Radiohead often challenges listeners with songs that are hard to categorize. They are a rock band but their music can fall under alternative rock, electronica, grunge, folk, and experimental rock. Some popular Radiohead songs are “Creep” and “Karma Police”, “Lucky”, and “High and Dry”.
The band was formed in 1985 in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. The band is currently made up of Thom Yorke (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments), Colin Greenwood (bass), Phil Selway (drums, percussion), and Ed O’Brien (guitar).
Radiohead has released 9 albums. Their first album, “Pablo Honey”, was released in 1993. The band’s popularity grew with their second album, “The Bends”. The band released other successful albums such as “OK Computer”, “Kid A”, and in 2016, they released their latest album, “A Moon Shaped Pool”.
Alternative Rock
Radiohead has proven to be one of the most influential alternative rock bands in history. The band’s songs often explore the depths of human emotions and experiences.
“Creep” is one of the most popular Radiohead songs; it was the hit single that propelled the band to mainstream success. The song is about an individual who feels like an outcast and is desperate for attention.
“Paranoid Android”, another Radiohead song in this category, was released in 1997 as the lead single from their third studio album, “OK Computer”. The lyrics of both these songs demonstrate the band’s ability to write powerful and meaningful lyrics.
Experimental Rock
“Idioteque” is an experimental rock Radiohead song. The electronic song was released in 2000 as the lead single from their fifth studio album “Kid A”. The song is a good example of the band’s experimentation with electronica and alternative rock. Radiohead’s other experimental songs include “Everything in Its Right Place” and “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”.
Other Genres
Electronica
The band’s song “Lotus Flower” is a good example of their electronica songs. The song was released in 2011 as the lead single from their sixth studio album, “The King of Limbs”.
Grunge
“Fake Plastic Trees” is a good example of Radiohead’s grunge songs. The song was released in 1995 as the lead single from their debut studio album, “Pablo Honey”.
Art Rock
“How To Disappear Completely” is an art-rock song by Radiohead. The song was released in 2000 as the fifth single from their fifth studio album, “Kid A”.
Conclusion
Radiohead is a band that has explored many different genres of music. The band’s alternative rock songs are some of the most popular and well-known. However, the band has also ventured into folk, electronica, grunge, art rock, and experimental rock genres. Radiohead’s music is often difficult to classify into a specific genre, and their songs often explore the depths of human emotions and experiences.
Radiohead Featured Image by: haiderzs, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
