Top 9 best Radiohead albums – Radiohead is a rock band from Oxfordshire, England. Radiohead formed in 1985 and consists Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O’Brien and Philip Selway. This band is often regarded as the most innovative bands in modern era. Their music may not reach all mainstream listeners, but their work places highly in both listener polls and critics’ lists of the best music of the 1990s and 2000s.
Currently, Radiohead have released 9 studio albums. From their debut album, Pablo Honey to their most critical acclaim work, OK Computer to their latest album, A Moon Shaped Pool. Radiohead don’t have bad albums (Pablo Honey is decent honestly), but which one is the best Radiohead albums of all time.
We will try to rank every Radiohead albums from start to date. This list is very subjective and I might be wrong, but no surprises to guess the number one picks. Before you go to sleep and karma police got you, put your airbag and read this list below. Here are our picks of all Radiohead albums ranked from best to worst (in other word from OK Computer to Pablo Honey).
All 9 Radiohead Albums Ranked (Best to Worst)
This list only include studio albums by Radiohead, not include extended plays, live albums, remix albums or compillation albums.
1. OK Computer
Released : 1997
Label : Parlophone, Capitol
OK Computer is, undoubtly, the greatest Radiohead albums of all time. In fact this album might as well topped best rock albums in past 30 years. Some best Radiohead songs such as Paranoid Android, Karma Police, Airbag, No Surprises and fan favorite-Let Down are coming from this album. Released in 1997, it also considered as landmark of rock music history in modern era.
Even some lesser known song such as Subterranean Homesick Alien, Climbing Up the Walls and The Tourist is well-received too. Just forget about Fitter Happier and this album is perfect from start to end. It is, indeed, the greatest masterpiece that Radiohead ever made to date.
OK Computer Tracklist :
- Airbag
- Paranoid Android
- Subterranean Homesick Alien
- Exit Music (For a Film)
- Let Down
- Karma Police
- Fitter Happier
- Electioneering
- Climbing Up the Walls
- No Surprises
- Lucky
- The Tourist
2. The Bends
Released : 1995
Label : Parlophone, Capitol
The second best Radiohead album is the tricky ones. People often rank Kid A or In Rainbows highly, but for us, The Bends is most deserve runner up. The Bends is second studio albums by Radiohead released in 1995. It is also mark Radiohead evolving from their debut album with more cryptic lyrics and larger ideas.
The Bends also responsible for some old Radiohead hits such as High and Dry, Street Spirit (Fade Out), Just and Fake Plastic Trees. Non-single songs that also popular among Radiohead fans are Black Star or Bones.
The Bends Tracklist
- Planet Telex
- The Bends
- High and Dry
- Fake Plastic Trees
- Bones
- (Nice Dream)
- Just
- My Iron Lung
- Bullet Proof… I Wish I Was
- Black Star
- Sulk
- Street Spirit (Fade Out)
3. In Rainbows
Released : 2007
Label : Self-released
This album is so influential. Not only because Radiohead sell this album with pay-what-you-want price, but because its music and theme. In Rainbows is the seventh studio albums by Radiohead, self-released in 2007. Radiohead incorporated a variety of musical styles and instruments, using electronic instruments, string instruments, string arrangements, piano and the ondes martenot.
Several Radiohead hits from this albums including All I Need, Nude and Reckoner. Other notable songs are 15 Step, Weird Fishes/Arpeggi and Videotape.
In Rainbows Tracklist
- 15 Step
- Bodysnatchers
- Nude
- Weird-Fishes/Arpeggi
- All I Need
- Faust Arp
- Reckoner
- House of Cards
- Jigsaw Falling into Place
- Videotape
4. Kid A
Released : 2000
Label : Parlophone, Capitol
Numerous media pick Radiohead’s Kid A as the best albums of the 2000s (or at least in top 10) and they not wrong. Kid A is a masterpiece in its own way. Some people – or I should refer as mainstream music lover – may not like it but it attracted widespread acclaim among critics.
This albums approach electronica, experimental rock, ambient and post-rock genres. No single released from this album but several notable songs from Kid A including Idioteque, Everything in Its Right Place, The National Anthem and Motion Picture Soundtrack.
Kid A Tracklist
- Everything in Its Right Place
- Kid A
- The National Anthem
- How to Disappear Completely
- Treefingers
- Optimistic
- In Limbo
- Idioteque
- Morning Bell
- Motion Picture Soundtrack
5. A Moon Shaped Pool
Released : 2016
Label : XL
A Moon Shaped Pool is the most recent Radiohead albums, having released in 2016. Like previous Radiohead albums, A Moon Shaped Pool received positive reviews from critics. Two singles released from this albums are Burn the Witch and Daydreaming.
This album also include True Love Waits, fan-favorite song that often performed live by Radiohead but never recorded in studio before.
A Moon Shaped Pool Tracklist
- Burn the Witch
- Daydreaming
- Decks Dark
- Desert Island Disk
- Ful Stop
- Glass Eyes
- Identikit
- The Numbers
- Present Tense
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief
- True Love Waits
6. Amnesiac
Released : 2001
Label : Parlophone, Capitol
Amnesiac is the fifth studio albums by Radiohead released in 2001. All songs in Amnesiac recorded in same session as Radiohead’s previous albums, Kid A. It was intended as B-side songs for Kid A, but then it released as an album in its own.
Several Radiohead best songs from Amnesiac are Pyramid Songs, I Might Be Wrong, Knives Out, You and Whose Army and Like Spinning Plates.
Amnesiac Tracklist
- Packt Like Sardiness in a Crushd Tin Box
- Pyramid Song
- Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors
- You and Whose Army?
- I Might Be Wrong
- Knives Out
- Morning Bell/Amnesiac
- Dollars and Cents
- Hunting Bears
- Like Spinning Plates
- Life in a Glasshouse
7. The King of Limbs
Released : 2011
Label : XL
It’s amazing that the eighth best Radiohead albums actually a decent one. The King of Limbs released in 2011 and receive positive reviews. Lotus Flower, the only promotional single released, is the main highlight of this album, as well as its music video.
Radiohead developed sampling and looping technique in this albums. Aside Lotus Flower, other recommended songs in The King of Limbs are Codex, Separator and Little by Litte.
The King of Limbs Tracklist
- Bloom
- Morning Mr. Magpie
- Little by Little
- Feral
- Lotus Flower
- Codex
- Give Up the Ghost
- Separator
8. Hail to the Thief
Released : 2003
Label : Parlophone, Capitol
Hail to the Thief is not the best Radiohead albums, but it can’t be overlooked. Released in 2003, it become the last album Radiohead release under EMI label. All songs in Hail to the Thief have alternate title.
There are several decent Radiohead songs such are 2+2=5, Go to Sleep, A Wolf at the Door and There There. It worth listening and if you in free time, you can count how many ‘no’ words in A Punchup at the Wedding song.
Hail to the Thief Tracklist
- 2 + 2 = 5 (The Lukewarm)
- Sit down. Stand up (Snakes & Ladders)
- Sail to the Moon (Brush the Cobwebs out of the Sky)
- Backdrifts (Honeymoon Is Over)
- Go to Sleep (Little Man Being Erased)
- Where I End and You Begin (The Sky Is Falling In)
- We Suck Young Blood (Your Time Is Up)
- The Gloaming (Softly Open Our Mouths Is the Cold)
- There There (The Boney King of Nowhere)
- I Will (No Man’s Land)
- A Punchup at the Wedding (No no no no no no no no)
- Myxomatosis (Judge, Jury & Executioner)
- Scatterbrain (As Dead as Leaves)
- A Wolf at the Door (It Girl. Rag Doll)
9. Pablo Honey
Released : 1993
Label : Parlophone, Capitol
No surprises to guess the last place. Pablo Honey is first album by Radiohead released in 1993. It marks Radiohead career at music industry. We can see Radiohead use grunge and alternative-punk sound in their early years.
Creep is the breakthrough single of Radiohead. To date, it remains the most popular Radiohead of all time. There are several decent songs in Pablo Honey such as Anyone Can Play Guitar, Ripcord, Prove Yourself or I Can’t.
Pablo Honey Tracklist
- You
- Creep
- How Do You?
- Stop Whispering
- Thinking About You
- Anyone Can Play Guitar
- Ripcord
- Vegetable
- Prove Yourself
- I Can’t
- Lurgee
- Blow Out
That’s concluded our picks for best Radiohead albums. Of course I might be wrong as there are several good albums released by the Oxfordshire boys. Do we put everything in its right place or you have other opinion? Anyway we just sit here and wait for the Radiohead next albums.
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