10 2000s Albums That Are Practically Flawless
3. Kid A - Radiohead
Even if Radiohead hadn't made anything past 1999, they would still be talked about as one of the greatest bands of their generation. After making an impression with Creep back in the day, these British alt rockers had cemented themselves as the voice of the late '90s, making one of the greatest album experiences with OK Computer. Things were shaping up for Radiohead to become the next rock superstars...only for them to go beyond rock altogether on Kid A.
From the opening track alone, this was definitely a different mood than anyone was really prepared for, being soaked in cold synthesizers and Thom Yorke's voice being distorted to the point where you could barely hear what he was saying. That wasn't really the point though. The point was to look beyond the words and inside the actual music.
When most artists were stripping things down and getting to the point, Kid A really makes you search for the power of the songs, almost taking the words Thom is singing at face value and working out the details later. Although you might not hear the words, you can feel the cold emotion radiating through the whole experience. It's not the most comfortable space to be in, but if this was never released, the rock world as we know it would look a whole lot different.