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{{Infobox Musical artist
DICK C========3 radiohead sucks big black long dick and all their fans wouldn't know music if i threw a tuba at their face how ever they would no the pain felt in the ears by everyone who actually likes and listens to good music and not the same song w/ different lyrics like radiohead does so you know what radiohead can go suck my big black wrinkly old crabs infested aids infested dick C=====================================3
| Name = <!--THIS IS A TEXT-ONLY FIELD. PLEASE DO NOT PUT AN IMAGE OR BAND LOGO HERE.-->Radiohead
| Img = Radiohead.jpg
| Img_capt = Radiohead (left to right): [[Thom Yorke]], [[Jonny Greenwood]], [[Colin Greenwood]], [[Ed O'Brien]] and [[Phil Selway]]
| Landscape = Yes
| Background = group_or_band
| Origin = [[Abingdon, Oxfordshire|Abingdon]], [[Oxfordshire]], [[England]]
| Genre = <!--PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THIS LIST WITHOUT DISCUSSION ON THE TALK PAGE-->[[Alternative rock]]<br />[[Art rock]]<br />[[Electronic music]]
| Years_active = 1991 – present
| Label = [[XL Recordings|XL]], [[TBD Records|TBD]] (2007-present)<br/>[[Parlophone]], [[Capitol Records|Capitol]] (1992–2005)
| URL = [http://www.radiohead.com/ www.radiohead.com]
| Current_members = [[Colin Greenwood]]<br/>[[Jonny Greenwood]]<br/>[[Ed O'Brien]]<br/>[[Phil Selway]]<br/>[[Thom Yorke]]
}}
<!--THIS ARTICLE IS WRITTEN IN BRITISH ENGLISH, WHICH TREATS COLLECTIVE NOUNS LIKE "BAND" AS PLURALS (i.e. "Radiohead ARE a band"). PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS.-->
'''Radiohead''' are an [[England|English]] [[alternative rock]] band from [[Oxfordshire]]. The band is composed of [[Thom Yorke]] (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, electronics), [[Jonny Greenwood]] (lead guitar, other instruments), [[Ed O'Brien]] (guitar, backing vocals), [[Colin Greenwood]] (bass guitar, synthesisers) and [[Phil Selway]] (drums, percussion). Radiohead have released seven albums and have sold over 23 million records over their career.<ref>
{{Citation
| last =McLean
| first =Craig
| title =Caught in the flash
| newspaper = [[The Observer]]
| date = [[2007-12-09]]
| url = http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,,2221299,00.html
| accessdate = 2008-01-29
}}</ref>


Radiohead released their first [[single (music)|single]], "[[Creep (Radiohead song)|Creep]]", in 1992, and their debut album, ''[[Pablo Honey]]'', in 1993. Though initially unsuccessful, "Creep" was a worldwide hit when reissued a year later. Radiohead's popularity in the [[United Kingdom]] increased with the release of their second album, ''[[The Bends]]'' (1995). The band's textured [[guitar]] atmospheres and Yorke's [[falsetto]] singing were warmly received by critics and fans. With the release of ''[[OK Computer]]'' (1997), Radiohead were propelled to greater fame worldwide. Featuring an expansive sound and themes of alienation from the modern world, ''OK Computer'' has often been acclaimed as a landmark record of the 1990s.
O

|<
The release of ''[[Kid A]]'' (2000) and ''[[Amnesiac]]'' (2001) saw Radiohead reach their peak popularity, although the albums divided critical opinion. This period marked a change in Radiohead's musical style, with their incorporation of avant-garde [[electronic music]], [[Krautrock]] and [[jazz]] influences. ''[[Hail to the Thief]]'' (2003), Radiohead's sixth album, blended styles from throughout the band's career, mixing guitar-driven rock, electronic influences and contemporary lyrics. Radiohead subsequently left their [[record label]], [[EMI]], and released their seventh album, ''[[In Rainbows]]'' (2007), through their own website as a [[digital download]] for which customers selected their own price.
|-O-----

/\ /\ /\ that is radio head sucking my dick and earlier stated im srry if it comes out differently after i edit this
== History ==
=== Formation and first years (1986–1991) ===
[[Image:abingdonschool.jpg|thumb|right|Abingdon School, where the band formed.]]
The musicians who formed Radiohead met while attending [[Abingdon School]], a boys-only [[Independent school (UK)|public school]] in [[Abingdon, Oxfordshire]].<ref name="MCLEAN">
{{Citation
| last =McLean
| first =Craig
| title =Don't worry, be happy
| newspaper = [[The Sydney Morning Herald]]
| date = [[2003-07-14]]
| url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/13/1055220766407.html
| accessdate = 2007-12-25
}}</ref> Yorke and Colin Greenwood were in the same year, O'Brien and Selway were one year older and Jonny Greenwood two years younger. In 1986, they formed the band "On a Friday", the name referring to the band's usual rehearsal day in the school's music room.<ref name="RANDALL"/> The group played their first gig in late 1986 at Oxford's [[Jericho Tavern]];<ref name="CLARKE">
{{citation
| last=Clarke
| first=Martin
| title=Radiohead: Hysterical and Useless
| date=[[2006-05-05]]
| isbn=0859653838
| publisher=Plexus
}}</ref> Jonny Greenwood originally joined as a keyboard player but soon became the [[lead guitar]]ist.<ref name="RANDALL">
{{Citation
| last = Randall
| first = Mac
| title = The Golden Age of Radiohead
| magazine = [[Guitar World]]
| date = [[1998-04-01]]
}}</ref>

Although Yorke, O'Brien, Selway, and Colin Greenwood had left Abingdon by 1987 to attend university, the band continued to rehearse often on weekends and holidays.<ref name="ROSS">
{{Citation
| last = Ross
| first = Alex
| title = The Searchers
| newspaper = [[The New Yorker]]
| date = [[2001-08-20]]
| url = http://www.therestisnoise.com/2004/04/mahler_1.html
| accessdate = 2007-12-24
}}</ref> In 1991, when all the members except Jonny had completed their university degrees, On a Friday regrouped, began to record demos such as the [[Manic Hedgehog demo tape]], and performed live gigs around Oxford. Although Oxfordshire and the [[Thames Valley]] had an active [[Indie (music)|indie]] scene in the late 1980s, it centred around [[shoegazing]] bands such as [[Ride (band)|Ride]] and [[Slowdive]]; On a Friday were never seen as fitting in this trend, commenting that they had missed it by the time they returned from university.<ref name="KENT">
{{Citation
| last =Kent
| first =Nick
| author-link =Nick Kent
| title =Happy now?
| magazine = [[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]
| date =[[2001-06-01]]
}}</ref>

As On a Friday's number of live performances increased, record labels and producers became interested. Chris Hufford, the co-owner of Oxford's Courtyard Studios, attended an early On a Friday concert at the Jericho Tavern. Impressed by the band, he and his partner Bryce Edge produced a demo tape and became On a Friday's managers;<ref name="ROSS"/> they remain the band's managers to this day. Following a chance meeting between Colin Greenwood and [[EMI]] [[A&R|representative]] Keith Wozencroft at the record shop where Greenwood worked, the band signed a six-album recording contract with the label in late 1991.<ref name="ROSS"/> At the request of EMI, the band changed their name to Radiohead, inspired by the title of a song on [[Talking Heads]]' ''[[True Stories (album)|True Stories]]'' album.<ref name="ROSS"/>

=== ''Pablo Honey'', ''The Bends'' and early success (1992–1995) ===
''[[Drill (EP)|Drill]]'', Radiohead's debut [[Extended play|EP]], was [[record producer|produced]] by Hufford and Edge at Courtyard Studios and released in March 1992. Its chart performance was poor, and consequently the band hired Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade&mdash;who had previously worked with the [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]] and [[Dinosaur Jr]]&mdash;to produce their debut album, which was recorded in an Oxford studio late in 1992.<ref name="RANDALL"/> With the release of the "[[Creep (Radiohead song)|Creep]]" single in late 1992, Radiohead began to receive attention in the British music press, although not all of it was favourable; ''[[NME]]'' described them as "a lily livered excuse for a rock band,"<ref name="FREQUENCY">
{{citation
| title=Radiohead: The right frequency
| date=[[2001-02-22]]
| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1182725.stm
| newspaper = [[BBC News]]
| accessdate = 2007-11-24
}}</ref> and the song was not played on [[BBC Radio 1]] because it was deemed "too depressing".<ref>
{{citation
| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artist/bj63/
| title=BBC Music Profiles: Radiohead.
| publisher=[[BBC]]
| accessdate = 2007-03-11
}}</ref> Radiohead released their debut album, ''[[Pablo Honey]]'', in February 1993. Its musical style was compared to the [[grunge]] style popular in the early 1990s&mdash;to the extent of Radiohead being dubbed "[[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]-lite"<ref name="SMITH"/>&mdash;yet ''Pablo Honey'' did not do well in the UK charts. Singles "[[Stop Whispering]]" and "[[Anyone Can Play Guitar]]" followed the album's release; both did similarly poorly.

{{sample box start|Radiohead}}
{{multi-listen start}}
{{multi-listen item
| filename=Radiohead - Creep (sample).ogg
| title="Creep"
| description=from ''[[Pablo Honey]]'' - "Creep" was the band's first hit. This sample features Jonny Greenwood's distorted guitar effects before the chorus; these may have originated as his attempt at sabotaging the song, which he did not initially like.<ref>
{{citation
| last=Randall | first=Mac
| title=Exit Music: The Radiohead Story
| date=[[2000-09-12]]
| pages=71–73
| isbn= 0385333935
| publisher=Delta
}}</ref>
| format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen end}}
{{sample box end}}

However, "Creep" unexpectedly built momentum around the world, spreading from popularity in [[Israel]] to a [[San Francisco]] college radio station.<ref name="ROSS"/> By the time Radiohead began their first United States tour in early 1993, the [[music video]] for "Creep" was in heavy rotation on [[MTV]].<ref name="mel">
{{Citation
| title =Creepshow
| newspaper =[[Melody Maker]]
| date = [[1992-12-19]]
}}</ref> The song rose to number two on the [[Modern Rock Tracks|Billboard modern rock]] charts and to number seven in the UK singles chart when re-released later that year. Radiohead nearly broke up due to the pressure of sudden success as the ''Pablo Honey'' supporting tour extended into its second year.<ref>
{{Citation
| last = Richardson
| first = Andy
| title = Boom! Shake The Gloom!
| newspaper = [[NME]]
| date = [[1995-12-09]]
}}</ref> The band described the tour as a miserable experience, as towards its end they were "still playing the same songs that [they had] recorded two years previously… almost like being held in a time warp."<ref name="HARDING">
{{citation
| first=Nigel
| last=Harding
| title=Radiohead's Phil Selway
| year=1995
| newspaper=consumable.com
| url =http://www.westnet.com/consumable/1995/May08.1995/revradio.html
| accessdate = 2007-05-28
}}</ref>

After the American tour, Radiohead began work on their second album, hiring veteran [[Abbey Road studios]] producer [[John Leckie]]. Tensions were high, as the band felt smothered both by "Creep"'s success and the mounting expectations for a superior follow-up.<ref name="BLACK">
{{citation
| first=Johnny
| last=Black
| title=The Greatest Songs Ever! Fake Plastic Trees
| date=[[2003-06-01]]
| magazine = [[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]
| url =http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=824
| accessdate = 2007-04-15
}}</ref> The band sought a change of scenery, touring [[Australasia]] and the [[Far East]] in an attempt to reduce the pressure. However, confronted again by their popularity, Yorke became disenchanted at being "right at the sharp end of the sexy, sassy, MTV eye-candy lifestyle" he felt he was helping to sell to the world.<ref name="REYNOLDS">
{{Citation
| last = Reynolds
| first = Simon
| author-link = Simon Reynolds
| title = Walking on Thin Ice
| magazine = [[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]
| year = 2001
| date = June 2001
}}</ref> The 1994 [[Extended play|EP]] ''[[My Iron Lung]]'', featuring the single of the same title, was Radiohead's reaction, marking a transition towards the greater depth they aimed for on their second album.<ref>
{{citation
| first=Steve
| last=Mallins
| title=Scuba Do
| date=[[1995-04-01]]
| magazine = Vox magazine
}}</ref> The single was promoted through underground radio stations; sales were better than expected, starting a loyal fan base for the band.<ref name="EXIT">
{{citation
| last=Randall
| first=Mac
| title=Exit Music: The Radiohead Story
| date=[[2000-09-12]]
| pages=98–99
| isbn= 0385333935
| publisher=Delta
}}</ref> Having developed more new songs on tour, Radiohead finished recording their second album, ''[[The Bends]]'', in late 1994, releasing it in May 1995.

While Radiohead were seen as outsiders to the [[Britpop]] scene that dominated the media's attention at the time, they were finally successful in their home country with ''The Bends''.<ref name="KENT"/> The album was driven by dense riffs and ethereal atmospheres from the band's three guitarists, with greater use of [[keyboard instrument|keyboards]] than their debut.<ref name="RANDALL"/> Singles "[[Fake Plastic Trees]]", "[[Just (song)|Just]]", and "[[Street Spirit (Fade Out)]]" achieved chart success in the UK, the latter putting Radiohead in the top 5 for the first time. In mid-1995, Radiohead toured in support of [[R.E.M.]], one of their formative influences and at the time one of the biggest rock bands in the world.<ref name="HARDING"/> Introducing his opening act, [[Michael Stipe]] said, "Radiohead are so good, they scare me".<ref>
Randall, p. 127
</ref> The buzz generated by such famous fans, along with distinctive music videos for "Just" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", helped to expand Radiohead's popularity outside the UK. Jonny Greenwood said, "I think the turning point for us came about nine or 12 months after ''The Bends'' was released and it started appearing in people's [best of] polls for the end of the year. That's when it started to feel like we made the right choice about being a band."<ref name="LAUNCH">
{{Citation
| last = DiMartino
| first = Dave
| title = Give Radiohead Your Computer
| magazine = [[Yahoo! Music|LAUNCH]]
| date = [[1997-05-02]]
| url = http://music.yahoo.com/read/interview/12048024
| accessdate = 2007-12-21
}}</ref> Despite critical acclaim and loyal fans, ''The Bends'' didn't build on the commercial popularity of "Creep" outside the UK; few of its singles went into heavy rotation worldwide and its peak on the American charts was Radiohead's lowest position there, at number 88.<ref>
{{Citation
| title = Radiohead: Biography
| magazine = [[Rolling Stone]]
| url = http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/radiohead/biography
| accessdate = 2009-01-20
}}</ref>

=== ''OK Computer'', fame and critical acclaim (1996–1998) ===
{{sample box start|Radiohead}}
{{multi-listen start}}
{{multi-listen item
| filename=Paranoid Android.ogg
| title="Paranoid Android"
| description=from ''[[OK Computer]]'' - "Paranoid Android", Radiohead's first single from ''OK Computer'', consisted of three sections, computerized voices, and abrasive guitar solos. It was the band's highest charting single thus far and remains the longest song they have released.|format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen end}}
{{sample box end}}
Two new songs were already recorded for Radiohead's next album; "[[Lucky (Radiohead song)|Lucky]]", released as a single to promote the [[War Child (charity)|War Child]] charity's ''[[The Help Album]]'',<ref name="IRETIMES">
{{citation
| last = Courtney
| first = Kevin
| title = Radiohead calling
| newspaper = [[Irish Times]]
| date = [[1997-05-17]]
| url = http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/weekend/1997/0517/97051700184.html
| accessdate = 2007-12-24
}}</ref> and "[[Exit Music (For a Film)]]", contributed to [[Baz Luhrmann]]'s 1996 adaptation of ''[[Romeo and Juliet (1996 film)|Romeo and Juliet]]''. With the assistance of [[Record producer|producer]] [[Nigel Godrich]], their collaborator on "Lucky" and on b-side "[[Talk Show Host]]," Radiohead produced their next album themselves, beginning work in early 1996. By July they had recorded four songs with Godrich at their rehearsal studio, Canned Applause, a converted apple shed in the countryside near [[Didcot]], Oxfordshire.<ref>
{{citation
| first = Adrian
| last = Glover
| title = Radiohead - Getting More Respect
| date = [[1997-08-01]]
| magazine = [[Circus (magazine)|Circus]]
}}</ref> They decided to perfect the songs live, touring as an opening act for [[Alanis Morissette]], before completing the record. The rest of the album was recorded in actress [[Jane Seymour (actress)|Jane Seymour]]'s 15th-century mansion, [[St. Catherine's Court]], near Bath.<ref>
{{citation
| url = http://www.time.com/time/2006/100albums/0,27693,OK_Computer,00.html
| title = The All-Time 100 albums
| magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]]
| date = [[2006-11-13]]
| accessdate = 2007-03-11
}}</ref> The recording sessions were relaxed, with the band playing at all hours of the day, recording songs in different rooms, and listening to [[The Beatles]], [[DJ Shadow]], [[Ennio Morricone]] and [[Miles Davis]] for inspiration.<ref name="LAUNCH"/><ref name="RANDALL"/> Recording on the album was completed by the end of 1996, and by March 1997, it was mixed and mastered.

Radiohead released their third album, ''[[OK Computer]]'', in June 1997. Largely composed of melodic rock songs, the new record also found Radiohead experimenting with song structures and incorporating some [[ambient music|ambient]], [[avant garde]] and [[electronic music|electronic]] influences.<ref name="REQ">
{{citation
| title = Subterranean Aliens
| date = [[1997-09-01]]
| magazine = Request Magazine
}}</ref> ''OK Computer'' was the band's first number one UK chart debut, propelling Radiohead to commercial success around the world. Despite peaking at number 21 in the [[Billboard 200|American charts]], the album eventually met with mainstream recognition there, receiving a [[Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album]] and a nomination for [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]].<ref>
{{citation
| url = http://www.amug.org/~scrnsrc/grammys_98.html
| title = Screen Source presents: The 40th Annual Grammy Awards
| accessdate = 2007-11-20
| date = [[1998-02-27]]
| work = Screen Source
| publisher = amug.com
}}</ref> "[[Paranoid Android]]", "[[Karma Police]]" and "[[No Surprises]]" were released as singles from the album, of which "Karma Police" was most successful in the U.S., peaking at number 14 on the Modern Rock charts.<ref>
{{citation
| url = http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=33472&model.vnuAlbumId=1089621
| title = Radiohead: Artist Chart History
| accessdate = 2007-11-09
| magazine = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]
}}</ref>

''OK Computer'' was eventually met with great critical acclaim, and Yorke admitted that 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."<ref>
{{citation
| title = Renaissance Men
| magazine = [[Select (magazine)|Select]]
| date = December 1997
}}</ref> The release of ''OK Computer'' was followed by the "Against Demons" world tour. [[Grant Gee]], the director of the "No Surprises" video, accompanied and filmed the band, releasing the footage in the 1999 documentary ''[[Meeting People Is Easy]]''.<ref>
{{citation
| url = http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/177943/Meeting-People-is-Easy/overview
| title = Meeting People is Easy (1999)
| accessdate = 2007-11-20
| last = Deming
| first = Mark
| date = [[2007-11-20]]
| newspaper = [[New York Times]]
}}</ref> The film portrays the band's disaffection with the music industry and press, showing their burnout as they progressed from their first tour dates in mid-1997 to mid-1998, nearly a year later.<ref name="RANDALL"/> During this time the band also released a music video compilation, ''[[7 Television Commercials]]'', as well as two EPs, ''[[Airbag/How Am I Driving?]]'' and ''[[No Surprises/Running from Demons]]'', that compiled [[B-sides]] from ''OK Computer''.

=== ''Kid A'', ''Amnesiac'' and a change in sound (1999–2001) ===
[[Image:Jonny Greenwood Synth (Amsterdam).jpg|thumb|right|Jonny Greenwood has used a variety of [[electronic instruments]] in live performances and in the recording of ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesiac''.]]

Radiohead were largely inactive following their 1997–1998 tour; after its end, their only public performance in 1998 was at an [[Amnesty International]] concert in Paris.<ref>
{{citation
| url = http://www.artforamnesty.org/view_artist.php?id=32
| title=Art for Amnesty
| accessdate = 2007-12-22
}}</ref> Yorke later admitted that during that period the band came close to splitting up, and that he had developed severe [[depression (mood)|depression]]: "New Year's Eve [1998] was one of the lowest points of my life... I felt like I was going fucking crazy. Every time I picked up a guitar I just got the horrors. I would start writing a song, stop after 16 bars, hide it away in a drawer, look at it again, tear it up, destroy it."<ref name="ECCLES">
{{citation
| last=Eccleston
| first=Danny
| date=[[2000-10-01]]
| magazine =[[Q (magazine)|Q]]
| accessdate = 2007-12-23
}}</ref> In early 1999, Radiohead began work on a follow-up to ''OK Computer''. Although there was no longer any pressure or even a deadline from their record label, tension during this period was high. Band members all had different visions for Radiohead's future, and Yorke was still experiencing [[writer's block]], influencing him toward a more abstract, fragmented form of songwriting.<ref name="ECCLES"/> Eventually, all the members agreed on a new musical direction, redefining their instrumental roles in the band.<ref name="SMITH">
{{citation
| first=Andrew
| last=Smith
| title=Sound and Fury
| date=[[2000-10-01]]
| url =http://observer.guardian.co.uk/life/story/0,6903,375564,00.html
| newspaper =[[The Observer]]
| accessdate = 2007-03-17
}}</ref> Radiohead secluded themselves with producer Nigel Godrich in studios in [[Paris]], [[Copenhagen]], and [[Gloucester]], and in their newly completed studio in [[Oxford]]. After nearly 18 months, Radiohead's recording sessions were completed in April 2000.<ref name="ECCLES"/>

Radiohead released their fourth album, ''[[Kid A]]'', in October 2000, the first of two albums from these recording sessions. Rather than being a stylistic sequel to ''OK Computer'', ''Kid A'' featured a [[minimalism|minimalist]] and textured style with less overt guitar parts and more diverse instrumentation including the [[ondes Martenot]], programmed [[electronic music|electronic]] beats, [[string orchestra|strings]], and [[jazz]] horns.<ref name="ECCLES"/> It was Radiohead's greatest commercial success to date, debuting at number one in many countries, including the United States, where its debut atop the [[Billboard 200|Billboard]] chart marked a first for the band.<ref>
{{citation
| title=CD Soars After Net Release: Radiohead's 'Kid A' premieres in No. 1 slot
| last=Evangelista
| first=Benny
| accessdate = 2007-03-17
| date=[[2000-10-12]]
| newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]
| url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/10/12/BU108599.DTL&type=tech_article
}}</ref> This success has been variously attributed to [[hype]]; to the leaking of the album on the file-sharing network [[Napster]] a few months before its release; and to anticipation after ''OK Computer''.<ref>
{{citation
| last = Menta
| first = Richard
| title = Did Napster Take Radiohead's New Album to Number 1?
| newspaper = [[MP3 Newswire]]
| date = [[2000-10-28]]
}}</ref><ref>
{{citation
| last = Oldham
| first = James
| title = Radiohead - Their Stupendous Return
| newspaper = [[NME]]
| date = [[2000-06-24]]
}}</ref> Although Radiohead did not release any singles from ''Kid A'', [[Promotional recording|promos]] of "[[Optimistic (song)|Optimistic]]" and "[[Idioteque]]" received radio play, and a series of "[[Kid A#Videos and blips|blips]]", or short videos set to portions of tracks, were played on music channels and released freely on the [[Internet]].<ref name="ZORIC">
{{citation
| last = Zoric
| first = Lauren
| title = I think I'm meant to be dead
| newspaper = The Guardian
| date = [[2000-09-22]]
}}</ref>
{{sample box start|Radiohead}}
{{multi-listen start}}
{{multi-listen item
| filename=Everything In Its Right Place.ogg
| title="Everything In Its Right Place"
| description=from ''[[Kid A]]'' - The opening track from Radiohead's fourth album, this song emphasizes the band's increasing use of [[electronic music]] and distortions of Thom Yorke's vocals.|format=[[Ogg]]
}}
{{multi-listen end}}
{{sample box end}}
In early 2001, ''Kid A'' received a [[Grammy Award]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album|Best Alternative Album]] and a nomination for [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]]. Yet it received both praise and criticism in [[independent music]] circles for appropriating [[underground music|underground]] styles of music, while many mainstream critics saw ''Kid A'' as a "commercial suicide note", labelling it "intentionally difficult" and longing for a return to the band's earlier style.<ref name="FREQUENCY"/><ref name="KENT"/> Radiohead's fans were similarly divided; along with those who were appalled or mystified, there were many who saw the album as the band's best work.<ref name="REYNOLDS"/><ref>
{{citation
| url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/radiohead/kida
| title=Kid A by Radiohead
| accessdate = 2007-05-20
| magazine=[[Metacritic]]
}}</ref> Yorke, however, denied that Radiohead had purposely set out to eschew commercial expectations, saying, "I was really, really amazed at how badly [''Kid A''] was being viewed… because the music's not that hard to grasp. 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."<ref name="KENT"/> While promoting ''Kid A'', the band, having read [[Naomi Klein]]'s [[anti-globalization]] book ''[[No Logo]]'', decided to mount a tour of Europe in a custom-built tent free of advertising, and of North America, playing smaller theatres.<ref name="ZORIC"/>

''[[Amnesiac]]'', released in June 2001, comprised additional tracks from the ''Kid A'' recording sessions. Radiohead's musical style on these tracks was similar to that of ''Kid A'' in their fusion of [[electronic music]] and [[art rock]], but the album incorporated more [[jazz]] influence. ''Amnesiac'' was a critical and commercial success worldwide, reaching #2 in the US and being nominated for a Grammy Award and the [[Mercury Music Prize]].<ref name="BBCKIDAAMN">
{{citation
| title = US success for Radiohead
| newspaper = [[BBC News]]
| date = [[2001-06-14]]
}}</ref><ref name="FREQUENCY"/> "[[Pyramid Song]]" and "[[Knives Out]]", Radiohead's first singles since 1997, were modestly successful, but "[[I Might Be Wrong (song)|I Might Be Wrong]]," initially planned as a third single, expanded into Radiohead's thus far only live record. ''[[I Might Be Wrong|I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings]]'', released in November 2001, featured live performances of songs from ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesiac'', and an acoustic performance of the previously unreleased "[[True Love Waits]]." After ''Amnesiac'''s release, the band embarked on a world tour, visiting North America, Europe and Japan.

=== ''Hail to the Thief'' and a hiatus (2002–2004) ===
{{sample box start|Radiohead}}
{{multi-listen start}}
{{multi-listen item
| filename=Radiohead - 2 + 2 = 5 (sample).ogg
| title="2 + 2 = 5"
| description=from ''[[Hail to the Thief]]'' - "2 + 2 = 5" is the album's up-tempo, guitar-driven opener; it was a return to a more straightforward style that still incorporated electronic elements.
| format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen end}}
{{sample box end}}
During July and August 2002, Radiohead toured [[Portugal]] and [[Spain]], playing several new songs. They completed their sixth album in two weeks in a [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] studio with [[Nigel Godrich]], adding a few tracks later in Oxford. Band members described the recording process as relaxed, in contrast to the tense ''Kid A''/''Amnesiac'' sessions.<ref name="MCLEAN"/> The new album, ''[[Hail to the Thief]]'', was released in June 2003. Mixing influences from throughout Radiohead's career, ''Hail to the Thief'' combined guitar-based rock with an electronic sound and topical lyrics.<ref name="META">
{{citation
| url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/radiohead/hailtothethief?q=hail%20to%20the%20thief
| title=Radiohead: Hail to the Thief (2003): Reviews
| accessdate = 2007-03-17
| magazine=[[Metacritic]]
}}</ref> Although the album was critically acclaimed, many critics felt that the band was treading water creatively rather than continuing the "genre-redefining" trend that ''OK Computer'' had begun.<ref>
{{citation
| first=Alexis
| last=Petridis
| title=Radiohead: Hail to the Thief
| date=[[2003-06-06]]
| newspaper = [[The Guardian]]
| url =http://arts.guardian.co.uk/fridayreview/story/0,,970859,00.html
| accessdate = 2007-11-22
}}</ref> Nevertheless, ''Hail to the Thief'' enjoyed commercial success, debuting at #3 on the Billboard chart and eventually being certified [[British Phonographic Industry#Sales certificates|platinum]] in the UK and [[RIAA certification|gold]] in the US. The album's singles, "[[There There]]", "[[Go to Sleep]]" and "[[2 + 2 = 5 (song)|2+2=5]]" achieved a level of play on [[modern rock]] radio. At the 2003 Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for [[Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album|Best Alternative Album]], while producers Nigel Godrich and Darrell Thorp received the [[Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical|Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album]].<ref>
{{citation
| url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2003/grammys.htm
| title=Rock on the Net: 45th Annual Grammy Awards
| accessdate = 2007-11-22
| date=[[2003-02-23]]
| magazine=rockonthenet.com
}}</ref>

Yorke denied that ''Hail to the Thief'''s title was a comment on the controversial [[U.S. presidential election, 2000|2000 American presidential election]], explaining that he first heard the phrase during a [[BBC Radio 4|Radio 4]] discussion of [[John Quincy Adams]], "who stole the election and who was known as 'The Thief' throughout his presidency".<ref name="MCLEAN" /> Yorke explained that although the album was influenced by world events of late 2001 and early 2002, it also "struck [him] as the most amazing, powerful phrase… It will annoy me if people say it's a direct protest because I feel really strongly that [Radiohead] didn't write a protest record, we didn't write a political record."<ref name="MCLEAN"/> After the release of ''Hail to the Thief'', Radiohead embarked on an international tour, which began in May 2003 and included a headlining performance at the [[Glastonbury Festival#Glastonbury 2003|Glastonbury Festival]]. The tour finished in May 2004 with a performance at the [[Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival#2004|Coachella Festival]]. During their tour, the band released ''[[COM LAG (2plus2isfive)|COM LAG]]'', an EP compiling most of the b-sides from ''Hail to the Thief''. Following their tour, the band began writing and rehearsing in their Oxford studio, but soon went on hiatus; free of contractual obligations, Radiohead spent the remainder of 2004 resting and working on solo projects.<ref name="HERE">
{{citation
| last=O'Brien
| first=Ed
| title=Here we go
| work=[[Dead Air Space]]
| date=[[2005-08-21]]
| url =http://www.radiohead.com/deadairspace/index.php?a=65
| accessdate = 2007-12-23
}}</ref>

=== ''In Rainbows'' and independent work (2005–present) ===
[[Image:Thom Yorke.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Yorke in concert with Radiohead in 2006.]]
Radiohead began work on their seventh album in February 2005.<ref name="HERE"/> In September 2005, the band recorded a piano-based song, "I Want None of This", for the [[War Child (charity)|War Child]] charity album ''[[Help!: A Day in the Life|Help: A Day in the Life]]''. The album was sold online, with "I Want None of This" being the most downloaded track, although it was not released as a single.<ref>
{{citation
| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4238542.stm
| title=Rush to download War Child album
| date=[[2005-09-12]]
| accessdate = 2007-10-19
| newspaper=[[BBC News]]
}}</ref> At the time, Radiohead were without a record contract, having fulfilled their recording contract with [[EMI]] in 2004 with the release of ''COM LAG''. Shortly before the band began writing new songs for the album, Yorke told ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', "I like the people at our record company, but the time is at hand when you have to ask why anyone needs one. And, yes, it probably would give us some perverse pleasure to say 'Fuck you' to this decaying business model."<ref>
{{citation
| url = http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1666973,00.html
| title = Radiohead Says: Pay What You Want
| accessdate = 2007-10-16
| last = Tyrangiel
| first = Josh
| date = [[2007-10-01]]
| magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]]
}}</ref> Radiohead had begun recording their next album on their own and then with producer [[Mark Stent]], but in late 2006, after a tour of Europe and North America during which they debuted 13 new songs, they resumed work with Nigel Godrich in several rural locations in England.<ref>
{{citation
| title = Radiohead: Exclusive Interview
| accessdate = 2007-10-21
| last = Marshall
| first = Julian
| date = [[2007-10-02]]
| newspaper = [[NME]]
}}</ref> The album was completed in June 2007 and was mastered the following month in a New York City studio.<ref>
{{citation
| url = http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/29715
| title = Radiohead mastering seventh album in New York
| date = [[2007-07-16]]
| newspaper = [[NME]]
}}</ref>

Radiohead's seventh album, ''[[In Rainbows]]'', was released in October 2007 as a [[MP3|digital download]] for which customers chose their own price. Although it was reported that 1.2 million digital downloads were sold by the day of the album's release,<ref name="tour">
{{Citation
| last =Brandle
| first =Lars
| title =Radiohead Returning To The Road In 2008
| magazine =[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard.com]]
| date =[[2007-10-18]]
| url =http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003660154
| accessdate = 2007-12-21
}}</ref> the band's management did not release official sales figures, claiming that the Internet-only distribution was intended to boost sales of the physical album.<ref name="tour"/><ref name ="JOHNSON">
{{citation
| last=Edgecliffe-Johnson
| first =Andrew
| newspaper=[[Financial Times]]
| date=[[2007-10-11]]
| title =Radiohead MP3 release a tactic to lift CD sales
}}</ref> Yet according to Yorke, Radiohead's profits from the digital download of ''In Rainbows'' outstripped combined profits from digital downloads of all of the band's other studio albums.<ref>
{{citation
| last=Byrne
| first =David
| newspaper=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]
| date=[[2007-11-18]]
| title =David Byrne and Thom Yorke on the Real Value of Music
| url=http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/magazine/16-01/ff_yorke?currentPage=all
| accessdate = 2008-01-06
}}</ref> A "discbox" including a bonus CD from the recording sessions, a [[double album|double]] vinyl edition of the album, and a hardcover book of artwork was released in early December.<ref name="INRAINBOWSYHOO">
{{citation
| last = Grossberg
| first = Josh
| title = Fans Shortchanging Radiohead's Rainbows?
| newspaper = [[Yahoo! News]]
| date = [[2007-11-06]]
}}</ref> ''In Rainbows'' was physically released in the UK in late December on [[XL Recordings]] and in North America in January 2008 on [[TBD Records]],<ref name="INRAINBOWSYHOO"/> and charted at number one both in the UK and in the US.<ref> {{citation
| last=Griffiths
| first=Peter
| title=Radiohead top album chart
| newspaper=Reuters
| url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL063195120080106
| date=[[2008-01-06]]
| accessdate = 2008-01-07
}}</ref><ref>
{{citation
| last=Cohen
| first=Jonathan
| title=Radiohead Nudges Blige From Atop Album Chart
| newspaper=Billboard
| url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003694375
| date=[[2008-01-09]]
| accessdate = 2008-01-09
}}</ref> The album's success in the US marked Radiohead's highest chart success in that country since ''Kid A'', while it was their fifth UK number one album. "[[Jigsaw Falling into Place]]", the first single from the album, was released in the UK in January 2008.<ref>
{{citation
| title=Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' to be released on CD this year
| date=[[2007-11-08]]
| newspaper=[[NME]]
| url =http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/32393
| accessdate = 2007-11-19
}}</ref> The second single, "[[Nude (song)|Nude]]", debuted at #37 in the [[Billboard Hot 100]], Radiohead's first song to make that chart since 1995's "High and Dry" and their first time in the top 40 since "Creep".<ref>World Chart Placements. [http://www.mediatraffic.de/tracks.htm]</ref>

''In Rainbows'' received overwhelmingly positive reviews, among the best of Radiohead's career. Critics praised the album for having a more accessible sound and personal style of lyrics than their past work.<ref>
{{citation
| url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/radiohead/inrainbows
| title=Radiohead: In Rainbows (2007): Reviews
| accessdate = 2007-11-06
| magazine=[[Metacritic]]
}}</ref> Explaining the reasons behind the album's delivery and pricing scheme, Jonny Greenwood said, "It was an experiment that felt worth trying...[and] it's fun to make people stop for a few seconds and think about what music is worth."<ref name="HIATT">
{{citation
| last=Hiatt
| first=Brian
| magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]
| date=[[2007-10-16]]
| title=Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood on "In Rainbows": "It's Fun to Make People Think About What Music is Worth?
| url = http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/10/10/radioheads-jonny-greenwood-on-in-rainbows-its-fun-to-make-people-think-about-what-music-is-worth/
| accessdate = 2007-12-21
}}</ref> Yorke described the album as Radiohead's attempt to "describe...as coherently and conclusively as possible, what moves us. ''In Rainbows'' is... our classic album – our ''[[Transformer (album)|Transformer]]'', our ''[[Revolver (album)|Revolver]]'', our ''[[Hunky Dory]]''."<ref>
{{citation
| last=Dallach
| first=Christoph
| magazine=[[The Independent]]
| date=[[2008-01-03]]
| title=Thom Yorke: Why he's glad to have made such a big noise
| url = http://arts.independent.co.uk/music/features/article3303572.ece
| accessdate = 2008-01-20
}}</ref> Radiohead will tour [[North America]], [[Europe]], [[South America]] and [[Japan]] from May 2008 to the end of the year to promote ''In Rainbows''.<ref name="tour"/> A [[greatest hits]] compilation, titled ''[[Radiohead: The Best of]]'', will be released by EMI in June 2008.<ref>{{Citation |last= |first= |title=Radiohead to release 'Best Of' compilation |url=http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/35609 |publisher=''NME'' |date=2008-04-03 |accessdate=2008-04-03}}</ref> This compilation will not contain any of the tracks from ''In Rainbows'', as ''In Rainbows'' was not released through EMI.

== Style and songwriting ==
=== Musical influences ===
{{sample box start|Radiohead}}
{{multi-listen start}}
{{multi-listen item
| filename=Radiohead - Pyramid Song (sample).ogg
| title="Pyramid Song"
| description=from ''[[Amnesiac]]'' - "Pyramid Song" was strongly influenced by jazz musician [[Charles Mingus]]' piece "Freedom".<ref name="KENT"/> This sample shows the track's electronic noises, string arrangement and irregular timing on the piano and drums.
| format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen end}}
{{sample box end}}

Among Radiohead members' earliest influences were [[Queen (band)|Queen]] and [[Elvis Costello]]; [[post-punk]] acts such as [[Joy Division]] and [[Magazine (band)|Magazine]]; and 1980s [[alternative rock]] bands such as [[R.E.M.]], the [[Pixies]], [[The Smiths]], and [[Sonic Youth]].<ref name="ROSS"/><ref name="RANDALL"/><ref name="REYNOLDS"/> By the mid-1990s, Radiohead began to mention an interest in [[electronic music]], especially that of [[trip-hop]] act [[Massive Attack]], and the [[instrumental hip hop]] of [[DJ Shadow]], which Radiohead claimed as an influence on parts of ''OK Computer''.<ref>
{{citation
| first=Ian
| last=Gillespie
| title=It all got very surreal
| date=[[1997-08-17]]
| newspaper =[[London Free Press]]
| accessdate = 2007-05-05
}}</ref> Other influences on the album were [[Miles Davis]] and [[Ennio Morricone]], along with 1960s pop groups such as [[The Beatles]] and [[The Beach Boys]].<ref name="LAUNCH"/><ref name="RANDALL"/> Jonny Greenwood also cited composer [[Krzysztof Penderecki]] as an inspiration on the sound of ''OK Computer''.<ref name="LAUNCH"/> During this era, critics noted musical similarities between ''OK Computer'' and the albums of [[progressive rock]] bands such as [[Pink Floyd]],<ref>
{{citation
| date=[[1997-10-01]]
| magazine =[[Rolling Stone]]
}}</ref> but the band have denied that their musical style is directly influenced by progressive rock.<ref name="SWAG">
{{citation
| publisher=Spin With a Grin
| title=Questions and Answers
| url=http://www.spinwithagrin.com/answer.asp?show=all
| accessdate = 2007-05-11
}}</ref>

The electronic style of ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesiac'' was the result of Yorke's admiration for [[glitch (music)|glitch]], [[ambient music|ambient techno]] and [[Intelligent dance music|IDM]] as exemplified by [[Warp Records]] artists such as [[Autechre]], [[Aphex Twin]], [[Boards of Canada]] and [[Squarepusher]].<ref name="SMITH"/> The [[jazz]] of [[Charles Mingus]] and [[Alice Coltrane]], and 1970s [[Krautrock]] bands such as [[Can (band)|Can]] and [[Neu!]], were other major influences during this period.<ref>
{{citation
| first=Lauren
| last=Zoric
| title=Fitter, Happier, More Productive
| date=[[2000-10-01]]
| magazine = [[Juice (magazine)|Juice]]
| accessdate = 2007-05-03
}}</ref> Jonny Greenwood's interest in [[20th century classical music]] continued to play a role, and the influence of Penderecki and [[Olivier Messiaen]] was increasingly apparent; for several tracks on ''Kid A'' and subsequent albums, Greenwood has played the ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument popularised by the composer.<ref name="ROSS"/>

With ''Hail to the Thief'', Radiohead continued their electronic influences of their previous two albums, although with renewed emphasis on guitar rock.<ref name="META"/> Though [[The Beatles]] and [[Neil Young]] were sources of musical inspiration during this period, the band also continued to cite their influence by classical musicians and [[Can]].<ref>
{{citation
| last = Duno
| first = Borja
| title = Ed & Thom interview
| magazine = Mondosonoro
| date = [[2003-05-30]]
}}</ref><ref>
Liner notes of ''Hail to the Thief'', 2003.
</ref> Since 2005, while working on ''In Rainbows'', the band have continued to mention [[experimental rock]], electronic, and hip hop musicians as influences; such as [[Liars (band)|Liars]], electronic act [[Modeselektor]], [[Spank Rock]] and [[M.I.A. (artist)|M.I.A.]].<ref name="SOLAR">
{{citation
| first=Matthew
| last=Solarski
| title=Yorke Pimps Liars, Spank Rock, Malkmus on iTunes
| date=[[2007-01-23]]
| magazine=[[Pitchfork Media]]
| url =http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/40671-yorke-pimps-liars-spank-rock-malkmus-on-itunes
| accessdate = 2007-04-15
}}</ref><ref name="Rs08">
{{citation
| title=Radiohead's Secret Influences, from Fleetwood Mac to Thomas Pynchon
| date=[[2008-01-24]]
| magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]
| url =http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/18060334/radioheads_secret_influences_from_fleetwood_mac_to_thomas_pynchon
| accessdate = 2008-02-06
}}</ref> Band members have also emphasised their interest in [[reggae]] and [[dub music]],<ref>
{{citation
| url=http://www.radiohead.com/deadairspace/index.php?a=88
| title=Dead Air Space: Clocking on again
| accessdate = 2007-04-15
| last=Greenwood
| first=Jonny
| date=[[2005-09-23]]
| publisher=Radiohead.com
}}</ref> as shown by the 2007 [[Trojan Records]] release ''[[Jonny Greenwood Is the Controller]]'', a compilation of songs Greenwood selected by his favourite dub artists.

=== Changing roles ===
Radiohead's evolving musical style has been seen as a consequence of band members' varied tastes and accomplishments. Lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is the only [[music theory|classically-trained]] member of the band and served as the [[BBC]]'s Composer in Residence.<ref>
{{citation
| title=Radiohead star composes for BBC
| date=[[2004-05-18]]
| newspaper = [[BBC News]]
| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3725075.stm
| accessdate = 2007-05-19
}}</ref> Greenwood is a [[multi-instrumentalist]]; aside from guitar and keyboard, he plays the [[ondes Martenot]], [[banjo]], [[viola]] and harmonica. He also in recent years has done electronic and digital manipulation. However, not all of these instruments have appeared on record. Greenwood has also arranged [[arrangement|string orchestrations]] for Radiohead songs, including "[[Climbing Up the Walls]]", "[[How to Disappear Completely]]" and "[[Pyramid Song]]". Yorke plays guitar and piano and, at [[Exeter University]], was once a [[Disc jockey|DJ]] and part of a [[techno]] group, "Flickernoise".<ref name="SMITH">
{{citation
| first=Andrew
| last=Smith
| title=Sound and Fury
| date=[[2000-10-01]]
| url =http://observer.guardian.co.uk/life/story/0,6903,375564,00.html
| newspaper = [[The Observer]]
| accessdate = 2007-03-17}}</ref> In recent years he has focused on the digital manipulation of sound, claiming in 2003 that if forced to choose, he would rather make music only on computer than only on guitar.<ref>Appearance on Jo Whiley radio show, [[BBC Radio 1]], June 2003</ref>

Since their formation, Radiohead have, lyrically and musically, been dominated by Yorke. In a 2000 interview, Yorke said, "We operate like the [[United Nations|UN]], and I'm America."<ref name="SMITH"/> An exception to this dynamic is songwriting. Although Yorke is responsible for writing nearly all the [[lyrics]], songwriting is actually a collaborative effort, as interviews have revealed that all members have had an integral songwriting role.<ref name="ECCLES"/> As a result, all the band's songs are officially credited to "Radiohead". The ''Kid A/Amnesiac'' sessions brought about a change in Radiohead's musical style, and an even more radical change in the band's working method.<ref name="ECCLES"/> Ed O'Brien described the situation in 2000: "If you're going to make a different-sounding record, you have to change the methodology... everyone feels insecure. I'm a guitarist and suddenly it's like, well, there are no guitars on this track, or no drums. Jonny, me, Coz, and Phil had to get our heads round that."<ref name="ECCLES"/>

Since the band's shift from standard rock music instrumentation toward an emphasis on electronic sound, band members have had greater flexibility and now regularly switch instruments depending on the particular song requirements.<ref name="ECCLES"/> On ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesiac'', Yorke played keyboard and bass, while Jonny Greenwood often played ondes Martenot rather than guitar, bassist Colin Greenwood worked on sampling, and O'Brien and Selway branched out to drum machines and digital manipulations, also finding ways to incorporate their primary instruments, guitar and percussion, respectively, into the new sound.<ref name="ECCLES"/> The relaxed 2003 recording sessions for ''Hail to the Thief'' led to a different dynamic in Radiohead, with Yorke admitting in interviews that "[his] power within the band was absolutely unbalanced and [he] would subvert everybody else's power at all costs. But...it's actually a lot more healthy now, democracy wise, than it used to be."<ref name="DAL">
{{citation
| first=Stephen
| last=Dalton
| title=Are we having fun yet?
| date=[[2004-04-01]]
| url =http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/11/1081326991553.html?from=storyrhs
| newspaper =[[The Age]]
| accessdate = 2007-03-26
}}</ref>

=== Collaborators ===
[[Image:RHbear.svg|right|thumb|This bear logo was a collaborative effort between Stanley Donwood and Tchock (Thom Yorke) for the purpose of advertising ''Kid A''.]]
The band maintains a close relationship with their [[Record producer|producers]] and [[Audio engineering|engineers]], in particular [[Nigel Godrich]], as well as with [[Graphic design|graphic artist]] [[Stanley Donwood]]. Godrich made his name with Radiohead, working with the band ever since ''The Bends'', and as co-producer ever since ''OK Computer''.<ref name="CBC">
{{citation
| url=http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/godrich.html
| title=Everything In Its Right Place
| first = Matthew
| last = McKinnon
| date = [[2006-07-24]]
| newspaper = [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]
| accessdate = 2007-03-11
}}</ref> He has, at times, been dubbed the "sixth member" of the band in an allusion to [[George Martin]]'s work with the Beatles.<ref name="CBC"/> Donwood, another longtime associate of the band, has produced all of Radiohead's album covers and visual artwork since 1994.<ref name="EYE">
{{citation
| url=http://www.eyestorm.com/artists/profile/Stanley_Donwood.html
| title=Stanley Donwood
| accessdate = 2007-05-29
| publisher=Eyestorm
}}</ref> He often works directly with Yorke, whom he met at art school; Yorke is credited in these collaborations under the [[pseudonym]]s "Tchock" or "The White Chocolate Farm".<ref>
{{citation
| title=Thom Yorke to exhibit Radiohead artwork?
| date=[[2006-11-13]]
| newspaper=[[NME]]
| url =http://www.nme.com/news/thom-yorke/25051
| accessdate = 2007-06-18
}}</ref> Donwood's graphics work with the band has encompassed [[oil painting]]s, [[computer-generated imagery]], [[collage]] and [[antique]] posters, as well as work on the band's official web site. In interviews, he has said that he works near where the band is recording so as to find a visual equivalent for their sound.<ref>
{{citation
| url= http://latest-art.co.uk/features/?id=4
| title= Interview with Stanley Donwood
| publisher = Latest Art
| year = 2006
| accessdate = 2007-03-11
}}</ref> Together with Yorke, Donwood won a [[Grammy Award for Best Recording Package|Grammy]] in 2002 for a special edition of ''Amnesiac'' packaged as a library book.<ref name="EYE"/>

Other collaborators include Graeme Stewart, Dilly Gent, and Peter Clemens. Stewart has been Radiohead's sound engineer since their ''Kid A''/''Amnesiac'' sessions. He has also engineered Jonny Greenwood's and Yorke's respective solo albums ''[[Bodysong (album)|Bodysong]]'' and ''[[The Eraser]]''. Gent has been responsible for commissioning all Radiohead music videos since ''OK Computer'', working with the band to find a director suitable for each project.<ref>
{{citation
| url=http://www.mvdbase.com/tech.php?last=Gent&first=Dilly
| title=Dilly Gent videography
| accessdate = 2007-06-18
| publisher=mvdbase.com
}}</ref> The band's live technician, Peter Clemens, or "Plank", has worked with the band since ''The Bends'', setting up their instruments for both studio recordings and live performances.<ref name="RANDALL"/>

=== Influence ===
Despite the increasing profile and popularity that ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesiac'' brought to the band,<ref name="BBCKIDAAMN"/> the continued popularity of ''The Bends'' and ''OK Computer'' ensured the influence of Radiohead's earlier style on British rock music. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, many critics compared the sound of contemporary bands to that of Radiohead at some time during their recording output, and in some cases, these bands used the band's own producers Nigel Godrich or John Leckie. When asked in 2001 by MTV, "How do you guys feel about the fact that bands like [[Travis]], [[Coldplay]] and [[Muse (band)|Muse]] are making a career sounding exactly like your records did in 1997?", Yorke replied, "Good luck with Kid A."<ref name="ROSS"/> Yet, other artists, notably [[Bloc Party]], have cited influence from Radiohead's more recent work,<ref>{{Citation |last=Lash |first=Jolie |title=Bloc Party Get Experimental |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/9368362/bloc_party_get_experimental |publisher=''[[Rolling Stone]]'' |date=2006-02-23 |accessdate=2008-01-30}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Cripps |first=Charlotte |title=Bloc Party: Rock around the Bloc |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/bloc-party-rock-around-the-bloc-526386.html |publisher=''[[The Independent]]'' |date=2005-04-27 |accessdate=2008-01-30}}</ref> and acts in various genres including [[The Roots]],<ref>{{Citation |last=Relic |first=Peter |title=Game Theory |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/11221593/review/11286857/game_theory |publisher=''[[Rolling Stone]]'' |date=[[2006-08-23]] |accessdate=2008-01-27}}</ref>
[[Hanson (band)|Hanson]]<ref>{{Citation |last= |first= |title=Hanson Wraps a Decade into a Complete Sound |url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14809006 |publisher=''[[NPR]]'' |date=2007-09-30 |accessdate=2008-01-28}}</ref>
and [[John Mayer]],<ref>{{Citation |last=D'Angelo |first=Joe |title=John Mayer Covers Radiohead, Shares Sting Fantasy |url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1485806/03172004/radiohead.jhtml |publisher=''[[VH1]]'' |date=2004-03-17 |accessdate=2008-01-26}}</ref>
as well as jazz and classical musicians,<ref>{{Citation |last=Baca |first=Ricardo |title=Connections, under the covers |url=http://origin.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_7823713 |publisher=''[[Denver Post]]'' |date=2007-12-28 |accessdate=2008-01-26}}</ref>
have covered or sampled Radiohead songs from their ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesiac'' period. In 2005, Radiohead were ranked number 73 in ''[[Rolling Stone]]'''s list of the greatest artists in history.<ref>
{{citation
| url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7248604/73_radiohead
| title=73) Radiohead
| accessdate = 2007-11-19
| last=Matthews
| first=Dave
| date=[[2005-04-22]]
| magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]
}}</ref>

== Discography ==
{{main|Radiohead discography}}
* ''[[Pablo Honey]]'' (1993)
* ''[[The Bends]]'' (1995)
* ''[[OK Computer]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Kid A]]'' (2000)
* ''[[Amnesiac]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Hail to the Thief]]'' (2003)
* ''[[In Rainbows]]'' (2007)

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== Sources ==
*Randall, Mac. ''Exit Music: The Radiohead Story''. 2000. ISBN 0-385-33393-5
*Clarke, Martin. ''Radiohead: Hysterical and Useless''. 2000. ISBN 0-85965-332-3

== Further reading ==
*Ashgate Publishing. ''The Music and Art of Radiohead''. 2005. ISBN 0-7546-3979-7.
*Doheny, James. ''Radiohead: Back to Save the Universe''. 2002. ISBN 0-82641-663-2
*Footman, Tim. ''Welcome to the Machine: OK Computer and the Death of the Classic Album''. 2007. ISBN 1-8424-03885
*Griffiths, Dai. ''Radiohead's OK Computer'' ([[33⅓]] series). 2004. ISBN 1-56025-398-3
*Johnstone, Nick. ''Radiohead: An Illustrated Biography''. 1997. ISBN 0-7119-6581-1

== External links ==
{{Commonscat|Radiohead}}
* [http://www.radiohead.com/ Radiohead.com], official site
* [http://www.rhdiscog.com RHDiscog.com], comprehensive discography
* {{Last.fm}}

{{Radiohead}}

{{featured article}}

[[Category:Alternative musical groups]]
[[Category:ATO artists]]
[[Category:British electronic music groups]]
[[Category:Capitol Records artists]]
[[Category:English rock music groups]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Music from Oxford]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1986]]
[[Category:Parlophone artists]]
[[Category:People from Abingdon, Oxfordshire]]
[[Category:Radiohead| ]]
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Revision as of 00:18, 13 May 2008

Radiohead

Radiohead are an English alternative rock band from Oxfordshire. The band is composed of Thom Yorke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, electronics), Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, other instruments), Ed O'Brien (guitar, backing vocals), Colin Greenwood (bass guitar, synthesisers) and Phil Selway (drums, percussion). Radiohead have released seven albums and have sold over 23 million records over their career.[1]

Radiohead released their first single, "Creep", in 1992, and their debut album, Pablo Honey, in 1993. Though initially unsuccessful, "Creep" was a worldwide hit when reissued a year later. Radiohead's popularity in the United Kingdom increased with the release of their second album, The Bends (1995). The band's textured guitar atmospheres and Yorke's falsetto singing were warmly received by critics and fans. With the release of OK Computer (1997), Radiohead were propelled to greater fame worldwide. Featuring an expansive sound and themes of alienation from the modern world, OK Computer has often been acclaimed as a landmark record of the 1990s.

The release of Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001) saw Radiohead reach their peak popularity, although the albums divided critical opinion. This period marked a change in Radiohead's musical style, with their incorporation of avant-garde electronic music, Krautrock and jazz influences. Hail to the Thief (2003), Radiohead's sixth album, blended styles from throughout the band's career, mixing guitar-driven rock, electronic influences and contemporary lyrics. Radiohead subsequently left their record label, EMI, and released their seventh album, In Rainbows (2007), through their own website as a digital download for which customers selected their own price.

History

Formation and first years (1986–1991)

Abingdon School, where the band formed.

The musicians who formed Radiohead met while attending Abingdon School, a boys-only public school in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.[2] Yorke and Colin Greenwood were in the same year, O'Brien and Selway were one year older and Jonny Greenwood two years younger. In 1986, they formed the band "On a Friday", the name referring to the band's usual rehearsal day in the school's music room.[3] The group played their first gig in late 1986 at Oxford's Jericho Tavern;[4] Jonny Greenwood originally joined as a keyboard player but soon became the lead guitarist.[3]

Although Yorke, O'Brien, Selway, and Colin Greenwood had left Abingdon by 1987 to attend university, the band continued to rehearse often on weekends and holidays.[5] In 1991, when all the members except Jonny had completed their university degrees, On a Friday regrouped, began to record demos such as the Manic Hedgehog demo tape, and performed live gigs around Oxford. Although Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley had an active indie scene in the late 1980s, it centred around shoegazing bands such as Ride and Slowdive; On a Friday were never seen as fitting in this trend, commenting that they had missed it by the time they returned from university.[6]

As On a Friday's number of live performances increased, record labels and producers became interested. Chris Hufford, the co-owner of Oxford's Courtyard Studios, attended an early On a Friday concert at the Jericho Tavern. Impressed by the band, he and his partner Bryce Edge produced a demo tape and became On a Friday's managers;[5] they remain the band's managers to this day. Following a chance meeting between Colin Greenwood and EMI representative Keith Wozencroft at the record shop where Greenwood worked, the band signed a six-album recording contract with the label in late 1991.[5] At the request of EMI, the band changed their name to Radiohead, inspired by the title of a song on Talking Heads' True Stories album.[5]

Pablo Honey, The Bends and early success (1992–1995)

Drill, Radiohead's debut EP, was produced by Hufford and Edge at Courtyard Studios and released in March 1992. Its chart performance was poor, and consequently the band hired Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade—who had previously worked with the Pixies and Dinosaur Jr—to produce their debut album, which was recorded in an Oxford studio late in 1992.[3] With the release of the "Creep" single in late 1992, Radiohead began to receive attention in the British music press, although not all of it was favourable; NME described them as "a lily livered excuse for a rock band,"[7] and the song was not played on BBC Radio 1 because it was deemed "too depressing".[8] Radiohead released their debut album, Pablo Honey, in February 1993. Its musical style was compared to the grunge style popular in the early 1990s—to the extent of Radiohead being dubbed "Nirvana-lite"[9]—yet Pablo Honey did not do well in the UK charts. Singles "Stop Whispering" and "Anyone Can Play Guitar" followed the album's release; both did similarly poorly.

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However, "Creep" unexpectedly built momentum around the world, spreading from popularity in Israel to a San Francisco college radio station.[5] By the time Radiohead began their first United States tour in early 1993, the music video for "Creep" was in heavy rotation on MTV.[10] The song rose to number two on the Billboard modern rock charts and to number seven in the UK singles chart when re-released later that year. Radiohead nearly broke up due to the pressure of sudden success as the Pablo Honey supporting tour extended into its second year.[11] The band described the tour as a miserable experience, as towards its end they were "still playing the same songs that [they had] recorded two years previously… almost like being held in a time warp."[12]

After the American tour, Radiohead began work on their second album, hiring veteran Abbey Road studios producer John Leckie. Tensions were high, as the band felt smothered both by "Creep"'s success and the mounting expectations for a superior follow-up.[13] The band sought a change of scenery, touring Australasia and the Far East in an attempt to reduce the pressure. However, confronted again by their popularity, Yorke became disenchanted at being "right at the sharp end of the sexy, sassy, MTV eye-candy lifestyle" he felt he was helping to sell to the world.[14] The 1994 EP My Iron Lung, featuring the single of the same title, was Radiohead's reaction, marking a transition towards the greater depth they aimed for on their second album.[15] The single was promoted through underground radio stations; sales were better than expected, starting a loyal fan base for the band.[16] Having developed more new songs on tour, Radiohead finished recording their second album, The Bends, in late 1994, releasing it in May 1995.

While Radiohead were seen as outsiders to the Britpop scene that dominated the media's attention at the time, they were finally successful in their home country with The Bends.[6] The album was driven by dense riffs and ethereal atmospheres from the band's three guitarists, with greater use of keyboards than their debut.[3] Singles "Fake Plastic Trees", "Just", and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" achieved chart success in the UK, the latter putting Radiohead in the top 5 for the first time. In mid-1995, Radiohead toured in support of R.E.M., one of their formative influences and at the time one of the biggest rock bands in the world.[12] Introducing his opening act, Michael Stipe said, "Radiohead are so good, they scare me".[17] The buzz generated by such famous fans, along with distinctive music videos for "Just" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", helped to expand Radiohead's popularity outside the UK. Jonny Greenwood said, "I think the turning point for us came about nine or 12 months after The Bends was released and it started appearing in people's [best of] polls for the end of the year. That's when it started to feel like we made the right choice about being a band."[18] Despite critical acclaim and loyal fans, The Bends didn't build on the commercial popularity of "Creep" outside the UK; few of its singles went into heavy rotation worldwide and its peak on the American charts was Radiohead's lowest position there, at number 88.[19]

OK Computer, fame and critical acclaim (1996–1998)

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Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end Two new songs were already recorded for Radiohead's next album; "Lucky", released as a single to promote the War Child charity's The Help Album,[20] and "Exit Music (For a Film)", contributed to Baz Luhrmann's 1996 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. With the assistance of producer Nigel Godrich, their collaborator on "Lucky" and on b-side "Talk Show Host," Radiohead produced their next album themselves, beginning work in early 1996. By July they had recorded four songs with Godrich at their rehearsal studio, Canned Applause, a converted apple shed in the countryside near Didcot, Oxfordshire.[21] They decided to perfect the songs live, touring as an opening act for Alanis Morissette, before completing the record. The rest of the album was recorded in actress Jane Seymour's 15th-century mansion, St. Catherine's Court, near Bath.[22] The recording sessions were relaxed, with the band playing at all hours of the day, recording songs in different rooms, and listening to The Beatles, DJ Shadow, Ennio Morricone and Miles Davis for inspiration.[18][3] Recording on the album was completed by the end of 1996, and by March 1997, it was mixed and mastered.

Radiohead released their third album, OK Computer, in June 1997. Largely composed of melodic rock songs, the new record also found Radiohead experimenting with song structures and incorporating some ambient, avant garde and electronic influences.[23] OK Computer was the band's first number one UK chart debut, propelling Radiohead to commercial success around the world. Despite peaking at number 21 in the American charts, the album eventually met with mainstream recognition there, receiving a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album and a nomination for Album of the Year.[24] "Paranoid Android", "Karma Police" and "No Surprises" were released as singles from the album, of which "Karma Police" was most successful in the U.S., peaking at number 14 on the Modern Rock charts.[25]

OK Computer was eventually met with great critical acclaim, and Yorke admitted that 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."[26] The release of OK Computer was followed by the "Against Demons" world tour. Grant Gee, the director of the "No Surprises" video, accompanied and filmed the band, releasing the footage in the 1999 documentary Meeting People Is Easy.[27] The film portrays the band's disaffection with the music industry and press, showing their burnout as they progressed from their first tour dates in mid-1997 to mid-1998, nearly a year later.[3] During this time the band also released a music video compilation, 7 Television Commercials, as well as two EPs, Airbag/How Am I Driving? and No Surprises/Running from Demons, that compiled B-sides from OK Computer.

Kid A, Amnesiac and a change in sound (1999–2001)

Jonny Greenwood has used a variety of electronic instruments in live performances and in the recording of Kid A and Amnesiac.

Radiohead were largely inactive following their 1997–1998 tour; after its end, their only public performance in 1998 was at an Amnesty International concert in Paris.[28] Yorke later admitted that during that period the band came close to splitting up, and that he had developed severe depression: "New Year's Eve [1998] was one of the lowest points of my life... I felt like I was going fucking crazy. Every time I picked up a guitar I just got the horrors. I would start writing a song, stop after 16 bars, hide it away in a drawer, look at it again, tear it up, destroy it."[29] In early 1999, Radiohead began work on a follow-up to OK Computer. Although there was no longer any pressure or even a deadline from their record label, tension during this period was high. Band members all had different visions for Radiohead's future, and Yorke was still experiencing writer's block, influencing him toward a more abstract, fragmented form of songwriting.[29] Eventually, all the members agreed on a new musical direction, redefining their instrumental roles in the band.[9] Radiohead secluded themselves with producer Nigel Godrich in studios in Paris, Copenhagen, and Gloucester, and in their newly completed studio in Oxford. After nearly 18 months, Radiohead's recording sessions were completed in April 2000.[29]

Radiohead released their fourth album, Kid A, in October 2000, the first of two albums from these recording sessions. Rather than being a stylistic sequel to OK Computer, Kid A featured a minimalist and textured style with less overt guitar parts and more diverse instrumentation including the ondes Martenot, programmed electronic beats, strings, and jazz horns.[29] It was Radiohead's greatest commercial success to date, debuting at number one in many countries, including the United States, where its debut atop the Billboard chart marked a first for the band.[30] This success has been variously attributed to hype; to the leaking of the album on the file-sharing network Napster a few months before its release; and to anticipation after OK Computer.[31][32] Although Radiohead did not release any singles from Kid A, promos of "Optimistic" and "Idioteque" received radio play, and a series of "blips", or short videos set to portions of tracks, were played on music channels and released freely on the Internet.[33] Template:Sample box start Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end In early 2001, Kid A received a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album and a nomination for Album of the Year. Yet it received both praise and criticism in independent music circles for appropriating underground styles of music, while many mainstream critics saw Kid A as a "commercial suicide note", labelling it "intentionally difficult" and longing for a return to the band's earlier style.[7][6] Radiohead's fans were similarly divided; along with those who were appalled or mystified, there were many who saw the album as the band's best work.[14][34] Yorke, however, denied that Radiohead had purposely set out to eschew commercial expectations, saying, "I was really, really amazed at how badly [Kid A] was being viewed… because the music's not that hard to grasp. 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."[6] While promoting Kid A, the band, having read Naomi Klein's anti-globalization book No Logo, decided to mount a tour of Europe in a custom-built tent free of advertising, and of North America, playing smaller theatres.[33]

Amnesiac, released in June 2001, comprised additional tracks from the Kid A recording sessions. Radiohead's musical style on these tracks was similar to that of Kid A in their fusion of electronic music and art rock, but the album incorporated more jazz influence. Amnesiac was a critical and commercial success worldwide, reaching #2 in the US and being nominated for a Grammy Award and the Mercury Music Prize.[35][7] "Pyramid Song" and "Knives Out", Radiohead's first singles since 1997, were modestly successful, but "I Might Be Wrong," initially planned as a third single, expanded into Radiohead's thus far only live record. I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings, released in November 2001, featured live performances of songs from Kid A and Amnesiac, and an acoustic performance of the previously unreleased "True Love Waits." After Amnesiac's release, the band embarked on a world tour, visiting North America, Europe and Japan.

Hail to the Thief and a hiatus (2002–2004)

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Template:Sample box end During July and August 2002, Radiohead toured Portugal and Spain, playing several new songs. They completed their sixth album in two weeks in a Los Angeles studio with Nigel Godrich, adding a few tracks later in Oxford. Band members described the recording process as relaxed, in contrast to the tense Kid A/Amnesiac sessions.[2] The new album, Hail to the Thief, was released in June 2003. Mixing influences from throughout Radiohead's career, Hail to the Thief combined guitar-based rock with an electronic sound and topical lyrics.[36] Although the album was critically acclaimed, many critics felt that the band was treading water creatively rather than continuing the "genre-redefining" trend that OK Computer had begun.[37] Nevertheless, Hail to the Thief enjoyed commercial success, debuting at #3 on the Billboard chart and eventually being certified platinum in the UK and gold in the US. The album's singles, "There There", "Go to Sleep" and "2+2=5" achieved a level of play on modern rock radio. At the 2003 Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for Best Alternative Album, while producers Nigel Godrich and Darrell Thorp received the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album.[38]

Yorke denied that Hail to the Thief's title was a comment on the controversial 2000 American presidential election, explaining that he first heard the phrase during a Radio 4 discussion of John Quincy Adams, "who stole the election and who was known as 'The Thief' throughout his presidency".[2] Yorke explained that although the album was influenced by world events of late 2001 and early 2002, it also "struck [him] as the most amazing, powerful phrase… It will annoy me if people say it's a direct protest because I feel really strongly that [Radiohead] didn't write a protest record, we didn't write a political record."[2] After the release of Hail to the Thief, Radiohead embarked on an international tour, which began in May 2003 and included a headlining performance at the Glastonbury Festival. The tour finished in May 2004 with a performance at the Coachella Festival. During their tour, the band released COM LAG, an EP compiling most of the b-sides from Hail to the Thief. Following their tour, the band began writing and rehearsing in their Oxford studio, but soon went on hiatus; free of contractual obligations, Radiohead spent the remainder of 2004 resting and working on solo projects.[39]

In Rainbows and independent work (2005–present)

Yorke in concert with Radiohead in 2006.

Radiohead began work on their seventh album in February 2005.[39] In September 2005, the band recorded a piano-based song, "I Want None of This", for the War Child charity album Help: A Day in the Life. The album was sold online, with "I Want None of This" being the most downloaded track, although it was not released as a single.[40] At the time, Radiohead were without a record contract, having fulfilled their recording contract with EMI in 2004 with the release of COM LAG. Shortly before the band began writing new songs for the album, Yorke told Time, "I like the people at our record company, but the time is at hand when you have to ask why anyone needs one. And, yes, it probably would give us some perverse pleasure to say 'Fuck you' to this decaying business model."[41] Radiohead had begun recording their next album on their own and then with producer Mark Stent, but in late 2006, after a tour of Europe and North America during which they debuted 13 new songs, they resumed work with Nigel Godrich in several rural locations in England.[42] The album was completed in June 2007 and was mastered the following month in a New York City studio.[43]

Radiohead's seventh album, In Rainbows, was released in October 2007 as a digital download for which customers chose their own price. Although it was reported that 1.2 million digital downloads were sold by the day of the album's release,[44] the band's management did not release official sales figures, claiming that the Internet-only distribution was intended to boost sales of the physical album.[44][45] Yet according to Yorke, Radiohead's profits from the digital download of In Rainbows outstripped combined profits from digital downloads of all of the band's other studio albums.[46] A "discbox" including a bonus CD from the recording sessions, a double vinyl edition of the album, and a hardcover book of artwork was released in early December.[47] In Rainbows was physically released in the UK in late December on XL Recordings and in North America in January 2008 on TBD Records,[47] and charted at number one both in the UK and in the US.[48][49] The album's success in the US marked Radiohead's highest chart success in that country since Kid A, while it was their fifth UK number one album. "Jigsaw Falling into Place", the first single from the album, was released in the UK in January 2008.[50] The second single, "Nude", debuted at #37 in the Billboard Hot 100, Radiohead's first song to make that chart since 1995's "High and Dry" and their first time in the top 40 since "Creep".[51]

In Rainbows received overwhelmingly positive reviews, among the best of Radiohead's career. Critics praised the album for having a more accessible sound and personal style of lyrics than their past work.[52] Explaining the reasons behind the album's delivery and pricing scheme, Jonny Greenwood said, "It was an experiment that felt worth trying...[and] it's fun to make people stop for a few seconds and think about what music is worth."[53] Yorke described the album as Radiohead's attempt to "describe...as coherently and conclusively as possible, what moves us. In Rainbows is... our classic album – our Transformer, our Revolver, our Hunky Dory."[54] Radiohead will tour North America, Europe, South America and Japan from May 2008 to the end of the year to promote In Rainbows.[44] A greatest hits compilation, titled Radiohead: The Best of, will be released by EMI in June 2008.[55] This compilation will not contain any of the tracks from In Rainbows, as In Rainbows was not released through EMI.

Style and songwriting

Musical influences

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Among Radiohead members' earliest influences were Queen and Elvis Costello; post-punk acts such as Joy Division and Magazine; and 1980s alternative rock bands such as R.E.M., the Pixies, The Smiths, and Sonic Youth.[5][3][14] By the mid-1990s, Radiohead began to mention an interest in electronic music, especially that of trip-hop act Massive Attack, and the instrumental hip hop of DJ Shadow, which Radiohead claimed as an influence on parts of OK Computer.[56] Other influences on the album were Miles Davis and Ennio Morricone, along with 1960s pop groups such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys.[18][3] Jonny Greenwood also cited composer Krzysztof Penderecki as an inspiration on the sound of OK Computer.[18] During this era, critics noted musical similarities between OK Computer and the albums of progressive rock bands such as Pink Floyd,[57] but the band have denied that their musical style is directly influenced by progressive rock.[58]

The electronic style of Kid A and Amnesiac was the result of Yorke's admiration for glitch, ambient techno and IDM as exemplified by Warp Records artists such as Autechre, Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada and Squarepusher.[9] The jazz of Charles Mingus and Alice Coltrane, and 1970s Krautrock bands such as Can and Neu!, were other major influences during this period.[59] Jonny Greenwood's interest in 20th century classical music continued to play a role, and the influence of Penderecki and Olivier Messiaen was increasingly apparent; for several tracks on Kid A and subsequent albums, Greenwood has played the ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument popularised by the composer.[5]

With Hail to the Thief, Radiohead continued their electronic influences of their previous two albums, although with renewed emphasis on guitar rock.[36] Though The Beatles and Neil Young were sources of musical inspiration during this period, the band also continued to cite their influence by classical musicians and Can.[60][61] Since 2005, while working on In Rainbows, the band have continued to mention experimental rock, electronic, and hip hop musicians as influences; such as Liars, electronic act Modeselektor, Spank Rock and M.I.A..[62][63] Band members have also emphasised their interest in reggae and dub music,[64] as shown by the 2007 Trojan Records release Jonny Greenwood Is the Controller, a compilation of songs Greenwood selected by his favourite dub artists.

Changing roles

Radiohead's evolving musical style has been seen as a consequence of band members' varied tastes and accomplishments. Lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is the only classically-trained member of the band and served as the BBC's Composer in Residence.[65] Greenwood is a multi-instrumentalist; aside from guitar and keyboard, he plays the ondes Martenot, banjo, viola and harmonica. He also in recent years has done electronic and digital manipulation. However, not all of these instruments have appeared on record. Greenwood has also arranged string orchestrations for Radiohead songs, including "Climbing Up the Walls", "How to Disappear Completely" and "Pyramid Song". Yorke plays guitar and piano and, at Exeter University, was once a DJ and part of a techno group, "Flickernoise".[9] In recent years he has focused on the digital manipulation of sound, claiming in 2003 that if forced to choose, he would rather make music only on computer than only on guitar.[66]

Since their formation, Radiohead have, lyrically and musically, been dominated by Yorke. In a 2000 interview, Yorke said, "We operate like the UN, and I'm America."[9] An exception to this dynamic is songwriting. Although Yorke is responsible for writing nearly all the lyrics, songwriting is actually a collaborative effort, as interviews have revealed that all members have had an integral songwriting role.[29] As a result, all the band's songs are officially credited to "Radiohead". The Kid A/Amnesiac sessions brought about a change in Radiohead's musical style, and an even more radical change in the band's working method.[29] Ed O'Brien described the situation in 2000: "If you're going to make a different-sounding record, you have to change the methodology... everyone feels insecure. I'm a guitarist and suddenly it's like, well, there are no guitars on this track, or no drums. Jonny, me, Coz, and Phil had to get our heads round that."[29]

Since the band's shift from standard rock music instrumentation toward an emphasis on electronic sound, band members have had greater flexibility and now regularly switch instruments depending on the particular song requirements.[29] On Kid A and Amnesiac, Yorke played keyboard and bass, while Jonny Greenwood often played ondes Martenot rather than guitar, bassist Colin Greenwood worked on sampling, and O'Brien and Selway branched out to drum machines and digital manipulations, also finding ways to incorporate their primary instruments, guitar and percussion, respectively, into the new sound.[29] The relaxed 2003 recording sessions for Hail to the Thief led to a different dynamic in Radiohead, with Yorke admitting in interviews that "[his] power within the band was absolutely unbalanced and [he] would subvert everybody else's power at all costs. But...it's actually a lot more healthy now, democracy wise, than it used to be."[67]

Collaborators

This bear logo was a collaborative effort between Stanley Donwood and Tchock (Thom Yorke) for the purpose of advertising Kid A.

The band maintains a close relationship with their producers and engineers, in particular Nigel Godrich, as well as with graphic artist Stanley Donwood. Godrich made his name with Radiohead, working with the band ever since The Bends, and as co-producer ever since OK Computer.[68] He has, at times, been dubbed the "sixth member" of the band in an allusion to George Martin's work with the Beatles.[68] Donwood, another longtime associate of the band, has produced all of Radiohead's album covers and visual artwork since 1994.[69] He often works directly with Yorke, whom he met at art school; Yorke is credited in these collaborations under the pseudonyms "Tchock" or "The White Chocolate Farm".[70] Donwood's graphics work with the band has encompassed oil paintings, computer-generated imagery, collage and antique posters, as well as work on the band's official web site. In interviews, he has said that he works near where the band is recording so as to find a visual equivalent for their sound.[71] Together with Yorke, Donwood won a Grammy in 2002 for a special edition of Amnesiac packaged as a library book.[69]

Other collaborators include Graeme Stewart, Dilly Gent, and Peter Clemens. Stewart has been Radiohead's sound engineer since their Kid A/Amnesiac sessions. He has also engineered Jonny Greenwood's and Yorke's respective solo albums Bodysong and The Eraser. Gent has been responsible for commissioning all Radiohead music videos since OK Computer, working with the band to find a director suitable for each project.[72] The band's live technician, Peter Clemens, or "Plank", has worked with the band since The Bends, setting up their instruments for both studio recordings and live performances.[3]

Influence

Despite the increasing profile and popularity that Kid A and Amnesiac brought to the band,[35] the continued popularity of The Bends and OK Computer ensured the influence of Radiohead's earlier style on British rock music. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, many critics compared the sound of contemporary bands to that of Radiohead at some time during their recording output, and in some cases, these bands used the band's own producers Nigel Godrich or John Leckie. When asked in 2001 by MTV, "How do you guys feel about the fact that bands like Travis, Coldplay and Muse are making a career sounding exactly like your records did in 1997?", Yorke replied, "Good luck with Kid A."[5] Yet, other artists, notably Bloc Party, have cited influence from Radiohead's more recent work,[73][74] and acts in various genres including The Roots,[75] Hanson[76] and John Mayer,[77] as well as jazz and classical musicians,[78] have covered or sampled Radiohead songs from their Kid A and Amnesiac period. In 2005, Radiohead were ranked number 73 in Rolling Stone's list of the greatest artists in history.[79]

Discography

References

  1. ^ McLean, Craig (2007-12-09), "Caught in the flash", The Observer, retrieved 2008-01-29 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d McLean, Craig (2003-07-14), "Don't worry, be happy", The Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved 2007-12-25 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Randall, Mac (1998-04-01), "The Golden Age of Radiohead", Guitar World {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Clarke, Martin (2006-05-05), Radiohead: Hysterical and Useless, Plexus, ISBN 0859653838 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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Sources

  • Randall, Mac. Exit Music: The Radiohead Story. 2000. ISBN 0-385-33393-5
  • Clarke, Martin. Radiohead: Hysterical and Useless. 2000. ISBN 0-85965-332-3

Further reading

  • Ashgate Publishing. The Music and Art of Radiohead. 2005. ISBN 0-7546-3979-7.
  • Doheny, James. Radiohead: Back to Save the Universe. 2002. ISBN 0-82641-663-2
  • Footman, Tim. Welcome to the Machine: OK Computer and the Death of the Classic Album. 2007. ISBN 1-8424-03885
  • Griffiths, Dai. Radiohead's OK Computer (33⅓ series). 2004. ISBN 1-56025-398-3
  • Johnstone, Nick. Radiohead: An Illustrated Biography. 1997. ISBN 0-7119-6581-1