TINHBNL: Radiohead

Before I began to enjoy the large and rewarding library of Radiohead music, I refused to listen to it based on reasons that had very little merit. Sounds like a textbook case of Things I Needlessly Hated, But Now Love.

By the time most people graduate high school, they have at least heard of Radiohead. I avoided listening to the band through the entirety of high school, though I was constantly being encouraged by friends to do so. At the time it seemed that listening to Radiohead was a surefire way to become “that guy” with regards to music.

Who is “that music guy”? The guy who refuses to listen to something because it is, and I quote, “too mainstream” is that guy. The guy who wears headphones constantly to remind everyone within visual range that music is his life is that guy. Anyone who acts smarter or more informed because of the bands they choose to listen to are those guys.

A Shot at “Those Guys” Everywhere

I can now safely say that listening to Radiohead does not make you that guy. In fact, Radiohead is one of the most popular bands worldwide. That goes against everything the music guys represent. After realizing that I could listen to the band without developing a musical ego, I downloaded their free (at the time) album, In Rainbows.

As I discovered later, many Radiohead fans do not think highly of In Rainbows. However upon my first listen I thoroughly enjoyed the album and that is when my trip into the entire discography began. The review of my first Radiohead album can be found here. I wrote a complete ranking of Radiohead a while back as well. I am eagerly anticipating the next album, whenever it may be released.

Diving into the entire library of Radiohead was a fantastic musical journey. I went through each album in reverse chronological order and each one was a completely different experience. For the very rare few who have not heard them yet, the band has an alternative/electronic/rock/who-knows-what sound and often political or social commentary within the lyrics. An unfortunate side effect is that these qualities draw fans of Donnie Darko and other equally “smarter-than-you” types to the band.

Listening more made me realize why I had received so many recommendations to try them out. Everyone and their brother listens to the band (especially in the college age group) but when they are this good, who cares? As of today, Radiohead is the most played band on my last.fm page. It is funny to think that is was just over a year ago that I even considered listening to them. If you want to listen to some Radiohead you can check out their last.fm page.

In similar fashion to the previous TINHBNL, Panera Bread, I ignored Radiohead for several years before finally giving them a chance. They later became one of my favorite bands. Even though I am only two posts into this series, I hope that people are learning from my mistakes and not ignoring potentially sweet stuff because of stupid reasons. If you are currently doing that, try giving one of those things a shot. You may find yourself with a list of Things You Needlessly Hated, But Now Love.