released OK Computer

Radiohead released their third album, OK Computer, in May of 1997, and it was a turning point in the band’s evolution. They started pushing the boundaries with their song structures and incorporating ambient, electronic & avant garde influences – which Rolling Stone at the time called a “stunning art-rock tour de force”. Not surprisingly, Radiohead was a bit dismissive of the idea they were actually a part of the progressive rock genre, but critics had already started drawing comparisons to Pink Floyd. Some even likened OK Computer to the 1973 Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon – which was a bit off the mark according to Thom Yorke. Apparently the stuff that actually inspired the lyrics was the frenetic pace of the world back in the 1990s. Yorke’s lyrics, by the way, were this weird mashup of different characters which just seemed to capture the whole “end-of-the-millennium blues” vibe that some people saw in the album. That contrasted sharply with the more personal songs Radiohead was known for with The Bends. According to music journalist Alex Ross, Radiohead had somehow become the poster kids for a certain kind of knowing, alienated vibe that – in a way – was what Talking Heads and R.E.M had started before them. And, of course, OK Computer was a huge critical success. Yorke just couldn’t believe the reaction the band got – “we had no idea if it was even good or not” he said with a laugh. What really amazed him though was how people got all the different textures and sounds and moods that they were going for.