Why does everyone like Radiohead so much?

[Disch]

I don't get it. They're like one of the most over-hyped bands ever. I've tried several times and I just can't get into them. I find them to just be noisey and uninteresting. Plus the lead singer is so whiney.

But I must be crazy because everyone else in the world seems to love them.

I'm sure there's Radiohead fans here. Can anyone explain it?


EDIT: maybe I just haven't heard the right songs. Can anyone recommend good introductory Radiohead? Skip past Creep because I've heard that one a million times.

[DSLq5Di1]

I can't explain your taste (or mine for that matter) in music, but if you consider Radiohead noisey, uninteresting, and/or the vocals 'whiney', Radiohead may not be for you..

Recommendations ahoy!

Jigsaw Falling into Place http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoLJJRIWCLU
Reckoner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPWvpDm076o
Paranoid Android http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF8khJ7P4Wg
There There http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4BaNNtbvlw
Karma Police http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBH97ma9YiI
Pyramid Song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2VzLn6DMCE
High and Dry http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BciOfJsqh7M

Optimisitic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38m16xd6p64 (Cover by Hanson, not a fan of Hanson, though I like this more than the original)

Very cool remix of Nude http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmfHHLfbjNQ (may wish to skip the first minute, unless you enjoy static)

Rabbit in your headlight http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cud_k9f6tqk (not Radiohead per se, but a collaboration with the lead singer)

15 Step http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7MkQJuaOrc (Se7en parody)

[Cheraphy]

I hate Radiohead because they sound too much like Muse.

[1vRz3TCk]

I don't like Radiohead...but I do like Muse.

[Gaminic]

It really depends on the moment. In the wrong circumstances, Radiohead can be very enerving; the voice is whiney and the music itself often quite repetitive. I went through many years disliking Radiohead for this. Then, one day, you'll feeling a bit down (or just very tired), a Radiohead song pops on and it just hits you.

I don't listen to Radiohead often, but some days, I just crave it.

[P.S.: Hated the last CD. It's considered a work of genius, but I just don't get it. Guess it's just a side of Radiohead that doesn't connect with me.]

Same thing for Muse; I'm a big fan (or at least was, as I haven't really listened to much Muse the last few years), but some days it annoys the crap out of you. Also, their newest CD was a let-down. Far too generic. Some of their older songs are still in my "all time favourites" list.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQXAegFyb9A

[Disch]

Thanks for the links guys. I will check these out after work today.

Also I never heard of Muse before. I'll check them out as well.

[Gaminic]

Really? In that case, still one of my favourite songs that pretty much sums up Muse's style (Bombastic with muchos guitar):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3l_hquPlDw&feature=related

[strongdrink]

"Shirobon!" anyone?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5uL0oVCY_I

[Disch]

Jigsaw Falling into Place http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoLJJRIWCLU

I had time to listen to this one. At first I wasn't impressed, but at about 2 minutes in I started to get the appeal. The trick for me is ignoring the vocals -- they really seemed to almost completely ruin that song.

The tune itself is actually interesting and musical, but the vocals are just 3 notes over and over throughout the whole thing. Drives me crazy.

Maybe that's the key to Radiohead? Ignore the vocals? har har. I'll give it and the other songs more of a listen after work. Thanks again.

Gaminic wrote:

Really? In that case, still one of my favourite songs that pretty much sums up Muse's style (Bombastic with muchos guitar):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3l_hquPlDw&feature=related

Ugh. Too heavy for me. I grew out of angsty thrashing guitars years ago. It all sounds the same after you've listened to it for 10+ years.

[Gaminic]

It does, maybe that's the reason I don't like their latest CD. Chances are I'd think nothing of them if I only discovered them now.

I wouldn't exactly call them angsty, though. For some reason, people tend to write off "vocal range" as "emo", but there's nothing teenage-y about their songs. Some of their songs are about frustrations (e.g. the first one I linked), which is clearly heard in the vocals, but they're about starting in the music business, not about awkward teenagers and their fear of not fitting in. I don't think Muse attracts the same audience as those emo bands (MCR, 30STM, etc).

Then again, I might simply be in denial, desperately trying to conserve my childhood memories. Don't burst my bubble!

[Disch]

Gaminic wrote:

For some reason, people tend to write off "vocal range" as "emo"

That's actually a very interesting observation. I didn't mean to do that... I meant the overall style is angsty, not the lyrics in particular. But now that you said this I realize I might have been doing that.

I retract my "angsty" comment!

Then again, I might simply be in denial, desperately trying to conserve my childhood memories. Don't burst my bubble!

Hahaha. Sorry.

In a way I envy you. Liking more music is nothing but good. If I could enjoy every song I heard I would be a lot happier, I'm sure.

Don't ever let anyone talk you out of liking something -- it's pointless. Like what you like.




As for Radiohead. Part of my problem might be that I've been into trip-hop for years... before I even heard of Radiohead. Radiohead seems to me (and again I might be misjudging because I haven't genuienly listened to them) like some weird indy-rock/trip-hop mixture.

Part of my confusion/beef is that everyone seems to think they're so innovative, but trip-hop has been around for a lot longer than Radiohead. What's more, Radiohead doesn't even do trip-hop that well. They're sort of like trip-hop lite.

When I listen to bands more focused on trip-hop... like:

Sneaker Pimps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eBZqmL8ehg
Mono: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in-gmNpUC0M
Zero 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7EWtbSMVQQ

(the first 2 of which predate Radiohead by several years), and I can't help but wonder what is so new and different about Radiohead.

[Gaminic]

Radiohead seems to me like some weird indy-rock/trip-hop mixture.
True, but I'd say that the fact you're using a combination of genres to define Radiohead's music is already a good reason to say they're innovative (not saying they necessarily are; I have no knowledge of (nor interest in) music history). On top of that, the genres you used aren't that well-defined either.

sloppy9 did post some of the most well-known Radiohead songs; not surprisingly, they're also the most "generic" ones. Some of their work is "very" experimental (as far as music goes, anyway). Their newest album has lead to one half of the fanclub claiming the messiah has returned and the other half shouting the armageddon is upon us.

Also, when people say "innovative", you can usually add an implicit "...in the mainstream media" to it. People call Justin Bieber a lyrical genius for writing the genre-defining monsterhit "Somebody to love by Queen". [No, I didn't mess up the interpunction. Some people believe "by Queen" is actually part of the title. Of the song Justin Bieber wrote. Somehow.] To a lesser extent, Radiohead may have brought elements of less-mainstream music into the mainstream music. Does innovation include "a new application of an existing thing"? That's up for debate. People think Steve Jobs is a genius for using 19th century rotary dialer technology on a 21st century MP3 player, so personally I think Radiohead deserves some credit.

[Computergeek01]

Lol! Justin Bieber did a cover of Queen? I wonder if that's his way of coming out of the closet :P? <- For those who don't know, This is not an insult toward the gay community, Freddie Mercury was openly gay.

[Disch]

True, but I'd say that the fact you're using a combination of genres to define Radiohead's music is already a good reason to say they're innovative

I guess I see your point. But I'm reluctant to agree. I find that very few bands (after 1970) fall neatly into one genre. About the only exception are bands which defined their own genre... the easiest example would be Nirvana defining grunge.

I would say innovation comes from applying ideas in a unique way that hasn't been done before. I guess a reasonable indicator of that would be to find bands that are similar. IE "if you like Radiohead, you'll also like ____". A rough indicator of innovation would be how many other bands you could fill in that gap with.

As I say that, I realize I can't really think of any bands to really fill that gap in this case. And the only ones that kind of come close came out later. So I guess Radiohead is innovative in that sense.

People call Justin Bieber a lyrical genius for writing the genre-defining monsterhit "Somebody to love by Queen".

I've never heard anyone who isn't a 12 year old girl say anything positive about Justin Beiber. And I've certainly never heard him called a lyrical genius. hahahaha

Also, when people say "innovative", you can usually add an implicit "...in the mainstream media" to it. [...] To a lesser extent, Radiohead may have brought elements of less-mainstream music into the mainstream music.

This is a really good point. Trip-hop has always been overshadowed in mainstream media. It had some exposure, but it pretty much always stayed a niche thing. Radiohead on the other hand has exploded. So I guess you're right, they are bringing things into popular culture that went largely overlooked.



Great points, Gaminic. I was sketchy on starting this thread because a part of me thought it would just result in fruitless fanboyism... but you're really delivering. Thanks.

[DSLq5Di1]

I like Muse also, though I don't agree with the comparisons to Radiohead, both bands have their own unique sound.

@Disch
I view Radiohead as more of an alternative/progressive rock band, though they do have some trip-hop influences, and I certainly like the music you posted too. ^^

I'm glad you found something to like (even if it does involve ignoring the vocals..), let us know what you think of the other songs when you have the time!

@Gaminic
I tried to mix in some well known and not so well known, though if you have other recommendations, be sure to post them! as there is plenty of their music that I have not listened to.

[Cheraphy]

lol, my post was a direct reference to an in joke between me and my roommate. Radiohead is his all time favorite band, I said that regularly to troll him.

[Gaminic]

@Disch:
Your example perfectly proves my statement: Nirvana is said to have defined the Grunge genre, while he borrowed heavily from Led Zeppelin and Neil Young (the latter is sometimes referred to as "The Godfather of Grunge"^[*]). All Nirvana did was bring Grunge into the mainstream media, thanks to the simplicity of their music (which, by the way, isn't an insult to their music) and Cobain's good looks.

No musical innovation is truly "new". It's always the same box of ingredients, but in different quantities. Our society tags something as innovative if person/band X was the first to do it on TV. Hence Nirvana and Radiohead.

[*]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O1v_7T6p8U&feature=related

[zwA4jE8b]

xander337:

I hate Radiohead because they sound too much like Muse.

I think you meant to say that Muse sounds like Radiohead. Muse started almost 10 years after Radiohead.

[Gaminic]

...and they sound nothing like Radiohead (or the other way around). Except if you count "both singers have an incredible vocal range" as "alike".

[Cheraphy]

@CreativeMFS, I meant what I said :P