Radiohead
fans are a pretty diverse group, with listeners from many different genres
including alternative rock, jazz, electronica, post-rock, avant-garde, and so
on. The group is unique in the sense
that they tend to reinvent themselves with almost every one of their album
releases over the last two decades.
Here’s a brief history of how their sound has evolved over time:
Early
Days: Pablo Honey and The Bends
When Radiohead was first formed (under the name “On a
Friday”) in the mid-1980s, they didn’t really differentiate themselves from
other rock groups of the time period.
With the release of their first hit single, “Creep” in 1992, they found
some commercial success. Pablo Honey was released the following
year, and most listeners compared them to early grunge bands, with some even
calling them “Nirvana-lite.”
Three
years later, they found both commercial and critical acclaim after releasing The Bends, which many fans consider to
be their best conventional rock album.
Although most people would describe it as a fairly straightforward
alternative rock album, they started experimenting with creating soundscapes
and ethereal effects. With the release
of their next album, however, they took it to an entirely different level.
The
Glory Days: OK Computer and Kid A
In 1997, Radiohead released OK Computer, arguably their first album worthy of the title
“masterpiece.” Compared to most
alternative rock albums in the mid 90s, OK
Computer was one of the most progressive albums that continues to inspire
artists to this day. They found a way to
creatively blend alternative rock with ambiance, with even some elements of
electronica. It was also pretty
revolutionary as a concept album, with recurring themes about the perils of
technological dependence in its lyrics.
Even
though most fans would have been content with Radiohead releasing more of the
same, the group decided to change gears entirely at the risk of alienating most
of their audience. When they released Kid A in 2000, they essentially divided
their fanbase in half, at least in the short-term.
Kid A is a fairly experimental
electronic album with overtones of jazz and avant-garde, which didn’t sit well
with those who expected another straightforward rock album. It’s admittedly pretty inaccessible, and the
record takes a few spins to set in, even for more open-minded fans of
electronica and other genres. Possibly
their most divisive album to date, listeners tended to either dismiss it as a
poor change of direction, or they hailed it as one of the greatest albums of
all time. Personally, I am of the latter
opinion, especially since this album kindled my interest in electronica and
post-rock and completely changed the way I listened to music in general.
For those who aren’t yet familiar
with Radiohead’s work, I wouldn’t suggest starting out with Kid A.
Rock fans would be better off starting off with The Bends, or perhaps OK
Computer if you’re feeling bold and in the mood for something a little
different.
In next week’s blog, I’ll wrap things up by
describing how their sound evolved with their 5 most recent albums, so stay
tuned!
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