Radiohead signed toEMI in 1991 and released their debut album,Pablo Honey, in 1993. Their debut single, "Creep", was a worldwide hit, and their popularity and critical standing rose withThe Bends in 1995. Their third album,OK Computer (1997), is acclaimed as a landmark record and one of the greatest albums in popular music, with complex production and themes ofmodern alienation. Their fourth album,Kid A (2000), marked a dramatic change in style, incorporating influences fromelectronic music,jazz,classical music andkrautrock. ThoughKid A divided listeners, it was later named the best album of the decade by multiple outlets. It was followed byAmnesiac (2001), recorded in the same sessions. Radiohead's final album for EMI,Hail to the Thief (2003), blended rock and electronic music, with lyrics addressing thewar on terror.
Radiohead self-released their seventh album,In Rainbows (2007), as adownload for which customers couldset their own price, to critical and commercial success. Their eighth album,The King of Limbs (2011), an exploration of rhythm, was developed using extensivelooping andsampling.A Moon Shaped Pool (2016) prominently featured Jonny Greenwood'sorchestral arrangements. Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Selway and O'Brien have released solo albums. In 2021, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood debuted a new band,the Smile.
In 1985, the group formed On a Friday, the name referring to their usual rehearsal day in the school's music room.[6] The band disliked the school's strict atmosphere—the headmaster once charged them for using a rehearsal room on a Sunday—and found solace in the music department. They credited their music teacher for introducing them tojazz,film scores, postwaravant-garde music, and20th-century classical music.[7]
Advertisement placed in the Oxford music magazineCurfew announcing On a Friday's change of name[8]
While each member contributed songs in the band's early period, Yorke emerged as the main songwriter.[9] According to Colin, the band members picked their instruments because they wanted to play together, rather than through any particular interest: "It was more of a collective angle, and if you could contribute by having someone else play your instrument, then that was really cool."[10] They played few gigs, and focused on rehearsing in village halls.[11]Oxford had an activeindependent music scene in the late 1980s, but it centred onshoegazing bands such asRide andSlowdive.[12] On a Friday played their first gig in 1987 at Oxford'sJericho Tavern.[13]
On the strength of an early demo, On a Friday were offered a record deal byIsland Records, but they decided they were not ready and wanted to go to university first.[14] They continued to rehearse on weekends and holidays,[7] but did not perform for four years.[6] At theUniversity of Exeter, Yorke played with the band Headless Chickens, performing songs including future Radiohead material.[15] He also metStanley Donwood, who later became Radiohead's cover artist.[16]
In 1991, the band regrouped in Oxford, sharing a house on the corner of Magdalen Road and Ridgefield Road.[17] They recorded another demo, which attracted the attention of Chris Hufford, Slowdive's producer and the co-owner of Oxford's Courtyard Studios.[18] Hufford and his business partner, Bryce Edge, attended a concert at the Jericho Tavern; impressed, they became On a Friday's managers.[18] According to Hufford, at this point the band had "all of the elements of Radiohead", but with a rougher, punkier sound and faster tempos.[19] At Courtyard Studios, On a Friday recorded theManic Hedgehog demo tape, named after an Oxford record shop.[19]
In late 1991, Colin happened to meet theEMIA&R representative Keith Wozencroft at a record shop and handed him a copy of the demo.[18] Wozencroft was impressed and attended a performance.[18] That November, On a Friday performed at the Jericho Tavern to an audience that included several A&R representatives. It was only their eighth gig, but they had attracted interest from several record companies.[18] AMelody Maker review praised their promise and "astonishing intensity", but said their name was "terrible".[20] On 21 December, On a Friday signed a six-album recording contract with EMI.[7][18] At EMI's request, they changed their name; "Radiohead" was taken from the song "Radio Head" on theTalking Heads albumTrue Stories (1986).[7] Yorke said the name "sums up all these things about receiving stuff ... It's about the way you take information in, the way you respond to the environment you're put in."[18]
1992–1994: "Creep",Pablo Honey and early success
Radiohead recorded their debut EP,Drill, with Hufford and Edge at Courtyard Studios. Released in May 1992, its chart performance was poor.[6] As it was difficult formajor labels such as EMI to promote bands in the UK, whereindependent labels dominated theindie charts, Radiohead's managers planned to have Radiohead use American producers and tour aggressively in America, then return to build a following in the UK.[21]Paul Kolderie andSean Slade, who had worked with the US bandsthe Pixies andDinosaur Jr., were enlisted to produce Radiohead's debut album,Pablo Honey, recorded quickly in Oxford in 1992.[6] With the release of their debut single, "Creep", that September, 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",[22] and "Creep" was blacklisted byBBC Radio 1 as "too depressing".[23]
Pablo Honey was released in February 1993. It reached number 22 in the UK charts. "Creep" and its follow-up singles "Anyone Can Play Guitar" and "Stop Whispering" failed to become hits, and "Pop Is Dead", a non-album single, also sold poorly. O'Brien later called it "a hideous mistake".[21] Some critics compared Radiohead to the wave ofgrunge music popular in the early 1990s, dubbing them "Nirvana-lite",[24] andPablo Honey initially failed to make an impact.[22] The members of Radiohead expressed dissatisfaction with the album in later years.[25]
In early 1993, Radiohead began to attract listeners elsewhere. "Creep" had become a hit in Israel after it was played frequently by the influential DJYoav Kutner, and, in March, Radiohead were invited toTel Aviv for their first show overseas.[26] Around the same time, "Creep" became a hit in America, a "slacker anthem" in the vein of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" byNirvana and "Loser" byBeck.[27] It reached number two on theBillboardModern Rock chart,[7] number 34 on theBillboardHot 100 chart,[20] and number seven on theUK singles chart when EMI rereleased it in September.[28] To build on the success, Radiohead embarked on a US tour supportingBelly andPJ Harvey,[29] followed by a European tour supportingJames andTears for Fears.[20][19]
1994–1995:The Bends, critical recognition and growing fanbase
The Bends marked Radiohead's first collaboration with the producerNigel Godrich (top) and the artistStanley Donwood, both of whom have worked on every Radiohead album since.
Radiohead began work on their second album in 1994 with the veteranAbbey Road Studios producerJohn Leckie. Tensions were high, with mounting expectations to match the success of "Creep".[30] To break a deadlock, Radiohead toured Asia, Australasia and Mexico and found greater confidence performing their new music live.[31] However, troubled by his new fame, Yorke became disillusioned with being "at the sharp end of the sexy, sassy, MTV eye-candy lifestyle" he felt he was helping to sell to the world.[32]
TheMy Iron Lung EP and single, released in 1994, was Radiohead's reaction, marking a transition towards the greater depth they aimed for on their second album.[33] It was Radiohead's first collaboration with their future producer,Nigel Godrich, then working under Leckie as anaudio engineer,[34] and the artistStanley Donwood. Both have worked on every Radiohead album since.[16] Though sales ofMy Iron Lung were low, it boosted Radiohead's credibility in alternative circles, creating commercial opportunity for their next album.[35]
Having introduced more new songs on tour, Radiohead finished recording their second album,The Bends, by 1995, and released it that March. It was driven by dense riffs and ethereal atmospheres, with greater use of keyboards.[6] It received stronger reviews for its songwriting and performances.[22] While Radiohead were seen as outsiders to theBritpop scene that dominated music media at the time, they were finally successful in the UK,[12] as the singles "Fake Plastic Trees", "High and Dry", "Just", and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" became chart successes. "High and Dry" became a modest hit, but Radiohead's growing fanbase was insufficient to repeat the worldwide success of "Creep".The Bends reached number 88 on the US album charts, and remains Radiohead's lowest showing there.[36] Jonny Greenwood later saidThe Bends was turning point for Radiohead: "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."[37] In later years,The Bends appeared in many publications' lists of the best albums of all time,[38] includingRolling Stone's 2012 edition of the"500 Greatest Albums of All Time" at No. 111.[39]
In 1995, Radiohead again toured North America and Europe, this time in support ofR.E.M., one of their formative influences and at the time one of the biggest rock bands in the world.[40] Attention from famous fans such as the R.E.M. singerMichael Stipe, along with distinctive music videos for "Just" and "Street Spirit", helped sustain Radiohead's popularity outside the UK.[41] The night before a performance in Denver, Colorado, Radiohead's tour van was stolen, and with it their musical equipment. Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed a stripped-down acoustic set with rented instruments and several shows were cancelled.[42][nb 1] Their first live video,Live at the Astoria, was released in 1995.[43]
1995–1998:OK Computer and acclaim
Yorke performing with Radiohead in 1998
By late 1995, Radiohead had already recorded one song that would appear on their next record. "Lucky", released as a single to promote theWar Child charity'sThe Help Album,[44] was recorded in a brief session with Nigel Godrich, the young audio engineer who had assisted onThe Bends. Radiohead decided to self-produce their next album with Godrich, and began work in early 1996. By July they had recorded four songs at their rehearsal studio, Canned Applause, a converted apple shed in the countryside nearDidcot, Oxfordshire.[45] In August 1996, Radiohead toured as the opening act forAlanis Morissette.[46] They resumed recording not at a studio but atSt. Catherine's Court, a 15th-century mansion nearBath.[47] The sessions were relaxed, with the band playing at all hours of the day, recording in different rooms, and listening tothe Beatles,DJ Shadow,Ennio Morricone andMiles Davis for inspiration.[6][37]
Radiohead released their third album,OK Computer, in May 1997. It found the band experimenting with song structures and incorporatingambient,avant-garde andelectronic influences, promptingRolling Stone to call the album a "stunning art-rock tour de force".[48] Radiohead denied being part of theprogressive rock genre, but critics began to compare their work toPink Floyd. Some comparedOK Computer thematically to the 1973 Pink Floyd albumThe Dark Side of the Moon,[49] although Yorke said the lyrics were inspired by observing the "speed" of the world in the 1990s. Yorke's lyrics, embodying different characters, had expressed what one magazine called "end-of-the-millennium blues"[50] in contrast to the more personal songs ofThe Bends. According to the journalistAlex Ross, Radiohead had become "the poster boys for a certain kind of knowing alienation" as Talking Heads and R.E.M. had been before.[7]OK Computer received acclaim. Yorke said he was "amazed it got the reaction it did. None of us fucking knew any more whether it was good or bad. What really blew my head off was the fact that people got all the things, all the textures and the sounds and the atmospheres we were trying to create."[51]
"Paranoid Android" is a three-part song, mixing acoustic guitars, abrasive electric solos and layered choirs. The first single fromOK Computer, it marks Radiohead'sUK Singles Chart peak (number three).
OK Computer was Radiohead's first number-one UK chart debut, and brought them commercial success around the world. Despite peaking at number 21 in theUS charts, the album eventually met with mainstream recognition there, earning Radiohead their firstGrammy Awards recognition, winningBest Alternative Album and a nomination forAlbum of the Year.[52] "Paranoid Android", "Karma Police" and "No Surprises" were released as singles, of which "Karma Police" was most successful internationally.[28]OK Computer went on to become a staple of "best-of" British album lists.[53][54] In the same year, Radiohead became one of the first bands in the world to have a website. Within a few years, there were dozens offansites devoted to them.[55]
OK Computer was followed by the year-long Against Demons world tour, including Radiohead's first headlineGlastonbury Festival performance in 1997.[56] Despite technical problems that almost caused Yorke to abandon the stage, the performance was acclaimed and cemented Radiohead as a major live act.[57]Grant Gee, the director of the "No Surprises" video, filmed the band on tour for the 1999 documentaryMeeting People Is Easy.[58] The film portrays the band's disaffection with the music industry and press, showing theirburnout over the course of the tour.[6]OK Computer is often acclaimed as a landmark record of the 1990s[59] and theGeneration X era, and one of the greatest albums in recording history.[60][61]
Jonny Greenwood has used a variety of instruments, such as thisglockenspiel, in live concerts and recordings.Phil Selway discussingKid A in 2000
After the success ofOK Computer, Radiohead bought a barn in Oxfordshire and converted it into a recording studio.[68] They began work on their next album with Godrich in early 1999, working in studios in Paris, Copenhagen, andGloucester before their new studio was completed.[24] Although their success meant there was no longer pressure from their record label,[7] tensions were high. The members had different visions for Radiohead's future, and Yorke suffered fromwriter's block, influencing him toward more abstract, fragmented songwriting.[67] O'Brien kept an online diary of their progress.[69] After nearly 18 months, recording was completed in April 2000.[70]
Radiohead's fourth album,Kid A, was released in October 2000. A departure fromOK Computer,Kid A featured aminimalist and textured style with more diverse instrumentation, including theondes Martenot, programmedelectronic beats,strings, and jazz horns.[67] It debuted at number one in many countries, including the US, where it became the first Radiohead album to debut atop theBillboard chart and the first US number-one album by any UK act since theSpice Girls in 1996.[71] This success was attributed variously to marketing, to the album's leak on the file-sharing networkNapster a few months before its release, and to advance anticipation based, in part, on the success ofOK Computer.[72] Although Radiohead released no singles fromKid A,promos of "Optimistic" and "Idioteque" received radio play, and a series of "blips", short videos set to portions of tracks, were played on music channels and released free online.[73] Radiohead continued a 2000 tour of Europe in a custom-built tent free of advertising; they also promotedKid A with three sold-out North American theatre concerts.[73]
The opening track from Radiohead's fourth album, this song emphasises the band's increasing use ofelectronic music and distortions of Thom Yorke's vocals.
Kid A received aGrammy Award forBest Alternative Album and a nomination forAlbum of the Year in early 2001. It won both praise and criticism inindependent music circles for appropriatingunderground styles of music; some British critics sawKid A as a "commercial suicide note" and "intentionally difficult", and longed for a return to Radiohead's earlier style.[12][22] Fans were similarly divided; along with those who were appalled or mystified, many saw it as the band's best work.[32][74] Yorke denied that Radiohead had set out to eschew expectations, saying: "We're not trying to be difficult ... We're actually trying to communicate but somewhere along the line, we just seemed to piss off a lot of people ... What we're doing isn't that radical."[12] The album was ranked one of the best of all time by publications includingTime andRolling Stone;[75][76]Rolling Stone,Pitchfork and theTimes named it the best album of the decade.[77][78][79]
Radiohead's fifth album,Amnesiac, was released in May 2001. It comprised additional tracks from theKid A sessions, including "Life in a Glasshouse", featuring theHumphrey Lyttelton Band.[80] Radiohead stressed that they sawAmnesiac not as a collection of B-sides or outtakes fromKid A but an album in its own right.[81] It topped theUK Albums Chart and reached number two in the US, and was nominated for a Grammy Award and theMercury Music Prize.[22][71] Radiohead released "Pyramid Song" and "Knives Out" as singles, their first since 1998.[82][83] Radiohead began a North American tour, their first there in three years, in June 2001.[84] With a string of sold-out dates,The Observer described it as "the most sweeping conquest of America by a British group" sinceBeatlemania, succeeding where bands such asOasis had failed.[85] Recordings from theKid A andAmnesiac tours were released onI Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings in November 2001.[86]
An up-tempo, guitar-driven album opener, "2 + 2 = 5" heralded Radiohead's return to a more straightforwardalternative rock style that still included electronic elements.
In July and August 2002, Radiohead toured Portugal and Spain, playing a number of new songs. For their next album, they sought to explore the tension between human and machine-generated music[87] and capture a more immediate, live sound.[88][89] They and Godrich recorded most of the material in two weeks atOcean Way Recording in Los Angeles. The band described the recording process as relaxed, in contrast to the tense sessions forKid A andAmnesiac.[2] Radiohead also composed music for "Split Sides", a dance piece by theMerce Cunningham Dance Company, which debuted in October 2003 at theBrooklyn Academy of Music.[90]
Radiohead's sixth album,Hail to the Thief, was released in June 2003.[91] Its lyrics were influenced by what Yorke called "the general sense of ignorance and intolerance and panic and stupidity" following the election of US PresidentGeorge W. Bush and thewar on terror.[92]Hail to the Thief debuted at number one in the UK and number three on theBillboard chart, and was certifiedplatinum in the UK andgold in the US. The singles "There There", "Go to Sleep" and "2 + 2 = 5" achieved heavy circulation onmodern rock radio. At the2004 Grammy Awards, Radiohead were again nominated forBest Alternative Album, and Godrich and the engineer Darrell Thorp received theGrammy Award for Best Engineered Album.[93] In May, Radiohead launched radiohead.tv, where they streamed short films, music videos and live webcasts from their studio.[94] The material was released on the 2004 DVDThe Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time.[95] A compilation ofHail to the Thief B-sides, remixes and live performances,Com Lag (2plus2isfive), was released in April 2004.[96] In May 2003, Radiohead embarked on a world tour and headlined Glastonbury Festival for the second time. The tour finished in May 2004 with a performance at theCoachella Festival in California.[97]
Hail to the Thief was Radiohead's final album with EMI; in 2006,The New York Times described Radiohead as "by far the world's most popular unsigned band".[97] Following theHail to the Thief tour, Radiohead went on hiatus to spend time with their families and work on solo projects. Yorke and Jonny Greenwood contributed to theBand Aid 20 charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?", produced by Godrich.[98] Greenwood composed soundtracks for the filmsBodysong (2004) andThere Will Be Blood (2007); the latter was the first of several collaborations with the directorPaul Thomas Anderson.[99][100] In July 2006, Yorke released his debut solo album,The Eraser, comprising mainly electronic music.[101] He stressed it was made with the band's blessing, and that Radiohead were not breaking up. Jonny Greenwood said: "He had to get this stuff out, and everyone was happy [for Yorke to make it] ... He'd go mad if every time he wrote a song it had to go through the Radiohead consensus."[102] Selway and Jonny Greenwood appeared in the 2005 filmHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as members of the fictional bandthe Weird Sisters.[103]
2006–2009: departure from EMI,In Rainbows, and "pay what you want"
Radiohead began work on their seventh album in February 2005.[100] Instead of involving Godrich, Radiohead hired the producerSpike Stent, but the collaboration was unsuccessful.[104] In September 2005, Radiohead contributed "I Want None of This", a pianodirge,[105] for theWar Child charity albumHelp: A Day in the Life. The album was sold online, with "I Want None of This" the most downloaded track, though it was not released as a single.[106] In late 2006, after touring Europe and North America with new material, Radiohead re-enlisted Godrich and resumed work in London, Oxford and ruralSomerset, England.[107] Recording ended in June 2007 and the recordings were mastered the following month.[108]
In 2007, EMI was acquired by theprivate equity firmTerra Firma. Radiohead were critical of the new management, and no new deal was agreed.[109] TheIndependent reported that EMI had offered Radiohead a £3 million advance, but had refused to relinquish rights to the band's back catalogue. An EMI spokesman stated that Radiohead had demanded "an extraordinary amount of money".[110] Radiohead's management and Yorke released statements denying that they had asked for a large advance, but had instead wanted control over their back catalogue.[110][111]
Radiohead self-released their seventh album,In Rainbows, on their website on 10 October 2007 as adownload, for any amount users wanted, including £0. The landmarkpay-what-you-want release, the first for a major act, made headlines worldwide and created debate about the implications for the music industry.[112] Media reaction was positive, and Radiohead were praised for finding new ways to connect with fans.[113][114] However, it drew criticism from musicians such asLily Allen andKim Gordon, who felt it undercut less successful acts.[115][116]
In Rainbows was downloaded an estimated 1.2 million times on the day of release.[117] Colin Greenwood explained the internet release as a way of avoiding the "regulated playlists" and "straitened formats" of radio and TV, ensuring fans around the world could experience the music at the same time, and preventing leaks in advance of a physical release.[118] A special "discbox" edition ofIn Rainbows, containing the record on vinyl, a book of artwork, and a CD of extra songs, was also sold from Radiohead's website.[119]
The retail version ofIn Rainbows was released in the UK in late December 2007 onXL Recordings and in North America in January 2008 onTBD Records,[119] reaching number one in the UK and in the US.[120] The success was Radiohead's highest chart placement in the US sinceKid A. It became their fifth UK number-one album and sold more than three million copies in one year.[121] The album received acclaim for its more accessible sound and personal lyrics.[122] It was nominated for theMercury Music Prize[123] and won the2009 Grammy awards forBest Alternative Music Album and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. It was nominated for five other Grammy awards, including Radiohead's third nomination forAlbum of the Year.[124] Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed "15 Step" with theUniversity of Southern California Marching Band at the televised award show.[125]
Radiohead performing at the 2008 Main Square Festival in Arras, France
The first single fromIn Rainbows, "Jigsaw Falling into Place", was released in January 2008,[126] followed by "Nude" in March,[127] which debuted at number 37 in theBillboard Hot 100; it was Radiohead's first song to enter the chart since "High and Dry" (1995) and their first US top 40 since "Creep".[28] In July, Radiohead released a digitally shot video for "House of Cards".[128] Radiohead heldremix competitions for "Nude" and "Reckoner", releasing the separatedstems for fans to remix.[129] In April 2008, Radiohead launched Waste Central, asocial networking service for Radiohead fans.[130] In May,VH1 broadcastIn Rainbows – From the Basement, a special episode of the music television showFrom the Basement in which Radiohead performed songs fromIn Rainbows. It was released oniTunes in June.[131] From mid-2008 to early 2009, Radiohead toured North America, Europe, Japan and South America to promoteIn Rainbows, and headlined theReading and Leeds Festivals in August 2009.[117][132][133]
Days after Radiohead signed to XL, EMI announced abox set of Radiohead material recorded beforeIn Rainbows, released in the same week as theIn Rainbows special edition. Commentators including theGuardian saw the move as retaliation for the band choosing not to re-sign with EMI.[134] In June 2008, EMI released agreatest hits album,Radiohead: The Best Of.[135] It was made without Radiohead's involvement and contains only songs recorded under their contract with EMI. Yorke was critical of the release, calling it a "wasted opportunity".[136] Associal media expanded around the turn of the decade, Radiohead gradually withdrew their public presence, with no promotional interviews or tours to promote new releases.Pitchfork wrote that around this time Radiohead's "popularity became increasingly untethered from the typical formalities of record promotion, placing them on the same level asBeyoncé andKanye West".[55]
2009–2010: reissues, singles and side projects
In 2009, EMI reissued the albums recorded while Radiohead was signed to them in a series of expanded "Collector's Editions", without Radiohead's involvement.[137] Press reaction expressed concern that EMI was exploiting Radiohead's back catalogue.[138][137][139] In May, Radiohead began new recording sessions with Godrich.[140] In August, they released "Harry Patch (In Memory Of)", a tribute song toHarry Patch, the last surviving British soldier to have fought inWorld War I, with proceeds donated to theBritish Legion.[141][142] The song has no conventional rock instrumentation, and instead comprises Yorke's vocals and a string arrangement composed by Jonny Greenwood.[143] Later that month, another new song, "These Are My Twisted Words", featuringkrautrock-like drumming and guitars,[144] was leaked viatorrent, possibly by Radiohead.[145][144] It was released as a free download on the Radiohead website the following week.[146] Commentators saw the releases as part of Radiohead's new unpredictable release strategy, without the need for traditional marketing.[147]
In 2009, Yorke formed a new band,Atoms for Peace, to perform his solo material, with musicians including Godrich and theRed Hot Chili Peppers bassistFlea. They played eight North American shows in 2010.[148] In January 2010, Radiohead played their only full concert of the year in the Los AngelesHenry Fonda Theater as a benefit forOxfam. Tickets were auctioned, raising over half a million US dollars for the NGO's2010 Haiti earthquake relief.[149] That December, a fan-made video of the performance,Radiohead for Haiti, was released via YouTube and torrent with Radiohead's support and a "pay-what-you-want" link to donate to Oxfam.[150] Radiohead also released thesoundboard recording of their 2009 Prague performance for use in afan-made concert video,Live in Praha.[151] The videos were described as examples of Radiohead's openness to fans and positivity toward non-commercial internet distribution.[152][153]
In June 2010, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed a surprise set atGlastonbury Festival, performingEraser and Radiohead songs.[154] Selway released his debut solo album,Familial, in August.[155]Pitchfork described it as a collection of "hushed" folk songs in the tradition ofNick Drake, with Selway on guitar and vocals.[156]
2011–2012:The King of Limbs
A second drummer,Clive Deamer, joined Radiohead on tour between 2011 and 2018. He also performed on the "Staircase / The Daily Mail" single andA Moon Shaped Pool.
Radiohead released their eighth album,The King of Limbs, on 18 February 2011 as a download from their website.[157] Following the protracted recording and more conventional rock instrumentation ofIn Rainbows, Radiohead developedThe King of Limbs bysampling andlooping their recordings withturntables.[158][159][160] It was followed by a retail release in March through XL, and a special "newspaper album" edition in May.[161]
To perform the rhythmically complexKing of Limbs material live, Radiohead enlisted a second drummer,Clive Deamer, who had worked withPortishead andGet the Blessing.[167] In June, Radiohead played a surprise performance on the Park stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival, performing songs fromThe King of Limbs for the first time.[168] With Deamer, Radiohead recordedThe King of Limbs: Live from the Basement, released online in August 2011.[169] It was also broadcast by international BBC channels and released on DVD and Blu-ray in January 2012.[170] The performance included two new songs, "The Daily Mail" and "Staircase", released as a double A-side download single in December 2011.[171] In February 2012, Radiohead began their first extended North American tour in four years, including dates in the United States, Canada and Mexico.[172]
On 16 June 2012, an hour before gates were due to open at Toronto'sDownsview Park for the final concert of Radiohead's North American tour, theroof of the venue's temporary stage collapsed, killing the drum technician Scott Johnson and injuring three other members of Radiohead'sroad crew.[173] After rescheduling the tour, Radiohead paid tribute to Johnson at their next concert, in Nîmes, France, in July.[174] In June 2013,Live Nation Canada Inc, two other organisations and an engineer were charged with 13 charges under Ontario health and safety laws.[175][176] In September 2017, after several delays, the case was dropped under theJordan ruling, which sets strict time limits on trials.[175] Radiohead released a statement condemning the decision.[177] A 2019 inquest returned a verdict ofaccidental death.[178]
2013–2014: side projects and move to XL
Radiohead performing on the 2012King of Limbs tour
In February 2013, Yorke and Godrich's band, Atoms for Peace, released an album,Amok.[179] The pair made headlines that year for their criticism of the freemusic streaming serviceSpotify. Yorke accused Spotify of only benefiting major labels with large back catalogues, and encouraged artists to build their own "direct connections" with audiences instead.[180][181]
In February 2014, Radiohead released an app,PolyFauna, a collaboration with the Britishdigital arts studio Universal Everything, with music and imagery fromThe King of Limbs.[182] In May, Yorke contributed a soundtrack,Subterranea, toThePanic Office, an installation of Radiohead artwork in Sydney, Australia.[183] Yorke and Selway released their solo albumsTomorrow's Modern Boxes andWeatherhouse in late 2014.[184][185] Jonny Greenwood scored his third Anderson film,Inherent Vice; it features a version of an unreleased Radiohead song, "Spooks", performed by Greenwood and members ofSupergrass.[186]Junun, a collaboration between Greenwood, Godrich, the Israeli composerShye Ben Tzur and Indian musicians, was released in November 2015,[187] accompanied by adocumentary directed by Anderson.[188]
In April 2016, Radiohead's back catalogue was acquired byXL Recordings, which had released the retail editions ofIn Rainbows andThe King of Limbs and most of Yorke's solo work.[189] XL reissued Radiohead's back catalogue on vinyl in May 2016.[190]
2015–2016:A Moon Shaped Pool
Radiohead began work on their ninth studio album in September 2014.[191] In 2015, they resumed work in the La Fabrique studio nearSaint-Rémy-de-Provence, France.[192] The sessions were marred by the death of Godrich's father[193] and Yorke's separation from his wife,Rachel Owen, who died from cancer in 2016.[194] Work was interrupted when Radiohead were commissioned to write the theme for the 2015James Bond filmSpectre.[193] Their first submission, "Man of War", was rejected as it had not been written for the film.[195][196] After their second submission, "Spectre", was also rejected, Radiohead released it on the audio streaming siteSoundCloud on Christmas Day 2015.[197]
Radiohead performing on the 2016Moon Shaped Pool tour
In 2016, 2017 and 2018, Radiohead toured Europe, Japan, and North and South America,[211][212][213] including headline shows at theCoachella andGlastonbury festivals.[56] They were joined again by Deamer.[211] The tours included a performance in Tel Aviv in July 2017, disregarding theBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign for an international culturalboycott of Israel. The performance was criticised by artists includingRoger Waters andKen Loach, and a petition urging Radiohead to cancel it was signed by more than 50 prominent figures.[214] In a statement, Yorke responded: "We don't endorseNetanyahu any more thanTrump, but we still play in America. Playing in a country isn't the same as endorsing the government. Music, art and academia is about crossing borders not building them, about open minds not closed ones, about shared humanity, dialogue and freedom of expression."[215]
2017–2021: hiatus and reissues
Following theMoon Shaped Pool tour, Radiohead went on hiatus; Yorke was dealing with the death of Owen, and O'Brien said the band members felt "disconnected and spent".[216] In June 2017, they released a 20th-anniversaryOK Computer reissue,OKNOTOK 1997 2017, comprising a remastered version of the album, B-sides, and previously unreleased material.[217] Radiohead promoted the reissue with music videos for the bonus tracks "I Promise", "Man of War" and "Lift".[218][219][220]OKNOTOK reached number two on theUK Album Chart,[221] boosted by Radiohead's televised Glastonbury performance that week,[222] and reached number 23 on the USBillboard 200.[223] In August, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed a benefit concert in theMarche, Italy, to help restoration efforts following theAugust 2016 Central Italy earthquake.[224]
Radiohead performing in Montreal in July 2018
Radiohead were nominated for theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, their first year of eligibility.[225] They were nominated again in 2018 and inducted in March 2019. Though Jonny Greenwood and Yorke were uninterested in the event, Selway and O'Brien attended and made speeches.[226] The singerDavid Byrne, one of Radiohead's formative influences, gave a speech praising Radiohead's musical and release innovations, which he said had influenced the whole industry.[227]
In June 2019, several hours of recordings made by Radiohead during theOK Computer period leaked online. In response, Radiohead made them available to purchase online asMiniDiscs [Hacked], with all proceeds to the environmentalist groupExtinction Rebellion.[228] In December, Radiohead made their discography available free onYouTube.[229] The following January, they launched the Radiohead Public Library, an online archive of their work, including music videos, live performances, artwork and the 1998 documentaryMeeting People Is Easy.[230] Radiohead suspended their online content forBlackout Tuesday on 2 June, protesting racism andpolice brutality.[231]
In 2017, Selway released his third solo work, the soundtrack to the filmLet Me Go.[232] Jonny Greenwood was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Original Score for his fifth collaboration with Anderson,Phantom Thread (2017),[233] and scored his second film byLynne Ramsay,You Were Never Really Here (2018).[234] Yorke released his first feature film soundtrack,Suspiria (2018),[235] and his third solo album,Anima (2019), backed by a short film directed by Anderson.[236] In 2020, O'Brien released his debut solo album,Earth, under the moniker EOB.[237] He had been writing songs for years, but found they did not fit Radiohead.[238][239] In April, to compensate for the lack of performances during theCOVID-19 pandemic, Radiohead began streaming old concert films onYouTube on a weekly basis.[240]
Radiohead abandoned plans to tour in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[241] In November, they releasedKid A Mnesia, an anniversary reissue compilingKid A,Amnesiac and previously unreleased material. It was promoted with download singles and videos for the previously unreleased tracks "If You Say the Word" and "Follow Me Around".[242] Plans for an art installation based on the albums were cancelled due to logistical problems and the pandemic. Instead, Radiohead created a free digital experience,Kid A Mnesia Exhibition, forPlayStation 5,macOS andWindows.[243]
2021–present: side projects, Israel controversy and return to touring
Jonny Greenwood and Yorke performing withTom Skinner asthe Smile in January 2022
Colin Greenwood toured withNick Cave between 2022 and 2024,[254][255][256] and performed on Cave's 2024 albumWild God.[257] He released a book of his photographs of Radiohead in October 2024.[258] Selway released his third solo album,Strange Dance, in February 2023.[259] He also played drums and percussion onVersions of Us (2023) byLanterns on the Lake, and joined them on tour.[260]Jarak Qaribak, an album by Jonny Greenwood and the Israeli rock musicianDudu Tassa, was released in June.[261] Yorke released his second film soundtrack,Confidenza, in April 2024,[262] and began a solo tour,Everything, in October.[263] Selway said in 2023 that it was healthy for the members to work with other musicians and that all the projects came under the Radiohead "umbrella".[264][265]
Yorke reworkedHail to the Thief for a production ofHamlet by theRoyal Shakespeare Company that opened atAviva Studios, Manchester, in April 2025.[266]Tall Tales, an album by Yorke and the electronic musicianMark Pritchard, was released in May.[267]This Is What You Get, an exhibition of Yorke and Donwood's Radiohead artwork, opened at theAshmolean Museum in Oxford in August.[268] On 13 August, Radiohead releasedHail to the Thief (Live Recordings 2003—2009), a selection of performances ofHail to the Thief tracks.[269] Greenwood scored his sixth film for Paul Thomas Anderson,One Battle After Another, released in September.[270] On 4 November, Radiohead began aEuropean tour, their first tour in seven years. Deamer was replaced by Chris Vatalaro.[271]
Pressure for Radiohead to boycott Israel grew following the outbreak of theGaza war in 2023.[272] Jonny Greenwood was criticised for performing in Tel Aviv with Tassa in May 2024, and responded in a statement that Israeli artists should not be silenced.[273] In October, Yorke temporarily left the stage after he was heckled by apro-Palestine protester at a solo concert in Melbourne.[272][274] In May 2025, two UK concerts by Jonny Greenwood and Tassa were canceled following threats to the venues and staff.[275] Colin Greenwood described the cancellation as "a curtailment of free speech and the possibilities of forging bonds between people with music and art".[276] That month, Yorke released a statement condemning the war efforts of Israel andHamas and saying that pressuring artists to respond was not the solution.[277] O'Brien has shown support for Palestine,[278][279] and defended his bandmates: "My brothers abhor what is going on in Gaza. Just because they aren't all over social media or using the exact wording that some feel is necessary does not mean they aren't genuinely upset and angered by what is going on."[280]Pitchfork wrote that the controversy had damaged Radiohead's public perception, and questioned their "ambiguous political position" after releasing albums such asHail to the Thief, which was "so evocative of the horrors of lopsided military annihilation".[281]
Radiohead songs often usepivot notes andpedal points, creating "looser, roomier" harmonies and a "bittersweet, doomy" feeling.[7] Many usemixed modes and unusual or changingtime signatures, such as "You", "Everything in Its Right Place", "Morning Bell" and "15 Step".[302][303] O'Brien said Radiohead were hesitant to create "epic" music, which they felt had negative associations ofstadium rock. However, he conceded that "epic is also about beauty, like a majestic view", and cited "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" as an example of a song that was "obviously epic in scope".[304]
Jonny Greenwood said Radiohead strive to find a middle ground between their experimental influences and rock music, and were driven by a desire not to repeat themselves rather than to be "experimental".[305] The drummerClive Deamer, who joined Radiohead on tour between 2011 and 2018, said they do not see themselves as a rock band and that their methodology is closer to jazz: "They deliberately try to avoid cliché and standard forms for the sake of the song ... Rock bands don't do that. It's far more like a jazz mentality."[306] Yorke dismissed accusations that Radiohead make "depressing" music, saying in 2004: "Depressing music to me is just shit music. It's like air freshener – just a nasty little poison in the air."[307]
Songwriting
Though Yorke acts as Radiohead's director, all the members have a role in arrangement.[67][308] In 2004, Yorke said that while his power was once "absolutely unbalanced" and he would "subvert everybody else's power at all costs", later albums had been more democratic.[309] He apologised to his bandmates for his earlier "control freak" behaviour.[310] O'Brien said that no member was replaceable and each was comfortable with their position.[308]
Radiohead songs usually begin as a sketch by Yorke, which is harmonically developed by Jonny Greenwood before the rest of the band develop their parts.[7] Whereas Yorke does not read sheet music, Greenwood is trained inmusic theory. InPitchfork, Ryan Dombal wrote that "the duo's left brain-right brain dynamic has proven to be one of the most adventurous in rock history".[311] Yorke typically playsrhythm guitar, while Greenwood plays mostlead guitar parts and O'Brien often creates ambient effects, making extensive use ofeffects units.[312][313] O'Brien said Radiohead tired of songs "with distorted guitars all the way through" afterPablo Honey, preferring separation and "riffs and melodies that interweave at different registers".[314]
TheKid A andAmnesiac sessions brought a change in Radiohead's music and working methods.[67][315] Since their shift from conventional rock instrumentation, the members have gained flexibility and often switch instruments.[67] OnKid A andAmnesiac, Yorke played keyboard and bass, Jonny Greenwood playedondes Martenot, Colin Greenwood worked on sampling, and O'Brien and Selway worked with drum machines and digital manipulation.[67]
Jonny Greenwood said he saw Radiohead as "just a kind of an arrangement to form songs using whatever technology suits the song", be it a cello or a laptop.[194] They often attempt several approaches to songs, and may develop them over years. For example, Radiohead first performed "True Love Waits" in 1995, and recorded several versions before releasing it onA Moon Shaped Pool in 2016.[316] Selway said Radiohead had a tendency to overanalyse their work: "You have it there and then you just try to pull it apart and then when you put it back together it doesn't look like a television set any more ... But it was there all along."[317]
"Pyramid Song" was influenced by jazz musicianCharles Mingus' 1963 piece "Freedom".[12] This sample shows the Radiohead track's string arrangement andirregular timing on the piano and drums.
Yorke is Radiohead's lyricist.[7] Though his early lyrics were personal, fromKid A on, he experimented withcutting up words and phrases and assembling them at random.[329] He does not write biographically, saying he instead writes "spasmodic" lyrics based on imagery and taken from external sources such as television.[330][331] He deliberately usescliches,idioms and other common expressions,[332] suggesting "a mind consumed by meaningless data".[333] TheNew Republic writer Ryan Kearney speculated that Yorke's use of common expressions, which he described as "Radioheadisms", was an attempt "to sap our common tongue of meaning and expose the vapidity of everyday discourse".[332]
According to Yorke, many of his lyrics are motivated by anger, expressing his political and environmental concerns[334] and written as "a constant response todoublethink".[335] TheGQ critic Josiah Gogarty wrote of "the uncharitable caricature that's sometimes fixed to [Radiohead's] music – Thom Yorke warbling vaguely political sentiments over fiddly drum patterns and melodies", which he argued began withHail to the Thief and its references to the war on terror.[336]Pitchfork wrote that Yorke's lyrics onA Moon Shaped Pool were less cynical, conveying wonder and amazement.[333]
According to theAllMusic journalistStephen Thomas Erlewine, in the early 21st century, Radiohead became "a touchstone for everything that is fearless and adventurous in rock", succeedingDavid Bowie,Pink Floyd andTalking Heads.[344] In 2001,Johnny Marr, the guitarist for one of Radiohead's early influences,the Smiths, said that Radiohead was the act that had "come closest to the genuine influence of the Smiths".[346]
In 2003, theVillage Voice criticRobert Christgau wrote that Radiohead were "the only youngish band standing that combines critical consensus with the ability to fill a venue larger than theHammerstein Ballroom".[347] Gavin Haynes ofNME described Radiohead in 2014 as "our generation'sBeatles".[337] In 2020, the academicDaphne Brooks described Radiohead as "the blackest white rock band to emerge over the past 30 years", citing their black jazz influences, influence on black artists, and their "introspective other worlds", which parallel the work of radical black artists.[348]
Industry
Kid A is credited for pioneering the use of the internet to stream and promote music.[349][350] The pay-what-you-want release forIn Rainbows is credited as a major step for music distribution.[351][114][112]Forbes wrote that it "helped forge the template for unconventional album releases in the internet age", ahead of artists such asBeyoncé andDrake.[350] Speaking at Radiohead's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, the Talking Heads singerDavid Byrne, an early influence on Radiohead, praised their musical and release innovations, which he said had influenced the entire music industry.[227]
Radiohead's work places highly in both listener polls and critics' lists of the best music of the 1990s and 2000s.[352] In a 2004 list composed by 55 musicians, writers and industry executives,Rolling Stone named Radiohead 73rd-greatest artist of all time.[353] They have been listed among the greatest bands of all time bySpin (15th)[354] and among the greatest artists byVH1 (29th).[355] They were also named the third-best British band in history by Harry Fletcher of theEvening Standard.[356]
Radiohead are the most nominated act for theMercury Prize, with five nominated albums. They were inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.[226] In 2009,Rolling Stone readers voted Radiohead the second-best artist of the 2000s, behindGreen Day.[357] In 2021,Pitchfork readers votedOK Computer, Kid A andIn Rainbows among the ten greatest albums of the preceding 25 years.[358] Jonny Greenwood and O'Brien were both included inRolling Stone's lists of the best guitarists[359][360] and Yorke in its lists of the greatest singers.[361][362]
Nigel Godrich first worked with Radiohead as an audio engineer on their second album,The Bends. He has produced all their studio albums since their third album,OK Computer.[34] Godrich has been dubbed the band's "sixth member", an allusion toGeorge Martin being called the "Fifth Beatle".[34] In 2016, Godrich said: "I can only ever have one band like Radiohead who I've worked with for this many years. That's a very deep and profound relationship. The Beatles could only have ever had one George Martin; they couldn't have switched producers halfway through their career. All that work, trust, and knowledge of each other would have been thrown out of the window and they'd have to start again."[363]
Godrich also plays Chieftain Mews, a character who first appeared inThe Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time and has since appeared in Radiohead's promotional material.[364] The journalist Mac Randall described Mews as "a 21st-centuryMax Headroom" who "intones non-sequiturs".[21] Yorke credited the filmmaker Chris Bran for his creation.[365]
The graphic artistStanley Donwood met Yorke when they were art students. Together, they have produced all of Radiohead's album covers and visual artwork since 1994.[16] Donwood works in the studio with the band as they record, allowing the music to influence the artwork.[366] He and Yorke won aGrammy in 2002 for the special edition ofAmnesiac, packaged as a library book.[16]
Since Radiohead's formation, Andi Watson has been their lighting and stage director, designing the visuals of their live concerts.[367] Peter "Plank" Clements has worked with Radiohead since beforeThe Bends, overseeing the technical management of studio recordings and live performances.[6] Jim Warren has been Radiohead's live sound engineer since their first tour in 1992, and recorded early tracks including "High and Dry" and "Pop Is Dead".[368] Radiohead enlisted the drummerClive Deamer to help perform the complex rhythms ofThe King of Limbs for live performances; he also joined them for theMoon Shaped Pool tour.[167][201][211] On Radiohead's2025 tour, Deamer was replaced by Chris Vatalaro.[271]Paul Thomas Anderson has directed several music videos for Yorke and Radiohead, and has collaborated with Jonny Greenwood on several film scores and the 2015 documentaryJunun.[369]
Radiohead are managed by Chris Hufford and Bryce Edge of Courtyard Management, which also managesFaithless,Supergrass andKate Nash.[370][371] They recorded their first six albums under contract withParlophone, a subsidiary ofEMI.[372] The contract ended with the release ofHail to the Thief in 2003. They did not renew the contract for their next album,In Rainbows (2007), as EMI would not give them control over their back catalogue and they did not trust the new owner,Guy Hands.[109][110][373] Radiohead have self-released their subsequent work, with retail editions released byXL Recordings.[189]
In September 2012, EMI was bought byUniversal Music. TheEuropean Commission approved the deal on the condition that Universal Music divest Parlophone, which controlled the Radiohead records.[374] In February 2013, Parlophone was bought byWarner Music Group (WMG).[375] As a condition of the purchase, WMG made an agreement with theMerlin Network and the trade groupImpala to divest 30% of the Parlophone catalogues toindependent labels, with artist approval.[189] In April 2016, WMG transferred Radiohead's back catalogue to XL.[189]The Best Of and the reissues released by EMI in 2008 without Radiohead's approval were removed from streaming services.[189][376] In October 2015, Radiohead sued Parlophone for deductions made from downloads of their back catalogue.[377]
In 1993, Radiohead created alimited company, Radiohead Ltd, to handle income from tours. It had arevenue of £735,765 after the release ofThe Bends (1995), £2.1m afterOK Computer (1997) and almost £8m followingHail to the Thief (2003).[378] In May 1996, Radiohead established Waste Products Ltd. to produce and sell merchandise.[378] The band members also own half of Sandbag Limited, created in 2002 as a sister company of Waste, which handles direct-to-customer sales of albums, merchandise and other goods for Radiohead and other acts.[379] Starting withIn Rainbows, Radiohead have created limited companies orlimited liability partnerships for their releases, minimising risk in the event of commercial failure, lawsuits or touring accidents.[379][378]
^"Radiohead: Biography".Rolling Stone. Archived fromthe original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved20 January 2009....the biggest art-rock act since Pink Floyd...
^"Radiohead – British rock group".Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved10 August 2015....arguably the most accomplished art-rock band of the early 21st century...
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