Radiohead Biography

Radiohead has always enclosed the members Thom Yorke, Johnny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O’Brien, and Philip Selway. They met while attending the Abingdon School. Their first name was On a Friday.

Early Years

On a Friday signed with EMI records in 1991. The label demanded that they changed their name, so they transitioned to Radiohead. The name comes from the Talking Heads’ song “Radio Head”. Their first album Pablo Honey spawned the legendary hit “Creep”. Neither the single or the album managed to become critically acclaimed. Given mostly negative reviews, the album only reached number 22 in the UK Charts. “Creep” didn’t receive air time on BBC because it was considered “too depressing”.

The band met with tremendous success after “Creep” became a hit in Israeli and America. They began touring and held more than 150 concerts in 1993.

Radiohead released their next album The Bends in 1995. The album spawned singles like “Fake Plastic Trees”, “High and Dry” and “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”. This album made the band famous in their own country. Its performances and lyrics were well-received by the critics.

Growing Fame

The band issued their third album in 1997. OK Computer debuted at number three on the UK Albums chart. The album was critical acclaimed and it received the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album. Their next album Kid A also won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album. With their earlier works and fanbase, Kid A was a commercial success. Publications like Pitchfork, the Times and Rolling Stone called the album the best album of the decade.

Going Deeper

Hail to the Thief (2003) debuted at number one in the UK and number three on the Billboard chart.  The band and EMI records parted ways soon after. Radiohead worked on the album In Rainbows and released it independently. The album was available on their site and could be bought for any amount of money, including 0£. In Rainbows won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

Their album The King of Limbs was released in 2011. The sound for this album was so complex, that they had to get a second drummer for their live shows. Radiohead issued the album A Moon Shaped Pool in 2016. Its sales were immense and it was critically acclaimed.

Photo Source: Discogs