10 Greatest Ever Radiohead Songs
From On a Friday to one of the most successful alternative bands of all time.
The Radiohead from the early 1990s and the Radiohead now are essentially two completely different bands. The former were on the brink of getting lost in the never ending pool of grunge-inspired bands, whilst the latter are an entirely singular experience.
With each member willing to take one for the team on occasion and experiment with new sounds at every opportunity, Radiohead have cultivated a discography that is almost un rivalled in alternative music. Despite their constant need to challenge themselves as well as their listeners, they have still managed to remain at the forefront of popular music for almost three decades now. They've sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.
Over the years, Radiohead have drawn inspiration from a wide range of musical styles. From jazz to ambient, from electronica to hip hop and from classical to pop, they have never pigeonholed themselves or allowed anyone else to do so.
Just how diverse in sound and lyrical content these next ten songs are will show just how many different phases the band have gone through in their career, and how their genius has stood the test of time.
Whittling their entire discography down to a measly 10 tracks seems like an injustice, but we're going to give it a go regardless.
10. Bloom
The King of Limbs isn't usually mentioned as one of the band's greatest records, but Bloom stands tall as a track of immense ethereal power, juxtaposed with scattering drum loops and drawn out horn samples.
The song is well over 5 minutes long, but it feels like its half that length just thanks to how entrancing those percussion loops are.
Thom's lyrics echo a sense of rebirth and disappointment simultaneously. "A universal sigh/And while the ocean blooms/ It's what keeps me alive"
The song’s connection to nature and wonder like quality was cemented when a reworked version in collaboration with Hans Zimmer was commission for Plane Earth II
Whilst The King of Limbs isn’t the strongest record in Radiohead’s discography, Bloom is definitely a gem of a song