Constantly hearalded as one of the best albums ever made, the public reaction to OK Computer never seems to wane, being greeted with a strong wave of love and admiration on each and every birthday. Showing alternative directions the original album could have taken, the B-sides were a rarity, reaching a rare gold standard of actually holding up to the quality of the original material. Only five years ago for its 20 th anniversary, the album was revisited through OKNOTOK, which provided a bonus disc of B-sides including 'I Promise', 'Man Of War' and 'Lift', instantly pushing the album back onto the UK and US charts. If OK Computer isn’t always the most straightforward or enjoyable listen, it is the clearest sign of Yorke, Greenwood and co.’s talent-and the first glimpse at their radical departure from form.Īs a testament to the album’s staying power, it gets a fresh celebration every new decade, half-decade and year. Perfectly paired with the lyricism that held a heavy focus on consumerism and the rise of new technologies, many have noted Radiohead's eerie foresight into the 21 st Century. While they kept this element present, it was now coupled with something different, adding in electronic influences which would go on to be a prominent feature on the group's later work, particularly on follow-up record Kid A and 2007’s In Rainbows. Holly Humberstone covers Radiohead's 'Fake Plastic Trees'īefore even that, on, OK Computer dropped, marking a turning point for the group as it moved away from the more traditional rock sound of their first two records.