How Radiohead revolutionised rock music in the ‘00s

Radiohead: An Iconic Musical Journey Blending Innovation and Emotion

Radiohead, the British rock band formed in 1985, has carved a unique and indelible place in the music industry. With their genre-defying sound, thought-provoking lyrics, and unflinching experimentalism, Radiohead has captured the hearts of millions worldwide. Throughout their extensive discography and exceptional live performances, the band has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is considered conventional music, making them one of the most influential and revered acts of our time.

Formative Years and Musical Evolution:
Radiohead’s early years were marked by their alternative rock sound, showcased in their breakout hit single “Creep” from their debut album “Pablo Honey” in 1993. However, the band soon outgrew their initial mainstream success and embarked on a musical evolution that has defined their career.

Radiohead had spent the 90s working out what it meant to be a modern rock band. After a pair of game-changing, guitar-heavy records in The Bends and OK Computer, over the next decade they laid down a blueprint for everyone else.

With their critically acclaimed 1997 album “OK Computer,” Radiohead embraced a more experimental and atmospheric sound, blending intricate guitar work, electronic elements, and Thom Yorke’s haunting vocals. The album challenged conventional song structures and explored themes of technology, alienation, and existential angst, resonating deeply with a generation grappling with the rapidly advancing digital age.

Except Radiohead’s blueprint was that there shouldn’t be a blueprint. “You’d think by now we’d know what’s going to work, and what’s still frustrating for us,” bassist Colin Greenwood told Classic Rock back in 2009.

“But it’s encouraging that we don’t know whether something’s going to come across played on a laptop or whether it has to be done on a piano. It’s gotten so twisted. But what we’ve learned is that you can’t repeat a method that you’ve already used on a different song just because it worked back then.”

At that point, Radiohead were coming off the back of In Rainbows, the creative peak of what you might describe at the band’s second imperial phase. It had begun with 1999’s Kid A, an album that drew a line under the jagged art-rock that made them huge, ushering in an era of experimentation with electronics and warped beats.

New ways forward weren’t without their missteps – 2003’s sprawling and overlong Hail To The Thief suggested they weren’t certain which way to go so tried to go to everywhere at once.