16/01/2021
Day: 52
Band: Radiohead
Record: Ok Computer
Year: 1997
Genre: Alternative Rock
Singles: 4, «Paranoid Android», «Karma Police», «Lucky», «No Surprises»
Third studio album
I got the 20th aniverssary «OKNOTOK»-edition in the mail today, so I figured I had to do an entry about this great album.
The album depicts a world fraught with rampant consumerism, social alienation, emotional isolation and political malaise; in this capacity, OK Computer has been said to have prescient insight into the mood of 21st-century life.
Despite lowered sales estimates by EMI, who deemed the record uncommercial and difficult to market, OK Computer reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and debuted at number 21 on the Billboard 200, Radiohead's highest album entry on the US charts at the time, and soon earned a 5× platinum and double platinum certification by the BPI and RIAA, respectively. The album expanded Radiohead's international popularity and has sold at least 7.8 million units worldwide.
OK Computer was almost uniformly praised on release. Critics generally described it as a landmark release of far-reaching impact and importance, but noted that its experimentalism made it a challenging listen. According to Tim Footman (journalist and Author of books about popular music), "Not since 1967, with the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, had so many major critics agreed immediately, not only on an album's merits, but on its long-term significance, and its ability to encapsulate a particular point in history."
I love the artwork from this release, which links so well with the themes of the album. It’s a great album to put on, and wipe your head clean of all other distractions.
