"Pop Is Dead" is a song by the British

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 mainstream or commerci ...

band Radiohead. It was released as a non-album single on 10 May 1993, several months after 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 ...

''. It reached number 42 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 ...

. It was included in the 2009 ''Pablo Honey'' reissue.

Background and lyrics

"Pop Is Dead" is driven by a chromatic riff played by guitarist Jonny Greenwood. Similar to Radiohead's previous single, " Anyone Can Play Guitar", the lyrics criticise the media and music industry. The B-side, the acoustic track "Banana Co.", was described as "a mildly

Beatlesque "Beatlesque" () or "Beatles-esque" describes a musical resemblance to the English rock band the Beatles. The term is loosely defined and has been applied inconsistently to a wide variety of disparate artists. Definitions To better explain what ...

tune" with lyrics that hinted at a general loathing of multinational corporations. The electric version of the track was later included on the "

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 ...

" single. The live version of the "Ripcord" from the B-side was recorded at a Town and Country Club gig in London in February 1993, when Radiohead opened for

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, cen ...

. This version contains extra lyrics, added after the second chorus: "They can kiss my ass!"

Reception

"Pop Is Dead" reached number 42 on the

, below expectations. It was not released in the US. Following the release of Radiohead's second album, '' The Bends,'' in 1995, '' Melody Maker'' editor Robin Bresnark wrote: "If they came out with Pop is Dead"now, it would be a top five single." Five years after its release, Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien called the track "a hideous mistake". Similarly, drummer

Phil 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 ...

has remarked that if he could time travel and tell his earlier self something, it would be to not release the track. Reviewing the 2009 ''Pablo Honey'' reissue, ''

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

'' critic Finn White described "Pop is Dead" as a "clever and humorous rock satire". However, ''

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 ...

's'' Scott Plagenhoef found the track "dreadful". In 2019, ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

'' critic Marc Hogan named it the worst Radiohead song.

Music video

The music video was directed by Dwight Clarke, based on a treatment by 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 descri ...

. It features Yorke portraying the character of Pop as "a dandified vampire in a glass coffin", accompanied by other band members. According to Clarke, "We had the entire Radiohead fan club carrying him across the Oxford Downs ... In the early '90s, we probably thought those videos were all right, but looking back at them now, we all just want to die." ''Stereogum'' likened the video to those of Nirvana (band), Nirvana.

Track listing

# "Pop Is Dead" – 2:13 # "Banana Co." (acoustic) – 2:27 # "Creep" (live) – 4:11 # "Ripcord" (live) – 3:08

Personnel

Radiohead *

– vocals, guitar * Jonny Greenwood – guitar, piano * Colin Greenwood – bass guitar * Ed O'Brien – guitar, backing vocals *Philip Selway – drums Technical personnel * Jim Warren – production * Radiohead – production * Barry Hammond – mixing * Rachel Owen – artwork * Icon – design

Chart performance

References

Parlophone singles Radiohead songs, Pop is Dead 1993 singles EMI Records singles Songs written by Thom Yorke Songs written by Colin Greenwood Songs written by Jonny Greenwood Songs written by Philip Selway Songs written by Ed O'Brien Satirical songs Songs about pop music Songs about the media Songs about radio 1993 songs {{1990s-rock-song-stub