Radiohead, more like radio dead… more than 61% of students surveyed at Bob Jones did not recognize the band. Student Rachel Hartless said that she “heard of them,” but she “hasn’t listened to them.”  She continued by saying she would be willing to listen to older bands. Perhaps there is still hope for continued growth of the Radiohead fan base.

Radiohead released Pablo Honey back in February 1993. Following their first album, the band became quite famous, and they still have a very loyal fan base to this day.  However, with only 61% of Bob Jones recognizing the band it seems the band’s popularity is waning. That being said, it is still quite interesting to see how much the music scene has changed since the band’s prime. Here is a quick review of most of the songs included on their first album, if you’re interested in checking it out.

“You”

Perhaps Radiohead’s most simple song,  the lyrics are fairly simple, but musically it is much more complicated.  The sounds are similar to a classic grunge/alt rock hybrid.  However,  when compared to modern rock songs,  it seems more raw, and less edited.

“Creep”

Radiohead’s most famous and most divisive song. The sound tells a tale of anxiety and self-loathing,  but the band themselves strongly dislike the song and so do many of the older fans.  This song is just as good today as it was when it was first produced.

“How do you do?”

This is a more upbeat rock song. It has a more punk rock flair, but it blends well with the rest of the album.  Compared to modern rock songs, it may seem less well-produced; I would say this piece did not age well.

“Stop Whispering” 

This is another classic alt-rock song; it is much more mellow than “How Do You do?”  It comes across with a different vibe than the previous songs. While “Creep” and “You” are sad and mellow, “How Do You Do” is more of an excited and upbeat tune. “Stop Whispering” feels more like a blend of the mellow and upbeat sections of the other songs. This song aged well and is still a good song to this day.

“Thinking About You” 

This song sounds more like the stereotypical acoustic guitar song that most rock albums feature.  The song hits like a break in the album.  I would say this song is more of a middle tier song,  and today it’s ok, maybe more grungy than modern music.

“Anyone Can Play Guitar”

This song is the high point of the record, and the most grungy and excited rock song on the album.  Ths song alternates between low emotional vocals and a powerful energetic chorus.  This song is still very passable today.

“Ripcord”  

This song follows a similar formula to “Anyone Can Play Guitar.”  It has a very similar vibe and sound. It seems to be more grungy than the previous songs.  It is still fairly decent today.

“Vegetable”

“Vegetable” is another fairly decent rock song.  This one comes across as more of the same for the album.  At this point,  the album has shown all it has to offer.

The album is still, on the whole, relevant and enjoyable. If you haven’t heard of Radiohead, maybe check it out.