Why are Radiohead so good?

[sheep21]

I often come across huge Radiohead fans. I mean, according to this site they are the 2nd best band of all time, but when I listen to them, I can never work out what makes them good, yet alone why they are so popular.

[Jasonconfused]

I second this question. I'm not a fan but I'm interested to see how their legacy holds up 25 years from now. Is it the complexity of their albums? That seems to be the only aspect that really impresses me.

[Guest]

Imagine a spectrum, say 1 through 10. Now imagine two colors, red and green. 1-3 are red. 4-6 are green. 7-10 are red. 1 stands for complete creativity-deprived garbage, while 10 stands for the pinacle of human artistic achievement.

What I'm saying is, the closer you are to 5, the more people will think it's good. Too low and it's forgettable. Too high and it's beyond your average person's understanding.

At this point in time, OK Computer may be 5.


Just IMO.



One more thought, and this isn't about Radiohead but just me expanding on the above. Each generation gets smarter than the last (based on IQ, anyway). What was once a 5 later becomes a 4. Enough time passes by, and even 10s drop a few numbers. When that happens, that's when a once lesser known artist or artistic piece becomes more commonly admired. Of course, there could be other reasons why certain art starts out less popular and grows with time, like chance.

[thejoj96]

because people jump on bandwagons

[19loveless91]

They play interesting, but still accessible alternative rock. They have changed their style throughout their career, every album was a step into another direction, exploring new sounds, while still "remaining Radiohead". Their music actually has a meaning and is relatable to many. Some may also jump on bandwagons, as with other hugely popular bands, but don't listen to joj here, because he's guilty of a pretty much the same thing, only in the opposite direction. I don't know whether or not to comment on Poe's "theory". It's just...

[Facetious]

They aren't. At least, not as much as people say. But I don't think it's that hard to see why they are considered so good. They're like the modern Beatles in some ways: they play a kind of "experimental" pop/rock that will be able to satisfy a lot of people, the people who want accessible music but also value uniqueness. Most people get under the impression that since their music is supposed to be groundbreaking, they should like it. And, perhaps the most obvious thing they have in common with the Beatles, they change their style a bit on almost every new album they release, like 19loveless91 mentioned. The ideas they present in songs also appeal to people for some reason.

[Guest]

It's a combination of accessibility and experimentation. People like that shit. I couldn't care much one way or another. They're good. I like some of their albums, but I don't think they're amazing. They're good at what they do, and they've managed to maintain a sense of "cool", which is always helpful.

[Borve Baunehoj]

Do you say 'are' or 'is' when you're talking about a band? There are several members in a band, but there's only one band

[Applerill]

Thom Yorke's mad dancing skills.

[pearljammer13]