Radiohead released their first album in 1993, and their subsequent discography of alternative rock and electronic music defined a generation. The peak of their popularity was during the post-Britpop era, when after Oasis and Blur battled it out for the charts and more subversive British bands took centre stage.
It’s difficult to choose just ten amazing songs from Radiohead’s vast repertoire, but as rumours are starting to swirl that a Radiohead 2025 tour might be upon us, it’s time to get acquainted with the songs that any fan should know.
Read on to discover Radiohead’s top 10 songs, and how you can secure VIP tickets if a tour really is on the cards for the band.
Register your interest in Radiohead VIP ticketsRadiohead’s Best Songs in Order
No. 10: ‘Present Tense’
From their most recent album, A Moon Shaped Pool in 2016, ‘Present Tense’ is an atmospheric track with heavy string elements, almost bossa nova in style. The whole album is a lot more pared back than Radiohead’s previous work, featuring soft ballads and haunting vocals from Thom Yorke.
No. 9: ‘Nude’
‘Nude’ is one of Radiohead’s greatest ballads, graceful and sensual in its slow rhythm. Lyrically, the song has themes of boredom in suburbia, and prior to its release on the 2007 album, In Rainbows, it was one of the band’s most popular unreleased songs. The song was first recorded with OK Computer in 1997 and first performed live in the late 90s, gaining popularity among fans before its eventual official release.
No. 8: ‘How to Disappear Completely’
From the 2002 album Kid A, ‘How To Disappear Completely’ is one of the band’s most haunting songs. Radiohead have a reputation for making depressing music, and with this song you can hear why. The ballad is largely acoustic with beautiful strings conceived of by guitarist Johnny Greenwood.
No. 7: ‘No Surprises’
‘No Surprises’ is one of Radiohead’s most popular songs, from their critically acclaimed album OK Computer in 1997. You can see why it connected with audiences at the time, with lyrics about boredom and disillusionment with everyday life. ‘No Surprises’ is a prime example of this sentiment, as Thom laments about “a job that slowly kills you” over the ethereal instrumental.
No. 6: ‘True Love Waits’
Another ballad from A Moon Shaped Pool, ‘True Love Waits’ is set over piano by Thom Yorke. This is another of their best-known unreleased songs, until it finally saw the light of day in 2016 after years of live performances since all the way back in 1995. The harrowing lyrics are about promising not to grow up to keep someone you love, with Thom repeating the refrain “don’t leave / don’t leave.”
No. 5: ‘Idioteque’
‘Idioteque’ was a single from the Kid A album, making it to 48 on Rolling Stone’s ‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time.’ It’s a great example of Radiohead’s more heavily electronic music, with broken and distorted beats to capture the sound of a crackly, blown-out PA system at a club. The lyrics make no sense, the beat chops and changes, but that’s what made the Kid A album so interesting.
No. 4: ‘Weird Fishes / Arpeggi’
This song from In Rainbows has an almost summery vibe, with mesmerising guitars that lead to a crescendo and change into the ‘Arpeggi’ half of the song that makes it utterly captivating. It’s a fan favourite song on a fan favourite album, and like the album cover itself it explodes with an array of colours.
No. 3: ‘Fake Plastic Trees’
‘Fake Plastic Trees’ is from the 1995 album The Bends, an album that is much more based in guitars and traditional rock elements than their later works. The song is acoustic and was reportedly inspired by the music of Jeff Buckley, giving Thom Yorke the confidence to sing in falsetto which he is now known for. Mournful and brooding, it encapsulates the moody energy of the mid-90s.
No. 2: ‘Let Down’
Fans will all agree that ‘Let Down’ is one of the greatest Radiohead songs of all time, with a refrain that stadiums know and a layered, tinkling instrumental that has made it notoriously difficult for the band to perform live. Until their 2017 world tour to support A Moon Shaped Pool, the song had not been performed live in 10 years.
No. 1: ‘Karma Police’
‘Karma Police’ shows what made OK Computer such a successful album. An interesting mixture of experimental rock guitar and more electronic sounds, and lyrical themes of dissatisfaction with capitalism and authority. In the final verse, Thom wails in his trembling voice “phew, for a minute there, I lost myself,” as the guitars begin to distort and oscillate as he descends into the insanity of a mundane life.
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