Thom Yorke
Jonny Greenwood
Ed O'Brien
Colin Greenwood
Phil Selway
 
Welcome. You are here because you probably have an interest in the band Radiohead. Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, and Phil Selway all met each other while in school at Abingdon, in England. They first called themselves "On A Friday" because they practiced mainly on Friday's. The band is based in Oxford, England, home to other bands such as Supergrass, Ride, and Thom's brother's band, the Unbelievable Truth. You can find out more about Oxford in our informative Oxford Guide.

1993, Radiohead released Pablo Honey, which had the "one-hit-wonder-esque" anthem, "Creep". They had huge success in the United States and Europe, and especially in Israel. Many critics dismissed Radiohead as another band with their 15 minutes of fame and a one and only hit single. To an extent, they were right.

In 1995, Radiohead struck gold with devoted fans and critics alike with their release of The Bends. It was widely adored by fans and other musicians, making everyone's top ten list of the year. Though Radiohead didn't have the same success they had with "Creep" in the US, in Europe they were huge. With songs like "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Street Spirit (fade out)", Radiohead formed a cult following with fans.

Many thought that there would be no way that Radiohead could top The Bends. They were all proven wrong in 1997 when OK Computer was released. It just blew people away. It was a classic the moment it hit the shelves. The first single, "Paranoid Android", was over six minutes long and seemed an unlikely candidate for a single, a first single at that. The band didn't want it edited for radio, so the song was rarely played on radio. MTV, who despite their reputation, really loved Radiohead and played the video on a regular basis.

OK Computer wasn't full of singles. It didn't have a top ten hit. It's success was formed through word of mouth and critically positive reviews. To this day, many don't know who Radiohead is. That's the beauty of this band. They make music from their hearts and don't let commercialism and money get in their way. That's rare for today's rock bands.

After a very long recording process, Radiohead released their follow-up to OK Computer, Kid A, in October 2000. Despite the lack of singles, interviews, and videos for the album, Kid A reached #1 in the US during it's first week... something the band has never done before. The success of Kid A proved to be a surprise to many as the album was very different than anything the band had put out before.

Another surprise is the announcement that Radiohead's fifth album, entitled Amnesiac, will be released in June 2001.

By Jonathan Percy
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