Is this the most important alternative rock album of all time?

>>69248571
It's the best and most important album in general

>>69248571
What's the difference between 'best' and 'most important'? It seems like there would be a lot of overlapping qualities for the two sections...

>Nevermind.jpg

>>69248571

Ok Computer, No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom, Sneaker Pimps' Becoming X, and the Spice Girls debut album were all released around the same time and signified the bridge between the early mid 90s into the late 90s. Very important record of my youth.

Any justification why?

>most important alternative rock album of all time?
exremely debatable
I'd say Doolittle or one of Pavement's first two albums fits the bill, and those came out earlier than OKC

>>69248571
Why is this album important? I fucking hear that all the time but nobody explains it. Just people like this poster >>69248594 agreeing and not explaining why.

>>69248571
It's up there, but I wouldn't say the most important. One of the ones that paved the way to mainstream consideration, like Doolittle, is probably at the top.

>>69248613
an album could be shit but if its existence means entire kinds of music veering in drastically different directions then it's important
i guess a substitute word could be 'influential'

>>69248736
Ohh...alright, thanks.

Now I'm trying to think of shitty influential albums.

>>69248684

Before OK Computer came out, we were in the Grunge/Brit Pop era. Ok Computer comes out, a wannabe Britpop band, brings in synths and ambient, and POOF we are in the postmodern era. There were no albums like it before.

>>69248677
also to add on to my own post, you could also say Daydream Nation

I honestly think without any grudge that Daydream Nation is more important than OKC

I listened to Radiohead for the first time this week, I thought it was a shittier version of Interpol.

>>69248793
haha faggot

>>69248774
So we can blame OK Computer for how shit everything has become since then?

>>69248774
How exactly were they no albums like it before? And how did its style influence the "postmodern" era?

>>69248774
>There were no albums like it before
have you ever heard of pink floyd? i know they're a bit obscure but

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Kid A woud be more important

>>69248774
>Before OK Computer came out, we were in the Grunge/Brit Pop era. Ok Computer comes out, a wannabe Britpop band, brings in synths and ambient, and POOF we are in the postmodern era.
absolute shit uninformed opinion
back to re.ddit with you kiddo

I love this album, but i don't get why people say that it's very important/influential. It's just a great art rock album with a great sound, but nowhere as influential as other important albums in history of music.

>>69248940
>nowhere as influential as other important albums in history of music.
ok computer is literally a mish mash of all the important albums of the 20th century get a grip

>>69248848

Being a teenager when that album came out, I can tell you that I was listening to groups like Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews Band, Collective Soul, Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, standard Grunge/Post-Grunge stuff. I read in a magazine, I forget the name, it was a video game/electronic music magazine at the time, that were praising OK Computer. I go out to Sam Goody, buy the CD, come home, listen to it. The whole record changed my life. I started listening to Cassius, Aphex Twin, Everything But the Girl (later stage, didn't get into the older stuff until college). I go from being a confused Grunge/Alt-kid wannabe to a rave kid within the year of that album coming out. OK Computer got me into electronic music and it did for a lot of people my age at the time.

>>69248999
You had better taste before OKC

>>69248676
le influendential
le genre mixing
le production considered as important as musical content
le concept balbum elevating rock to '"""""""""art""""""""""
le elecdronic and rock
le babbys first "real" muzac

>>69248571
"Important" is qualitative and therefore extremely hard to answer, because one would have to remember the quality of all the albums it had influenced.

Is "influential" the word you're looking for?

>>69248677
>Doolittle
>important
Maybe to buttrock-listening angsty teens.

>>69249182
>Maybe to buttrock-listening angsty teens.

I'm not sure you really understand the cultural climate of 1989

>>69249063
Dude, OkC has pretty solid musical content and you're strawmanning and you know it

>>69249278
What enlightened projecting.

>>69249182
>buttrock-listening angsty teens
holy shit, could you possibly be more wrong

>>69249347
>saying someone is projecting on the internet in 2016
>being taken seriously

you can only have one captain wow

>>69249347
don't get in fights on the internet. it's not worth it

It is important as a meme album that you have to listen too if you want to get into meme music

>>69248571
Yes.
>>69248594
Yes.

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how about this. it was really important to a lot of people. I think many would agree it's the most important album of the 90's, and kid A was the most important album of the 00's.

I think it's safe to say they are the most important band since the beatles.

to all the contrarians thank (you)

>>69248736
>its existence means entire kinds of music veering in drastically different directions then it's important
This isn't caused by shit albums though

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This one had more influence IMO

>>69249347
Not that guy but no, it's not that strong musically. If we base the album on anything but production, it isn't that special.

>>69248848
Well, name some albums exactly like it before

>>69250375
>Not that guy but no, it's not that strong musically.
Why not?

>>69250375
>not that strong musically
wut

>>69248613
Imo Manuel Gottsching stomps the shit out of Kraftwerk but I'd have to be insane to argue that he's more important

>>69250309
For better or for worse

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This is the most important alt rock album of all time.

lmaoing @ radiohead fans
they influenced like 2 artists lol keep believing their works are important. If you want truly influencial you're looking at Highway 61, VU&N and Trans Europa Express, not Radiohead.

>>69250266
>it was really important to a lot of people
That doesn't make it important at all.
>I think it's safe to say they are the most important band since the beatles.
The most overrated, you mean?

>>69248999
this is a personal thing and has no relevance to OKCs place in history
radiohead is good for getting people into better albums though for sure

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hello

>>69248890
Let's hear your reasoning.

>>69248571
I don't think so. It's a highlight of its period which is due to the changing style they took but while I don't know alt.rock especially well I'm certain it wasn't the most important in the field. Immediately I'd ask is Portishead alt.rock?

>>69248571
>what is definitely maybe
>what is nevermind

>>69252800
absolutely douching & radioplebs imo

>>69249182
>Maybe to buttrock-listening angsty teens.
K I L L Y O U R S E L F

>>69254556
S T O P B R E A T H I N G I M M E D I A T E L Y Y O U F A G

>>69248880
Nothing in their discography is like OK Computer. Note, I'm not saying nothing is as good, I'm just saying OK Computer was completely different than anything in its time.

Doolittle, maybe Surfer Rosa.

>>69254592
I'm inclined to agree. I did like 'electionering' but the rest of it can die in a fire

>>69254679
tell that to your virgin penis lmao

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>>69248571
>No OP
Pic related is

>>69252849
>radiohead is good for getting people into better albums though for sure
this is a personal thing and has no relevance to OKCs place in history

I don't understand this album

It's not that good, but that I have no problem with, since taste is subjective af. It's the "influential" part that I can't understand. What great bands were influenced by it?

>>69258525
>It's the "influential" part that I can't understand. What great bands were influenced by it?
Well, do you think there's any great bands in the Shoegaze, space rock and noise pop genres?

>>69258676
Non sequitur

All three of those artists were influenced y this though.

>>69258525
>>69258676
>>69258761
Oh shit, I was replying in the wrong thread, I thought we were talking about Piper at the Gates of Dawn, sorry.

Let's try again
>It's not that good, but that I have no problem with, since taste is subjective af. It's the "influential" part that I can't understand. What great bands were influenced by it?
"Great" is subjective af. Nice try though.

>>69258919
>If i don't like it, it's garbage!
nah

>>69259005
>the truth is garbage!
If you say so

most important album ever was Revolver and its not even close

>>69260755
>revolver
>alternative rock

>>69258811
ok, let's try this again

What bands were influenced by it?

>>69252904
Came here to post this

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>>69248571
i think this is more important...so many albums have stemmed off of this.

>>69261246
>We wanna be The flaming Lips: The Album

>>69261333
not even close. if anything the pixies but pinkerton has a sound like no other.

>>69261418
>pinkerton has a sound like no other.
except Clouds taste Metallic and Surfer Rosa

>>69250309
this ofc
check views on post-grunge bands videos

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>>69248684
It's important because Radiohead fans have beastly SAT scores.

>>69248571
It's certainly good, and definitely important, but I'd argue that the Beatles were more important.

>>69261784
Sufjan Stevens fans are the smartest
YIS

>>69248762
808s and heartbreaks

>>69261925
I have heard no one influenced by Kanye West

If I can't get enough Radiohead, what are some other good bands to listen to?

Also, why won't Thom cut his fucking hair

>>69249063
thanks for voicing my opinion too, important... kek

>>69261925
....I am really surprised I didn't think of this when I first posted that.

Thanks, anon!

>>69263281
Maybe because it's not that influential?

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>>69248571
Can't be arsed typing it out again

>>69263289
Well it influenced Drake...and....uhhh....

...Drake.

>>69263347
Wow.

No idea who that even is

>>69262441
then you're a moron

>>69248793
lmao. what a faggot.

>>69248774
>*there were no mainstream albums like it before
FTFY

>>69263343
>Radiohead went out to make the greatest album of all time

Do you have a source on this? Was this an explicit goal of theirs'?

>mastered 'the album'

Subjective as hell. Yes, it's a subtle and nuanced concept album - but that doesn't mean it excels at 'being an album' more than any other great LPs. I will say that it is the best at doing what it does, but what it does is very specific (And I'm not knocking them, they do what they do *really* well.).

>Thom Yorke's vocals...represents humanity surrounded by our own creations that are suffocating us

Source on this? I'm not even that skeptical but it would be nice to hear it from the horse's mouth.

>OK Computer title

Source? Although this one makes a whole lot of sense. I've read that it's from a chant Thom heard in a store but never considered that it's a phrase used to indicate submission.

Interesting stuff, thanks for posting.

>>69263676
>you aren't familiar with the current flavor of the month?
>what a moron!
>>69263714
No, any albums. Prove otherwise.

>>69263715
>>OK Computer title
>Source?
Not him but if it's any help, there was a song called "OK Computer" and many believe "fitter happer" was originally that song, retitled.

>>69263791
Oh man. Even if it isn't true, the idea of this is so fucking cool.

>>69263834
Ooops sorry I was wrong. The b-side "Palo Alto" was the song "OK computer", not "fitter happier". The song was never finished for the album.

So the meaning of OK computer is in the lyrics:

in a city of the future
it is difficult to concentrate
meet the boss, meet the wife
everybody's happy
everyone is made for life

in a city of the future
it is difficult to find a space
i'm too busy to see you
you're too busy to wait

but i'm okay, how are you
thanks for asking, thanks for asking
i'm okay, how are you
i hope you're okay too

give me one of those days
when the sky is California blue
in a beautiful bombshell
i throw myself into my own work
it's amazing, i kidded myself for so long

i'm okay, how are you
thanks for asking, thanks for asking
i'm okay, but how are you
i hope you're okay too

>>69263980
Good shit.

>>69263715
>Do you have a source on this? Was this an explicit goal of theirs'?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK_Computer#Style_and_influences
"Radiohead hoped to achieve an "atmosphere that's perhaps a bit shocking when you first hear it, but only as shocking as the atmosphere on the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds.""
And they drew heavy influence from Bitches Brew and Can, they wanted to "abuse the recording process" as those albums did, and they wanted to create an "incredibly dense and terrifying sound", while taking big influence from A Day in A Life and Wish You Were Here.

I think it's very clear from any logical perspective of their recording process and inspiration they wanted to make something huge. I mean besides all that anyway, the record is just ridiculously ambitious anyway. It's not just incredibly boundary pushing in it's production and thematic resonance, but every song is so huge and ambitious sound wise you can't deny it.
>Subjective as hell. Yes, it's a subtle and nuanced concept album - but that doesn't mean it excels at 'being an album' more than any other great LPs. I will say that it is the best at doing what it does, but what it does is very specific (And I'm not knocking them, they do what they do *really* well.).
Well everything in music discussion is subjective really but yeah I'm talking about how they managed to make such a cohesive and huge record, I mean I know it's not like Album orientated rock wasn't done a million times before, but it's just specifically that they managed to capture the mood of a whole millennium coming to a close in such a convincing and genius way, Sure there's great rock records in the past that captured eras and that, but it's that they managed to make the album such a global event and such a huge statement, it's the same thing The Beatles did for Sgt. Peppers. OK Computer is cinematic in scale and forever changed the average rock bands perception of the importance of 'the album', think about an album like TPAB

>>69264324
I just think there's a big mentality difference between wanting to create something good and wanting to create something that's 'the best'. If Radiohead was trying to create 'the greatest album of all time' then it changes the context.

For now I just assume that they had a particular sound and theme in mind and wanted to achieve it to the best of their ability.

>TPAB

To Pimp a Butterfly? Can't say I know much about it.

>>69263715
>Source on this? I'm not even that skeptical but it would be nice to hear it from the horse's mouth.
I recommend Tim Footman's analysis of a lot of OK Computer, I've read quite a few extracts from his work and it seems spot on.
And yes of course Thom Yorke hasn't went out and said this is what they were going for, of course Yorke has continually stated they're just a pop band and there was no artistic intention, just like what Dylan says about his work.
I'm not saying trust critics for the correct interpretation of music all the time, but the musicians themselves are sometimes the last people you want to trust for it
>Source? Although this one makes a whole lot of sense
http://www.whoinspired.com/wiki/OK_Computer
(scorll down to the last one)
"Yorke said it "refers to embracing the future, it refers to being terrified of the future, of our future, of everyone else's. It's to do with standing in a room where all these appliances are going off and all these machines and computers and so on ... and the sound it makes." Yorke described the title as "a really resigned, terrified phrase", to him similar to the Coca-Cola advertisement "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing""

>>69264445
>For now I just assume that they had a particular sound and theme in mind and wanted to achieve it to the best of their ability.
Well this is precisely my point, they weren't just making a record influenced by some nice rock n' roll bands, they weren't just making a prog rock or a brit pop album

They were literally studying and being inspired by shit from Avant-Garde Jazz to Instrumental Hip-hop to Psychedelic Krautrock, they were studying the most game changing and ambitious music ever made, and they wanted to top them all, it's incredibly clear if you look at their recording process in my opinion, they clearly weren't just putting together some nice tunes, they wanted to make something HUGE

Anyway I have to go to bed m8, good discussions

>>69248736
example: Metal Machine Music

>>69248880
why does everyone say OK Computer sounds like Pink Floyd? I really can't hear any similarities other than the themes

>>69265277
Greenwood has a very Gilmour-esque style and tone.

>>69262441
If ur rlly gonna try and tell me modern rap is not influenced by kanye west like idk what to say man

>>69265375
>idk what to say man
You can start be explaining it, unless you can't articulate your thoughts?

>>69265305
no he doesn't. lucky to some extent in a few categories sounds something like dark side of the moon, that's it. the part on pink floyd's pigs were rogers says, "but you're really a cryyyyy" kind of sounds like something that might be on amnesiac. pink floyd and radiohead don't sound much alike ever.

>>69265277
it does, everyone makes the comparison to them and especially DSOTM

it being a concept album dealing with an existential zeitgeist or whatever.
the special effects, how it changed the sound of pop music thereafter like Sgt. Pepper and DSOTM, those very Gilmour-like guitar tones on tracks like The Tourist and Subterranean Homesick Alien
languid living-room psychedelia
the drowsy melodies and guitar licks, the lulling singing

the comparisons easily spring to mind if you ever dabbled really hard in post-Barrett Pink Floyd's albums

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>>69248774
What happens if we take a Synthpop band that adds in Organ and ambient? And one that Radiohead owes a huge debt?
If you're going to say something that's completely vague like "postmodern era", at least give the title to something that deserves it more than fucking OK Computer

>>69265476
No I mean his guitar playing and tone in general

>>69265277
The themes are similar enough to warrant the comparison, I guess

But musically, if OKPC was a Pink Floyd album we would have much more Fitter Happier and way less Paranoid Android

>>69265790
>OKPC was a Pink Floyd album we would have much more Fitter Happier and way less Paranoid Android
half right
it'd be an album wholly consisting off (and other very similar songs) Lucky, Subterranean Homesick Alien, No Surprises and Fitter Happier

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>>69262841
>If I can't get enough Radiohead, what are some other good bands to listen
Not quite the same, but you should check out The Sophtware Slump by Grandaddy. For better or for worse, its considered by a ton of people to be OK Computer's awkward cousin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqNzQSPwICs&list=PLJe4sGYVExp-NKEjCM9PA5jOSTWMXWmiu