The band Radiohead originated in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke, Johny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Philip Selway, and Ed O’Brien.
Featured Image from Radiohead/XL/TBD
By: Anex Estrada
‘In Rainbows’ by Radiohead was released on October 10th, 2007. This album was the seventh album to be released by Radiohead. The genre of the album explores a mixture of alternative and indie.
The album won two Grammys in 2008, those awards being for ‘Best Alternative Music Album’, and ‘Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package.’ In addition, Rolling Stones placed the album at 387 on their list of ‘500 Greatest Albums of All Time’ in 2020.
“It’s an album you can listen through all the way and not skip any songs,” says Christian Diaz ’28.
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Radiohead made approximately $17.5 million off of the album. About 1.75 million copies were sold in physical media. It was also ranked the best-selling vinyl album in 2008.
The album explores the ideas of transience. For example, it can start in one place and then end somewhere completely different.
When asked if this is Radiohead’s best album, Allyna Luna, ’28, says, “I don’t think this is their best album. I think there are other albums that are better than this one.”
In an interview, Thom Yorke said that the album was about mortality and the realization that he could die at any moment. Ed O’Brien also describes the lyrics as universal and about “being human,” with no political agenda.
The cover of the album is a rainbow, but a very toxic rainbow, it’s more like the type of rainbow you would see in a puddle. The picture of the album has more color than any other album Radiohead has released.
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When asked why they like this album, Lola Sullivan, ’28, says, “I think it’s new from Radiohead, so I just like their music, so it means a lot.”
The album was inspired by a desire to reconnect with the band’s core sound and explore themes of love, life, and death. While also offering a more personal and hopeful perspective after their previous albums.
‘In Rainbows’ was released in a revolutionary way that changed the music industry, using a pay-what-you-want digital model. The symbolism behind the album was to be shown as a sign of hope and promise of better times to come.
Lily Estrada, ’28, says, “I like the beat of this album, and the beats of the songs.”
Anexahi Estrada
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