Radiohead
“We're not here to be liked. We're here to make music.”
Radiohead is an English alternative rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano), brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass), Ed O'Brien (guitar, backing vocals), and Philip Selway (drums, percussion). Originally performing under the name On a Friday, they signed with EMI in 1991 and adopted the name Radiohead. Their debut single, 'Creep,' was released in 1992 and slowly became a massive global hit after the release of their debut studio album, Pablo Honey (1993), launching them into the mainstream spotlight.
While their second album, The Bends (1995), earned critical acclaim for its lush guitar textures and Thom Yorke's soaring vocals, it was their third album, OK Computer (1997), that cemented their legacy as one of the defining bands of the late twentieth century. Landmark tracks like 'Paranoid Android,' 'Karma Police,' and 'No Surprises' captured the growing anxieties of the digital age and alienation. Rather than repeating this highly successful guitar-rock template, Radiohead took a drastic artistic turn with Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001), integrating electronic beats, modular synthesizers, krautrock rhythms, and jazz arrangements, completely restructuring the boundaries of popular rock music.
Throughout the twenty-first century, the band continued to challenge industry conventions and musical boundaries. In 2007, they independently released In Rainbows as a pay-what-you-want digital download, disrupting standard record label distribution structures while delivering some of their warmest, most beloved songs, such as 'Weird Fishes/Arpeggi' and 'Nude.' Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, Radiohead has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Their influence extends deeply into contemporary cinematic scoring, with Jonny Greenwood becoming an Oscar-nominated film composer (There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread) and Thom Yorke scoring works like Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria.
Appearances on Soundtrack Wiki
- Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026)
Genres & Styles
Band Members (People)
- Thom Yorke
- Jonny Greenwood
- Colin Greenwood
- Ed O'Brien
- Philip Selway
Main Discography
- Pablo Honey (1993)
- The Bends (1995)
- OK Computer (1997)
- Kid A (2000)
- Amnesiac (2001)
- Hail to the Thief (2003)
- In Rainbows (2007)
- The King of Limbs (2011)
- A Moon Shaped Pool (2016)
Related Projects
- The Smile
- Atoms for Peace
Similar Artists
- Portishead
- The Smile
- Nirvana
- Pixies
- Muse
- Coldplay
- Sigur Rós
- Massive Attack
Awards
- 3x Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album (OK Computer, Kid A, In Rainbows)
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2019)
- 5x Mercury Prize nominations (the most nominated act in the prize's history)
- Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection (2001)
Trivia
Adopted Name: The band's name was taken from the song 'Radio Head' on the Talking Heads' 1986 album True Stories, chosen at the request of their record label, EMI, to replace their original name, 'On a Friday.'
Thom Yorke's Signature Look: Vocalist Thom Yorke was born with a paralyzed left eye, undergoing five major surgeries before the age of six, which left him with a drooping eyelid (ptosis) that became his most recognizable visual trait.
Cinematic Composer: Multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood has achieved major acclaim as a film composer, earning Academy Award nominations for his scores to Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread and Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog.
Digital Revolution: In October 2007, Radiohead bypassed standard record industry distribution entirely by releasing their seventh studio album, In Rainbows, as a pay-what-you-want digital download, proving highly profitable.