A Complete Ranking of Radiohead

Over the last few months I have slowly listened to the entire Radiohead catalog of music. This is after years of needlessly ripping on the band without ever listening to them. I fell in love with their sound, and thought it would be fitting to document my thoughts on their studio albums. Creating a ranked list was incredibly difficult, and I cannot guarantee it will be the same tomorrow. With that in mind, I present to you Radiohead, ranked in order of my personal favorites.

1. OK Computer

For many people, including myself, this is the album that defines Radiohead. It was released after The Bends, so it was still very rock-influenced. I look at it as the perfect balance between the band’s early rock sound and their later electronic, experimental sound. OK Computer is very much the best of both worlds in this regard. The amount of amazing tracks on this album is just beyond belief. The first four tracks are all some of the best songs Radiohead has ever put out (Airbag, Paranoid Android, Subterranean Homesick Alien, and Exit Music (For a Film) for those wondering). The album also holds instant classic Karma Police, which is another of the band’s most famous and appreciated songs.

OK Computer feels extremely original even though it was released eleven years ago. I think this is a testament to the quality of the music. It is not dated, and more than a decade after its release it is still influencing bands today. On a personal note, Climbing Up the Walls is one of my favorite Radiohead tracks ever. OK Computer’s original, mold-breaking (and making) sound is untouchable. It stands alone as my favorite album in an extremely diverse and satisfying discography.

2. Kid A

Three years after OK Computer hit, Radiohead released Kid A. As I mentioned OK Computer was the album where the band started to experiment with a different, more electronic sound. Kid A and Amnesiac are the albums in which they go as far into this sound as they ever do, as they were recorded at the same time. I prefer Kid A as a whole, but I must say that these two albums are Radiohead’s least accessible. They require a past knowledge of the band and many listens before they can be fully appreciated.

The reason Kid A stands out over its forgetful counterpart is its sustained quality. Amnesiac has some great tracks, but half of the album is skippable. With Kid A the only track I skip is Treefingers (so I can get to Optimistic more quickly). I love the innovative music, and with classics such as Idioteque and The National Anthem it gets a high ranking on my list.

3. In Rainbows

This formerly free album that released a few months back is what got me into Radiohead in the first place. Critics love the album, but I actually have heard and read varying personal opinions. There are those who think it is a great album, and many who think it is the worst Radiohead album ever recorded. I fall into the first category. Even though I started with In Rainbows and worked my way backwards, I can see how it is a return to roots for the band. I also see it as a compilation of sorts of all their different sounds.

Overall I would say that In Rainbows is most closely linked musically with The Bends. There are no more computerized sounds, and the album is mostly alternative guitar rock. However there are some elements (Nude, All I Need) that are reminiscent of or influenced by Radiohead past. In Rainbows is a perfect summation of what the band has done so far, while also doing something slightly new. How can it be an excellent reward for longtime fans and at the same time a great album for a first-time listener? I do not know how, but I do know it has achieved something special.

4. The Bends

Though there is technically a studio album that was released before The Bends, this is where the band begins. The Bends is an alternative album that is unique and familiar all at once. I think this is because I am listening to it thirteen years after initial release, so its influence upon similar styles is in full effect. Its intense guitar-driven power is raw and powerful. Its lyrics are deep and personal though sometimes cryptic. These elements would evolve, and eventually make Radiohead one of the most popular bands on the planet.

As I mentioned, the album is raw. There are no processed sounds like Kid A. There are no electronic beeps. The Bends is all about powerful rock and I love it. The only things I do not like happen when the power comes down a notch on the last two tracks. However, the first ten are all quality. The best one of the album is Just: “You do it to yourself, just you/and that’s why it really hurts.” Just also has the best Radiohead guitar solo in their entire catalog during its forty seconds. Honestly it was very close between The Bends and In Rainbows. I gave Rainbows the nod based on its balance of new and old, and its innovative “pay-what-you-want” delivery. Musically they are both phenomenal.

5. Hail to the Thief

Definitely the best album title, Hail the to Thief was the album in which Radiohead came out from the Kid A/Amnesiac phase and blended more rock back into their creative mix. As a side note, no the title is not a shot at President Bush. However, the album does hold a lot of social commentary. Sit Down, Stand Up is a song that Thom Yorke wrote after watching a report on genocide on television.

HTTT is a great album that is home to a varied blend of tracks. The spooky We Suck Young Blood, the electronic/guitar blend of Backdrifts, or the Bends-ish guitar of Myxomatosis: all of them are great individual tracks. However it also makes the album sound like a best of record. I do not think it hurts HTTT, but it is certainly the least cohesive album. That does not matter too much because each track is great enough to stand on its own. The lyrics of There There played back in my head for days in an almost haunting fashion: “Just ’cause you feel it/Doesn’t mean it’s there.”

6. Amnesiac

Amnesiac was very tough for me to rank. I absolutely adore some of its tracks, but there are too many that are not very good. In other words, it has some of the highest highs and lowest lows in the history of the band. I have seen some people who prefer Amnesiac to Kid A, but they are few and far between. Of the two “different” albums I consider Kid A to be far superior. However, if you threw You and Whose Army? and Knives Out onto Kid A we might be talking about a different number one for this list. Also I think it has my favorite album art of any release. <br/> <br/> <br/>

7. Pablo Honey

I don’t really want to talk about this one. I can’t listen to it straight through, and even its two best songs (Creep and Anyone Can Play Guitar) are weak in comparison to later stuff. I would consider them great tracks in a different light, but after seeing what the band can do this whole album sounds horrific. If you were listening to this back in the early nineties, would you have any idea that this band would become the music giant they are today? No. The best part is today you can just skip ahead to the good stuff. <br/> <br/>

Overall Thoughts and Conclusion

Through this band exploration I noticed a few things. Firstly, Radiohead never ends an album strongly. The only case in which they do is OK Computer, which was a factor in deciding it should be number one. Also, the band has three distinct sounds. I categorize them like this:

Rock: Pablo Honey, The Bends, In Rainbows Electronic: Amnesiac, Kid A Rock/Electronic Blend: OK Computer, HTTT

Of course some tracks jump in and out of categorization and each album does not fit 100%. I just found it interesting how much the band has changed, yet everything is related. Some albums are the evolution of others, and various tracks are homages to a previous sound. Radiohead is often very difficult to categorize, proof that they are truly unique.

I hope you enjoyed my guided trip through the entire Radiohead collection. There are some EPs and B-sides that I have not explored, but here I have ranked all the studio albums. As I mentioned above, this list is solely based on my favorites. Someone could have a completely different list and I could understand where they were coming from. That is an example of how good Radiohead is. Agree or disagree with my list? Never listened to Radiohead but now are possibly intrigued? Let me know in the comments.