Top 10 Most Accessible Radiohead Albums
Probably Radiohead's happiest and most varied album, most of the songs can be genuinely accessible for a wide audience, especially 15 Step, Weird Fishes, All I Need, Reckoner, and House of Cards. It's the Radiohead album I would say to start up with.
Interesting that only their second top 40 hit isn't among the more accessible songs.
The legendary OK Computer and the album that follows, The Bends, showcase a sound that is riskier and more experimental in terms of lyrics and production. OK Computer is their most popular and acclaimed album, but at the same time, I would recommend starting first with The Bends or In Rainbows. Some of the topics covered in OK Computer may not be completely friendly to the average listener. It's not completely inaccessible, but I believe The Bends is a better starting point.
The infamous Pablo Honey, a lot of people will probably argue that this is Radiohead's least accessible album. Judging by its age, you can agree on that. However, it is not really inaccessible either. It is Radiohead delivering the style that was the norm back in the 90s. The final result might not be the best one ever, but it is not completely regretful either.
Arguably Radiohead's saddest and most recent album, it is quite accessible and softer than the rest of their discography. This means it is not a risky experience to listen to. However, based on the lyrical content and the soft yet depressive style of it, it is not as accessible or easy to listen to as the previous albums mentioned.
This, along with In Rainbows, is Radiohead's most varied album to date. It mixes a lot of styles the band has made over the years and mixes it with some political statements from the era. It is a really interesting album to look out for, but thanks to its experimentation and variety, it makes it hard to listen to at first.
For many, Kid A is the album where Radiohead starts being experimental and anti-accessible. I don't really agree with it, but thanks to the experimentation they did with this album, it's not completely accessible. Personally, I feel that this one is worth checking out. However, to fully click with it, you would need to listen to OK Computer or In Rainbows beforehand.
Alongside Pablo Honey as Radiohead's most infamous album, it is not completely awful or not worthy to check out. But at the same time, it feels like the experimentation was more improvised than actually well thought out, making it not really accessible at first listen. Besides, after listening to Kid A, this album doesn't really feel as strong.
Arguably the most experimental album in the band's career, I wouldn't call it inaccessible, but definitely the one that I tell you to check out with the most caution. The songs here aren't really as adventurous or easy listening as previous albums.
