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OK Computer 1997
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OK Computer

When Radiohead embarked on the creation of their third album, OK Computer, released in 1997, they sought a sonic path distinct from their previous work, The Bends. The band, along with their producer Nigel Godrich, settled into their rehearsal space in Oxfordshire and the historic St Catherine's Court mansion in Bath during 1996 and early 1997. The result was a work that moved away from prominent guitars and personal introspection, exploring instead denser sound layers and abstract lyrics that would lay the groundwork for their future, more experimental musical explorations. The recordings, which included the use of natural reverb and were largely performed live, captured a unique atmosphere, with string parts added at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London.

Year
1997
Songs
12
Duration
53 min 17 seg
Listen to the album ★

12 song|s

Song list

# Title Available ⏱
01

Airbag

Guitarra · Intermedio

4:37 02

Paranoid Android

Guitarra · Intermedio

6:23 03

Subterranean Homesick Alien

Guitarra · Intermedio

4:38 04

Exit Music (for a Film)

Guitarra · Intermedio

4:22 05

Let Down

Guitarra · Intermedio

4:58 06

Karma Police

Guitarra · Intermedio

4:23
07

Fitter Happier

Guitarra · Fácil

1:56
08

Electioneering

Guitarra · Intermedio

3:54 09

Climbing Up the Walls

Guitarra · Intermedio

4:18 10

No Surprises

Guitarra · Intermedio

3:48 11

Lucky

Guitarra · Intermedio

4:22 12

The Tourist

Guitarra · Intermedio

5:38

About the album

OK Computer, according to DoReSol

The lyrics of OK Computer paint a panorama of a dystopian world, marked by excessive consumerism, social disconnection, technological anxiety, and political corruption. These themes intertwine with reflections on transportation, conformity, paranoia, death, and modern life in a globalized Britain, offering a vision that many consider prescient of the 21st century. Despite low expectations from their record label, which considered it uncommercial, the album climbed to the top spot on the UK albums chart and debuted at number 21 on the Billboard 200, marking Radiohead's highest entry on the US charts up to that point. Songs like "Paranoid Android", "Karma Police", "Lucky", and "No Surprises" became singles that helped expand their international popularity.

The impact of OK Computer was immediate and lasting. It was critically acclaimed, considered one of the most important albums of the 90s and of all time. It received a nomination for Album of the Year and won the award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 1998 Grammy Awards, in addition to a nomination for Best British Album at the Brit Awards that same year. This record marked a turning point in British rock, driving a shift from Britpop towards a more melancholic and atmospheric alternative sound, which would define the following decade. In 2014, the Library of Congress of the United States added it to the National Recording Registry for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance. The song "Lucky", recorded in 1995 for a charity album, was fundamental in defining the sound and atmosphere the band sought for this new work.

Discography

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