Top 10 Best Radiohead Songs

The Top Ten
1 Paranoid Android

This is probably the greatest song that has ever been, and likely the greatest that ever will be. If there is a song better than this by anyone on this planet, I would be truly astonished. Although it may not be the best-known Radiohead song, the truly best songs are rarely the best-known ones. OK Computer is Radiohead's best album and probably the best album ever recorded - it has won countless polls already. This song is the pinnacle of that ultimate album. Its sheer majesty just makes me want to weep. It holds the number one position on the Radiohead list, but that ranking should also apply to any list of songs on this site. If you haven't heard this song, for God's sake, listen to it. It will change your life.

I swear, people say it so much about Radiohead in general that it's become cliché. However, this is one song that grows on you - the more you hear it, the more you love it. Upon my first listen, this song was nothing special to me, but I would never skip it. Now, I LOVE it. The first six songs on this record are basically all my favorite songs on Earth. Yet, none of them are as special, deep, and layered as Paranoid Android. I truly believe this is one of the greatest rock songs ever recorded.

2 Karma Police

I wanted to vote for all the songs on this list, as no band compares to Radiohead except the likes of Queen. However, it has to be said that their sheer genius at constructing songs is unparalleled. No group even comes close. There needs to be more groups like them, groups that actually suffer for their art.

I adore Karma Police because it's just poetic and includes all my favorite instruments and styles. It even includes a coda. I would have to say that this is the best Radiohead song without a very prominent guitar, although Everything in Its Right Place is a very close second.

In my opinion, this song should be either first or second on this list. I am a huge Radiohead fan who recently finished listening to all of their albums, with my favorite being In Rainbows. However, whenever I get asked, What is your favorite Radiohead song? my answer is always Karma Police. To me, Karma Police is a song that, if on, makes you stop everything just to listen to it. The song feels really structured, and although it comes off as a sad song, I always feel happy when I listen to it.

3 Fake Plastic Trees

It's hard to decide the best song from the best band of all time. But the best has to be "Creep," followed by this one, then "Paranoid Android," and fourth, "Karma Police." "Creep" should be number one because it touched millions of people on Earth and became instantly popular because of that. It touched people's souls and is the anthem for all rejects and introverted people on Earth. This is an unmatchable achievement for any song at any time ever. "Fake Plastic Trees" is just the song I want to listen to when I marry the love of my life, just as I watch her show her angelic face at the altar. That's how deep this song is. God bless Radiohead. God bless music. Love to everyone.

Thom Yorke, the man who said the song "Lucky" was a happy song with the lyrics "Kill me Sarah, kill me again," collapsed on the floor in tears after performing this in the studio, twice. I find it impossible to choose my favorite Radiohead song, as it's probably "Paranoid Android," but this should be much higher. This song is absolutely beautiful and tragic.

4 Idioteque

Despite giving a reaction of "What the hell am I listening to?" at first, it later becomes apparent that this is an absolute masterpiece. After "OK Computer," Radiohead was poised by critics everywhere as the next Beatles, the saviors of rock. Then they released "Kid A." The whole album, especially "Idioteque," ushered in the 21st century. The electronic sound could be interpreted as symbolizing technology and its impact on us now. The lyrical themes, however, are more terrifying. Talk of bunkers, protecting the children, and scaremongering - warning us about wars, global warming, and other threats - becomes significantly worse with the inclusion of modern technology. "Idioteque" is not a song. It is a message, welcoming us to the 21st century. Or maybe, a warning.

This is the greatest song of the entire decade. It might not sound 'that' good the first time you hear it. But as you uncover its wonders through careful and repetitive listens, you will gradually discern its power, emotion, and sublime texture and feel - just like every other track on Kid A.

5 Street Spirit (Fade Out)

This changed the way I listen to music. The power in the lyrics, guitar, and Yorke's vocals make you feel haunted in a way that no other song can achieve more than once. The build-up is incredible, and every part of the song is so... listenable! I will never get tired of looping this song endlessly. (And the music video is one of the cleverest ever, too.)

I'm actually fearful that this comment won't pay enough homage to this song. Definitely worth worshiping.

If you haven't heard this song, listen to it NOW! You'll instantly like it when you hear it, and it's way better than the others above. It's very emotional yet calming, and great for easing anxiety. I love the arpeggio played. It's one of the first songs I learned on guitar years ago. This is a song you'll want to take off your shoes for, lie in bed alone, blast it, and just sort of fade out everything else.

There's just nothing like the emotion in this song. Here, Radiohead did something no one has really done before: they created a sad song that's incohesive in its meaning. Where other songs have an explanation and resolution, Street Spirit just offers more sadness and leaves it up to the listener to deduce meaning and resolution. It's simply stunning.

6 Creep

I think Creep is vastly overrated by people who aren't familiar with the rest of Radiohead's discography, but it is also underrated by true Radiohead fans. While it may be simpler than (in my opinion) perfect songs like those on OK Computer, the melancholic feel it creates is one of the most poignant out of any Radiohead song.

The brilliance of this song lies in the connection it can make with the listener. I actually feel as if I enter the most ridiculous yet beautiful cocoon that could possibly exist, and I just drown in my own self-pity and sorrow. The words and music serve as a reflection of our daily struggles through life and its multiple letdowns and huge disappointments. Music has never been as intimate as this, and it never will be. This isn't just a song. It's an absolute anthem.

I'll just repeat what another guy in the comment section said: This is the pinnacle of alt-rock. Period. You can't go any further when you reach a song of this caliber. It connected with millions of people's souls around the world, all at once. There's no point in arguing. The top tens page should have put this as #1 by default.

7 No Surprises

This is my favorite Radiohead song by far. When I'm not feeling happy or just having a bad day, this song speaks out to me. It almost makes me feel worse. It hurts, and the song feels utterly hopeless and depressing. However, on days where I feel wonderful and full of joy, this song feels euphoric. It's like the tone of the song is interpretable. It somehow binds with the listener. With many songs, artists tend to shove everything in your face, but this song works with you. It doesn't tell you what to do or how to feel. It works with you. The song becomes a reflection of your soul. The simple idea that anybody could make something like this is incredible, and it goes to show how good these artists are.

This is the most beautiful song ever written by any band. A deceptive and light ballad shrouds the morbidness and the sadness of the lyrics. Which, in turn, is what the song is about: shrouding one's life with prettiness to cover the bad. Right before the song ends, and Thom Yorke belts out, "Such a pretty house, and such a pretty garden," it gets me every time. Radiohead, overall, is incredible. However, this is my favorite song, off my favorite album of all time.

8 Reckoner

Possibly the best song of the 2000s, with the exception maybe of "Idioteque" or "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)," is up for debate. Lists of the "best" songs are, of course, extremely difficult to compile because it's impossible to define the standard for what "best" means. I voted for "Reckoner" because of the chills that run through my entire body when I hear the gorgeous melody, as well as the imagery I experience while listening.

I have no problem with "Paranoid Android" being #1. In many senses, it probably is their "best" song. I'll leave you with a quote from Jonny: "It was when we recorded Reckoner that we felt we'd first got something special on tape." Beyond music theory and intellectual engagement, "Reckoner" has that elusive ability to make you feel. And, in my opinion, I don't believe Radiohead has made a song that does so quite like "Reckoner" does.

So loud... and so quiet. Before I listened to In Rainbows, I had already listened to OKC and Kid A. I liked them very much, but nothing about them really hit me. Then I found this song and I believe it has changed my life. After the first two listens, I didn't get into it that much - loud noises and a dinky melody.

But over the following week, I couldn't stop thinking about those unpredictable cymbals and snares, the beautiful swirling violins and choir, and the way it relaxes and builds from scratch again to climax in that final minute melody. For me, that is the best minute of music I've ever heard. After that week, I listened to it properly again and I fell in love.

Only after finding Reckoner did I come back to OKC and Kid A and truly appreciate them for what they were - masterpieces. Reckoner was the key for me to accessing Radiohead's more alienating songs, but no song before and since has ever made me shiver with joy so much. If you haven't heard it, please do so. And if you have, do so again! When it hits you, you may never forget it.

9 How to Disappear Completely

Undeniably, this is the best Radiohead song of all time. If I had to vote for my favorite songs of all time, this would be in the top three, for sure. Thom Yorke has never sounded better, and his vocals elevate this song to the pinnacle of the genre. I'm a big Radiohead fan and went to see them in Camden. I was devastated when they didn't play it, but this song remains one of my all-time favorites.

Its progression is incredible. Seeing the skeletal baseline build into this operatic mass is awe-inspiring. The song also creates an amazing soundscape. When I listen to it, I see images of a barren, almost alien world, and it nearly engulfs me in this emotional state of solemn emptiness. It makes me feel like I'm slowly fading and disappearing completely.

This is the greatest Radiohead song ever because it resonates with people, particularly teenagers, in a way that few songs do. The expression of loneliness, frustration, rejection, isolation, burden, loss, and disillusionment is among the finest out there. Seriously, this song really should be ranked higher.

10 Everything in Its Right Place

Utterly, mesmerizingly brilliant. The keyboard riff is so haunting, so raw, so melodic, so rhythmic, and so in your brain, it just gets inside you. I have unashamedly used this more than once as a backing track to parts of school musicals. I even used it as the interlude music in "The Wizard of Oz." It played during the opening minute and a half when we were changing the set from Kansas to Oz, and then during the climactic minute when we were changing back from Oz to Kansas. "Everything in its right place." I want to curl up with the whole experience of this song and show the world what is up and what is down.

My favorite song of all time. Simply amazing. I will never be the same after listening to this song. The amount of peace this song gives me is incomparable. I literally have 512 plays of this song on my iTunes, and I like it more every time I hear it. Amazing.

The first five notes instantly transport you to another world. The lyrics are scarce yet genius. The computerized tunes in the background are unbelievable. It has a depressive and yet peaceful atmosphere, as if you were floating in cold, starry space. Definitely my favorite Radiohead song.

The Contenders
11 Pyramid Song

The song's structure is as odd as it can be, making it one of the most intriguing songs made by Radiohead. It features mellow piano chords that fit perfectly here. The progression is layered well with the introduction of different instruments, making the song both eerie and melodic. The subject introduced in the lyrics is widely debated by its fans. Some say it's the tale of a dream, while others allude to the feeling of illusion and its fatality. Personally, it feels like reaching rock bottom and realizing how mellow and comfortable that position is for the writer, making it feel like he drifts through a black hole.

Definitely one of the most beautiful songs of all time. Everything fits so well in this. Every time I listen to it, I'm transported to a new feeling somewhere between sadness and happiness. Listening to this masterpiece is a truly beautiful experience.

12 Let Down

I'm only voting for this one because I remember listening to it while sitting in a bathroom sink, crying because my girlfriend dumped me after a two-year relationship. I had scissors in my hands and planned to listen to this before I killed myself. But by the end, I didn't. It made me feel so much better and pulled me out of the biggest emotional pit of my life.

How is this not #1? The song starts with a 5/4 time signature until the standard 4/4 comes in with the drums, and the 5/4 keeps playing throughout the song! It's simply an amazing effect that most people won't ever notice. The lyrics are also incredibly haunting and almost spiritual, especially the lines "One day I am gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless..." and "You'll know, you'll know where you are when, floor collapses and you're floating, bouncing back in..." Then, of course, these lines meet up and are sung together - as in, at the same time! - into a crescendo of Thom belting out, "You'll know where you are!" It's so damn beautiful sounding, it brings tears to my eyes. The best way to describe the feeling I get when listening to this song is that something is tugging on my soul. I love most of Radiohead's music, but this song affects me like no other.

13 Exit Music (For a Film)

My personal favorite Radiohead song. Despite the fact that many of the band's songs escalate toward the end, I believe this track does it best.

One of, if not the best, Radiohead song. Unbelievably haunting and powerful. The first line "Wake from your sleep" gives me chills. This song got me through an extremely hard time, and the line "Breathe, keep breathing" was one of the things that kept me alive.

So underrated and rarely talked about. The softness of the lyrics only makes the lyrics that much more haunting and powerful. The song continues to build to the epic finish that always leaves me feeling "something" by the time it's over.
Love this song.

14 There, There

I personally like the more organic songs of Radiohead more than the electronic ones, and this song is very organic and natural-sounding to me. This was one of the Radiohead songs that I fell in love with on the very first listen, in the first 20 seconds of the song, to be honest. I remember having goosebumps all over when the guitar starts. Hail to the Thief itself, I feel, is a very underrated album.

That's it. These guys are aliens. I was suspicious about it, but this song confirms it for me. How can you speak so vividly? Never mind speaking, it's like screaming with a thunderous sound, guitars, and drums that just leave you perplexed and in another state of consciousness. It's like a screaming of cataclysmic truth, as another comment here mentioned. A truth we're too scared to admit. Yet we keep denying it throughout our whole lives.

The truth is that whatever we do is really worthless, because we're just creatures deluded with the idea of self-transcendence, of self-grandiosity. The ego rules the world. Everywhere, every time (wars, corruption, creation of diseases for profit, environmental destruction, species extinctions), we're driven by our egos. Everywhere you look, despite how beautiful or harmless it may seem, it's taken over by man's ego, the real devil of this world. Vicious and powerful companies who only care about money and governments work together for control of the population, implementing fear to control the masses, and making us believe whatever they want in order to keep us down and somnolent. They keep the poor where they meant them to be and keep all the world's resources for a few. That is the underlying truth this song screams. In the proper context, it's simply life-cathartic (I tell you firsthand). Talk about alien stuff.

15 Just

What the hell happened?! Why isn't this number one? It felt so obvious to me that I was in genuine, sincere shock when I happened upon this list and saw this song at number 14. Haha, I mean, the other songs are fantastic, but this song packs so much of a kick-ass punch, and that finale... DAMN!

This is definitely the best Radiohead song. Paranoid Android and Creep are definitely up there, but every time I hear this song, it's just so obvious that it is better. I can't get over this song.

Of the many great Radiohead songs, "Just" is the one that I would want to keep on my desert island when all the others were washed away. I could listen to the outro over and over and never get tired of it.

16 Jigsaw Falling Into Place

This song is so pure, innocent, and melancholy. Yet, the lyricism paints a beautiful story about a meeting in a bar between star-crossed lovers. This chorus-free song is a culmination of Thom Yorke's vocal prowess and Radiohead's instrumental genius. Never in this song do the instrumentals deviate from a medium-strength tone, yet it keeps us engaged miraculously. The soft melodies allow Thom's vocals to shine. The only frustrating aspect of this song is that we are left in suspense as to how the story ends.

In my opinion, this song contains the best guitar intro to a Radiohead song. It just lulls you in for the ride. I'm sad not to see this in the top ten, but perhaps the song doesn't stand out lyrically as much as the other Radiohead songs on the list. This has to be my favorite song ever. I wish there were more songs like this. Thank you, Radiohead, for making such an awesome piece.

17 Nude

I really don't have a way of choosing just one best Radiohead song, but I'm choosing this one anyway. It's hauntingly beautiful, lonesome yet fulfilling. Not many songs can have the effect that "Nude" has. The lyrics are sung majestically, while taunting, "You're going to hell for what your dirty mind is thinking." Thom holds the word "thinking" in a way that sends shivers down my spine just replaying the song in my head. The cherry on top is Johnny's beautiful and broken guitar riff that hangs on like a soul crying for help, almost. If any song can make you feel lost and found, it's this one.

This untitled masterpiece (the "Big Ideas" version) was, and still remains, the only song to which I've broken into tears. This song shows that Thom is one of the best and most emotional singers there is. Every instrument, except for the vocals and lyrics, is in a happy tone. The old version gives you an extremely rare feeling. It's a super sad song, but on the other hand, it's a realization. When you hear it, you are ready to move on. "Don't get any big ideas. They're not gonna happen."

The new version, in which it got its name ("Nude"), is better as a song. The old version was too long, with an unnecessary extra verse. The intro and outro in "Nude" are more beautiful. This is one of the most powerful and personal songs I've heard, along with "Creep," and it deserves to be in third place, in my opinion.
Tomska out!

18 Weird Fishes

I was going to pick "Everything In Its Right Place," but this song being at #31 is an injustice. It's the most underrated Radiohead song of all time. As others have noted, the instruments and vocals give an aquatic effect. If you close your eyes, you can see pretty much anything. I listened to it on a beach in Florida one night, and it transcended time and space. It was beautiful.

This song is so beautiful. It takes the listener to an entirely new world while somehow keeping them grounded and connected. Along with that, the emotional connection is so strong. The metaphor of fish at the bottom of the sea is spot on and sincere to the true meaning. Definitely up near their best.

I think this is the best piece of modern music by anyone. I doubted that I'd ever hear anything to surpass Comfortably Numb, but this does. I'd love to ask the band how they knew when this track was finished. Like any great piece of art, the key to its greatness is knowing when to stop adding to it. Perfect.

19 High and Dry

When you listen to this song, you remember your past, your future, your regrets, but mostly you feel high and dry. That's how this song works on the human body.

This is by far my most favorite song by Radiohead. It should be in the top 10. I have no words to describe it. It's so beautifully written, and the guitar! Just the best moments of my life flash every time I hear this song.

This is one of the best Radiohead songs. It deserves a better position. It strikes the perfect balance between sadness and happiness.

20 Daydreaming

It's melodious to the point of haunting. The piano blends in with Tom's chilly vocals and the "Radiohead-ish" lyrics. This song is depressing yet cheerful at the same time. It talks about the 'walk of life' in a way that has never been portrayed before. This is and will be my favorite Radiohead song, closely followed by "Exit Music for a Film," "I Promise," and "No Surprises."

This song... my god. The haunting ease of singing is melodious, yet unbelievably chilling. Hands down, it's the best song from A Moon Shaped Pool and maybe one of their best ever.

This song feels so haunting, sad, deep, yet also really relaxing at the same time. This is probably my favorite off of Moon Shaped Pool, along with Decks Dark.

21 The National Anthem

I was under the impression that this song had a bigger following. This song is easily top ten and, in my opinion, their best. It's a great example of Radiohead at their best, where they absorb whatever they might be listening to and create something totally unique.

This song is incredible! It's one of the highlights of Kid A, which is the best album of the 2000s. Watching them perform it on SNL in 2000 was amazing because it felt so ahead of its time. All the musicians are at their best in this song, especially the bass.

It looks like Radiohead are really good at doing jazz. The bassline throughout the song is great, and the brass section is pretty chaotic but still an important part of the song.

22 15 Step

Amazing song! I'm loving it so much. Since I watched Twilight, this song has impressed me a lot. I feel like I'm addicted to it. I'm new to Radiohead. This is the first song of theirs I've listened to. I'm wondering, if this song is great, what is their most-voted song? I'm going to do some research.

I was going to pick "Paranoid Android," but I noticed that one of my other favorites was feeling a little lonely. "In Rainbows" opens with a truly epic progression that'll make you feel things you've never felt before.

These are the type of lyrics today's society is missing!

"How come I end up where I started? How come I end up where I went wrong? Won't take my eye off the ball again, you reel me out then you cut the string..."

23 All I Need

This totally needs to be higher on this list. When I first listened to it, I was shocked that a song could pull out love and hate at the same time, and Thom Yorke managed to do that perfectly on top of an eerie and addicting backing track. Love it.

This is my favorite Radiohead song. Simply beautiful. Hauntingly beautiful. Outside of Everlong, this song puts you in a trance where desolation meets a glimmer or flicker of hope.

So underrated. Very good song. It's simple but touches you. I don't think it's the best, but it needs to be higher on the list. Love this song!

24 Climbing Up the Walls

Climbing Up the Walls has the mood and reflective nature of its parent album, all the atmosphere of Motion Picture Soundtrack, the emotion of Fake Plastic Trees, and the instrumental texture of There There - except darker. It's the perfect Radiohead song. (Yes, I'm aware that Motion Picture Soundtrack and There There were written and recorded years after this song).

This is the stuff that haunts you at night. It's a perfect representation of some of your darkest feelings and moments, and an even better representation of the hell people with depression and such go through.

How is this so low? Anyway, this song has most of the things people like about OK Computer in the first place: haunting vocals, fitting instruments, a creepy atmosphere, and even some good lyrics. This is truly one of their best on OK Computer!

25 Airbag

The way this song starts off is amazing: cello in one ear and a grinding, rough guitar in the other, both playing the same riff. Then you hear the third guitar start to play too, and the drums kick in as one of the catchiest tunes ever starts to play. Thom Yorke starts his singing and carries you on a 4:44-minute journey. Yeah, Radiohead is back to save the universe.

Some intro songs to albums prepare you for the rest of the album. Not this one. I had to stop for 5 minutes the first time just to realize what I had just listened to. Sure, the other songs are absolutely outstanding - such as Lift, Man of War, No Surprises, Paranoid Android, and Climbing. Basically, every song on the new remastered version is great, but this, this is where I can stay and be happy.

Is it only me, or does this music also make you imagine flying in a tiny spaceship, charged with anti-matter bombs, ready to save the Earth (after having ruined it) by destroying a bunch of crazy androids made by yourself?

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