Hailed as one of the most successful and experimental alternative rock acts currently working, Radiohead's prestige in the music press and amongst fans has been earned. Starting as one of many Brit-pop bands to strike it big in the early '90s, they set themselves apart from the one hit wonders by developing a unique, anthemic rock sound, then surprising everyone with an unexpected foray into electronica. In the past few years, their albums have bridged the two genres, infusing elements of contemplative alt-rock with synthesized breakbeats, ambient noise and odd musical flourishes.

The band's history begins at Oxford University, where vocalist Thom Yorke, guitarists Ed O'Brien and Jonny Greenwood, bassist Colin Greenwood and drummer Phil Selway first met in 1988, calling themselves On a Friday. After securing a record deal, they changed the name to Radiohead after a song on The Talking Head's True Stories album. Pablo Honey, their debut, attracted modest praise, but the single "Creep" shot up the American music charts and was forever synonymous with the band. The tortured self-loathing in its lyrics touched a nerve with the morose sentiments of the alt-rock scene at the time, but was a signal of things to come. Yorke's lyrics, rife with emotional vulnerability and despairing, even apocalyptic imagery, became a signature for the band.

After releasing 1995's The Bends to rave reviews, Radiohead issued OK Computer, a somber look at alienation in society. It was a massive hit, hailed as a masterpiece by many overly-enthusiastic critics. Pressure from fame took its toll, and there were rumors Radiohead was ready to split. But they persevered, experimenting and finally finding a new direction to go in. Kid A was eagerly awaited but released with zero publicity in 2000. It's chilly electronic soundscapes sharply divided critics, and to some degree split fans into camps prefering their rock-oriented albums or their electronic-based experiments. In time, the band would unite these two aspects--and their fans would come to accept them, sending their most recent release, 2007's In Rainbows, to number one on the Billboard charts.