What are your opinions on Thom Yorke?

[FakeLaser]

Originally Posted by Requiem Dunno, just don't see it at all. I get that they are influential, but not nearly as much as you're making it out to be. They had a lot of worldwide success I guess. But they have just as many 'Gold' albums as they do Platinum ones. OK Computer and Kid A were iconic sure for being way ahead of their time, but In Rainbows didn't really 'change' anything. Bands didn't start changing their business model because of it. It's been 4 years since its release, and it has had a negligible effect on the industry. The industry has been more affected by the internet and its users than any decisions by any bands. They are not the only band to have been pushing the music industry. I definitely don't believe they are the first band to 'progress' with each album. Off the top of my head, Trent Reznor comes to mind as equally influential as far as his music production and business model go. His genius can't be disputed, as he built an empire from literally nothing, starting as a custodian in a recording studio. Pretty Hate Machine went 3x platinum, and it was an album from 1989. NIN practically became a brand. He would have released The Slip for free regardless of if Radiohead had done it with In Rainbows. Not saying NIN is the best and most important either, because they definitely don't have the worldwide success that Radiohead had, but I don't think Radiohead are the ONLY band to have followed this pattern.

I didn't really say In Rainbows changed distribution, just that it acknowledged that things had changed more so than any other release and reacted to it by allowing people to pay what they wanted for it, rather than getting pissed off at a broken system. A statement was made; an original and innovative statement independent of any record label. Which you can argue is a model that has been followed, as a lot of music is now self-released without a label. Not on a grandiose scale like Radiohead, but yeah.

And I'm not saying they're the only band to progress. All bands progress. However... a drastic change like the one seen on Kid A very much changed the face of music in the following decade. I think the only album that is comparable there from the past decade in terms of actually CHANGING music would be Late Registration by Kanye West, which pretty much completely changed rap music by killing off "gangsta" rap and making it more about production, intelligent, witty and hilarious lyrics and whatnot. Made rap more "mainstream," or at least more acceptable and accessible to "white America" than it ever was. Radiohead similarly took rock music and infused electronica, IDM and elements of hip hop and almost killed off guitar rock, in a lot of ways.

I don't deny Trent Reznor's genius, but he hasn't had the same influence on music as Radiohead. He's a great rags to riches story and is ridiculously talented, but he's not comparable in influence or commercial success. Maybe in critical acclaim (but not really).

I just can't point to any other bands that have all of the elements I've detailed above from the past 20 years or so. that's why I think they're the best and most important band of the past 20 years.