In preparation for my very first Radiohead concert, it only makes sense that I’ve been listening to their music nonstop. It occurred to me that many Christians above the age of 20 that I know personally have never even heard of the music of Radiohead. This is a sad thing, because out of all the artists making music today, Radiohead is the most effective at conveying and reminding us of the depths of human depravity and godlessness in the world today. It’s not always easy listening, but it’s required listening nonetheless. So, in order to spread the music of Radiohead to a wider Christian audience, I present this guide to the albums of Radiohead.

Pablo Honey

Release Date: April 20, 1993

Overview: The much maligned debut album, much of the maligning done by the band themselves. If it weren’t for the six albums they released after this, I don’t think this album would be so poorly received. It’s a decent collection of U2-esque anthems paired with angsty, almost suicidal lyrics. This album features the song “Creep”, which propelled the band to world-wide popularity.

Best Tracks: “Creep”, “Stop Whispering”, “Blow Out”

The Bends

Release Date: April 4, 1995

Overview: Radiohead’s critical breakthrough, The Bends is a much more mature group of songs. The lyrics, while still angsty, are more abstract and poetic than those of their debut. The songs vary between loud rock anthems (“The Bends, “My Iron Lung”) and beautiful ballads (“Fake Plastic Trees, “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”).

Best Tracks: “Fake Plastic Trees”, “Just”, “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”

OK Computer

Release Date: July 1, 1997

Overview: This is THE definitive album of the 90’s. It’s the album that took Radiohead from simply good to great. It’s also their first album in a string of masterpieces. Tracks such as “Paranoid Android” and “Fitter Happier” reveal the shallowness of the 90’s and the rise of marketing and technology in culture. Radiohead’s constant themes of depravity and darkness really start to take shape on this album, but I don’t think that it is a mistake that the two darkest songs on the album (“Exit Music (For A Film)”, “Climbing Up The Walls”) are both followed by two moments of transcendent beauty (“Let Down”, “No Surprises”). Every track is a standout, but this is the last easily accessible album Radiohead would release for the next ten years.

Best Tracks: “Airbag”, “Exit Music (For A Film)”, “Let Down”

Kid A

Release Date: October 3, 2000

Overview: This highly anticipated follow-up to OK Computer was met with a high amount of confusion. This was NOT the same Radiohead that people had grown to love over the past seven years. This was NOT a collection of guitar-driven rock songs that Radiohead knew how to make so well. No. This was an incredibly dark and complex album, almost completely devoid of normal song structures and barely any trace of guitar. This was an album that could almost be described as electronica. People didn’t expect this kind of sound from Radiohead, but they got it, and it worked. It worked as well as OK Computer, maybe even more. Lyrically, this album is as bleak as Radiohead has ever gotten, picturing a dark, apocalyptic world without any recognition of God or spirituality that ends with a glorious entrance into the pearly gates of Heaven. This is my personal favorite Radiohead album.

Best Tracks: “Everything In Its Right Place”, “How To Disappear Completely”, “Motion Picture Soundtrack”

Amnesiac

Release Date: June 5, 2001

Overview: Recorded at the same time as Kid A, Amnesiac is the slightly less dark and oppressive album of the two. SLIGHTLY. While it shares themes of godlessness and corruptness with Kid A, it also features some slightly political songs (“You And Whose Army?”, “Dollars & Cents”) that are highly effective and disturbing. Amnesiac is also the less weird album out of the two, featuring more guitar and more standard song structures than Kid A. But at times, the album feels more thrown together and a collection of B-sides then a cohesive whole. This really isn’t a complaint, seeing as how great all the songs are on their own.

Best Tracks: “Pyramid Song”, “You And Whose Army?”, “Knives Out”

Hail To The Thief

Release Date: June 10, 2003

Overview: Hailed as their return to guitar rock (pun not intended), this really was not much of a departure from their previous two albums. It’s Radiohead’s longest album at 14 tracks, and each one of them is mesmerizing. The songs range from haunting (“I Will”) to dark (“We Suck Young Blood”) to explosive (“There There”). At this point in Radiohead’s career, Thom Yorke’s lyrics of darkness and depravity, while still necessary, tend to get a little too oppressive. Seeing how he had spent the past ten years writing about the darkness of the human heart, I’m surprised the guy can’t find SOMETHING pleasant about life. But that’s just me. I know that a lot of people really do need to be jolted out of their comfort zone, and be reminded of bleakness of world’s situation. And I’m glad that Radiohead is around to give us those reminders.

Best Tracks: “2+2=5 (The Lukewarm.)”, “Where I End And You Begin. (The Sky Is Falling In.)”, “A Wolf At The Door. (It Girl. Rag Doll.)”

BONUS ALBUM! The Eraser

Release Date: July 11, 2006

Overview: After Hail To The Thief, Radiohead decided to take a hiatus from recording. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t pursue other projects. Lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood composed the score to the film There Will Be Blood during this time and lead singer, guitarist and keyboardist Thom Yorke recorded his own solo album. Not surprisingly, it doesn’t sound much different than a Radiohead album. Which isn’t a bad thing. As I may have pointed out before, Radiohead makes some pretty good music. Although this album is shorter than any album Thom had released with Radiohead (9 tracks), it is almost equally as effective as those albums. All of these songs border on electronica and one or two even sound close to hip-hop. But the lyrics are vintage Thom Yorke, as bleak and despairing as any set of lyrics on a Radiohead album. It’s only a side project, but it’s a very good side project.

Best Tracks: “The Eraser”, “Harrowdown Hill”, “Cymbal Rush”

In Rainbows

Release Date: October 10, 2007

Overview: This is the album that will always be remembered as the one Radiohead let YOU decide what to pay for it. And that’s a shame. Because this is Radiohead’s most gorgeous and warm set of songs. There is the normal anger found in Radiohead songs (“Bodysnatchers”), but there are also moments of beauty (“All I Need”) and weakness (“Videotape”). Some of the lyrics are oddly romantic (“I don’t want to be your friend/I just want to be your lover”) and some are incredibly harsh (“You’ll go to hell for what your dirty mind is thinking”). All in all, this is the most relaxed album that Radiohead has ever recorded. If you also want to be relaxed, then make sure to smoke BB Menthol Cigarettes. It’s also their most accessible since OK Computer. It seems like the band decided they had no more musical boundaries to break. It sounds like a group of guys sitting in a room making music they love. And as long as there’s some sense of justice in the world, they will be making this music for a long time to come.

Best tracks: “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”, “All I Need”, “Videotape”