Radiohead

**Radiohead** are a British rock group, first formed in 1985 when the members were at school together in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Originally known as On a Friday, they changed the name after signing a six-album contract with EMI in 1991.

Radiohead first achieved pop culture recognition and commercial success with the single Creep, taken from their debut album *Pablo Honey*, released in February 1993. First released on 21 September 1992, Creep was not an immediate success but eventually reached the UK charts a year later in September 1993, entering at its peak position of no.7. The parent album enjoyed modest success although the follow up *The Bends* (March 1995) reached no.4, spawning three Top 20 singles High & Dry, Fake Plastic Trees and Just and the no.5 Street Spirit (Fade Out), their highest chart position up to that point (28 January 1996).

The group's milestone album was *OK Computer*, released in May 1997, and revered by musicians, critics, fans and other more casual listeners. The album won the Best Alternative Music award at the 1998 Grammys, and signalled the end of the "Britpop" era in British music moving towards a more melancholic and original sound which would shape rock music over the coming years. It entered the UK charts at no.1 in June and also entered at number 21 on the *Billboard* 200, Radiohead's highest album entry on the US charts at the time. The album spawned three Top 10 singles in the UK: Paranoid Android, Karma Police and No Surprises. A twentieth anniversary edition with extra tracks called *OKNOTOK 1997 2017* was released and this time reached no.2 in the UK.

Radiohead produced five more UK no.1 albums: Kid A (2000, credited also for pioneering the use of the internet to stream and promote music), Amnesiac (2001), Hail to the Thief (2003, Mercury Prize nominated) and In Rainbows (2007, also Mercury Prize nominated) and A Moon Shaped Pool (2016).

## Band line-up

Radiohead have maintained an unvaried line-up throughout their career:

* Thom Yorke (b.1968) – vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards
* Jonny Greenwood (b.1971)  – guitar, keyboards, ondes Martenot, orchestral arrangements
* Colin Greenwood (b.1969)  – bass guitar
* Ed O'Brien (b.1968) – guitar, effects, backing vocals
* Philip Selway (b.1967) – drums, percussion

Nigel Godrich first worked with Radiohead as an audio engineer on *The Bends* and has produced all their studio albums since *OK Computer*. As such he has been dubbed the band's "sixth member".

## TV appearances

*sources: 1993-1999 tvpopdiaries, 2000-2009 BBC Genome*

### Top of the Pops

* 16 September 1993 - Creep
* 09 March 1995 - High And Dry (17)
* 01 June 1995 - Fake Plastic Trees (via satellite from USA)

* 12 October 1995 - Lucky (promo video)
* 01 February 1996 - Street Spirit
* 06 June 1997 - Paranoid Android (from Later..)
* 23 January 1998 - No Surprises (*Later.. with Jools Holland* 1997)
* 15 October 2000 - *Top of the Pops Plus* [1]

### Various

* 18 October 1994, The Beat (ITV)
* 14 May 1995, The O Zone (BBC2)
* 27 May 1995, *Later.. With Jools Holland* (BBC2)
* 23 December 1995, Your Generation (C4) - Glastonbury special
* 15 September 1996, *Later presents Brit Beat* (BBC2)
* 31 May 1997, *Later...With Jools Holland* (BBC2)
* 28 June 1997, *Glastonbury 97* (BBC2)
* 08 December 1997, *ITV at the Belfort Festival* (ITV)
* 08 April 1998, *A Little Later* (highlights of previous show)
* 11 September 1999, *Radiohead: Meeting People is Easy* (C4, 1998 tour documentary film)
* 09 June 2001, *Later..Presents Radiohead* (one-hour live special, BBC2)
* 30 May 2003, *Friday Night With Jonathan Ross* (BBC1) [2] [3]
* 06 June 2003, *Later...With Jools Holland* (BBC2) followed by...
* 07 June 2003, Radiohead (BBC4, "*A look at the band whose new album Hail to the Thief is unleashed next week*").
* 28 June 2003, Glastonbury 2003 (BBC2/BBC3)
* 09 September 2003, Mercury Prize 2003 (BBC4)
* 07 November 2003, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (BBC1)
* 01 February 2008, Later 200.. with Jools Holland (BBC2)
* 30 August 2009, Radiohead at Reading

## Radio

source BBC Genome

* 22 June 1992 - first and only BBC session broadcast (Mark Goodier)
* 19 April 1995 - Sound City 95 (R1 from Bristol)
* 30 September 1996 - In Concert (R1, T in The Park, Glasgow)
* 28 May 1997 - Evening Session (R1) live from London's Golders Green Hippodrome.
* 13 September 1997 - Loose Ends (R4)
* 30 May 2001 - Mark Radcliffe (R1), Live from Verona in Italy, with R performing tracks form their new album.
* 09 June 2003 - Lamacq Live (R1), Radiohead Special incl. Karma Policeman: Steve Lamacq interviews Nigel Godrich
* 19 October 2007 - *The Friday Play: OK Computer* (R4)
* 17 January 2008 - Radiohead and Annie Mac (R1)
* 31 March 2008 - *Zane Lowe's Masterpieces - OK Computer* (R1)
* 01 April 2008 - 4.00 pm Steve Lamacq - matinee concert by Radiohead and 8.00 pm Mark Radcliffe - live from the BBC's Radio Theatre (all R1)