We're down to the last 5 of the top songwriters of the last 25 years. Thus far, we have had Matt Bellamy, Pharrell Williams, Alex Turner, Eminem and Damon Albarn. This week we continue with Radiohead's own Thom Yorke.
Thom Yorke is one of the most successful songwriters of the last 25 years but he is not desperate for the commercial appeal and unlike other indie-rock singers who say they're all about "the music, man," you can actually believe this guy. In 2007, Radiohead released the highly acclaimed In Rainbows through the internet on a "pay as you like" basis. It was a well-calculated move which showed just how knowledgeable Yorke was of the changing industry but also how pure he is in his intents. Radiohead love to subvert expectations and they did so again in 2011 with The King of Limbs. Its announcement was less than a week before its release and once again, their fans cried in jubilee. Thom Yorke is no primadonna, he is a force to be reckoned with in the industry, most of all for the unique songs he writes with depth nobody else can manage.
At any given era in music, there are few bands or artists who can release albums with the atmosphere of a nationwide event. In the 1990s, there was Nirvana, Blur, Oasis and Radiohead. Yorke's band has outlived the competition in terms of development and progression. They are hardly ever mainstream accessible (though "Creep," "High and Dry" and "Just" will tesify to the fact that Yorke knows his way around a pop song) but always intrinsically interesting. "Paranoid Android" is like nothing you've ever heard, taken itself from one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the last 25 years, in OK Computer. Less than orthodox in its structure, its ambience and rhythm drives you despite at first hearing, a lack of distinctive melody, showcasing the band and Yorke's depth in understanding of classical composure. It also has a nice music video to follow you through the experience:
If OK Computer confused people after The Bends, then 2000's Kid A was an altogether even more perplexing listen. Its sounds ranged across a spectre of unusual, mellow and experimental ground. Featuring songs like "Kid A" and "Ideoteque," it also garnered a great deal of attention and praise. Amnesiac and Hail To The Thief were still then big moments in their own right, if devoid of the momentum that captured listeners on OK Computer and Kid A. As time has shown however, everything Yorke releases has something to offer and when the next Radiohead album emerges, it will likely conjur the same applause that has rung for them in the last 20+ years.
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“What happens a lot with songwriting is that a melody or rhythm or something stays with you like catching a cold. And during that time what happens is that I can then fit things on to it, it all fits and glues together. Sometimes it’s crazy ‘cos it can almost be anything. But if you catch the cold then the nonsense makes sense. It’s like you’re getting beamed it, like with a ouija board and something’s pushing your hand. It’s not a pleasant experience necessarily.”- Thom Yorke
How fun... Anyways, Yorke is not only an associate of Radiohead. Earlier this year, he released Amok with his other band Atoms for Peace. It performed reasonably well, especially in the Billboard Rock Charts and shows that Yorke's an eclectic and proficient writer. He also released The Eraser in 2006 which was a solo project, taking inspiration from matters in his personal life as well as subjects like climate change. He's certainly no pop star but for someone willing to spend a little time looking for a more experimental, cutting edge, then he's certainly your guy. We'll leave you off with another piece of Radiohead from their last album:
Next week, the list will continue with a household name in the world of rap!
