100 Best Albums of the Nineties: Radiohead, 'The Bends'

100

99

98

97

96

95

94

93

92

91
90

89

88

87

86

85

84

83

82

81
80

79

78

77

76

75

74

73

72

71
70

69

68

67

66

65

64

63

62

61
60

59

58

57

56

55

54

53

52

51
50

49

48

47

46

45

44

43

42

41
40

39

38

37

36

35

34

33

32

31
30

29

28

27

26

25

24

23

22

21
20

19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11
10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Radiohead, 'The Bends'

prev 21/100 next

According to the script, Radiohead were supposed to disappear after their fluky 1993 smash "Creep," leaving only fond memories of Thom Yorke's Martin Short—after-electroshock yodel and that wukku-wukku guitar hook. But The Bends shocked everyone with its widescreen psychedelic glory, raising Radiohead to a very Seventies kind of U.K. art-rock godhead. The depressive ballad "Fake Plastic Trees" turned up in Clueless, in which Alicia Silverstone memorably tags the band as "complaint rock"; in big-bang dystopian epics like "High and Dry," Yorke's choirboy whimper runs laps around Jonny Greenwood's machinehead guitar heroics. U2 would have sold crack to nuns to make this record.

• Rolling Stone's 2003 Review

• Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Radiohead's 'The Bends'

• Photos: The 15 Most Eco-Friendly Rockers