In Rainbows (studio album)
by Radiohead
Radiohead bestography
In Rainbows is ranked 2nd best out of 25 albums by Radiohead on BestEverAlbums.com.
The best album by Radiohead is OK Computer which is ranked number 1 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 64,060.
(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).
Upcoming concerts
Listen to In Rainbows on YouTube
In Rainbows track list
The tracks on this album have an average rating of 90 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).
Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.
In Rainbows rankings
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In Rainbows ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 3,943 ratings for this album.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Album ratings | Avg. album rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 28 hours ago | Araldo | 718 | 83/100 |
| ! | 47 hours ago |  hombrejingle | 19 | 89/100 |
| ! | 3 days ago | stevens2525 | 8 | 80/100 |
| ! | 11/28/2025 19:58 | Musicbuff123 | 290 | 69/100 |
| ! | 11/27/2025 12:24 | ornot27 | 67 | 84/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)
This album is rated in the top 1% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 89.5/100, a mean average of 87.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 89.6/100. The standard deviation for this album is 16.8.
In Rainbows favourites
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In Rainbows comments
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hoyquarlow 09/28/2025 20:07 | #311122
This album is a miracle, nothing less. To think that they would release their best record in between their two least good record is really something.
I must admit I wasn't the biggest Radiohead fan up to this point, I tough Ok Computer was great but maybe not a masterpiece, and I didn't like Kid A at all (I still didn't quite like it). While Kid A lefted me cold as ice, In Rainbows's songs on the other hand were piercing me like... well , like I was travelling through a rainbow, litterally. It is rightfully so that In Rainbows surpasses Kid A on this site's overall chart, because it's a way better album.
So yeah, I get it now. You were right people, Radiohead is, indeed, a great band. In Rainbows made me realise that. Songs are so desperate and naive yet never leaves a depressing effect. Songs are all so different from each other yet the whole album is so cohesive ... I don't know how they managed to do that. But they did it. They just nailed that album at the supreme level an album can be nailed.
more crap from radiohead
Thom creates beauty out of painful thoughts, singing through metaphor and blasting the listener with a dose of reality that is not meant to please them but to present them with truths that are unspoken but also unavoidable.
Many songs on the album start off very basic, building up to a beautiful orchestral crescendo. Thom's wallowing wordplay syncs perfectly with the energy of the wave of sounds and distortions that eventually immerse you entirely.
Shortlisted for album of the year at the 2009 Grammys. The winner was Raising Sand by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
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The only problem this album has is the fact that it ends.
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One of the four Radiohead albums I consider a 10. Incredible from start to finish
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I'd argue this album is more accessible than OK Computer and Kid A as the sounds aren't quite as jarring on this at first listen than on the other two records mentioned. However, what makes it so great is how well the tracks complement each other when listening from start to finish, yet each one is very unique in it's own right.
The performances on this from each member of the group are world-class too which helps make it a truly essential listen for people wanting to hear great musicianship.
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