Radiohead

Radiohead

Radiohead are an English alternative rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The band is composed of Thom Yorke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, beats), Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboard, other instruments), Ed O'Brien (guitar, backing vocals), Colin Greenwood (bass guitar, synthesizers) and Phil Selway (drums, percussion).

Radiohead released their first single, "Creep", in 1992. The song was initially unsuccessful, but it became a worldwide hit several months after the release of their 1993 debut album, Pablo Honey. Radiohead's popularity rose in the United Kingdom with the release of their 1995 second album, The Bends. The band's textured guitar parts and Yorke's falsetto singing were warmly received by critics and fans. Radiohead's third album, 1997's OK Computer, propelled them to greater international fame. Featuring an expansive sound and themes of modern alienation, OK Computer has often been acclaimed as a landmark record of the 1990s.

Kid A in 2000, and the following year's Amnesiac, marked an evolution in Radiohead's musical style. They incorporated experimental electronic music, Krautrock, post-punk and jazz influences into their songs, dividing fans and critics, but they remained popular. Hail to the Thief (2003), a mix of guitar-driven rock, electronics and lyrics inspired by headlines, was the band's final album for their major record label, EMI. Radiohead independently released their seventh album, In Rainbows (2007), originally as a digital download for which each customer could set their own price, later in stores, to critical and chart success.

Radiohead's work has appeared in a large number of listener polls and critics' lists. For example, in 2005, Radiohead were ranked number 73 in Rolling Stone's list of "the greatest artists of all time". While the band's later albums brought them a wide audience, their earlier sound on The Bends and OK Computer remained influential on British rock music.

The musicians who form Radiohead met while attending Abingdon School, a boys-only public school in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Thom Yorke and Colin Greenwood were in the same year, Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway were one year older and Jonny Greenwood two years younger than Yorke. In 1985 they formed the band, "On a Friday", the name referring to the band's usual rehearsal day in the school's music room. The group played their first gig in late 1986 at Oxford's Jericho Tavern; Jonny Greenwood originally joined as a keyboard player but he soon became the lead guitarist.

Although Yorke, O'Brien, Selway, and Colin Greenwood had left Abingdon by 1987 to attend university, the band continued to rehearse often on weekends and holidays. In 1991, when all the members except Jonny had completed their university degrees, On a Friday regrouped, began to record demos such as Manic Hedgehog, and performed live gigs around Oxford. Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley had an active indie scene in the late 1980s, but it centred around shoegazing bands such as Ride and Slowdive; On a Friday were never seen as fitting this trend, commenting that they had missed it by the time they returned from university.

Nevertheless, as On a Friday's number of live performances increased, record labels and producers became interested. Chris Hufford, Slowdive's producer and the co-owner of Oxford's Courtyard Studios, attended an early On a Friday concert at the Jericho Tavern. Impressed by the band, he and his partner Bryce Edge produced a demo tape and became On a Friday's managers; they remain the band's managers to this day. Following a chance meeting between Colin Greenwood and EMI representative Keith Wozencroft at the record shop where Greenwood worked, the band signed a six-album recording contract with the label in late 1991. At the request of EMI, the band changed their name to Radiohead, inspired by the title of a song on Talking Heads' True Stories album.

Drill, Radiohead's debut EP, was recorded with Hufford and Edge at Courtyard Studios and released in March 1992. Its chart performance was poor, and consequently the band hired Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade—who had worked with American indie bands Pixies and Dinosaur Jr.—to produce their debut album, which was recorded quickly in an Oxford studio in 1992. With the release of the "Creep" single in late 1992, Radiohead began to receive attention in the British music press, although not all of it was favourable; NME described them as "a lily-livered excuse for a rock band", and the song was not played on BBC Radio 1 because it was deemed "too depressing". The band released their debut album, Pablo Honey, in February 1993. Its style was sometimes compared to the wave of grunge music popular in the early 1990s—to the extent of Radiohead being dubbed "Nirvana-lite"—yet Pablo Honey reached no higher than number 22, and singles "Stop Whispering" and "Anyone Can Play Guitar" failed to make much impact on the charts. "Pop Is Dead", a one-off single, sold equally poorly.

However, "Creep" was building unexpected momentum around the world as it spread from popularity in Israel to a San Francisco college radio station. By the time Radiohead began their first United States tour in early 1993, the music video for "Creep" was in heavy rotation on MTV. The song rose to number two on the US modern rock chart and then to number seven in the UK singles chart when re-released there later that year. Radiohead nearly broke up due to the pressure of sudden success as the Pablo Honey supporting tour extended into its second year. Band members described the tour as difficult, saying that towards its end they were "still playing the same songs that recorded two years previously ... like being held in a time warp" when they were eager to work on new songs.

After the American tour, Radiohead began work on their second album, hiring veteran Abbey Road studios producer John Leckie. Tensions were high, as the band felt smothered both by "Creep"'s success and the mounting expectations for a superior follow-up. The band sought a change of scenery, touring Australasia and the Far East in an attempt to reduce the pressure. However, confronted again by their popularity, Yorke became disenchanted at being "right at the sharp end of the sexy, sassy, MTV eye-candy lifestyle" he felt he was helping to sell to the world. The 1994 EP My Iron Lung, featuring the single of the same title, was Radiohead's reaction, marking a transition towards the greater depth they aimed for on their second album. The single was promoted through underground radio stations; sales were better than expected, starting a loyal fan base for the band. Having developed more new songs on tour, Radiohead finished recording their second album in late 1994, and they released The Bends in March 1995.

While Radiohead were seen as outsiders to the Britpop scene that dominated the media's attention at the time, they were finally successful in their home country with The Bends. The album was driven by dense riffs and ethereal atmospheres from the band's three guitarists, with greater use of keyboards than their debut. Singles "Fake Plastic Trees", "High and Dry", "Just", and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" achieved chart success in the UK, "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" putting Radiohead in the top five for the first time. In mid-1995, Radiohead toured in support of R.E.M., one of their formative influences and at the time one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Introducing his opening act, Michael Stipe said, "Radiohead are so good, they scare me." The buzz generated by such famous fans, along with distinctive music videos for "Just" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", helped to expand Radiohead's popularity outside the UK. Jonny Greenwood said, "I think the turning point for us came about nine or twelve months after The Bends was released and it started appearing in people's polls for the end of the year. That's when it started to feel like we made the right choice about being a band." But critical acclaim and a growing fan base weren't sufficient for Radiohead to repeat the commercial popularity of "Creep" outside the UK. Furthermore, the album's number 88 peak on the US charts remains Radiohead's lowest there.

In late 1995, Radiohead had already recorded one song that would make their next record. "Lucky", released as a single to promote the War Child charity's The Help Album, had come out of a brief session with Nigel Godrich, a young audio engineer who had assisted on The Bends and also produced a 1996 B-side, "Talk Show Host". The band decided to produce their next album with Godrich's assistance, and they began work in early 1996. By July they had recorded four songs at their rehearsal studio, Canned Applause, a converted apple shed in the countryside near Didcot, Oxfordshire.

In August 1996 Radiohead toured as the opening act for Alanis Morissette, seeking to perfect their new songs live before completing the record. They then resumed recording, again outside a traditional music studio, settling instead at a 15th-century mansion, St. Catherine's Court, near Bath. The recording sessions were relaxed, with the band playing at all hours of the day, recording songs in different rooms, and listening to The Beatles, DJ Shadow, Ennio Morricone and Miles Davis for inspiration. Radiohead contributed their new song "Talk Show Host" to Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of Romeo + Juliet late in the year. Most of the album was complete by the end of 1996, and by March 1997, the record was mixed and mastered.

Radiohead released their third album, OK Computer, in June 1997. Largely composed of melodic rock songs, the new record also found the band experimenting with song structures and incorporating some ambient, avant garde and electronic influences. OK Computer was the band's first number one UK chart debut, propelling Radiohead to commercial success around the world. Despite peaking at number 21 in the US charts, the album eventually met with mainstream recognition there, receiving a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album and a nomination for Album of the Year. "Paranoid Android", "Karma Police" and "No Surprises" were released as singles from the album, of which "Karma Police" was most successful internationally.

OK Computer met with great critical acclaim, and Yorke admitted that he was "amazed it got the reaction it did. None of us fucking knew any more whether it was good or bad. What really blew my head off was the fact that people got all the things, all the textures and the sounds and the atmospheres we were trying to create." The release of OK Computer was followed by the "Against Demons" world tour. Grant Gee, the director of the "No Surprises" video, accompanied and filmed the band, releasing the footage in the 1999 documentary Meeting People Is Easy. The film portrays the band's disaffection with the music industry and press, showing their burnout as they progressed from their first tour dates in mid-1997 to mid-1998, nearly a year later. During this time the band also released a music video compilation, 7 Television Commercials, as well as two EPs, Airbag/How Am I Driving? and No Surprises/Running from Demons, that compiled their B-sides from OK Computer singles.

Radiohead were largely inactive following their 1997–1998 tour; after its end, their only public performance in 1998 was at an Amnesty International concert in Paris. Yorke later admitted that during that period the band came close to splitting up, and that he had developed severe depression. In early 1999, Radiohead began work on a follow-up to OK Computer. Although there was no longer any pressure or even a deadline from their record label, tension during this period was high. Band members all had different visions for Radiohead's future, and Yorke was still experiencing writer's block, influencing him toward a more abstract, fragmented form of songwriting. Radiohead secluded themselves with producer Nigel Godrich in studios in Paris, Copenhagen, and Gloucester, and in their newly completed studio in Oxford. Eventually, all the members agreed on a new musical direction, redefining their instrumental roles in the band. After nearly 18 months, Radiohead's recording sessions were completed in April 2000.

In October 2000 Radiohead released their fourth album, Kid A, the first of two albums from these recording sessions. Rather than being a stylistic sequel to OK Computer, Kid A featured a minimalist and textured style with less overt guitar parts and more diverse instrumentation including the ondes Martenot, programmed electronic beats, strings, and jazz horns. It was Radiohead's greatest commercial success to date, debuting at number one in many countries, including the US, where its debut atop the Billboard chart marked a first for the band and a rare success in the US by UK musicians. This success was attributed variously to marketing, to the album's leak on the file-sharing network Napster a few months before its release, and to advance anticipation. Although Radiohead did not release any singles from Kid A, promos of "Optimistic" and "Idioteque" received radio play, and a series of "blips", or short videos set to portions of tracks, were played on music channels and released freely on the Internet. The band had read Naomi Klein's anti-globalization book No Logo during the recording, and they decided to continue a summer 2000 tour of Europe later in the year in a custom-built tent free of advertising; they also promoted Kid A with three sold-out North American theatre concerts.

Amnesiac, released in June 2001, comprised additional tracks from the Kid A recording sessions. Radiohead's musical style on these songs was similar to that of Kid A in their fusion of electronic music and jazz influences, though more reliant on the use of guitars. The record was a critical and commercial success worldwide, reaching number two in the US and being nominated for a Grammy Award and the Mercury Music Prize. After Amnesiac's release, the band embarked on a world tour, visiting North America, Europe and Japan. Meanwhile, "Pyramid Song" and "Knives Out", Radiohead's first issued singles since 1998, were modestly successful, and "I Might Be Wrong", initially planned as a third single, expanded into Radiohead's thus far only live record. I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings, released in November 2001, featured performances of seven songs from Kid A and Amnesiac along with the acoustic, previously unreleased "True Love Waits".

During July and August 2002 Radiohead toured Portugal and Spain, playing a number of newly written songs. They then recorded the new material in two weeks in a Los Angeles studio with Nigel Godrich, adding several tracks later in Oxford, where the band continued their work into the next year. Radiohead members described the recording process as relaxed, in contrast to the tense sessions for Kid A and Amnesiac. The band's sixth album, Hail to the Thief, was released in June 2003. Mixing sounds from throughout their career, Hail to the Thief combined guitar-based rock with electronic influences and topical lyrics by Yorke. Although the album was critically praised, many critics felt that Radiohead were treading water creatively rather than continuing the "genre-redefining" trend that OK Computer had begun. Nevertheless, Hail to the Thief enjoyed commercial success, debuting at number three on the Billboard chart and eventually being certified platinum in the UK and gold in the US. The album's singles, "There There", "Go to Sleep" and "2+2=5", achieved a level of play on modern rock radio. At the 2003 Grammy Awards, Radiohead were again nominated for Best Alternative Album, while producer Godrich and engineer Darrell Thorp received the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album.

Yorke denied that Hail to the Thief's title was a comment on the controversial 2000 US presidential election, explaining that he first heard the words in a BBC Radio 4 discussion of 19th century American politics. Yorke said his lyrics had been affected by news reports of war in 2001 to 2002 and "the feeling that we are entering an age of intolerance and fear where the power to express ourselves in a democracy and have our voices heard is being denied us" but said, " didn't write a protest record, we didn't write a political record." After the release of Hail to the Thief, Radiohead embarked in May 2003 on a world tour, including a headlining performance at the Glastonbury Festival. The tour finished in May 2004 with a performance at the Coachella Festival. During their tour, the band released COM LAG, an EP compiling most of their b-sides from the time. Following their tour, the band began writing and rehearsing in their Oxford studio but soon went on hiatus. Free of their label contract, Radiohead spent the remainder of 2004 resting with their families and working on solo projects.

Radiohead began work on their seventh album in February 2005. In September 2005, the band recorded a piano-based song, "I Want None of This", for the War Child charity album Help: A Day in the Life. The album was sold online, with "I Want None of This" being the most downloaded track, although it was not released as a single. Radiohead had already begun recording their next album on their own and then with producer Mark Stent. However, in late 2006, after touring Europe and North America and debuting 13 new songs there, the band resumed work with Nigel Godrich in London, Oxford and several rural locations in Somerset, England. Work was finished in June 2007 and the recordings were mastered the following month.

Radiohead's seventh album, In Rainbows, was released through the band's own website on 10 October 2007 as a digital download for which customers could make whatever payment that they wanted, including nothing; the site only advised, "it's up to you". Following the band's sudden announcement 10 days beforehand, Radiohead's unusual strategy received much notice within the music industry and beyond. 1.2 million downloads were reportedly sold by the day of release, but the band's management did not release official sales figures, claiming that the Internet-only distribution was intended to boost later retail sales. A "discbox", including a second disc from the recording sessions, vinyl and CD editions of the album, and a hardcover book of artwork, was sold and shipped in late 2007.

In Rainbows was physically released in the UK in late December on XL Recordings and in North America in January 2008 on TBD Records, charting at number one both in the UK and in the US. The album's success in the US marked Radiohead's highest chart success in that country since Kid A, while it was their fifth UK number one album. "Jigsaw Falling into Place", the first single from the album, was released in the UK in January 2008. The second single, "Nude", debuted at number 37 in the Billboard Hot 100, Radiohead's first song to make that chart since 1995's "High and Dry" and their first top 40 hit in the US since "Creep". A greatest hits album, titled Radiohead: The Best Of, was released by EMI in June 2008. The compilation was made without the input of the band and also did not contain any songs from In Rainbows, as the band had already left their label. Radiohead continued to put out tracks from In Rainbows as singles and videos; in July a digitally-shot video for "House of Cards" was made available. "House of Cards", along with "Bodysnatchers", also received a single release on radio. In September the band announced a fourth single, "Reckoner", and a remix competition similar to one organised for "Nude".

In Rainbows received overwhelmingly positive reviews, among the best of Radiohead's career. Critics praised the album for having a more accessible sound and personal style of lyrics than their past work. In July 2008, In Rainbows was nominated for the short list of the Mercury Music Prize. At the 2009 Grammy Awards, the band won Best Alternative Music Album. Their production team also won the grammy for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. The band received their third nomination for Album of the Year, along with three other nominations for the band, plus nominations for Godrich's production work and for the "House of Cards" video. Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed the song 15 Step backed by the USC Marching Band at the award ceremony. On 24 March 2009, EMI released special 2 and 3 disc editions of Pablo Honey, The Bends and OK Computer.

From mid-2008 to early 2009, Radiohead toured North America, Europe, Japan, Mexico and South America - the band's first ever tour there - to promote In Rainbows. They also discussed recording new songs once the tour was finished.

Among Radiohead members' earliest influences were Queen and Elvis Costello; post-punk acts such as Joy Division and Magazine; and significantly 1980s alternative rock bands such as R.E.M., the Pixies, The Smiths and Sonic Youth. By the mid-1990s, Radiohead began to mention an interest in electronic music, especially that of Massive Attack and the instrumental hip hop of DJ Shadow, which Radiohead claimed as an influence on parts of OK Computer. Other influences on the album were Miles Davis and Ennio Morricone, along with 1960s rock groups, such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys. Jonny Greenwood also cited composer Krzysztof Penderecki as an inspiration on the sound of OK Computer. The electronic style of Kid A and Amnesiac was the result of Thom Yorke's admiration for glitch, ambient techno and IDM as exemplified by Warp Records artists such as Autechre, Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada and Squarepusher. The jazz of Charles Mingus, Alice Coltrane, and Miles Davis, and 1970s Krautrock bands such as Can and Neu!, were other major influences during this period. Jonny Greenwood's interest in 20th century classical music also had a role, as the influence of both Penderecki and composer Olivier Messiaen was apparent; for several songs on Kid A and later albums, Greenwood has played the Ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument popularised by Messiaen. While working on Hail to the Thief, Radiohead put renewed emphasis on guitar rock. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and particularly Neil Young were reported sources of inspiration to the band during this period. Since beginning to record In Rainbows, Radiohead members have mentioned a variety of rock, electronic, hip hop and experimental musicians as influences, including Liars, Modeselektor, Spank Rock and M.I.A. Band members have also been inspired by reggae and dub music.

The band maintains a close relationship with their producers and engineers, in particular Nigel Godrich, as well as with graphic artist Stanley Donwood. Godrich made his name with Radiohead, working with the band since The Bends, and as co-producer since OK Computer. He has, at times, been dubbed the "sixth member" of the band in an allusion to George Martin's work with the Beatles. Donwood, another longtime associate of the band, has produced all of Radiohead's album covers and visual artwork since 1994. Together with Yorke, Donwood won a Grammy in 2002 for a special edition of Amnesiac packaged as a library book. Other collaborators include Graeme Stewart, Dilly Gent, and Peter Clemens. Stewart has been Radiohead's sound engineer since their Kid A/Amnesiac sessions. Gent has been responsible for commissioning all Radiohead music videos since OK Computer, working with the band to find a director suitable for each project. The band's live technician, Peter Clemens, or "Plank", has worked with the band since before The Bends, setting up their instruments for both studio recordings and live performances.

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The Music and Art of Radiohead

The Music and Art of Radiohead is a collection of academic essays on the band Radiohead. It was published in May 2005 by Ashgate Publishing (ISBN 0-7546-3979-7).

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Nude (Radiohead Song)

It is not known exactly when Thom Yorke penned "Nude," but a version of the song was recorded during sessions with producer Nigel Godrich that would eventually produce OK Computer, Radiohead's third LP. Though this recording was originally hailed as a "great success" by members of the band, they eventually soured towards it. A few more attempts were made to record "Nude" for inclusion on OK Computer, but the album did not feature the song. The first time fans were treated to the song was during the OK Computer tour on January 23, 1998 in Tokyo, Japan, when Thom Yorke delivered a solo acoustic rendition as an encore. On March 29, 1998, in Dallas, Texas, Radiohead debuted a full-band arrangement of "Nude" that featured Thom Yorke on Fender Rhodes and guitarist Jonny Greenwood on Hammond organ. It became known as "Big Ideas", with the parenthetical "(Don't Get Any)" often added. Apparently this title was at the suggestion of fans, as the song officially had no title yet, but appeared on some setlists as "Nude" or "Neut". In the 1998 documentary Meeting People is Easy, singer Thom Yorke joked to journalist Matt Pinfield that the full title was actually supposed to be "Your Home Is At Risk If You Do Not Keep Up Repayments". A typical version of the song from this period is heard near the close of that film, in a live performance (from April 17, 1998, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City) and sound check. Bootlegs of performances of "Nude" from 1998 are still considered extremely valuable among Radiohead fans.

After 1998, the band initially planned the track for their next album Kid A (2000), but scrapped efforts to record it; the song did not appear on the band's next two albums, either. During this period, it was performed only rarely, notably on request at a 2002 concert in Salamanca, but usually by Yorke in solo acoustic versions. Band members professed admiration for the song but said they had not figured out the best way to approach it in the studio.

In 2005, the band began new recording sessions with Mark Stent and posted a list of songs they were working on, including the now-officially titled "Nude", on their blog, Dead Air Space. This was confirmed in early 2006, when the band revealed that they had been recording "Nude" with a string quartet, and that a new string arrangement had been written by Jonny Greenwood. In June 2006, Yorke and Greenwood said in interviews that the song was effectively finished and on tape in a version they were very satisfied with, barring minor adjustments. After their tour, the band returned to the studio in autumn 2006 to continue recording sessions, this time without Stent, but with their longtime producer Nigel Godrich. On the band's summer 2006 tour to introduce their new material, the new version of "Nude" was played at nearly every concert. Yet the finished version of the song on In Rainbows differs from any previous version, as although it retains most of its lyrics, it replaces its organ or keyboard-driven state with a dub-influenced bass line and rhythm. The chorus is now picked on electric guitar, and the song features Yorke's vocal of the original Hammond organ melody at the end of the song.

To promote the release of the single, the band began a competition for fans to create their own remixes of the song, from the individual tracks of guitar, drums, bass, vocals and strings. These were made available to download, via iTunes, on April 1, 2008, with all entries available to listen to at the remix website. A music video for the song, featuring all band members in slow motion, was made by comedian Adam Buxton and director Garth Jennings for their "Scotch Mist" webcast.

Upon its release, "Nude" outperformed its predecessor "Jigsaw Falling into Place" by reaching number 21 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band's second-ever top 40 hit after the number 34 placement of "Creep" in 1993. "Nude" also charted higher than the only other Radiohead song since "Creep" to make the Hot 100, 1995's number 78 hit "High and Dry", and "Nude" was the first-ever Radiohead song to make the Pop 100. There is some controversy over the US chart placement, because many of the single's sales can be attributed to purchases of individual stems for the remix competition.

The official music video for "Nude" was directed by Adam Buxton and Garth Jennings and originally released as a part of the band's Scotch Mist webcast on December 31, 2007, several months before the song's release as a single. Jennings and Buxton had also directed "Jigsaw Falling Into Place", the previous video, as part of a November 2007 webcast in which they first worked with Radiohead. The "Nude" video is one of the few Radiohead videos to contain footage of the entire band since 1995's "Street Spirit (Fade Out)". The video features a Radiohead performance in extreme slow motion, with white feathers filling the screen.

An award winning film by artist James Houston was also used to promote the single. Houston used a collection of vintage computer hardware to recreate the song and posted it online on the 4th of June, 2008. Houston used the audio stems from the Radiohead Remix competition, although his version was never entered. It did gain praise from the band themselves: Colin Greenwood called it "brilliant" on the official Radiohead blog.

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List of awards and nominations received by Radiohead

Radiohead are an English alternative rock band from Oxfordshire. The band's members are Thom Yorke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, electronics), Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, other instruments), Ed O'Brien (guitar, backing vocals), Colin Greenwood (bass guitar, synthesisers), and Phil Selway (drums, percussion). They met while attending Abingdon School, a boys-only public school in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The band has released seven studio albums: Pablo Honey (1993), The Bends (1995), OK Computer (1997), Kid A (2000), Amnesiac (2001), Hail to the Thief (2003) and In Rainbows (2007). The first six albums were released by EMI's Parlophone (UK and elsewhere) and Capitol (USA) record labels, and the seventh was released by Radiohead themselves as a digital download, and later by XL Records internationally. Several of Radiohead's singles have appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, including "Creep" which peaked at number 34, "High and Dry" which peaked at number 78, and "Nude" which peaked at number 37.

The band has received six BRIT Award nominations, but they have yet to win one. Radiohead has received the Best Alternative Music Performance award three times at the Grammy Awards, for OK Computer in 1998, Kid A in 2001, and "In Rainbows" in 2009. At the MTV Video Music Awards, the band received the award for Best Art Direction for "There There" in 2003. Radiohead has also received the Best Act In The World Today award three times at the Q Awards, in 2001, 2002, and 2003. Overall, Radiohead has received 8 awards from 38 nominations.

The BRIT Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. Radiohead failed to win all six times they nominated.

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States. Radiohead has received three awards from fourteen nominations.

Between 1994 and 1999 the award now named "Best Alternative Music Album" was then named "Best Alternative Music Performance".

Note: The table does not include nominations for others' work associated with Radiohead. In 2001, Nigel Godrich was nominated for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, for work including Radiohead's Kid A. Godrich was nominated again for the same award the next year, for production work including Amnesiac. In addition, at the 2002 Grammy Awards, Stanley Donwood and Tchock (an alias for Thom Yorke) were nominated and won the award for Best Album Package, for the special edition book of Amnesiac. In 2004 Nigel Godrich and audio engineer Darrell Thorp were nominated and won the award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, for their work on Radiohead's Hail to the Thief. At the 2009 Grammy Awards, Godrich will again be a nominee for Producer of the Year, this time in recognition of his work on only one album, Radiohead's In Rainbows. The "discbox" release of In Rainbows is also nominated for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package; any award would go to the art directors of the package. Radiohead would then have three, rather than two, nominations in 2001; three, rather than one, nominations in 2002, including one win; three, rather than two, nominations in 2004, including one win; and seven, rather than five, nominations in 2009. This would give the band a total of 20, rather than 14, career nominations, among which four so far, rather than two so far, would be wins. However, such secondary nominations and wins for art and sound engineering are not usually counted in a music artist's total for comparison purposes with other acts.

The Ivor Novello Awards are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters. Radiohead have received one award.

The Mercury Prize, formerly the Mercury Music Prize, is awarded each year to an album from the United Kingdom or Ireland. Radiohead has received four awards on four nominations.

The MTV Video Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony established in 1984 by MTV. Radiohead has received nine awards from ten nominations.

The PLUG Awards are given in support of indie music. Radiohead has received two nominations and two wins.

The Q Awards are hosted annually by the music magazine Q. Radiohead has received three awards from three nominations.

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Radiohead live performances

Radiohead, an alternative rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, have had concerts and other live performances in Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia, with a South American tour scheduled for march 2009. The band's line-up has been constant since its founding, consisting of Thom Yorke (vocals and guitar), Jonny Greenwood (guitar), Ed O'Brien (guitar), Colin Greenwood (bass guitar), and Phil Selway (drums). The role that each band member plays during performances has changed dramatically throughout the band's history.

Radiohead was founded under the name On a Friday in 1986 and performed local shows in the Oxford area under this name until 1991. Radiohead toured extensively across the United States and Europe in support of their debut album, Pablo Honey, and in spite of conflict that arose within the band during this time their performances were credited for the relative success of Pablo Honey and their debut single "Creep". Radiohead toured widely in support of The Bends and its singles, but the album did not perform as well commercially as its predecessor had.

Radiohead's first incarnation was called On a Friday, founded in 1986 while the members were all attending the public boys-only Abingdon School in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Thom Yorke was on vocals and guitar, Colin Greenwood played bass guitar, Ed O'Brien played rhythm guitar, and Phil Selway played drums. Future guitarist Jonny Greenwood played harmonica as a guest member at these shows, and later keyboards as a permanent member. The band would also feature three saxophone players in their live show until the late 1980s. Colin Greenwood later said that, during the band's earliest live performances, "We wore all black and played very loud, because we thought that's what you had to do." The band's early gigs took place at various parties around town, rather than concerts. The band members split up to attend university, but reunited during breaks for rehearsals and occasional performances. On a Friday's first concert in a conventional venue was at the Jericho Tavern in Jericho, Oxford, in 1987; the performance had few attendants and was negatively received by participants in the local music scene.

On a Friday fully resumed in 1991, and Jonny Greenwood's role in the group changed to third guitarist. Shoegazing bands such as Ride and Swervedriver were a prominent local trend, one which On a Friday did not fit into. The band's first reunited show was at the Hollybush in Osney on 22 July 1991. Although the band played to an audience of only six people, they were well received. According to Radiohead biographer Mac Randall, "Yorke's dramatic singing style and frighteningly intense onstage demeanor—one moment tightly focused, the next seemingly ready to burst open—was already coming to the fore", and the band played in a garage rock style. O'Brien spread the band's three-song demo Dungeon Demo around the community, which earned the band a number of gigs, mostly at the Jericho Tavern. Members of the band would also occasionally busk. Producer Chris Hufford attended an On a Friday show at the Jericho Tavern on 8 August 1991, and later described the band as "a lot rougher, a lot punkier, quite frenetic and a faster tempo ." Hufford was so impressed by the performance that he had the band record a new demo, Manic Hedgehog, at his Courtyard Studios. Shortly afterward, the band signed to EMI and changed their names to Radiohead. By the time of the signing, the band had dropped some of their older songs off of concert set lists. Radiohead played fewer than ten shows in 1991.

Radiohead returned to touring in May 1994. The touring schedule had dates in Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, the UK, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand. The tour found the band in the middle of fruitless sessions for their upcoming album, The Bends, so performing live was considered a welcome change. The band introduced many of the new songs from The Bends for the first time, though "Creep" was still a crowd favorite. Radiohead performed at the Manchester Academy, and Yorke expressed anxiety about possible negative reception due to the band's cancellation of their appearance at Reading Festival the year prior, saying to the audience "I was scared shitless about tonight." During the concert, Yorke damaged his left ankle and suffered a stress fracture, an injury which required a brace but did not delay the tour. A performance by the band at the London Astoria was recorded and frequently broadcast by MTV Europe. The audio from the same show from the song "My Iron Lung" would be used as the recording for The Bends. While in the UK, Jonny Greenwood was diagnosed with repetitive strain injury in his right arm from his rapid guitar playing, and was required to wear a brace. Greenwood continued to wear the brace well past the point where it was necessary as a sort of trademark, saying "It's like taping up your fingers before a boxing match. It's a ritual." By the time the band had returned from the tour, they found recording easier, leading producer John Leckie to comment "I think it helped that they'd been on tour because they had confidence in a lot of the songs again, which I think they'd maybe lost during that lengthy recording period." The band played at a number of summer festivals, including appearances at Glastonbury Festival, Roskilde in Denmark and the Sopot International Song Festival in Poland. The band all agreed that their most important performance that summer, and the one they were most nervous about, was Reading Festival. However, reception at the festival was positive, though Hufford felt the band put too much unfamiliar material in their set.

The band played a ten-date tour in the UK from 27 September to 8 October in support of the recently released "My Iron Lung" single, including a performance for the Oxfam Rwandan Relief Fund. The band raised £7,000 in support of victims of the Rwandan Genocide, and a review of the show by Ian Watson Melody Maker noted that, while "Creep" was "naturally" the "pinnacle" of the show, new songs like "My Iron Lung", "Just", and "Black Star" were also highlights. The UK shows were followed by two concerts in Bangkok and an eight-date tour of Mexico. During the Mexican tour, the band members had a number of emotional outbursts; as O'Brian described it, "Things had been brewing and they basically came to a head." Following the tour in Mexico, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood played a number of shows in the US by themselves with only acoustic instruments, a format which was soon repeated for four shows in England before the release of the "High and Dry"/"Planet Telex" single. Radiohead played a gig with Supergrass and The Candyskins at the Apollo Theatre for an audience of journalists and EMI executives, a performance which garnered praise from Melody Maker. The band also played at a benefit] for and at the Venue, a club they had frequented while still called On a Friday. The Venue and much of the local Oxford music scene were unable to continue business; due to Radiohead's concert, the Venue survived, and the club is now renamed The Zodiac.

The Bends was released on 13 March 1995. Radiohead toured in the UK from February to late March in support of The Bends. Audience reception was overwhelmingly positive, and many of the dates were sold out. One date on the tour, at Sheffield, was canceled due to Yorke contracting a stomach flu. The band went on to perform in Japan and North America; Radiohead would cross the US six times in promotion of The Bends. Yorke and Jonny Greenwood also played a number of new acoustic sets, though Greenwood stated around this time that "We do hate this acoustic thing. It's evil, the idea." By the time the US tour for The Bends officially began, Yorke had a build-up of fluid in his ears from his regular airplane flying, which worried him that he was going deaf. On the debut show of the tour in Boston, Yorke lashed out at moshers in the crowd, yelling and hitting one with his guitar. On 29 May, Yorke had a "breakdown" and begged tour manager Tim Greaves to book him a flight back to England. Other members of the band were also suffering from stress and fatigue, with O'Brian noting "We had two weeks off last year , and we've been together every single day since January this year." In spite of Radiohead's touring, The Bends did not perform as well as Pablo Honey in the US, though it reached the top ten charts in the UK.

In July, R.E.M. chose Radiohead as the opening act for the European leg of its Monster tour, a decision made because the members of R.E.M. were fans of The Bends but had never heard Radiohead live. R.E.M. was an early and lasting influence on Radiohead, and during the tour the two bands shared admiration. Yorke wrote, after Michael Stipe revealed himself to be a Radiohead fan, that "I've never believed in hero worship but I have to admit to myself that i'm fighting for breath." Jonny Greenwood similarly felt that "It's been exciting and embarrassing, them watching us from the wings every night. It's enormously surreal." Stipe stated during a concert with Radiohead in Tel Aviv that "There aren't many things that scare me, but Radiohead are so good they scare me." By August Radiohead were playing on their own again in Europe, debuting a number of new songs including "Subterranean Homesick Alien" and "Lucky". Radiohead played a short number of dates opening for both R.E.M. and Soul Asylum in the US, before returning to the UK and Europe for more touring. More physical ailments afflicted the band, as Greenwood suffered hearing problems and needed to wear soundproof headphones and Yorke began losing his voice. On top of this, all of the band's gear was stolen, cancelling a number of shows. These problems culminated with Yorke fainting on stage, an event characterized in the NME as a "temper tantrum". By December 1995 and January 1996, the band had stopped touring and returned home.

Radiohead resumed touring in the US in March 1996. EMI, encouraged by the high placement of The Bends in many year-end best-of lists, began a new marketing push in the US; with the combined force of the EMI's renewed efforts and Radiohead's constant touring, the album re-entered the Billboard charts and peaked at number 88, and was certified gold. The band appeared on both The Tonight Show, which Yorke described as "the highlight of our entire fucking year", and 120 Minutes. New songs had an increasing presence on the set lists of this tour. Among these were songs that would eventually be on the band's third album OK Computer, such as "No Surprises", "Let Down", and "Electioneering". The tour also found Yorke more willing to exercise restraint in his vocals and onstage mannerisms, and Greenwood more willing to improvise on established songs. The band played at Pinkpop Festival and Rock Werchter. Jae-Ha Kim wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, reviewing a performance by Radiohead at Metro Chicago, that their "intense touring schedule (more than 110 dates in America alone) has transformed it from a good live group into a great one." In a review of Radiohead's performance at the T in the Park festival, the NME called Radiohead "The Last Great Sincere Rock Band".

The band supported Alanis Morrisette for 13 dates in her Jagged Little Pill tour. The band used the opportunity to hone their new material and rehearse some new songs, including "Paranoid Android", a multi-sectioned song that stretched to over 14 minutes during this tour. In spite of Radiohead's sound being markedly different to that of Morrisette, the audience reaction to the band was "tremendous" according to Mac Randall, and Capitol employee Clark Staub said that "if they'd been allowed an encore, Radiohead would have got an encore." Colin Greenwood would later say that the band earned "silly money" for the Morisette tour. Between recording sessions for OK Computer, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood played a secret gig for Dazed & Confused magazine, performing three songs from The Bends and four new songs.

The band performed a preview of OK Computer in Lisbon in mid-May, and marked the beginning of the Against Demons tour at the album's "launch" on 22 May and 24 May in Barcelona. The set list for the first Barcelona show, at the Zeleste Club, included nearly every song on OK Computer, a number of songs from The Bends, and only "You" from Pablo Honey. The show, which had three encores, garnered positive reception in a review in Mojo. After the Barcelona shows the band members were already showing signs of stress and exhaustion, particularly Yorke, whose mood and conduct during interviews ranged from relaxed to highly irritable. Starting in Barcelona, the band's performances and other promotional activities on the tour were filmed by Grant Gee.

Weird Fishes/Arpeggi was also played, as was Nude, although both of these songs dated back to before the 2006 tour. The tour is notable as these versions of the songs were often very different to the eventual In Rainbows incarnations.

Radiohead also played the V Festival, as well as gigs throughout Europe, the UK, Canada and the USA.

The In Rainbows tour started in May of 2008 in the USA, continued in Europe, returned to the USA and Canada. After this the band performed in Japan in October, finishing the first half of the tour. The tour continued in 2009 starting in Latin America with Kraftwerk as guests.

After 20 years in the music business Radiohead had its debut live performance in Brazil in March of 2009. Concerts were held in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo on the 20 and 22 of March, respectively.

A recording of a 1994 performance at the London Astoria was released and is still available on DVD. There is also an EP featuring performances of songs from their 2001 tour called I Might Be Wrong. More recently, Radiohead recorded a concert from their In Rainbows tour for NPR's All Songs Considered webcast hosted by Bob Boilen. This concert is available for free streaming on NPR's website and for free download as a podcast on iTunes.

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