In Rainbows is ten (and here’s why that matters)

While absolutely not the case, it FEELS like Radiohead are always the first band to successfully pull off anything now deemed industry standard. That fact is most epitomised with the release of In Rainbows. The undisputed darling of the Radiohead discography, easily in the Top 3 of any fan’s list, today celebrates its 10th anniversary.

In Rainbows was released independently by a Platinum-selling band with healthy press coverage. It was announced ten days prior to release, with no promotional singles, with a pay-what-you-like pricetag. A practice that was virtually unheard of at the time, it garnered the praise of fans and the industry alike (as well as criticism from their contemporaries). The PWYW method isn’t so unorthodox now, with countless artists opting for it, facilitated by platforms like Bandcamp.

The album delivers on much more. An amazing piece of work regarded by many as a ’perfect’ Radiohead album, it still has people talking about it well beyond its release. 

2017 has proven to be quite a big year for the band. The group ran into a healthy dose of controversy earlier this year following planned dates in Israel for the end of their A Moon Shaped Pool tour. They also released OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017. The remaster saw the addition of what could easily be considered another album to the track-list, with various unreleased tracks from that era, including the long-awaited ’Lift’. 

There is no doubt Radiohead will continue to pave the path with unorthodox album methods for other artists to follow, but for now, we toast to the decade soundtracked by In Rainbows, and look forward to its next milestone anniversary.