It is a well-known fact that the weight of just one hit single can destroy a band – should you duplicate your sound and be accused of selling out, or follow your artistic ideas and risk alienating your fans?
Fresh from the crippling and claustrophobic success of their anthemic single Creep, Radiohead retaliated by doing both.
The Bends (1995) was their rock masterwork. Still, to fully explore their electronic fascinations, they served up a set of songs that had a defiant yet fragile identity and, importantly, could really shake a stadium to the core.
Their later albums would become more abstract, but in 1995, at least, Radiohead’s sound was comparatively simplistic and devastatingly effective. It was a golden era.
Thom Yorke
Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Johnny Greenwood
Guitar, keyboards
Ed O’Brien
Guitar
Colin Greenwood
Bass
Phil Selway
Drums
