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Radiohead
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  • Born: 1989
  • Birthplace: Oxford, England
  • Best Known As: Guitar band who did the song "Creep"

Radiohead is made up of five schoolmates from Oxford, England: Thom Yorke (b. 7 October 1968), Ed O'Brien (b. 15 April 1968), Johnny Greenwood (b. 7 November 1972), Colin Greenwood (b. 26 June 1967) and Phil Selway (b. 23 May 1967). Their first album, Pablo Honey was released in 1993 to critical acclaim and included the hit song "Creep." Their second release, The Bends (1995), was an even bigger success and included the song "High and Dry." Critics especially loved their third release, OK Computer (1997), and the record was nominated for a Grammy in 1998 as Best Album of the Year. They were again nominated for Best Album for their "concept" release, Kid A (2000) and Hail to the Thief (2003), building a loyal audience through musical experimentation rather than chart-toppers. Their 2007 release, In Rainbows, brought them back into the spotlight as a commercially successful band and earned rave reviews. The band released The King of Limbs in February of 2011.

In Rainbows was originally released only as a digital download. Buyers were asked to set their own price. Sales reports were varied and unreliable, but after the physical release of the CD ten weeks later the band pronounced the distribution experiment a success.

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Radiohead

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Alternative rock band

Arty British rockers Radiohead have found themselves starring in one the most unusual success stories in alternative music. Dismissed as one-hit wonders for their unexpected 1993 hit "Creep," in subsequent years the band slowly accrued critical adoration and a devoted cult following. By late 1997 their third album, OK Computer, had appeared on year-end lists as one of the most outstanding releases of the year, in publications as diverse as People and the Village Voice.

"This is one of the few bands in recent years to surf a brief wave of post-Nirvana success in the early 1990s, watch it die and then paddle out again in search of the big one," wrote Rolling Stone's Matt Hendrickson, of Radiohead. Much of the group's musical persona is centered on lead singer Thom Yorke. Born in 1968 and once described as a cross between onetime Sex Pistol Johnny Lydon and comic actor Martin Short, the gaunt, orange-haired Yorke grew up in Scotland and in Oxford, England. Yorke was thin, suffered from a lazy eye, and was often pummeled by the other boys at his boarding school. His father, an industrial salesman, had been a champion boxer, and he tried to teach Yorke the sport, but usually succeeded only in flattening him. These traumas of his youth led Yorke to form his first band around the age of ten, in which he played guitar while a friend destroyed television sets. But later, at the detested boarding school, he taught himself to sing in the rehearsal rooms there.

Recorded Debut Album
It was also at school that he met fellow boarder Colin Greenwood, and the duo formed a punk band called TNT. Back in Oxford, in 1987 Yorke and Greenwood put together another band called On a Friday with friends Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway. At their first gig, Colin's younger brother Jonny sat near the stage with his harmonica until he was finally invited on stage. The band dissolved after a short while, and most members departed to different universities in England. Yorke studied English literature at Exeter University, where he became politically active in the anti-fascist movement, which once again made him an easy target for battery. In 1991 he found himself back in Oxford, where he reassembled his friends once more; this time they called themselves Radiohead, borrowing the name from a Talking Heads song.

Radiohead quickly became a fixture on the Oxford club scene. Most bands in the British Isles, after some hometown success, head to London to play what is called "showcase" gigs in the city's thriving club scene. The venues in London are frequented by Artist and Repretoire (A&R) people from labels looking for new acts to sign. Radiohead refused advice to play London and stubbornly stayed put in Oxford, but buzz about their sound grew so loud that at one Oxford gig, 30 record industry people from London were in attendance. Later in 1991 the group signed to Parlophone, part of the EMI family, who put them on tour. They played 100 shows around Britain in 1992. They also headed into the studio to record their debut album, Pablo Honey. The album was released in the United States in 1993, and went gold only because of the success of "Creep," a wry homage to Yorke's personal demons. "I wish I was special," he laments in its chorus. "I don't belong here." He later tired of interviews that wanted to discuss the song and his self-esteem. "Self-loathing is something we can all relate to," guitarist Ed O'Brien explained to Billboard's David Sprague, about the impetus for the song. "Every day, we see people who are better-looking or richer or more worthy than we feel."

The Bends a Critical Success
Other tracks from Pablo Honey, when released as subsequent singles, failed to make a similar impact on the American modern-rock charts, and by the time of their 1995 release The Bends, few were expecting a repeat of "Creep." Though it sold nowhere near as many copies as their debut, The Bends established Radiohead as a solid, lyrical force. "Alternately quivering with heart-rending insecurity and self-deprecating anguish," wrote Rolling Stone's Jon Wiederhorn, the record "is an emotional seesaw that never remains balanced." Singles such as the title track and "Fake Plastic Trees" hit a good nerve with music industry insiders, and the alternative press penned homages to Radiohead and their record that were almost unanimous in approval. Wiederhorn called The Bends "dynamic and passionate," granting that it was a bit less accessible than their debut, but termed it an "amalgam of experimental noise and meditative beauty."

That same year, Radiohead was paired as an opening act for R.E.M., a contact that had a profound influence on the way they would handle their creative and business careers from then on. They also opened for Alanis Morissette during 1996, which presumably made less of an impact but gave them great exposure. The band returned to England to record a third album, much of which was done in a gothic manse near Bath that actress Jane Seymour often rented out to bands for extended stays.

Near-Unanimous Accolades
When OK Computer was finished, the record company did an unusual and expensive publicity stunt to promote it: an advance cassette was glued into a Walkman and sent out to critics. It was an almost unnecessary act, though: the music press was almost unanimous in its praise. Entertainment Weekly named it "Album of the Year" for 1997, as did numerous other year-end polls and lists, and the weekly's music critic David Browne called it a "subtly resplendent opus. … No other piece of music this year so eloquently captured fin de siecle wariness." Eric Weisbard of the Village Voice compared Radiohead to Pink Floyd, as had some other critics, and wrote that "the sounds on OK Computer … range from twinkly-tone steely guitar lullabies to jarring crash landings, often within the same number," and lauded it for the "gorgeous mood of elegy that takes over toward the close."

Hendrickson, writing in Rolling Stone, found OK Computer to be "a glorious piece of moody, spaced-out art-rock madness," and the magazine named Radiohead Band of the Year, as did its competitor, Spin magazine. The latter's Pat Blashill described the album as "full of spindly guitars and freaked-out noise [and] poppy songs … and it's especially full of mystery. Nothing is explained, everything is suggested." The band explained that influences for some of their bizarre tunes, such as "Subterranean Homesick Alien" and "Karma Police," among others, ranged from Miles Davis to seventies-era German experimentalist rockers Faust to overblown Genesis albums they despised.

The Lovable Creep
Yorke seemed more comfortable handling the press and interview questions after a few years' experience. Indeed, some critics have felt that the real impetus behind Radiohead's unusual, though accessible, music has been its frontman's cantankerous persona. "A self-described perfectionist and control freak, Yorke is also a moody codger," wrote Hendrickson. "It is this unpredictability that drives his band mates, who feed off the singer's mania and channel it into an explosive, complex and melodic mix of guitar rock and electronics." The rest of the band members have also won critical recognition for their musicianship and daring.

In 1998 Radiohead released the mini-EP Airbag/How Am I Driving?. Vehicles and automobile accidents have remained somewhat of a songwriting fixation for Yorke. When asked about Airbag and some previous songs about car crashes, Yorke explained to Spin's Blashill, "I just think that people get up too early to leave houses where they don't want to live to drive to jobs where they don't want to be in one of the most dangerous forms of transport on earth. I've just never gotten used to that."

Radiohead supported OK Computer by touring in 1997-98, and then took a temporary hiatus. It was later revealed that the band had nearly broken up, and that Yorke had been suffering from severe depression. Yorke was also suffering from writer's block, but Radiohead nonetheless returned to the studio at the beginning of 1999, and over the next 18 months the band revamped its method of songwriting, a method that included a more equal input from all members.

Two albums evolved from the sessions, Kid A (2000), and Amnesiac (2001). Both albums featured a radically new sound, one that eschewed guitar rock for an electronic sound. While critical attention continued to recognize Radiohead as innovators, the music on Kid A and Amnesiac was considered less accessible to the average listener. Still, Kid A received a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album and Amnesiac was also nominated for a Grammy.

Unlike the lengthy sessions that produced Kid A and Amnesiac, Radiohead recorded its sixth album in Los Angeles and Oxford in only two weeks in 2002. Released in mid-2003, Hail to the Thief charted and received good reviews, but was perceived as following in the wake of the previous two albums. Many critics also believed that the title of the album was a direct comment on the 2000 presidential election in the United States, though Yorke noted that he had first heard the phrase in a discussion about John Quincy Adams on Radio 4.

Following the issue of the 2006 EP COM LAG, mostly featuring Hail to the Thief b-sides, Radiohead's contract with EMI came to an end. The band finished recording its seventh album, In Rainbows, in June of 2007, and issued the tracks as digital downloads in October of the same year. Besides receiving rave reviews, the album drew media attention because of Radiohead's decision to allow the buyer to choose a price for the album. In 2008, Radiohead planned to tour Europe, North America, and South America in support of In Rainbows.

Selected discography
Pablo Honey, Capitol, 1993.
The Bends, Capitol, 1995.
OK Computer, Capitol, 1997.
Airbag/How Am I Driving?, Capitol, 1998.
Kid A, Capitol, 2000.
Amnesiac, Capitol, 2001.
Hail to the Thief, Capitol, 2003.
In Rainbows, Radiohead, 2007.
Best Of, Capitol, 2008.

Sources
Periodicals
Billboard, May 15, 1993, pp. 17, 20.
Entertainment Weekly, December 26, 1997.
Rolling Stone, September 7, 1995, pp. 19, 21; October 16, 1997, pp. 64-69; January 22, 1998; May 28, 1998, p. 58.
Spin, January 1998, p. 64.
Village Voice, August 26, 1997, p. 63.

Online
"Radiohead," All Music guide, http://www.allmusic.com/ (June 15, 2008).
"Radiohead," Pitchfork, http://www.pitchfork.com (June 15, 2008).
Additional information for this profile was provided by Capitol Records publicity materials, 1998.
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:

Radiohead

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  • Genres: Rock

Biography

Radiohead were one of the few alternative bands of the early '90s to draw heavily from the grandiose arena rock that characterized U2's early albums. But the band internalized that epic sweep, turning it inside out to tell tortured, twisted tales of angst and alienation. Vocalist Thom Yorke's pained lyrics were brought to life by the group's three-guitar attack, which relied on texture -- borrowing as much from My Bloody Valentine and Pink Floyd as R.E.M. and Pixies -- instead of virtuosity. It took Radiohead a while to formulate their signature sound. Their 1993 debut, Pablo Honey, only suggested their potential, and one of its songs, "Creep," became an unexpected international hit, its angst-ridden lyrics making it an alternative rock anthem. Many observers pigeonholed Radiohead as a one-hit wonder, but the group's second album, The Bends, was released to terrific reviews in the band's native Britain in early 1995, helping build a more stable fan base. Having demonstrated unexpected staying power, as well as increasing ambition, Radiohead next released OK Computer, a progressive, electronic-tinged masterpiece that became one of the most acclaimed albums of the '90s.

Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar), Ed O'Brien (guitar, vocals), Jonny Greenwood (guitar), Colin Greenwood (bass), and Phil Selway (drums) formed Radiohead as students at Oxford University in 1988. Initially called "On a Friday," the band began pursuing a musical career in earnest in the early '90s, releasing the Drill EP in 1992. Shortly afterward, the group signed to EMI/Capitol and released the single "Creep," a fusion of R.E.M. and Nirvana highlighted by a noisy burst of feedback prior to the chorus. "Creep" was a moderate hit, and their next two singles, "Anyone Can Play Guitar" and "Pop Is Dead," gained a small following, even as the British music press ignored the group.

Pablo Honey, Radiohead's album, was released to mixed reviews in the spring of 1993. As the band launched a European supporting tour, "Creep" became a sudden smash hit in America, earning heavy airplay on modern rock radio and MTV. On the back of the single's success, Radiohead toured the U.S. extensively, opening for Belly and Tears for Fears. All the exposure helped Pablo Honey go gold, and "Creep" was re-released in the U.K. at the end of 1993. This time, the single became a Top Ten hit, and the band spent the following summer touring the world.

Although "Creep" made Radiohead a success, it also led many observers to peg the band as a one-hit wonder. Conscious of such thinking, the group entered the studio with producer John Leckie to record its second album, The Bends. Upon its spring 1995 release, The Bends was greeted with overwhelmingly enthusiastic reviews, all of which praised the group's deeper, more mature sound. However, positive reviews didn't sell albums, as Radiohead struggled to be heard during the U.K.'s summer of Brit-pop and as American radio programmers and MTV ignored the record. The band continued to tour as the opening act on R.E.M.'s prestigious Monster tour. By the end of the year, The Bends began to catch on, thanks not only to the band's constant touring but also to the stark, startling video for "Just." The album made many year-end best-of lists in the U.K., and early in 1996, the record reentered the British Top Ten and climbed to gold status in the U.S., helped in the latter by the video for "Fake Plastic Trees."

During the first half of 1996, Radiohead continued to tour before re-entering the studio that fall to record their third album, OK Computer, which was released in the summer of 1997. A devoted following of fans and a handful of enthusiastic critical supporters immediately embraced the album's majestic blend of unfettered prog rock, post-punk angst, eerie electronic textures, and assured songwriting. Since it skillfully teetered between rock classicism and futurism, it earned near-unanimous critical and popular support over the course of the year, which turned into unrestrained adoration in the final two years of the decade, even though its sales still hadn't climbed above gold status.

Expectations for Radiohead's fourth album were stratospheric, which placed additional pressure on the already perfectionist band, and led to several stumbling blocks along the way. An intense buzz of excitement among the band's still-growing following greeted the pre-release appearance of most of the album's tracks on the Internet in MP3 form; they displayed an all-out fascination with challenging, often minimalist electronica. Titled Kid A, the album was finally released in October 2000 and astonished many observers by debuting at number one on the U.S. album charts. While the band didn't release any singles or embark on a formal tour, the album met with a mixed critical response as the group was accused of creating a distant and radio-unfriendly record; however, it did remain a fan favorite.

In June of 2001, Radiohead quickly released an album under the name Amnesiac that consisted of material that was recorded during the Kid A sessions. The band made it very clear, though, that it was not to be considered an outtakes album; rather, they insisted that the two albums were of clear and separate concept. Regardless, Amnesiac debuted at number one in the U.K. and number two on the U.S. chart (behind then-stronghold Staind), while outselling Kid A in week one by 25,000 copies. The singles "Pyramid Song" and "Knives Out" were culled from Amnesiac with a subsequent world tour. While planning "I Might Be Wrong" for a third single, the idea expanded into a live "mini-album," titled after the track, that was released in November of 2001. Hail to the Thief, the proper follow-up to Amnesiac, was relatively direct in structure and peaked at number three on the U.S. chart. Sporadic recording sessions resumed in early 2005, but a projected release date for the band's seventh studio album remained 2007 as Yorke prepared a solo album, The Eraser, which was issued in July 2006.

On October 1, 2007, the bandmembers announced that they had finished their seventh album, In Rainbows, and that it would be "out" in a matter of ten days. Giving fans the option to pay whatever they'd like for the album as a zip file of MP3s, Radiohead also devised a pre-order system for the physical version of the album -- a "discbox" containing a double-vinyl version, a CD copy with an enhanced six-track bonus disc, a lyric book, and photos. This was done without the involvement of a record label. However, deals were eventually struck for standard retail releases. In late December, XL issued the album in the U.K., where it topped the album chart. The feat was repeated the following month in the U.S., where it was issued through the TBD label. Sonically and lyrically, In Rainbows was one of their warmest and most direct albums to date.

Radiohead took a somewhat similar approach for the release of The King of Limbs. On February 14, 2011, the band announced that the album would be issued in five days as a fixed-price download with physical releases to follow. Standard CD and vinyl versions were scheduled for late March via XL and TBD, while an elaborately packaged double 10" vinyl/CD set was scheduled for early May. The two-disc TKOL RMX 1234567 followed five months later, featuring 19 remixes of King of Limbs tracks from the likes of Jamie xx, Caribou, Four Tet, and Nathan Fake. The band also recorded a live set of songs from the album as part of the From the Basement video series, and subsequently released the set, titled King of Limbs: Live from the Basement, in 2012. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Andy Kellman, Rovi
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Radiohead

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Radiohead

Radiohead (left to right): Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway
Background information
Origin Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England
Genres Alternative rock, experimental rock, electronic music
Years active 1985–present
Labels XL, Ticker Tape Ltd., Hostess, TBD, Parlophone, Capitol
Associated acts Atoms for Peace
Website radiohead.com
Members
Thom Yorke
Jonny Greenwood
Colin Greenwood
Ed O'Brien
Phil Selway

Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Jonny Greenwood (guitars, keyboards, other instruments), Ed O'Brien (guitars, backing vocals), Colin Greenwood (bass) and Phil Selway (drums, percussion).

Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992. The song was initially unsuccessful, but it became a worldwide hit several months after the release of their debut album, Pablo Honey (1993). Radiohead's popularity rose in the United Kingdom with the release of their second album, The Bends (1995). Radiohead's third album, OK Computer (1997), propelled them to greater international fame. Featuring an expansive sound and themes of modern alienation, OK Computer is often acclaimed as one of the landmark records of the 1990s.[1]

Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001) marked an evolution in Radiohead's musical style, as the group incorporated experimental electronic music, Krautrock and jazz influences. Kid A, though somewhat polarizing at the time of its release, is now frequently recognized as one of the most important albums of the 2000s.[2] Hail to the Thief (2003), a mix of piano and guitar driven rock, electronics and lyrics inspired by war, was the band's final album for their major record label, EMI. Radiohead self-released their seventh album, In Rainbows (2007), as a digital download for which customers could set their own price, and later in physical form to critical and chart success. Radiohead's eighth album, The King of Limbs (2011), was an exploration of rhythm and quieter textures, which the band released independently.

Radiohead have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide,[3] and the band's work has been placed highly in both listener polls and critics' lists, and the band have the distinction of doing so in both the 1990s and 2000s.[4][5] In 2005, Radiohead were ranked number 73 in Rolling Stone's list of "The Greatest Artists of All Time", while Ed O'Brien and Jonny Greenwood were both included in Rolling Stone's list of greatest guitarists, and Thom Yorke in their list of greatest singers.[6] In 2009, Rolling Stone readers voted the group the second best artist of the 2000s.[7]

Contents

History

Formation and first years (1985–91)

Abingdon School, where the band formed

The musicians who formed Radiohead met while attending Abingdon School, an independent school for boys in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.[8] Thom Yorke and Colin Greenwood were in the same year, Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway were one year older and Jonny Greenwood two years younger than his brother. In 1985 they formed the band "On a Friday", the name referring to the band's usual rehearsal day in the school's music room.[9] The group played their first gig in late 1986 at Oxford's Jericho Tavern;[10] Jonny Greenwood originally joined as a harmonica and then keyboard player, but he soon became the lead guitarist.[9]

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.[11] In 1991, when all the members except Jonny had completed their university degrees, On a Friday regrouped, began to record demos such as Manic Hedgehog, and performed live gigs around Oxford at venues such as The Jericho Tavern. Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley had an active independent music scene in the late 1980s, but it centred around shoegazing bands such as Ride and Slowdive; On a Friday were never seen as fitting this trend, commenting that they had missed it by the time they returned from university.[12]

Nevertheless, as On a Friday's number of live performances increased, record labels and producers became interested. Chris Hufford, Slowdive's producer and 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;[11] 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.[11] 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.[11] The song in turn was inspired by a story the actor, writer and director Stephen Tobolowsky told David Byrne about psychic experiences he had as a teenager.

Pablo Honey, The Bends and early success (1992–95)

Radiohead recorded their debut release, the Drill EP, with Chris Hufford and Bryce Edge at Courtyard Studios. Released in May 1992, its chart performance was very poor. Subsequently, the band enlisted Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade—who had worked with US indie bands Pixies and Dinosaur Jr.—to produce their debut album, recorded quickly in an Oxford studio in 1992.[9] With the release of the "Creep" single later that year, Radiohead began to receive attention in the British music press, not all of it favourable. NME described them as "a lily-livered excuse for a rock band",[13] and "Creep" was blacklisted by BBC Radio 1 because it was deemed "too depressing".[14]

The band released their debut album, Pablo Honey, in February 1993. It stalled at number 22 in the UK charts, as "Creep" and its anthemic follow-up singles "Anyone Can Play Guitar" and "Stop Whispering" failed to become major hits. "Pop Is Dead", a non-album single later disavowed by the band, sold equally poorly. Some critics compared the band's early style to the wave of grunge music popular in the early 1990s—to the extent of Radiohead being dubbed "Nirvana-lite"[15]—yet Pablo Honey failed to make either a critical or a commercial splash upon its initial release.[13] Despite shared influences with popular guitar-heavy acts, and some notice for Yorke's falsetto voice, the band toured only British universities and clubs.[16]
"Creep"
"Creep" was Radiohead's first hit. This sample features Jonny Greenwood's guitar distortion before the chorus. According to legend, the effects were an attempt to sabotage a song Greenwood initially disliked.[17]
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

In the first few months of 1993, Radiohead began to attract listeners elsewhere. "Creep" had been played very frequently on Israeli radio by influential DJ Yoav Kutner, and in March, after the song became a hit in that country's charts, Radiohead were invited to Tel Aviv for their first live gig overseas.[18] Around the same time, the San Francisco alternative radio station KITS added the song to its playlist. Soon other radio stations along the west coast of the United States followed suit. By the time Radiohead began their first North American tour in June 1993, the music video for "Creep" was in heavy rotation on MTV.[11] The song rose to number two on the US modern rock chart, entered the lower reaches of the top 40 pop chart, and finally hit number seven in the UK Singles Chart when EMI re-released it in the UK in September.[19]

Unexpected attention to the single in America caused the label to improvise new promotional plans, and the band shuttled back and forth between continents, playing over 150 concerts in 1993.[16] Radiohead nearly broke up due to the pressure of sudden success as the Pablo Honey supporting tour extended into its second year.[20] Band members described the tour as difficult to adjust to, saying that towards its end they were "still playing the same songs that [they had] recorded two years previously... like being held in a time warp", when they were eager to work on new songs.[21]

The band began work on their second album in 1994, hiring veteran Abbey Road Studios producer John Leckie. Tensions were high, with mounting expectations on the band to deliver a superior follow-up to match or exceed the success of "Creep".[22] Recording felt unnatural in the studio, band members having over-rehearsed their material.[23] They sought a change of scenery, touring the Far East, Australasia and Mexico in an attempt to reduce the pressure. The band found greater confidence performing their new music live.[23] However, confronted again by the fame he had achieved, Yorke became disillusioned 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.[24]

My Iron Lung, an EP and single released late in 1994, was Radiohead's reaction, marking a transition towards the greater depth they aimed for on their second album.[25] Promoted through alternative radio stations, the hard-edged single's sales were better than expected, and suggested for the first time that the band had found a loyal fan base beyond one hit.[26] Having introduced more new songs on tour, Radiohead finished recording their second album by year's end, and they released The Bends in March 1995. The album was driven by dense riffs and ethereal atmospheres from the band's three guitarists, with greater use of keyboards than their debut.[9] It also received stronger reviews for both songwriting and performances.[13]

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,[12] as singles "Fake Plastic Trees", "High and Dry", "Just", and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" made their way to UK chart success; the latter song placed Radiohead in the top five for the first time. In 1995, Radiohead again toured North America and Europe, this time in support of R.E.M., one of their formative influences and at the time one of the biggest rock bands in the world.[21] The buzz generated by such famous fans as Michael Stipe, along with distinctive music videos for "Just" and "Street Spirit", helped to sustain Radiohead's popularity outside the UK.

However, Radiohead's growing fan base was insufficient for them to repeat the commercial popularity of "Creep" worldwide. "High and Dry" became a modest hit, but The Bends peaked at 88 on the US album charts, which remains Radiohead's lowest showing there.[27] Radiohead were satisfied with the album's reception. Jonny Greenwood said, "I think the turning point for us came about nine or twelve 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".[28]

OK Computer, fame and critical acclaim (1996–98)
"Paranoid Android"
"Paranoid Android" is a three-part song, mixing acoustic guitars, abrasive electric solos and layered choirs. The first single from OK Computer, it marks Radiohead's UK singles chart peak (number three).
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

In late 1995, Radiohead had already recorded one song that would make their next record. "Lucky", released as a single to promote the War Child charity's The Help Album,[29] had come out of a brief session with Nigel Godrich, a young audio engineer who had assisted on The Bends and also produced a 1996 B-side, "Talk Show Host". The band decided to produce their next album with Godrich's assistance, and they began work in early 1996. By July they had recorded four songs at their rehearsal studio, Canned Applause, a converted apple shed in the countryside near Didcot, Oxfordshire.[30]

In August 1996, Radiohead toured as the opening act for Alanis Morissette, seeking to perfect their new songs live before completing the record. They then resumed recording, again outside a traditional music studio, settling instead at a 15th-century mansion, St. Catherine's Court, near Bath.[31] 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.[9][28] Radiohead contributed "Talk Show Host", as well as a newly recorded song called "Exit Music (For a Film)", to Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of Romeo + Juliet late in the year. Most of the rest of the album was complete by the end of 1996, and by March 1997, the record 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 the band experimenting with song structures and incorporating some ambient, avant garde and electronic influences, prompting Rolling Stone to call the album a 'stunning art-rock tour de force.'[32] The album's lyrics took a more observational, less personal tone than The Bends, expressing what one magazine called "end-of-the-millennium blues".[33] OK Computer 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."[34]

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 US charts, the album eventually met with mainstream recognition there, receiving the first Grammy Awards recognition of the band's career, a win for Best Alternative Album and a nomination for Album of the Year.[35] "Paranoid Android", "Karma Police" and "No Surprises" were released as singles from the album, of which "Karma Police" was most successful internationally.[19] OK Computer is often acclaimed as one of the landmark records of the 1990s, and comparisons are sometimes drawn between Radiohead and Pink Floyd—specifically for OK Computer—which has been called The Dark Side of the Moon for the 1990s whereby the two albums share a common theme: the loss of a creative individual's ability to function in the modern world.[36][37][38]

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.[39] 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.[9] The film is also notable for documenting earlier versions of songs that were never released or were not released until years later, such as "How to Disappear Completely", "Life in a Glasshouse", "I Will" and "Nude". 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 their B-sides from OK Computer singles.

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

Jonny Greenwood has used a variety of instruments, such as this glockenspiel, in live concerts and recordings.

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.[40] Yorke later admitted that during that period the band came close to splitting up, and that he had developed severe depression.[41] 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 experiencing writer's block, influencing him toward a more abstract, fragmented form of songwriting.[41] Radiohead secluded themselves with producer Nigel Godrich in studios in Paris, Copenhagen, and Gloucester, and in their newly completed studio in Oxford. Eventually, all the members agreed on a new musical direction, redefining their instrumental roles in the band.[15] After nearly 18 months, Radiohead's recording sessions were completed in April 2000.[41]

In October 2000 Radiohead released their fourth album, Kid A, 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.[41] It debuted at number one in many countries, including the US, where its debut atop the Billboard chart marked a first for the band and a rare success in the US by UK musicians.[42] This success was attributed variously to marketing, to the album's leak on the file-sharing network Napster a few months before its release, and to advance anticipation based, in part, on the success of OK Computer.[43][44][45] 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.[46] The band had read Naomi Klein's anti-globalisation book No Logo during the recording, and they decided to continue a summer 2000 tour of Europe later in the year in a custom-built tent free of advertising; they also promoted Kid A with three sold-out North American theatre concerts.[46]
"Everything in Its Right Place"
The opening track from Radiohead's fourth album, this song emphasises the band's increasing use of electronic music and distortions of Thom Yorke's vocals.
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Kid A received a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album and a nomination for Album of the Year in early 2001. Yet it won both praise and criticism in independent music circles for appropriating underground styles of music, while some mainstream British critics saw Kid A as a "commercial suicide note", labelling it "intentionally difficult" and longing for a return to the band's earlier style.[12][13] 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.[24][47] Yorke, however, denied that Radiohead had 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."[12]

Amnesiac, released in June 2001, comprised additional tracks from the Kid A recording sessions. Radiohead's musical style on these songs was similar to that of Kid A in their fusion of electronic music and jazz influences, though more reliant on the use of guitars. The record was a critical and commercial success worldwide, it topped the UK Albums Chart and reached number two in the US, being nominated for a Grammy Award and the Mercury Music Prize.[42][13] After Amnesiac's release, the band embarked on a world tour, visiting North America, Europe and Japan. Meanwhile, "Pyramid Song" and "Knives Out", Radiohead's first issued singles since 1998, were modestly successful, and "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 performances of seven songs from Kid A and Amnesiac along with the acoustic, previously unreleased "True Love Waits".

Hail to the Thief and departure from EMI (2002–04)
"2 + 2 = 5"
An up-tempo, guitar-driven album opener, "2 + 2 = 5" heralded Radiohead's return to a more straightforward alternative rock style that still included electronic elements.
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During July and August 2002, Radiohead toured Portugal and Spain, playing a number of newly written songs. They then recorded the new material in two weeks in a Los Angeles studio with Nigel Godrich, adding several tracks later in Oxford, where the band continued their work into the next year. Radiohead members described the recording process as relaxed, in contrast to the tense sessions for Kid A and Amnesiac.[8] The band's sixth album, Hail to the Thief, was released in June 2003. Mixing sounds from throughout their career, Hail to the Thief combined guitar-based rock with electronic influences and topical lyrics by Yorke.[48] Although the album was critically praised, many critics felt that Radiohead were treading water creatively rather than continuing the "genre-redefining" trend that OK Computer had begun.[49] Nevertheless, Hail to the Thief enjoyed commercial success, debuting at number one in the UK and number three 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, Radiohead were again nominated for Best Alternative Album, while producer Godrich and engineer Darrell Thorp received the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album.[50]

Yorke denied that Hail to the Thief's title was a comment on the controversial 2000 US presidential election, explaining that he first heard the words in a BBC Radio 4 discussion of 19th century American politics.[8] Yorke said his lyrics had been affected by news reports of war in 2001 to 2002 and "the feeling that we are entering an age of intolerance and fear where the power to express ourselves in a democracy and have our voices heard is being denied us"[51] but said, "[Radiohead] didn't write a protest record, we didn't write a political record."[8] After the release of Hail to the Thief, Radiohead embarked in May 2003 on a world tour, including 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 their b-sides from the time. Following their tour, the band began writing and rehearsing in their Oxford studio but soon went on hiatus. Free of their label contract, Radiohead spent the remainder of 2004 resting with their families and working on solo projects.[52]

In Rainbows and "pay what you want" (2005–08)

Yorke in concert with Radiohead in 2006

Radiohead began work on their seventh album in February 2005.[52] 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.[53] Radiohead had already begun recording their next album on their own and then with producer Mark Stent. However, in late 2006, after touring Europe and North America and debuting 13 new songs there, the band resumed work with Nigel Godrich in London, Oxford and several rural locations in Somerset, England.[54] Work was finished in June 2007 and the recordings were mastered the following month.[55]

Radiohead's seventh album, In Rainbows, was released through the band's own website in October 2007 as a digital download for which customers could make whatever payment that they deemed appropriate (Pay what you want), including paying nothing at all; the site only advised, "it's up to you".[56] Following the band's sudden announcement 10 days beforehand, Radiohead's unusual strategy received much notice within the music industry and beyond.[57] 1.2 million downloads were reportedly sold by the day of release,[58] but the band's management did not release official sales figures, claiming that the Internet-only distribution was intended to boost later retail sales.[59] In a 2011 appearance on The Colbert Report, Ed O'Brien said of the self-distribution strategy: "We sell less records, but we make more money."[60] Colin Greenwood explained the Internet release as a way of avoiding the "regulated playlists" and "straightened formats" of radio and TV, ensuring fans around the world could all experience the music at the same time, and preventing leaks in advance of a physical release.[61] A "discbox", including a second disc from the recording sessions, vinyl and CD editions of the album, and a hardcover book of artwork, was also sold and shipped in late 2007.[62]

In Rainbows was physically released in the UK in late December 2007 on XL Recordings and in North America in January 2008 on TBD Records,[62] charting at number one both in the UK and in the US.[63][64] The record'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. In Rainbows sold more than three million copies within one year of release.[65] In Rainbows also received extremely 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.[66] The album was nominated for the short list of the Mercury Music Prize,[67] and went on to win the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. Their production team won the Grammy for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package, while Radiohead received their third nomination for Album of the Year. Along with three other nominations for the band, Godrich's production work and the "House of Cards" music video also received nominations.[68]

Radiohead released a number of singles from In Rainbows in support of the album; "Jigsaw Falling into Place", the first, was released in the UK in January 2008.[69] The second single, "Nude", debuted at number 37 in the Billboard Hot 100, Radiohead's first song to make that chart since 1995's "High and Dry" and their first top 40 hit in the US since "Creep".[19] Radiohead continued to put out tracks from In Rainbows as singles and videos; in July a digitally shot video for "House of Cards" was made available.[70] "House of Cards", along with "Bodysnatchers", also received a single release on radio. In September the band announced a fourth single, "Reckoner", and a remix competition similar to one organised for "Nude".[71] A greatest hits album, titled Radiohead: The Best Of, was released by EMI in June 2008.[72] The compilation was made without the input of the band and also did not contain any songs from In Rainbows, as the band had already left their label. Yorke expressed his disapproval on behalf of Radiohead: "We haven't really had any hits so what exactly is the purpose? ... It's a wasted opportunity in that if we'd been behind it, and we wanted to do it, then it might have been good."[73] From mid-2008 to early 2009, Radiohead toured North America, Europe, Japan, Mexico and South America to promote In Rainbows. The band headlined the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2009.[58][74][75]

The King of Limbs and independent work (2009–present)

In May 2009, the band began new recording sessions with producer Nigel Godrich.[76] In August of that year, Radiohead released two singles from these sessions on their website. First, "Harry Patch (In Memory Of)", was recorded in tribute to Harry Patch, the last surviving British soldier to have fought in the First World War, who had recently died. The song was sold for £1, with proceeds donated to the British Legion.[77][78] "Harry Patch (In Memory Of)" featured Thom Yorke singing lyrics based on Patch's own statements about his war experience, over a string orchestra backdrop arranged by Jonny Greenwood. Later that month, a new song "These Are My Twisted Words", was made available as a free download. Jonny Greenwood explained that the song had been one of the first products of the band's recent studio sessions.[79]

In a mid-2009 NME interview, Yorke suggested that Radiohead would turn their focus from full length albums to releasing EPs, including the possibility of an EP of orchestral music.[80] In December that year, O'Brien stated on Radiohead's website that the band would begin work on their next album in January, "The vibe in the camp is fantastic at present, and we head off into the studio in January to continue on from the work we started last summer...10 years ago we were all collectively (that’s the band) in the land of Kid A... and although hugely proud of that record, it wasn’t a fun place to be...What's reassuring now, is that we are most definitely a different band, which should therefore mean that the music is different too and that is the aim of the game."[81] In an interview with BBC 6 Music in June 2010, Ed O'Brien made similar comments, that Radiohead were "in the heart of [recording] now". O'Brien also said the band hoped to be able to release the record by the end of the year.[82] In September 2010, Colin Greenwood mentioned that they had just finished a new set of songs and "have begun to wonder about how to release them in a digital landscape that has changed again".[61] Phil Selway added later that month that the band will "take stock" of the new material and said that it is all "up in the air".[83]

In January 2010, while Radiohead members were in Los Angeles to record, the band played their only gig of the year as a benefit for Oxfam. Tickets were auctioned to the highest bidders, allowing the show at L.A.'s Henry Fonda Theater to raise over half a million US dollars for the NGO's work in Haiti, which earlier that month had been hit by a devastating earthquake.[84] A group of fans edited together digital video taken by attendees to make a multi-camera document of the concert, which they made available through YouTube and torrents in December 2010, with the band's support and a "pay what you want" link to donate to Oxfam.[85] In 2010, another collective of fans made a not-for-profit video of Radiohead's 2009 Prague concert and distributed it freely online, with soundboard audio provided by the band.[86][87] Organizers of the Prague project said that, within five months of releasing the multi-format show online, it had been downloaded almost 100,000 times. [88] Live in Praha and Radiohead for Haiti were reviewed by mainstream media and were described as examples of the band's openness to fans and their positivity toward non-commercial forms of Internet distribution.[89][90]

Radiohead's eighth album, The King of Limbs, was digitally released in February 2011 through the band's web site.[91] The announcement of the album on Valentine's Day was followed by the Internet release four days later, along with a music video for the song "Lotus Flower". The King of Limbs was released in CD, vinyl and standard download formats in March, and in a "newspaper album", which included art, writings, and a CD as well as vinyl edition of the record, in May.[92] In March, to coincide with the retail release of the album, the band also issued "The Universal Sigh", a different edition of the custom newspaper, featuring poetry, stories, essays, lyrics, and art, for which the band employed people to distribute it free in the centre of select cities throughout the world. After being sold exclusively through the band's website for nearly two months, The King of Limbs charted at number seven in the United Kingdom on its retail release in late March 2011, becoming the band's first album since The Bends not to debut at number one in the UK. In the United States it reached number three, on par with the band's last major label release, 2003's Hail to the Thief. In July 2011 The King of Limbs vinyl edition was reported to be the best-selling vinyl of the year so far by a large margin, and Radiohead were credited with helping an ongoing surge in vinyl sales.

Like Kid A, no singles were released from The King of Limbs; However, "Lotus Flower" charted in a number of countries due to digital sales or radio airplay, and manipulations of its music video, featuring Thom Yorke dancing to different songs, became a popular internet meme.[93] On 16 April 2011, Radiohead released a single on vinyl, "Supercollider / The Butcher", for Record Store Day.[94] The band revealed that they worked on both songs during sessions for The King of Limbs, but decided they didn't fit on it. "Supercollider," at over seven minutes, is the longest studio-recorded song ever released by Radiohead in any form. Digital files of the songs were made available at no cost to anyone who had already purchased the album on the band's website, and the band uploaded audio of the songs to their YouTube channel. Radiohead also released a series of remixes from The King of Limbs on various 12" vinyls, with a CD collecting the remixes to be released in the Autumn. Remixers announced so far include Caribou, Jacques Greene, Lone and Four Tet.[95] The band also uploaded each remix as it was released to their YouTube channel and their website for free streaming. The King of Limbs and TKOL RMX 1234567 were released on the band's own imprint label, Ticker Tape Ltd., owned by the band's label XL Recordings.[96]

On 21 June 2011, a video of the band performing a new song, "Staircase", was uploaded by the band to YouTube.[97] On 24 June 2011, Radiohead played as a "secret" act at the Glastonbury Festival, where they introduced another new song previously performed by Yorke, "The Daily Mail".[98] The band made their first public performance of many songs from The King of Limbs at Glastonbury, for which they were joined by a guest member, Portishead touring drummer Clive Deamer. In July 2011, a number of television channels around the world debuted a taped live performance of the From the Basement series, featuring Radiohead and Deamer performing every song from The King of Limbs, as well as "The Daily Mail" and the previously released live performance of "Staircase".

Radiohead are planning to tour in 2012. The band have not finalized dates, but they are expected to play between February and November in Europe and North America, and they may work on new recordings before touring.[99][100] Radiohead performed with Deamer in late September 2011, when they played two dates in New York City. Radiohead were described as having reinvented their King of Limbs studio recordings live, emphasising rhythm.[101] They also made TV appearances, including a one-hour special episode of The Colbert Report. In a widely reported hoax, a message falsely attributed to the band's manager was sent to organizers of Occupy Wall Street, spreading rumours Radiohead would make an appearance, swelling crowds in the area and helping lend the protests more mainstream media attention in their second week.[102] Band members did not play, but said they supported the protesters.[103][104]

On November 7, 2011 Radiohead announced a ten date tour of the United States from February to March 2012.[105] It will be their first U.S. tour in four years. Pre-sale's for all dates began at 7:00 AM EST on November 9, 2011, and every date's pre-sale allocation sold out within about an hour and a half. Radiohead commented on the tour stating that these dates are the "first part" of touring plans for 2012 and that there will be "more to follow".[105]

Style and songwriting
"Pyramid Song"
"Pyramid Song" was strongly influenced by jazz musician Charles Mingus' 1963 piece "Freedom".[12] This sample shows the Radiohead track's string arrangement and irregular timing on the piano and drums.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Among Radiohead members' earliest influences were Queen and Elvis Costello; post-punk acts such as Joy Division and Magazine; and significantly 1980s alternative rock bands such as R.E.M., Pixies, The Smiths and Sonic Youth.[9][11][24] By the mid-1990s, Radiohead began to adopt some recording methods from hip hop, inspired by the sampling work of DJ Shadow.[9] They also became interested in using computers to generate sounds.[106] Other influences on the group were Miles Davis and Ennio Morricone, along with 1960s rock groups, such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys, and Phil Spector's "wall of sound" productions for girl groups.[9][28] Jonny Greenwood also cited composer Krzysztof Penderecki as an inspiration on the sound of OK Computer.[28] The electronic music of Kid A and Amnesiac was inspired by Thom Yorke's admiration for glitch, ambient techno and IDM as exemplified by Warp Records artists such as Autechre and Aphex Twin, and the album also sampled from early computer music.[15] The jazz of Charles Mingus, Alice Coltrane, and Miles Davis, and 1970s Krautrock bands such as Can and Neu!, were other major influences during this period.[107] Jonny Greenwood's interest in 20th century classical music also had a role, as the influence of both Penderecki and composer Olivier Messiaen was apparent; for several songs on Kid A and later albums, Greenwood has played the ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument popularised by Messiaen.[11] While working on Hail to the Thief, Radiohead put renewed emphasis on guitar rock.[48] The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and particularly Neil Young were reported sources of inspiration to the band during this period.[108][109] Since beginning to record In Rainbows, Radiohead members have mentioned a variety of rock, electronic, hip hop and experimental musicians as influences, including Björk, M.I.A, Liars, Modeselektor and Spank Rock.[110][111] Since leaving their major label, the band members have been interviewed less frequently, more often posting "office charts" of their favorite songs of the moment on their blog Dead Air Space. In 2011, Thom Yorke denied Radiohead had ever set out deliberately to change musical styles or to make "experimental music", saying band members are "constantly absorbing music" and a variety of musicians are always influencing their work.[112]

Since their formation Radiohead have, lyrically and musically, been spearheaded by Yorke. However, although Yorke is responsible for writing nearly all the lyrics, songwriting is a collaborative effort, and it has been noted in interviews that all the band members have roles in the process.[41] 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.[41][113] 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.[41] 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.[41] 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."[114]

Collaborators

"Modified bear" logo for Kid A by Stanley Donwood and Tchock (Thom Yorke)

The band maintains a close relationship with their producer Nigel Godrich, as well as with graphic artist Stanley Donwood. Godrich made his name with Radiohead, working with the band since The Bends, and as producer since OK Computer.[115] He has, at times, been dubbed the "sixth member" of the band in an allusion to George Martin being called the "Fifth Beatle".[115] Donwood, another longtime associate of the band, has produced all of Radiohead's album covers and visual artwork since 1994.[116] Together with Yorke, Donwood won a Grammy in 2002 for a special edition of Amnesiac packaged as a library book.[116] Other collaborators include Dilly Gent, and Peter Clements. 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.[117] The band's live technician, Peter Clements, or "Plank", has worked with the band since before The Bends, setting up their instruments for both studio recordings and live performances.[9]

Band members

Current members
Additional live members

Discography

Main article: Radiohead discography

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Radiohead

References

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