''Kid A'' received a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for Best Alternative Album and a nomination for
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...
in early 2001. It won both praise and criticism in
independent music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording a ...
circles for appropriating
underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground (S ...
styles of music; some British critics saw ''Kid A'' as a "commercial suicide note" and "intentionally difficult", and longed for a return to Radiohead's earlier style. Fans were similarly divided; along with those who were appalled or mystified, many saw it as the band's best work. Yorke denied that Radiohead had set out to eschew expectations, saying: "We're not trying to be difficult ... We're actually trying to communicate but somewhere along the line, we just seemed to piss off a lot of people ... What we're doing isn't that radical." The album was ranked one of the best of all time by publications including ''Time'' and ''Rolling Stone;'' ''Rolling Stone'', ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' and the ''
Times Time is the continued sequence of existence and events, and a fundamental quantity of measuring systems. Time or times may also refer to: Temporal measurement * Time in physics, defined by its measurement * Time standard, civil time specific ...
'' named it the best album of the decade. Radiohead's fifth album, ''
Amnesiac Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use o ...
'', was released in May 2001. It comprised additional tracks from the ''Kid A'' sessions, including "Life in a Glasshouse", featuring the Humphrey Lyttelton Band. Radiohead stressed that they saw ''Amnesiac'' not as a collection of B-sides or outtakes from ''Kid A'' but an album in its own right. It topped the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
and reached number two in the US, and was nominated for a Grammy Award and the
Mercury Music Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
. Radiohead embarked on a world tour, visiting North America, Europe and Japan. "
Pyramid Song "Pyramid Song" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, ''Amnesiac'' (2001). It features piano, strings, a "shuffling" rhythm and lyrics inspired by the Egyptian underworld. It was ...
" and "
Knives Out ''Knives Out'' is a 2019 American mystery film written, directed, and co-produced by Rian Johnson. It follows a master detective, Benoit Blanc, investigating the death of the patriarch of a wealthy, dysfunctional family. The film stars an ense ...
", Radiohead's first singles since 1998, were modestly successful. '' I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings'', released in November 2001, features performances of seven songs from ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesiac,'' plus a performance of the unreleased track "
True Love Waits True Love Waits may refer to: *True Love Waits (organization), an international Christian organization promoting sexual abstinence until marriage. * True Love Waits (song), "True Love Waits" (song), a song by Radiohead * True Love Waits (album), ''T ...
".


2002–2006: ''Hail to the Thief'' and solo work

In July and August 2002, Radiohead toured Portugal and Spain, playing a number of new songs. For their next album, they sought to explore the tension between human and machine-generated music and capture a more immediate, live sound. Promotional interview CD sent to British music press. They and Godrich recorded most of the material in two weeks at
Ocean Way Recording Ocean Way Recording was a series of recording studios established by recording engineer and producer Allen Sides with locations in Los Angeles, California, Nashville, Tennessee, and Saint Barthélemy. Ocean Way Recording no longer operates record ...
in Los Angeles. The band described the recording process as relaxed, in contrast to the tense sessions for ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesiac''. Radiohead also composed music for "Split Sides", a dance piece by the
Merce Cunningham Dance Company Mercier Philip "Merce" Cunningham (April 16, 1919 – July 26, 2009) was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of American modern dance for more than 50 years. He frequently collaborated with artists of other discipl ...
, which debuted in October 2003 at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance. It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in ...
. Radiohead's sixth album, ''
Hail to the Thief ''Hail to the Thief'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released on 9 June 2003 through Parlophone internationally and a day later through Capitol Records in the United States. It was the last album released ...
'', was released in June 2003. Its lyrics were influenced by what Yorke called "the general sense of ignorance and intolerance and panic and stupidity" following the 2000 election of US President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
. The album was promoted with a website, radiohead.tv, where short films, music videos, and studio webcasts were streamed. ''Hail to the Thief'' debuted at number one in the UK and number three on the ''Billboard'' chart, and was eventually certified
platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...
in the UK and
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
in the US. The singles "
There There "There There" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released as the lead single from their sixth album, '' Hail to the Thief'' (2003), on 26 May 2003. It reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, number one in Canada and Port ...
", "
Go to Sleep "Go to Sleep" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the second single from their sixth studio album ''Hail to the Thief'' (2003) on 18 August 2003. It reached number two on the Canadian Singles Chart, number nine on the Ital ...
" and "
2 + 2 = 5 "Two plus two equals five" (2 + 2 = 5) is a mathematically incorrect phrase used in the 1949 dystopian novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' by George Orwell. It appears as a possible statement of Ingsoc ( English Socialism) philosophy, like the ...
" achieved heavy circulation on
modern rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. Radio format Mod ...
radio. At the
2004 Grammy Awards The 46th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2004 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003. They recognized acc ...
, Radiohead were again nominated for Best Alternative Album, and Godrich and the engineer Darrell Thorp received the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album. In May 2003, Radiohead embarked on a world tour and headlined
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
for the second time. The tour finished in May 2004 with a performance at the
Coachella Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. I ...
in California. A compilation of ''Hail to the Thief'' B-sides, remixes and live performances, '' Com Lag (2plus2isfive)'', was released in April 2004. ''Hail to the Thief'' was Radiohead's final album with EMI; in 2006, ''The New York Times'' described Radiohead as "by far the world's most popular unsigned band". Following the ''Hail to the Thief'' tour, Radiohead went on hiatus to spend time with their families and work on solo projects. Yorke and Jonny Greenwood contributed to the
Band Aid 20 Band Aid 20 was the 2004 incarnation of the charity supergroup Band Aid. The group, which included Daniel Bedingfield, Dido, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Bono of U2, an ...
charity single "
Do They Know It's Christmas? "Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a charity song written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was first recorded by Band Aid, a supergroup assembled by Geldof and Ure consisting of pop ...
", produced by Godrich. Greenwood composed soundtracks for the films ''
Bodysong ''Bodysong'' is a 2003 BAFTA-winning documentary about human life and the human condition directed by Simon Pummell and produced by Janine Marmot. Synopsis The film tells the story of an archetypal human life using images taken from all ...
'' (2004) and ''
There Will Be Blood ''There Will Be Blood'' is a 2007 American historical drama, period drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, loosely based on the 1927 novel ''Oil!'' by Upton Sinclair. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview, a Silver mini ...
'' (2007); the latter was the first of several collaborations with the director
Paul Thomas Anderson Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970), also known by his initials PTA, is an American filmmaker. He made his feature-film debut with ''Hard Eight (film), Hard Eight'' (1996). He found critical and commercial success with ''Boogie Nights'' ( ...
. In July 2006, Yorke released his debut solo album, ''
The Eraser ''The Eraser'' is the debut solo album by the English musician Thom Yorke, released on 10 July 2006 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Nigel Godrich, the longtime producer for Yorke's band Radiohead. ''The Eraser'' comprises electronic ...
'', comprising mainly electronic music. He stressed it was made with the band's blessing, and that Radiohead were not breaking up. Jonny Greenwood said: "He had to get this stuff out, and everyone was happy
or Yorke to make it Or or OR may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * "O.R.", a 1974 episode of M*A*S*H * Or (My Treasure), a 2004 movie from Israel (''Or'' means "light" in Hebrew) Music * ''Or'' (album), a 2002 album by Golden Boy with Miss ...
... He'd go mad if every time he wrote a song it had to go through the Radiohead consensus."


2006–2009: Departure from EMI, ''In Rainbows'', and "pay what you want"

Radiohead began work on their seventh album in February 2005. Instead of involving Godrich, Radiohead hired the producer
Spike Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed Sh ...
, but the collaboration was unsuccessful. In September 2005, Radiohead contributed "I Want None of This", a piano
dirge A dirge ( la, dirige, naenia) is a somber song or lament expressing mourning or grief, such as would be appropriate for performance at a funeral. Often taking the form of a brief hymn, dirges are typically shorter and less meditative than elegies ...
, for the War Child charity album '' Help: A Day in the Life''. The album was sold online, with "I Want None of This" the most downloaded track, though it was not released as a single. In late 2006, after touring Europe and North America with new material, Radiohead re-enlisted Godrich and resumed work in London, Oxford and rural
Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...
, England. Recording ended in June 2007 and the recordings were mastered the following month. In 2007, EMI was acquired by the
private equity In the field of finance, the term private equity (PE) refers to investment funds, usually limited partnerships (LP), which buy and restructure financially weak companies that produce goods and provide services. A private-equity fund is both a ty ...
firm Terra Firma. Radiohead were critical of the new management, and no new deal was agreed. The ''Independent'' reported that EMI had offered Radiohead a £3 million advance, but had refused to relinquish rights to the band's back catalogue. An EMI spokesman stated that Radiohead had demanded "an extraordinary amount of money". Radiohead's management and Yorke released statements denying that they had asked for a large advance, but had instead wanted control over their back catalogue. Radiohead self-released their seventh album, ''
In Rainbows ''In Rainbows'' is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 10 October 2007 as a pay-what-you-want download, followed by a physical release internationally through XL Recordings and in North America ...
'', on their website on 10 October 2007 as a
download In computer networks, download means to ''receive'' data from a remote system, typically a server such as a web server, an FTP server, an email server, or other similar system. This contrasts with uploading, where data is ''sent to'' a remote s ...
for any amount users wanted, including £0. The landmark
pay-what-you-want Pay what you want (or PWYW, also referred to as value-for-value model) is a pricing strategy where buyers pay their desired amount for a given commodity. This amount can sometimes include zero. A minimum (floor) price may be set, and/or a suggeste ...
release, the first for a major act, made headlines worldwide and created debate about the implications for the music industry. Media reaction was positive, and Radiohead were praised for finding new ways to connect with fans. However, it drew criticism from musicians such as
Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings publi ...
and
Kim Gordon Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953) is an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the bassist, guitarist, and vocalist of alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Born in Rochester, New York, she was raised in Los Angeles, Califor ...
, who felt it undercut less successful acts. ''In Rainbows'' was downloaded an estimated 1.2 million times on the day of release. Colin Greenwood explained the internet release as a way of avoiding the "regulated playlists" and "straitened formats" of radio and TV, ensuring fans around the world could experience the music at the same time, and preventing leaks in advance of a physical release.Greenwood, Colin (13 September 2010),
Set Yourself Free
", Index on Censorship. Retrieved 31 October 2010
A special "discbox" edition of ''In Rainbows'', containing the record on vinyl, a book of artwork, and a CD of extra songs, was also sold from Radiohead's website. The retail version of ''In Rainbows'' was released in the UK in late December 2007 on
XL Recordings XL Recordings is a British independent record label founded in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes. It has been ran and co-owned by Richard Russell since 1996. It forms part of the Beggars Group. Although only releasing an average of six album ...
and in North America in January 2008 on
TBD Records TBD Records (previously Side One Recordings) was an American record label co-founded by Coran Capshaw and Phil Costello, and is a sublabel of ATO Records, distributed by RED Distribution. The label was founded in August 2007 and quickly announced ...
, reaching number one in the UK and in the US. The success was Radiohead's highest chart placement in the US since ''Kid A''. It became their fifth UK number-one album and sold more than three million copies in one year. The album received acclaim for its more accessible sound and personal lyrics. It was nominated for the
Mercury Music Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
and won the
2009 Grammy awards The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 8, 2009, honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the b ...
for
Best Alternative Music Album The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Ho ...
and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. It was nominated for five other Grammy awards, including Radiohead's third nomination for
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...
. Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed "15 Step" with the University of Southern California Marching Band at the televised award show. The first single from ''In Rainbows'', "
Jigsaw Falling into Place "Jigsaw Falling into Place" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, produced by Nigel Godrich. It was released as the lead single from Radiohead's seventh studio album ''In Rainbows'' (2007) on 14 January 2008. The music video, directed by ...
", was released in January 2008, followed by "
Nude Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to h ...
" in March, which debuted at number 37 in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; it was Radiohead's first song to enter the chart since "High and Dry" (1995) and their first US top 40 since "Creep". In July, Radiohead released a digitally shot video for "
House of Cards A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an Expression (language), expression that dates back to ...
". Radiohead held
remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
competitions for "Nude" and "
Reckoner "Reckoner" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released on their seventh album, ''In Rainbows'' (2007). It was produced by Nigel Godrich and developed while Radiohead were working on another song, " Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses". " ...
", releasing the separated stems for fans to remix. In April 2008, Radiohead launched W.A.S.T.E. Central, a
social networking service A social networking service or SNS (sometimes called a social networking site) is an online platform which people use to build social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or career content, interests, act ...
for Radiohead fans. In May,
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
broadcast ''
In Rainbows – From the Basement ''In Rainbows – From the Basement'' is a 2008 live video by the English rock band Radiohead. It features performances of ten songs from Radiohead's seventh album, ''In Rainbows'' (2007), plus four older songs. Production ''In Rainbows – From ...
'', a special episode of the music television show ''
From the Basement ''From the Basement'' is a web television series created by Nigel Godrich and producer Dilly Gent. It features live music performances without a host or audience. Development In September 2006, it was announced that Godrich, along with produc ...
'' in which Radiohead performed songs from ''In Rainbows''. It was released on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
in June. From mid-2008 to early 2009, Radiohead toured North America, Europe, Japan and South America to promote ''In Rainbows'', and headlined the
Reading and Leeds Festivals The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...
in August 2009. Days after Radiohead signed to XL, EMI announced a box set of Radiohead material recorded before ''In Rainbows'', released in the same week as the ''In Rainbows'' special edition. Commentators including the ''Guardian'' saw the move as retaliation for the band choosing not to re-sign with EMI. In June 2008, EMI released a
greatest hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
album, '' Radiohead: The Best Of''. It was made without Radiohead's involvement and contains only songs recorded under their contract with EMI. Yorke was critical of the release, calling it a "wasted opportunity". In 2009, EMI
reissue In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or Single (music), single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New aud ...
d Radiohead's back catalogue in expanded editions.


2009–2010: Singles and side projects

As
social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
expanded around the turn of the decade, Radiohead gradually withdrew their public presence, with no promotional interviews or tours to promote new releases. ''Pitchfork'' wrote that around this time Radiohead's "popularity became increasingly untethered from the typical formalities of record promotion, placing them on the same level as
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
and
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
". In May 2009, Radiohead began new recording sessions with Godrich. In August, they released " Harry Patch (In Memory Of)", a tribute song to
Harry Patch Henry John Patch (17 June 1898 – 25 July 2009), dubbed in his later years "the Last Fighting Tommy Atkins, Tommy", was an English supercentenarian, briefly the oldest man in Europe, and the last surviving trench combat soldier of the World W ...
, the last surviving British soldier to have fought in
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, with proceeds donated to the
British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants, as well as all others in ne ...
. The song has no conventional rock instrumentation, and instead comprises Yorke's vocals and a string arrangement composed by Jonny Greenwood. Later that month, another new song, "
These Are My Twisted Words "These Are My Twisted Words" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. It was leaked via BitTorrent on 12 August 2009, possibly by the band, and released on 17 August as a free download from the Radiohead website. Release On 12 August 20 ...
", featuring
krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments ...
-like drumming and guitars, was leaked via
torrent Torrent or torrents may refer to: * A fast flowing stream Animals * Torrent duck, a species of the family Anatidae * Torrent fish * Torrent frog, various unrelated frogs * Torrent robin, a bird species * Torrent salamander, a family of sala ...
, possibly by Radiohead. It was released as a free download on the Radiohead website the following week. Commentators saw the releases as part of Radiohead's new unpredictable release strategy, without the need for traditional marketing. In 2009, Yorke formed a new band,
Atoms for Peace "Atoms for Peace" was the title of a speech delivered by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the UN General Assembly in New York City on December 8, 1953. The United States then launched an "Atoms for Peace" program that supplied equipment ...
, to perform his solo material, with musicians including Godrich and the
Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...
bassist
Flea Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...
. They played eight North American shows in 2010. In January 2010, Radiohead played their only full concert of the year in the Los Angeles
Henry Fonda Theater The Fonda Theatre (formerly Music Box Theatre, Guild Theatre, Fox Theatre, and Pix Theatre) is a concert venue located on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival Style, the theater has hosted li ...
as a benefit for
Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. History Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...
. Tickets were auctioned, raising over half a million US dollars for the NGO's
2010 Haiti earthquake A disaster, catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (department), Ouest department, a ...
relief. That December, a fan-made video of the performance, ''
Radiohead for Haiti ''Radiohead for Haiti'' is a live video of Radiohead's concert in Hollywood on 24 January 2010. The concert raised money for Oxfam responding to the 2010 Haiti earthquake that month. Footage of the performance was recorded by audience members an ...
'', was released via YouTube and torrent with Radiohead's support and a "pay-what-you-want" link to donate to Oxfam. Radiohead also released the
soundboard recording A soundboard recording is a sound recording of a concert taken from a direct connection to the soundboard at the venue. Soundboard recordings are considered to be among the highest quality bootleg recordings of live performances though some soundb ...
of their 2009 Prague performance for use in a
fan-made Fan labor, also called fan works, are the creative activities engaged in by fans, primarily those of various media properties or musical groups. These activities can include creation of written works (fiction, fan fiction and review literature), ...
concert video, ''Live in Praha''. The videos were described as examples of Radiohead's openness to fans and positivity toward non-commercial internet distribution. In June 2010, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed a surprise set at
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
, performing ''Eraser'' and Radiohead songs. Selway released his debut solo album, '' Familial'', in August. ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' described it as a collection of "hushed" folk songs in the tradition of
Nick Drake Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. He did not find a wide audience during his lifetime, but his work gradually achieved wider notice and recognit ...
, with Selway on guitar and vocals.


2011–2012: ''The King of Limbs''

Radiohead released their eighth album, ''
The King of Limbs ''The King of Limbs'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 18 February 2011 as a download, followed by a physical release on 28 March through XL Recordings internationally and TBD Records in Nor ...
'', on 18 February 2011 as a download from their website. Following the protracted recording and more conventional rock instrumentation of ''In Rainbows'', Radiohead developed ''The King of Limbs'' by sampling and looping their recordings with
turntables A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
. It was followed by a retail release in March through XL, and a special "newspaper album" edition in May. ''The King of Limbs'' sold an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 copies through Radiohead's website;' the retail edition debuted at number six on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and number seven on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
. It was nominated for five categories in the
54th Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted the ...
. Two tracks not included on ''The King of Limbs'', " Supercollider" and "The Butcher", were released as a double A-side single for
Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...
in April. A compilation of ''King of Limbs'' remixes by various artists, ''
TKOL RMX 1234567 ''TKOL RMX 1234567'' is a remix album of songs from the album ''The King of Limbs'' (2011) by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released on 16 September 2011 in Japan and on 10 October 2011 internationally by XL Recordings. The album compi ...
'', was released in September. To perform the rhythmically complex ''King of Limbs'' material live, Radiohead enlisted a second drummer, Clive Deamer, who had worked with Portishead and
Get the Blessing Get the Blessing (previously known as the Blessing) are a jazz rock quartet based in Bristol, England. The band formed in 2000 when Jim Barr (bass guitar) and Clive Deamer (drums), who had played with Portishead, joined Jake McMurchie (saxopho ...
. Deamer has joined Radiohead on subsequent tours. In June, Radiohead played a surprise performance on the Park stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival, performing songs from ''The King of Limbs'' for the first time. With Deamer, Radiohead recorded '' The King of Limbs: Live from the Basement'', released online in August 2011. It was also broadcast by international BBC channels and released on DVD and Blu-ray in January 2012. The performance included two new songs, " The Daily Mail" and "Staircase", released as a double A-side download single in December 2011. In February 2012, Radiohead began their first extended North American tour in four years, including dates in the United States, Canada and Mexico. On tour, they recorded material at
Jack White John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975), commonly known as Jack White, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the duo the White Stripes. White has enjoyed consistent critical and popular success and is widely c ...
's studio
Third Man Records Third Man Records is an eclectic, vinyl-focused independent record label founded and owned by Jack White, Ben Blackwell and Ben Swank. The company operates out of three locations—Nashville, Tennessee, Detroit, Michigan, and Soho, London—with ...
, but discarded the recordings. On 16 June 2012, an hour before gates were due to open at Toronto's
Downsview Park Downsview Park is a large urban park located in the Downsview neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The park's name is officially bilingual due to it being federally owned and managed, and was first home to de Havilland Canada, an aircra ...
for the final concert of Radiohead's North American tour, the roof of the venue's temporary stage collapsed, killing the drum technician Scott Johnson and injuring three other members of Radiohead's
road crew The road crew (or roadies) are the technicians or support personnel who travel with a band on tour, usually in sleeper buses, and handle every part of the concert productions except actually performing the music with the musicians. This catc ...
. After rescheduling the tour, Radiohead paid tribute to Johnson at their next concert, in Nîmes, France, in July. In June 2013,
Live Nation Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American global entertainment company and monopoly that was founded in 2010 following the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The company promotes, operates, and manages ticket sales for live entertainme ...
Canada Inc, two other organisations and an engineer were charged with 13 charges under Ontario health and safety laws. In September 2017, after several delays, the case was dropped under the Jordan ruling, which sets strict time limits on trials. Radiohead released a statement condemning the decision. A 2019 inquest returned a verdict of
accidental death An accidental death is an unnatural death that is caused by an accident, such as a slip and fall, traffic collision, or accidental poisoning. Accidental deaths are distinguished from death by natural causes, disease, and from intentional homicide ...
.


2013–2014: Side projects and move to XL

After the ''King of Limbs ''tour, the band members worked on further side projects. In February 2013, Yorke and Godrich's band Atoms for Peace released a studio album, '' Amok''. The pair made headlines that year for their criticism of the free
music streaming A music streaming service is a type of streaming media service that focuses primarily on music, and sometimes other forms of digital audio content such as podcasts. These services are usually subscription-based services allowing users to stream d ...
service
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
; Yorke accused Spotify of only benefiting major labels with large back catalogues, and encouraged artists to build their own "direct connections" with audiences instead. In February 2014, Radiohead released the ''Polyfauna'' app for smartphones, a collaboration with the British
digital art Digital art refers to any artistic work or practice that uses digital technology as part of the creative or presentation process, or more specifically computational art that uses and engages with digital media. Since the 1960s, various names ...
s studio Universal Everything using music and imagery from ''The King of Limbs''. In May, Yorke contributed a soundtrack, ''Subterranea'', to ''The'' ''Panic Office'', an installation of Radiohead artwork in Sydney, Australia. Yorke and Selway released their solo albums ''
Tomorrow's Modern Boxes ''Tomorrow's Modern Boxes'' is the second studio album by the English musician Thom Yorke, released on 26 September 2014. It was produced by Nigel Godrich, with artwork by Stanley Donwood, both of whom have long collaborated with Yorke and his ...
'' and '' Weatherhouse'' in late 2014. Jonny Greenwood scored his third Anderson film, ''
Inherent Vice ''Inherent Vice'' is a novel by American author Thomas Pynchon, originally published in August 2009. A darkly comic detective novel set in 1970s California, the plot follows sleuth Larry "Doc" Sportello whose ex-girlfriend asks him to investigat ...
''; it features a new version of an unreleased Radiohead song, "Spooks", performed by Greenwood and members of
Supergrass Supergrass are an English rock band formed in 1993 in Oxford. For the majority of the band's tenure, the line-up consisted of brothers Gaz (lead vocals, guitar) and Rob Coombes (keyboards), Mick Quinn (bass, backing vocals) and Danny Goffey ( ...
. '' Junun'', a collaboration between Greenwood, Godrich, Israeli composer
Shye Ben Tzur Shye Ben Tzur (שי בן צור) is an Israeli musician who lives in India and Israel. He composes Qawwalis, instrumental and devotional music in Hebrew, Urdu and Hindi. Ben Tzur has been living and creating music in India and Israel for over a d ...
and Indian musicians, was released in November 2015, accompanied by a documentary directed by Anderson. In April 2016, Radiohead's back catalogue was acquired by
XL Recordings XL Recordings is a British independent record label founded in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes. It has been ran and co-owned by Richard Russell since 1996. It forms part of the Beggars Group. Although only releasing an average of six album ...
, which had released the retail editions of ''In Rainbows'' and ''The King of Limbs'' and most of Yorke's solo work. XL reissued Radiohead's back catalogue on vinyl in May 2016.


2015–2016: ''A Moon Shaped Pool''

Radiohead began work on their ninth studio album in September 2014. In 2015, they resumed work in the La Fabrique studio near
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (; Provençal Occitan: ''Sant Romieg de Provença'' in classical and ''Sant Roumié de Prouvènço'' in Mistralian norms) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Southern France. Loc ...
, France. The sessions were marred by the death of Godrich's father and Yorke's separation from his wife, Rachel Owen, who died from cancer in 2016. Work was interrupted when Radiohead were commissioned to write the theme for the 2015 James Bond film ''Spectre (2015 film), Spectre''; after their song, "Spectre (song), Spectre", was rejected, Radiohead released it on the audio streaming site SoundCloud on Christmas Day 2015. Radiohead's ninth studio album, ''
A Moon Shaped Pool ''A Moon Shaped Pool'' is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released digitally on 8 May 2016, and physically on 17 June 2016 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Radiohead's longtime producer Nigel Godrich. ...
'', was released in May 2016 on Radiohead's website and online music stores, followed by retail versions in June via XL Recordings. It was promoted with music videos for the singles "Burn the Witch (Radiohead song), Burn the Witch" and "Daydreaming (Radiohead song), Daydreaming", the latter directed by Anderson. The album includes several songs written years earlier, including "
True Love Waits True Love Waits may refer to: *True Love Waits (organization), an international Christian organization promoting sexual abstinence until marriage. * True Love Waits (song), "True Love Waits" (song), a song by Radiohead * True Love Waits (album), ''T ...
", and strings and Choir, choral vocals performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra. It was Radiohead's sixth UK number-one album and reached number three in the US. It was the fifth Radiohead album nominated for the
Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
, making Radiohead the most shortlisted act in the award's history, and was also nominated for
Best Alternative Music Album The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Ho ...
and Grammy Award for Best Rock Song, Best Rock Song (for "Burn the Witch") at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. It appeared on several publications' lists of the best albums of the year. In 2016, 2017, and 2018, Radiohead toured Europe, Japan, and North and South America, including headline shows at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella and Glastonbury Festival, Glastonbury festivals. The tours included a performance in Tel Aviv in July 2017, disregarding the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign for an international cultural Boycotts of Israel, boycott of Israel. The performance was criticised by artists including Roger Waters and Ken Loach, and a petition urging Radiohead to cancel it was signed by more than 50 prominent figures. Yorke responded in a statement: "Playing in a country isn't the same as endorsing the government. Music, art and academia is about crossing borders not building them, about open minds not closed ones, about shared humanity, dialogue and freedom of expression."


2017–2020: Side projects, ''OKNOTOK'' and ''MiniDiscs [Hacked]''

In June 2017, Radiohead released a 20th-anniversary ''OK Computer'' reissue, ''OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017, OKNOTOK 1997 2017'', comprising a remastered version of the album, B-sides, and previously unreleased material. Radiohead promoted the reissue with music videos for the new tracks "I Promise (Radiohead song), I Promise", " Man of War" and "Lift (Radiohead song), Lift". ''OKNOTOK'' debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, UK Album Chart, boosted by Radiohead's televised Glastonbury performance that week, and reached number 23 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed a benefit concert in Marche, Le Marche, Italy, in August 2017 following the August 2016 Central Italy earthquake. In September, the nature documentary series ''Blue Planet II'' premiered featuring a new version of the ''King of Limbs'' track "Bloom", created with the composer Hans Zimmer. Radiohead were nominated for the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
in 2017, their first year of eligibility. They were nominated again in 2018 and inducted the following March. Though Jonny Greenwood and Yorke expressed a lack of interest in the event, Selway and O'Brien attended and made speeches. The singer David Byrne, one of Radiohead's formative influences, gave a speech praising Radiohead's musical and release innovations, which he said had influenced the whole music industry. In June 2019, several hours of recordings made by Radiohead during the ''OK Computer'' period leaked online. In response, Radiohead made the recordings available to purchase online as ''MiniDiscs (Hacked), MiniDiscs [Hacked]'', with all proceeds to the environmentalist group Extinction Rebellion. In December 2019, Radiohead made their discography available free to stream on YouTube. The following January, they launched the Radiohead Public Library, an online archive of their work, including music videos, live performances, artwork and the 1998 documentary ''
Meeting People Is Easy ''Meeting People Is Easy'' is a 1998 British documentary film by Grant Gee that follows the English rock band Radiohead on the world tour for their 1997 album ''OK Computer''. It received positive reviews and was nominated for a Grammy Award for ...
''. Radiohead suspended their online content for Blackout Tuesday on 2 June, protesting racism and police brutality. In 2017, Selway released his third solo work, the soundtrack to the film ''Let Me Go''. Jonny Greenwood was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for his fifth collaboration with Anderson, ''Phantom Thread'' (2017), and scored his second film by Lynne Ramsay, ''You Were Never Really Here'' (2018). Yorke released his first feature film soundtrack, ''Suspiria (Thom Yorke album), Suspiria'' (2018), and his third solo album, ''Anima (Thom Yorke album), Anima'' (2019), backed by a short film directed by Anderson. O'Brien released his debut solo album, ''Earth (EOB album), Earth'', under the moniker EOB in 2020. He had been writing songs for years, but felt they had a "distinct energy" that would be lost with Radiohead.


2021–present: ''Kid A Mnesia'' and the Smile

Radiohead abandoned plans to tour in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November, they released ''Kid A Mnesia,'' an anniversary reissue compiling ''Kid A,'' ''Amnesiac'' and previously unreleased material from the sessions. It was promoted with download singles and videos for the previously unreleased tracks "If You Say the Word" and "Follow Me Around". Plans for an art installation based on the albums were cancelled due to logistical problems and the pandemic; instead, Radiohead created a free digital experience, ''Kid A Mnesia Exhibition'', for PlayStation 5, macOS and Windows. In a livestream event held by Glastonbury Festival in May 2021, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood debuted a new band, the Smile, a collaboration with Godrich and the drummer Tom Skinner (drummer), Tom Skinner. Greenwood said the project was a way for him and Yorke to work together during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The ''The Guardian, Guardian'' critic Alexis Petridis described the Smile as a "more skeletal and knottier version of Radiohead", with unusual time signatures, complex riffs and "hard-driving" motorik Psychedelic music, psychedelia. In May 2022, the Smile released their debut album, ''A Light for Attracting Attention'', to acclaim. The ''Pitchfork'' critic Ryan Dombal wrote that it was "instantly, unmistakably the best album yet by a Radiohead side project". The Smile began an international tour in May. Selway will release his third solo album, ''Strange Dance'', in 2023.


Style and songwriting

Radiohead's musical style has been described as art rock,
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
, electronica, experimental rock,
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
,
Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. It produced brighter, catchier alternative rock, partly in reaction to the popularity of the darker lyrical themes of the US-led grunge music and to the ...
,
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
, art pop, and electronic rock.


Influences

Among Radiohead's earliest influences were Queen (band), Queen,
Bob Dylan,
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
and Elvis Costello, post-punk acts such as Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Magazine (band), Magazine, and significantly 1980s
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
bands such as
R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternative ...
, U2, the
Pixies A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas arou ...
, the Smiths and Sonic Youth. Jonny Greenwood named the Magazine guitarist John McGeoch his biggest guitar influence. By the mid-1990s, Radiohead were adopting recording methods from hip hop music, hip hop, inspired by the sample (music), sampling work of
DJ Shadow Joshua Paul Davis (born June 29, 1972), better known by his stage name DJ Shadow, is an American DJ, songwriter and record producer. His debut studio album, '' Endtroducing.....'' was released in 1996. Biography Early years (1989–1995) DJ Sha ...
, and became interested in using computers to generate sounds. Other influences include the soundtracks of
Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classica ...
, 1960s rock groups such as
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
and the Beach Boys, and Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound, wall of sound" production. Radiohead have cited 60s and 70s jazz artists such as
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...
, Charles Mingus and Alice Coltrane as influences. According to Jonny Greenwood, "We bring in our favourite jazz albums, and say: we want to do this. And we enjoy the sound of our failing!" He likened their jazz influence to 1950s English bands imitating American blues records. The drummer Clive Deamer, who has recorded and performed with Radiohead since 2011, said Radiohead do not see themselves as a rock band and that their methodology is closer to jazz: "They deliberately try to avoid cliché and standard forms for the sake of the song ... Rock bands don't do that. It's far more like a jazz mentality." The
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
of ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesiac'' was inspired by Yorke's admiration for Warp Records artists such as Aphex Twin; in 2013, Yorke named Aphex Twin as his biggest influence. ''Kid A'' also samples early computer music. 1970s
krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments ...
bands such as Can (band), Can and Neu! were other major influences during this period. Jonny Greenwood's interest in
20th-century classical music 20th-century classical music describes art music that was written nominally from 1901 to 2000, inclusive. Musical style diverged during the 20th century as it never had previously. So this century was without a dominant style. Modernism, impressio ...
also had a role, as the influence of composers Krzysztof Penderecki and Olivier Messiaen was apparent. Since the recording of ''Kid A'', Greenwood has played the
ondes Martenot The ondes Martenot ( ; , "Martenot waves") or ondes musicales ("musical waves") is an early electronic musical instrument. It is played with a keyboard or by moving a ring along a wire, creating "wavering" sounds similar to a theremin. A player o ...
, an early electronic instrument popularised by Messiaen. Recording ''In Rainbows'', Radiohead mentioned rock, electronic, hip hop and experimental musicians as influences, including Björk, M.I.A. (artist), M.I.A, Liars (band), Liars, Modeselektor and Spank Rock. In 2011, Yorke denied that Radiohead had set out to make "experimental music", saying they were "constantly absorbing music" and that a variety of musicians are always influencing them.


Arrangement

Radiohead songs usually begin as a sketch by Yorke, which is harmonically developed by Jonny Greenwood before the rest of the band develop their parts. Whereas Yorke has never learnt to read sheet music, Greenwood is trained in music theory; in ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'', Ryan Dombal wrote that "the duo's left brain-right brain dynamic has proven to be one of the most adventurous in rock history". All the band members have a role in arrangement. While Greenwood plays most lead guitar parts, O'Brien often creates ambient effects, making extensive use of effects units. The band often try several approaches to songs, and may develop them over years; for example, Radiohead first performed "
True Love Waits True Love Waits may refer to: *True Love Waits (organization), an international Christian organization promoting sexual abstinence until marriage. * True Love Waits (song), "True Love Waits" (song), a song by Radiohead * True Love Waits (album), ''T ...
" in 1995 before releasing it in a different arrangement on ''A Moon Shaped Pool'' in 2016. Greenwood said he saw Radiohead as "just a kind of an arrangement to form songs using whatever technology suits the song", be it a cello or a laptop. The ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesiac'' sessions brought a change in Radiohead's music and working methods. Since their shift from conventional rock instrumentation toward electronic sound, the members have gained flexibility and often switch instruments. On ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesiac'', Yorke played keyboard and bass, Jonny Greenwood played
ondes Martenot The ondes Martenot ( ; , "Martenot waves") or ondes musicales ("musical waves") is an early electronic musical instrument. It is played with a keyboard or by moving a ring along a wire, creating "wavering" sounds similar to a theremin. A player o ...
, Colin Greenwood worked on sampling, and O'Brien and Selway worked with drum machines and digital manipulation. In 2004, Yorke said that where his power in the band had been "absolutely unbalanced" and that he would "subvert everybody else's power at all costs", later albums had been more democratic.


Themes and lyrics

Yorke is Radiohead's lyricist. Though his early lyrics were personal, from ''Kid A'' he experimented with Cut-up technique, cutting up words and phrases and assembling them at random. He deliberately uses Cliché, cliches, idioms and other common expressions, suggesting "a mind consumed by meaningless data". The ''The New Republic, New Republic'' writer Ryan Kearney speculated that Yorke's use of common expressions, which he described as "Radioheadisms", was an attempt "to sap our common tongue of meaning and expose the vapidity of everyday discourse". According to Yorke, many of his lyrics are motivated by anger, expressing his political and environmental concerns and written as "a constant response to doublethink". ''Pitchfork'' wrote that Yorke's lyrics on ''A Moon Shaped Pool'' were less cynical, conveying wonder and amazement. Yorke dismissed accusations that Radiohead make "depressing" music, saying in 2004: "Depressing music to me is just shit music. It's like air freshener – just a nasty little poison in the air."


Legacy and influence

Radiohead had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide by 2011.Jonathan, Emma
"BBC Worldwide takes exclusive Radiohead performance to the world"
(press release). BBC. 3 May 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
Their work places highly in both listener polls and critics' lists of the best music of the 1990s and 2000s. In 2005, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' named them the 73rd greatest artist of all time; Jonny Greenwood and O'Brien were both included in ''Rolling Stone''s list of the best guitarists, and Yorke in their list of the best singers. They are the most nominated act for the
Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
, with five nominated albums. They have been listed among the greatest bands of all time by Spin (magazine), ''Spin'' (15th) and among the greatest artists by
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
(29th). They were also ranked as the third-best British band in history by Harry Fletcher of the ''Evening Standard''. Radiohead were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
in 2019. In 2009, ''Rolling Stone'' readers voted Radiohead the second-best artist of the 2000s, behind Green Day. In 2021, ''Pitchfork'' readers voted three Radiohead albums among the ten greatest albums of the previous 25 years, including ''Kid A'' at number one. Radiohead are cited as one of the foremost rock bands of the 21st century. Their 90s albums ''The Bends'' and ''OK ComputerSpecifically, critics have cited ''OK Computer'''s influence on Muse, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Keane (band), Keane, Travis, Doves (band), Doves, Badly Drawn Boy, Editors (band), Editors and Elbow (band), Elbow. See: * * * '' influenced a generation of British acts, including Coldplay, Keane (band), Keane, James Blunt and Travis (band), Travis. In 2008, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked Yorke as the 66th greatest vocalist of all time and one of the most influential singers of his generation. Radiohead's
experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...
approach is credited with expanding
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
. According to the ''AllMusic'' journalist Stephen Thomas Erlewine, in the early 21st century, Radiohead became "a touchstone for everything that is fearless and adventurous in rock", succeeding David Bowie,
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
and
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talkin ...
. In 2003, the ''Village Voice'' critic Robert Christgau wrote that Radiohead were "the only youngish band standing that combines critical consensus with the ability to fill a venue larger than the Hammerstein Ballroom". Gavin Haynes of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' described Radiohead in 2014 as "our generation's The Beatles, Beatles". In 2020, the academic Daphne Brooks described Radiohead as "the blackest white rock band to emerge over the past 30 years", citing their black jazz influences, influence on black artists, and their "introspective other worlds", which parallel the work of radical black artists. ''Kid A'' is credited for pioneering the use of the internet to stream and promote music. The pay-what-you-want release for ''In Rainbows'' is credited as a major step for music distribution; ''Forbes'' wrote that it "helped forge the template for unconventional album releases in the internet age", ahead of artists such as
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
and Drake (musician), Drake. Speaking at Radiohead's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the singer David Byrne praised Radiohead's musical and release innovations, which he said had influenced the entire music industry.


Collaborators

Nigel Godrich Nigel Timothy Godrich (born 28 February 1971) is an English record producer, recording engineer and musician. He is known for his work with the English rock band Radiohead, having produced all their studio albums since '' OK Computer'' (1997). H ...
first worked with Radiohead as an audio engineer on their second album, ''The Bends''. He has produced all their studio albums since their third album, ''OK Computer.'' He also plays Chieftain Mews, a long-running character appearing in Radiohead's promotional material. Godrich has been dubbed the band's "sixth member", an allusion to George Martin being called the "Fifth Beatle". In 2016, Godrich said: "I can only ever have one band like Radiohead who I've worked with for this many years. That's a very deep and profound relationship. The Beatles could only have ever had one George Martin; they couldn't have switched producers halfway through their career. All that work, trust, and knowledge of each other would have been thrown out of the window and they'd have to start again." Graphic artist
Stanley Donwood Dan Rickwood (born 29 October 1968), known professionally as Stanley Donwood, is an English artist and writer. Since 1994, he has created all the artwork for the rock band Radiohead with their singer Thom Yorke, plus Yorke's other projects. He ...
met Yorke when they were art students. Together, they have produced all of Radiohead's album covers and visual artwork since 1994. Donwood works in the studio with the band as they record, allowing the music to influence the artwork. He and Yorke won a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package, Grammy in 2002 for the special edition of ''Amnesiac'' packaged as a library book. Dilly Gent has commissioned all Radiohead music videos since ''OK Computer'', working with the band to find directors. Since Radiohead's formation, Andi Watson has been their lighting and stage director, designing the visuals of their live concerts. Backline Chief and Technician Peter "Plank" Clements has worked with Radiohead since before ''The Bends'', overseeing the technical management of studio recordings and live performances. Jim Warren has been Radiohead's live sound engineer since their first tour in 1992, and recorded early tracks including "Planet Telex / High and Dry, High and Dry" and "
Pop Is Dead "Pop Is Dead" is a song by the British alternative rock band Radiohead. It was released as a non-album single on 10 May 1993, several months after their debut album ''Pablo Honey''. It reached number 42 on the UK Singles Chart. It was included in ...
". Drummer Clive Deamer was enlisted in 2011 to help perform the complex rhythms of ''The King of Limbs'', and has performed and recorded with Radiohead since.
Paul Thomas Anderson Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970), also known by his initials PTA, is an American filmmaker. He made his feature-film debut with ''Hard Eight (film), Hard Eight'' (1996). He found critical and commercial success with ''Boogie Nights'' ( ...
has directed several music videos for Yorke and Radiohead, and has collaborated with Jonny Greenwood on several film scores and the 2015 documentary ''Junun (film), Junun''. Radiohead are managed by Chris Hufford and Bryce Edge of Courtyard Management. Hufford produced their first release, the ''Drill'' EP, and co-produced their first album, ''Pablo Honey.''


Song catalogue

Radiohead recorded their first six albums under contract with Parlophone, a subsidiary of
EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
. For their seventh album, ''In Rainbows'' (2007), they did not renew the contract, as they did not trust the new management under Guy Hands and EMI would not give them control over their back catalogue. They have self-released their subsequent work, with retail editions released by
XL Recordings XL Recordings is a British independent record label founded in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes. It has been ran and co-owned by Richard Russell since 1996. It forms part of the Beggars Group. Although only releasing an average of six album ...
. In October 2015, Radiohead sued Parlophone for deductions made from downloads of their back catalogue. In September 2012, EMI was bought by Universal Music Group, Universal Music. The European Commission approved the deal on the condition that Universal Music divest Parlophone, which controlled the Radiohead records. In February 2013, Parlophone, along with Radiohead's back catalogue, was bought by Warner Music Group (WMG). As a condition of the purchase, WMG made an agreement with the Merlin Network and the trade group Independent Music Companies Association, Impala to divest 30% of the Parlophone catalogues to independent labels, with artist approval. As a result, in April 2016, WMG transferred Radiohead's back catalogue to XL. ''Radiohead: The Best Of, The Best Of'' and the EMI reissues released in 2008 without Radiohead's approval were removed from streaming services.


Band members

*
Thom Yorke Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician and the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and keyboards and is noted for his falsetto. He has been describe ...
– vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards *
Jonny Greenwood Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood (born 5 November 1971) is an English musician and composer. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the alternative rock band Radiohead, and has written numerous film scores. Along with his elder brother, th ...
– guitar, keyboards, ondes Martenot, orchestral arrangements *
Colin Greenwood Colin Charles Greenwood (born 26 June 1969) is an English musician and the bassist for the rock band Radiohead. Along with bass guitar, Greenwood plays Double bass, upright bass and Electronic musical instrument, electronic instruments. With h ...
– bass guitar *
Ed O'Brien Edward John O'Brien (born 15 April 1968) is an English guitarist, songwriter and member of the rock band Radiohead. He releases solo music under the name EOB. O'Brien attended Abingdon School in Oxfordshire, England, where he met the other mem ...
– guitar, effects, backing vocals *
Philip Selway Philip James Selway (born 23 May 1967) is an English musician and the drummer of the English rock band Radiohead. Along with the other members of Radiohead, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. Selway released his debut ...
– drums, percussion Additional live members * Clive Deamer – drums, percussion (2011–present)


Discography

Studio albums * ''
Pablo Honey ''Pablo Honey'' is the debut studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 22 February 1993 in the UK by Parlophone and on 20 April in the US by Capitol Records. It was produced by Sean Slade, Paul Q. Kolderie and Radiohead's co-m ...
'' (1993) * ''
The Bends "The bends" is a colloquialism for decompression sickness. The Bends may also refer to: * ''The Bends'' (album), a 1995 studio album by Radiohead * "The Bends" (song), a 1995 song by Radiohead * "The Bends", a song by Mr. Bungle from the 1995 alb ...
'' (1995) * ''
OK Computer ''OK Computer'' is the third studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in Japan on 21 May 1997 and in the UK on 16 June 1997. Radiohead self-produced the album with Nigel Godrich, an arrangement they have used for their subsequ ...
'' (1997) * ''
Kid A ''Kid A'' is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 2 October 2000 by Parlophone. It was recorded with their producer, Nigel Godrich, in Paris, Copenhagen, Gloucestershire and their hometown of Oxford. After th ...
'' (2000) * ''
Amnesiac Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use o ...
'' (2001) * ''
Hail to the Thief ''Hail to the Thief'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released on 9 June 2003 through Parlophone internationally and a day later through Capitol Records in the United States. It was the last album released ...
'' (2003) * ''
In Rainbows ''In Rainbows'' is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 10 October 2007 as a pay-what-you-want download, followed by a physical release internationally through XL Recordings and in North America ...
'' (2007) * ''
The King of Limbs ''The King of Limbs'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 18 February 2011 as a download, followed by a physical release on 28 March through XL Recordings internationally and TBD Records in Nor ...
'' (2011) * ''
A Moon Shaped Pool ''A Moon Shaped Pool'' is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released digitally on 8 May 2016, and physically on 17 June 2016 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Radiohead's longtime producer Nigel Godrich. ...
'' (2016)


Awards and nominations


Tours


See also

* ''The Music and Art of Radiohead'' (2005 book) * List of Old Abingdonians


Notes


References


Sources

* * Clarke, Martin. ''Radiohead: Hysterical and Useless''. 2000. * * Randall, Mac. ''Exit Music: The Radiohead Story''. 2000. *


Further reading

* Doheny, James. ''Radiohead: Back to Save the Universe''. 2002. * Forbes, Brandon W. and Reisch, George A. (eds). ''Radiohead and Philosophy: Fitter Happier More Deductive''. 2009. * Hale, Jonathan. ''Radiohead: From a Great Height''. 1999. * Johnstone, Nick. ''Radiohead: An Illustrated Biography''. 1997. * Letts, Marianne Tatom. ''Radiohead and the Resistant Concept Album''. 2010. * Paytress, Mark. ''Radiohead: The Complete Guide to their Music''. 2005. * Tate, Joseph (ed). ''The Music and Art of Radiohead''. 2005. .


External links

* * * *
BBC Interview with Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke about artistic collaboration for Radiohead
{{Authority control Radiohead, 1985 establishments in the United Kingdom Musical groups established in 1985 ATO Records artists English electronic music groups English electronic rock musical groups Capitol Records artists English alternative rock groups English art rock groups English experimental rock groups Grammy Award winners Ivor Novello Award winners Musical groups from Oxford Musical quintets NME Awards winners Parlophone artists XL Recordings artists Musical groups from Oxfordshire BT Digital Music Awards winners