Radiohead’s In Rainbows turns 10 today. The anniversary may spark fond memories for those who were near a computer on that fateful day, when Radiohead released their seventh studio record in the pay-what-you-want model, ruining Wifi systems across the globe and instilling a new era of how music is consumed.
To commemorate the 10th anniversary, guitarist Jonny Greenwood shared this spot-on meme depicting Radiohead albums as various Spongebob scenes:
So while In Rainbows has finally reached double digits, the real news today is that Radiohead’s second album, The Bends, is now exactly 22 years, six months, and 22 days old. Although In Rainbows is a fine album with a few notable tracks (“Jigsaw Falling Into Place” and “House of Cards” are influential in their own right), the real star is The Bends.
The reason The Bends is the best Radiohead album is 1) because it saved them post-“Creep.” How could a band that made “Creep” make something good ever again? Because let’s be real, Pablo Honey might be the worst Radiohead album. Or Hail to the Thief. And 2) because this album would lay out the structure for a new era of music, despite being released in the height of Brit-pop.
On The Bends, Radiohead took the finest details from the influence of Brit-pop contemporaries Blur and Oasis, and set themselves up for the release of OK Computer a few years later: a record that completely dismantled alternative music as it was understood.
So beyond the context that sets up The Bends to be Radiohead’s best album, the songs are also most of Radiohead’s greatest.
The opening bit to “Planet Telex” begins the journey with a shattering piano chord to the likes of The Verve, before nearly changing directions entirely with “High and Dry” and “Fake Plastic Trees”—two Radiohead tracks that are sure to uncork all the emotions no matter when it comes on.
Further down on the track list, “(Nice Dream)” also falls into that category, but is the most underrated of the three. This song is one of the most important because it added more to the crying element, further defining it as the Radiohead album where everyone is just sobbing the whole time listening to it because it’s so beautiful (see the above Spongebob meme).
And then one cannot forget the transitions from “Just” to “My Iron Lung.” The lyrics and guitars on these are classic staples in any person’s life who has listened to this record, and then they also create the perfect lead into “Bulletproof … I Wish I Was.” That song also has the uncanny ability to make tears flow, further defining The Bends as being composed of entirely captivating and prepossessing songs.
And that excellent fade out into “Black Star”?
Every detail on this album ensures its spot at the top of Radiohead’s discography, including “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”—that one speaks for itself.
This album has zero bad songs. Except for maybe the less-than-enjoyable “Bones,” but I know some Radiohead fan somewhere probably loves that one.
Look, I know all Radiohead fans are strongly attached to their favorite record and have a multitude of reasons why their fave is the best, but at the end of the day, it’s obvious that The Bends reigns supreme over all of them.
And that’s why I’ll be anxiously awaiting what Jonny Greenwood tweets on the eve of The Bends‘ 25th anniversary, in exactly 885 days.