20 years after initial release it still remains a classic

Jack Peckenpaugh, Staff Reporter
Originally published January 9, 2018

It was only 20 years ago from this year that Radiohead released their third studio album, ‘Ok Computer.’ Not only was it revolutionary at the time, but it was also a major risk for the band.

Shortly before the release, they released the single, “Lucky,” for the ‘Help’ album, a charity compilation organized by War Child. After they produced the song they realized that, that was the direction they wanted to take their music. The risk came in after BBC Radio One chose not to play “Lucky” on their radio waves. Not only this, but their record label, Capitol, saw the album as, “Commercial suicide.”

Despite this bad reception, Radiohead continued with production of ‘Ok Computer’ until its release in June of 1997. After the release of the album, Radiohead and Capitol teamed up to promote the living hell out of the album, gluing cassettes of the album into cassette players and sending them to members of the press, buying full page ads, and selling tons of shirts.

And it paid off. Not only did the album sell way more than the projected amount, but it also received widespread critical acclaim for its unconventional style and experimentalism.

Twenty years after its release, here we are with a remastered edition. The remastered edition comes with three unreleased songs and eight B-sides, and contains the same charm as the original, with a better sound quality.

From the groovy sounding “Paranoid Android” to the feeling of isolation and loneliness the rest of the album provides, the album remains on the top of many fans’ top Radiohead lists to this day. “Karma Police” is often considered one of their most catchy songs in all of their discography and “No Surprises” is a haunting allegory for the aforementioned sense of isolation.

Should you listen to Radiohead’s ‘Ok Computer?’ Yes. Pick up a copy and pop it in your car or CD player and just tune out. You won’t regret it. I’d rate this album a four out of five stars for overall sound quality and lyrical content.