OK Computer (1997) - Radiohead

 

Tracklist:

Airbag (4:44)

Paranoid Android (6:23)

Subterranean Homesick Alien (4:27)

Exit Music (For a Film) (4:24)

Let Down (4:59)

Karma Police (4:21)

Fitter Happier (1:57)

Electioneering (3:50)

Climbing Up the Walls (4:45)

No Surprises (3:48)

Lucky (4:19)

The Tourist (5:24)

Album Duration - 53:27

Genres - Alternative Rock, Art Rock, Experimental Rock

Album Lineup -

Thom Yorke - Vocals, guitar, keyboards

Jonny Greenwood - Guitar, keyboards, sound effects

Colin Greenwood - Bass guitar

Ed O'Brien - Guitar, backing vocals

Philip Selway - Drums, percussion

"OK Computer," released by Radiohead in 1997, is a landmark in alternative rock, reshaping perceptions of the genre with its layered soundscapes, complex themes, and existential exploration. This album marks a stark departure from Radiohead's earlier work, blending rock with elements of electronica and experimental music to present a narrative deeply rooted in social commentary, technology, and alienation. Thematically, "OK Computer" examines the anxieties of modern life, from personal disconnection to society’s increasingly cold, mechanized nature. Its sound is atmospheric yet fractured, with tracks that reveal a sense of foreboding, dystopia, and fragile hope.

Each track feels like a chapter in an overarching narrative. Airbag opens with heavy guitar riffs and speaks to the miracle of survival, while Paranoid Android weaves multiple movements, combining themes of alienation and frustration with society’s superficiality. The haunting Exit Music (For a Film) is a quiet and devastating portrayal of escape, leading into Let Down, where cascading melodies amplify feelings of entrapment and hopelessness.

Tracks like Karma Police and No Surprises criticize societal emptiness, with Karma Police focusing on retribution, while No Surprises employs delicate glockenspiel tones to underline suburban malaise. The album closes with The Tourist, a slow, introspective piece that encourages reflection amid chaos, giving an almost haunting resolution to the album’s intricate web of anxieties.

My favorite tracks include Paranoid Android, Karma Police, Exit Music (For a Film), Let Down, Climbing Up the Walls, and No Surprises, in no particular order.