There are clear hints of the brilliance that would culminate in OK Computer, most notably during the album’s opening track, “Planet Telex.” That song’s punctuated by surging white noise, staccato distortion, Thom Yorke’s alternately soothing and seething vocals, and a serene outro that plays like a kind of subdued lullaby - all elements the band would soon refine in astonishing ways.

The Bends, the band’s solid follow-up album, doesn’t fare much better. With its jittery fusion of envy, angst, and rage, “Creep” - the song that launched Radiohead’s career - is pure ’90s. Lest you think that’s a minor accomplishment or a merely incidental feature, consider Soulja Boy Tell’em’s ringtone-rap anthem, “ Crank That (Soulja Boy).” How’s that going to sound in 20 years? Will people even remember it? What about LFO’s “ Summer Girls” or Len’s “ Steal My Sunshine“? You get the point.Įven memorable songs often sound dated, though. “I Promise” is 20 years old and still sounds brand new. If that sounds like a bold claim, think about their recent single, “I Promise,” a previously unreleased track from the OK Computer sessions.

Ezra Pound’s quip about poetry being “news that stays news” applies to Radiohead’s seminal 1997 album, OK Computer.

Ok computer radiohead year