Radiohead Albums

Radiohead albums have been some of the most innovative ever sold in more than just musical terms. The group has experimented with innovative ways to market and sell their music on the Internet and through the band's fan club. Radiohead has always been very adamant about giving the fans what they want, and their records are a good example of a band coming through on its promise.

1. "Pablo Honey" (1993). Radiohead albums were successful right from the very beginning. On the strength of its hit single "Creep" (1993), this album peaked at number 22 on the UK album charts, and was a success all over the world. The only country that the band never seemed to break through in was the US, and that would be a recurring theme throughout their career. In 2009, a collector's edition of this album was released that included live tracks, demos of some of the songs and a companion DVD.
2. "The Bends" (1995). "The Bends" was the album that finally broke through on to the US album charts. It peaked at number 88 on Billboard's album chart, and it was top ten in New Zealand and England. The album is full of songs that would become classics including "Planet Telex" (1995), "Fake Plastic Trees" (1995) and "Just" (1995). The fans and critics appreciated the creative risks that the band took in this album from bringing in a classical string ensemble to lyrics that were designed to make no sense.
3. "OK Computer" (1997). This was the album that made Radiohead an international success. Pink Floyd influence that the band talked about for years could be clearly heard on this album. It peaked at number one on the UK charts and number 21 on the US album charts. It also reached number one in New Zealand and Belgium. It was an album that had wide appeal in its musical experimentation and its strange lyrical content.
4. "Amnesiac" (2001). "Amnesiac" was a significant album because it was one of the first albums that international critics unanimously said was one of the best albums of the year. Radiohead often said that they made this album strictly for their fans and did not care about appealing to a wider audience. This was a very experimental album that fused together genres such as rock, classical music and jazz into one interesting musical experience. It was nominated for a Grammy award, and was named a top ten album of the year by several music publications including "Rolling Stone."
5. "In Rainbows" (2007). "In Rainbows" was the album that the group tried to use to create a new way of distrbuting music. The album was only sold on the Radiohead's website, and fans only had to pay what they felt was fair to pay. That meant if you wanted the album for free, you could have it. After a few months online, the band released the album in retail packaging where it instantly went to number one on the US and UK album charts.