#42 Radiohead, 'OK Computer' (1997)

Previously #162

‘OK Computer,’ Radiohead’s third release, was a creative breakthrough for the band, and a turning point in ‘90s alternative music. Like Pink Floyd for Generation X, Radiohead pushed the boundaries of production. It was the start of a professional partnership with producer, Nigel Godrich, with whom they had recorded a charity single (‘Lucky’) at the behest of Brian Eno. Godrich was also an assistant engineer on their previous release, ‘The Bends,’ and would become as important to Radiohead as George Martin was to The Beatles.

According to Thom Yorke, the foundations of this album were based on the "incredibly dense and terrifying sound" of Miles Davis’s ‘Bitches Brew’ (#87). He was also influenced  by Elvis Costello, R.E.M., PJ Harvey and The Beatles’ ‘A Day In The Life.’ The lyrics were more abstract than the band’s previous output, covering topics from transport to technology to death to globalisation and anti-capitalism. ‘OK Computer’ saw it’s rise during the decline of Britpop and heralded a new era for the next generation of British bands. Despite EMI predicting that its sales would be low due to its uncommercial sound and their perceived difficulty in marketing it, the record reached #1 in the UK, selling in excess of 4 million copies worldwide, becoming the band’s highest-selling release. ‘OK Computer’ is one of those records that is so solid that it’s difficult to choose favourites, as every song on the album is equally as good as the next, however, ‘Paranoid Android’ and ‘Karma Police’ are probably the most well-known. This body of work really was the start of a new sound for the band and probably their last heavily guitar-based album before they would transition into a more electronic and experimental sound.

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