Jump to content

In Rainbows

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from LP7)
For the video album, see In Rainbows – From the Basement.

In Rainbows
The album title written several times in different colors with the artist name at the bottom twice
Studio album by
Radiohead
Released10 October 2007 (2007-10-10)
RecordedFebruary 2005 – June 2007
Studio
Genre
Length42:39
Label
ProducerNigel Godrich
Radiohead chronology
Com Lag (2plus2isfive)
(2004) 		In Rainbows
(2007) 		Radiohead Box Set
(2007)
Singles from In Rainbows
  1. "Jigsaw Falling into Place"
    Released: 14 January 2008
  2. "Nude"
    Released: 31 March 2008

In Rainbows is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 10 October 2007 as a pay-what-you-want download, followed by a retail release internationally through XL Recordings on 3 December 2007 and in North America through TBD Records on 1 January 2008. It was Radiohead's first release after their recording contract with EMI ended with their album Hail to the Thief (2003).

Radiohead began work on In Rainbows in early 2005. In 2006, after their sessions with the producer Spike Stent proved fruitless, they re-enlisted their longtime producer, Nigel Godrich. Radiohead recorded in the country houses Halswell House and Tottenham House, the Hospital Club in London, and their studio in Oxfordshire, using conventional rock instrumentation plus electronic instruments, strings, piano and the ondes Martenot. The lyrics are less political and more personal than previous Radiohead albums.

Radiohead released In Rainbows online and allowed fans to set their own price, saying this liberated them from conventional promotional formats and removed barriers to audiences. It was the first such release by a major act and drew international media attention. Many praised Radiohead for challenging old models and finding new ways to connect with fans, while others felt it set a dangerous precedent at the expense of less successful artists.

Radiohead promoted In Rainbows with webcasts, music videos, competitions and a worldwide tour. "Jigsaw Falling into Place" and "Nude" were released as singles; "Nude" became Radiohead's first US top-40 song since their debut single "Creep" (1992). The retail release of In Rainbows topped the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, and by October 2008 it had sold more than three million copies worldwide. It was the bestselling vinyl record of 2008 and is certified platinum in the UK and Canada and gold in the US, Belgium and Japan. In Rainbows won Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package, and was ranked one of the best albums of the year and the decade by various publications. Rolling Stone included In Rainbows in its updated lists of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Background

[edit]

In 2004, after finishing the world tour for their sixth studio album, Hail to the Thief (2003), Radiohead went on hiatus. As Hail to the Thief was the final album released under their record contract with EMI, they had no contractual obligation to release new material.[1] The drummer, Philip Selway, said Radiohead still wanted to create music, but took a break to focus on other areas of their lives, and that the end of their contract provided a natural point to pause and reflect.[2] The New York Times described Radiohead as "by far the world's most popular unsigned band".[1]

In 2005, the singer and songwriter, Thom Yorke, appeared on the web series From the Basement, performing the future In Rainbows tracks "Videotape", "Down is the New Up" and "Last Flowers".[3] He released his first solo album, The Eraser, in 2006.[2] The lead guitarist, Jonny Greenwood, also composed his first solo works, the soundtracks Bodysong (2004) and There Will Be Blood (2007).[2]

Recording

[edit]

In March 2005, Radiohead began writing and recording in their Oxfordshire studio. They initially chose to work without their longtime producer, Nigel Godrich. According to the guitarist Ed O'Brien, "We were a little bit in the comfort zone ... We've been working together for 10 years, and we all love one another too much."[4] The bassist, Colin Greenwood, later denied this, saying Godrich had been busy working with Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck.[5] At the Ether festival in July 2005, Jonny Greenwood and Yorke performed a version of the future In Rainbows track "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" with the London Sinfonietta orchestra and the Arab Orchestra of Nazareth.[6]

Radiohead performing at the Greek Theatre, Berkeley, California, in 2006. Radiohead used the tour to test songs later recorded for In Rainbows.

Regular recording sessions began that August, with Radiohead updating fans on their progress intermittently on their new blog, Dead Air Space. The sessions were slow, and the band struggled to regain confidence. According to Yorke, "We spent a long time in the studio just not going anywhere, wasting our time, and that was really, really frustrating."[1] They attributed their slow progress to a lack of momentum after their break,[1] the lack of deadline and producer, and the fact that all the members had become fathers.[2][7]

In December 2005, Radiohead hired the producer Spike Stent, who had worked with artists including U2 and Björk, to help them work through their material. Stent listened to their self-produced work and agreed it was subpar.[8] The collaboration with Stent was unsuccessful.[9]

Concerned by the lack of progress, Radiohead's management suggested they break up. Brian Message, one of their managers, said later: "You have to be honest if it's not working. You have to have passion about what you do."[10] O'Brien said Radiohead decided to continue because "when you got beyond all the shit and the bollocks, the core of these songs were really good".[2] He felt In Rainbows could be the final Radiohead record, and was motivated by a desire to secure their legacy as a great band.[8]

In an effort to break the deadlock, Radiohead decided to tour for the first time since 2004. They performed in Europe and North America in May and June 2006, and returned to Europe for several festivals in August, performing many new songs.[1] According to Yorke, the tour forced them to finish writing the songs. He said: "Rather than it being a nightmare, it was really, really good fun, because suddenly everyone is being spontaneous and no one's self-conscious because you're not in the studio ... It felt like being 16 again."[1]

Nigel Godrich sessions

[edit]
Tottenham House, Wiltshire

After the tour, Radiohead discarded the recordings made with Stent and re-enlisted Godrich.[9] According to Yorke, Godrich gave them "a walloping kick up the arse".[11] To focus them, Godrich transferred their rhythm tracks to a single track, where they could not be further altered. According to Colin, "The idea was to make us commit to something ... It was as if we were sampling ourselves. And when you mash sounds together like that they cross-pollinate, they marinade, they interact with each other... They have little sonic babies."[12] Yorke said the band attempted to create "a sense of disembodiment" by using elements from different versions of songs. For example, "All I Need" was assembled from takes from four different versions.[13]

The Hospital Club, London

For three weeks in October 2006, Radiohead worked at Tottenham House in Marlborough, Wiltshire, a country house scouted by Godrich. The band members lived in caravans, as the building was in a state of disrepair.[2] Yorke described it as "derelict in the stricter sense of the word, where there's holes in the floor, rain coming through the ceilings, half the window panes missing ... There were places you just basically didn't go. It definitely had an effect. It had some pretty strange vibes."[11] The sessions were productive and the band recorded "Jigsaw Falling into Place" and "Bodysnatchers".[8] Yorke wrote on Dead Air Space that Radiohead had "started the record properly now ... starting to get somewhere I think. Finally."[14] Radiohead used several guitars borrowed from the guitarist Johnny Marr, including a 1957 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top and a 1964 Gibson SG.[15] Colin Greenwood contracted temporary hearing loss and tinnitus brought upon by faulty headphones.[16]

In December 2006, sessions took place at Halswell House in Taunton, and Godrich's studio at the Hospital Club in Covent Garden, London, where Radiohead recorded "Videotape" and completed "Nude".[2][8] In January, Radiohead resumed recording in their Oxfordshire studio and started to post photos, lyrics, videos and samples of new songs on Dead Air Space.[17] In June, having wrapped up recording, Godrich posted clips of songs on Dead Air Space.[18][19]

Feeling Hail to the Thief was overlong, Radiohead wanted their next album to be concise.[20] Yorke said: "I believe in the rock album as an artistic form of expression. In Rainbows is a conscious return to this form of 45-minute statement ... Our aim was to describe in 45 minutes, as coherently and conclusively as possible, what moves us."[21] They settled on 10 songs, saving the rest for a bonus disc included in the limited edition.[22] Yorke recorded "Last Flowers", included on the bonus disc, in the Eraser sessions.[8] In Rainbows was mastered by Bob Ludwig in July 2007 at Gateway Mastering, New York City.[23]

Music

[edit]

In Rainbows incorporates elements of art rock,[24] experimental rock,[24][25] alternative rock,[26] art pop,[27] and electronica.[28] O'Brien said Radiohead were hesitant to create an "epic" record, which they felt had negative associations of stadium rock. However, he conceded that "epic is also about beauty, like a majestic view, and what we did on this record was to allow the songs to be epic when they have to be". He cited "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" as an example of a song that was "obviously epic in scope".[8] Yorke said Radiohead considered In Rainbows "our classic album, our Transformer, our Revolver, our Hunky Dory".[21]

Yorke said that the lyrics were based on "that anonymous fear thing, sitting in traffic, thinking, 'I'm sure I'm supposed to be doing something else'." He likened them to Radiohead's their 1997 album OK Computer, but "much more terrifying".[29] He said that, unlike Hail to the Thief, there was "very little anger" in In Rainbows: "It's in no way political, or, at least, doesn't feel that way to me. It very much explores the ideas of transience. It starts in one place and ends somewhere completely different."[30] In another interview, Yorke said the album was about mortality and the realisation that he could die at any moment.[31] O'Brien described the lyrics as universal and about "being human", with no political agenda.[20] The title In Rainbows was chosen because it was open-ended and not provocative or polarising, and reflected Donwood's artwork.[32]

The opening track, "15 Step", features a quintuple meter and a handclap rhythm inspired by "Fuck the Pain Away" by Peaches.[33][2] Radiohead recorded cheers by a group of children from the Matrix Music School & Arts Centre in Oxford.[34] "Bodysnatchers", which Yorke described as a combination of Wolfmother, Neu! and "dodgy hippy rock",[2] was recorded when he was in a period of "hyperactive mania".[13] The lyrics were inspired by Victorian ghost stories, the 1972 novel The Stepford Wives and Yorke's feeling of "your physical consciousness trapped without being able to connect fully with anything else".[35]

On "All I Need", Jonny Greenwood wanted to capture the white noise generated by a band playing loudly in a room, which never occurs in the studio. His solution was to have a string section play every note of the scale, blanketing the frequencies.[35] Radiohead recorded a version of "Nude" during the OK Computer sessions, but discarded it. This version featured a Hammond organ, a "straighter" feel, and different lyrics.[36] For In Rainbows, Colin Greenwood wrote a new bassline, which Godrich said "transformed it from something very straight into something that had much more of a rhythmic flow".[36]

"Reckoner" developed while Radiohead were working on another song, "FeelingPulledApartByHorses".[20] It features Yorke's falsetto, "frosty, clanging" percussion, a "meandering" guitar line, piano, and strings arranged by Jonny Greenwood.[37] Yorke described it as "a love song... sort of".[38] He said the line "because we separate like ripples on a blank shore" was the centre of In Rainbows, and that "everything's leading to that point and then going away from that point".[39] He described "House of Cards" as "mellow and summery", and likened it to the 1968 instrumental "Albatross" by Fleetwood Mac.[2] Mike Diver of Drowned in Sound described "Jigsaw Falling into Place" as a "bass-propelled pop-rock head-bobber".[40] The lyrics were inspired by the chaos witnessed by Yorke when drinking in Oxford, a combination of elation and "a much darker side".[13]

Yorke said composing "Videotape" was "absolute agony", and that it "went through every possible parameter".[41] He initially wanted it to be a "post-rave trance track", similar to the music of Surgeon, and said Jonny Greenwood was "obsessed" with shifting the start of the bar.[41] Radiohead performed "Videotape" a more conventional rock arrangement on tour in 2006, with Selway's drums building to a climax.[42] For the album, Godrich and Greenwood reduced the song to a minimal piano ballad with percussion from a Roland TR-909 drum machine.[42]

Artwork

[edit]

The In Rainbows artwork was designed by Radiohead's longtime collaborator Stanley Donwood.[43] Donwood worked in the studio while Radiohead worked on the album, allowing the artwork to convey the mood of the music.[30] He displayed images in the studio and on the studio computer for the band to interact with and comment on. He also posted images daily on the Radiohead website, though none were used in the final artwork.[44]

Donwood experimented with photographic etching, putting prints into acid baths[45] and throwing wax at paper, creating images influenced by NASA space photography.[30] He originally planned to explore suburban life, but realised it did not fit the album, saying: "The music took a different direction and became much more organic, sensual and sexual, so I started working with wax and syringes."[46] He described the final artwork as "very colourful ... It's a rainbow but it is very toxic, it's more like the sort of one you'd see in a puddle."[47] Radiohead did not reveal the cover until the retail release.[47] The limited edition includes a booklet containing additional artwork by Donwood.[45]

Release

[edit]

On 1 October 2007, Jonny Greenwood announced the album on Radiohead's blog, writing: "Well, the new album is finished, and it's coming out in 10 days; we've called it In Rainbows."[48] The post contained a link to inrainbows.com, where users could pre-order an MP3 version of the album for any amount they wanted, including £0.[48]

The release was a landmark use of the pay-what-you-want model for music sales.[35] It was suggested by Radiohead's managers, Bryce Edge and Chris Hufford, in April 2007.[31] According to Selway, "Because [the album] was taking quite long, our management were twiddling thumbs at points and they were just coming up with ideas. And this was one that really stuck."[31] Colin Greenwood explained the release as a way of avoiding the "regulated playlists" and "straitened formats" of radio and TV, ensuring listeners around the world would experience the music at the same time and preventing leaks in advance of a physical release.[49] He said the decision had not been made for financial gain, and that if money had been Radiohead's motivation they would have accepted an offer from Universal Records.[31]

Formats and distribution

[edit]

For the In Rainbows download, Radiohead employed the network provider PacketExchange to bypass public internet servers, using a less-trafficked private network.[50] The download was packaged as a ZIP file containing the album's ten tracks encoded in a 160 kbit/s DRM-free MP3 format.[51] The staggered online release began at about 5:30am GMT on 10 October 2007. The download was removed on 10 December.[52]

Radiohead also sold a limited "discbox" edition from their website. It contained the album on CD and two 12" heavyweight 45 rpm vinyl records with artwork and lyric booklets, plus an enhanced CD with eight additional tracks, digital photos and artwork, packaged in a hardcover book and slipcase. The limited edition was shipped from December 2007.[53] In June 2009, Radiohead made the In Rainbows bonus disc available for download on their website for £6.[54]

Radiohead ruled out an internet-only distribution, saying that 80% of people still bought physical releases and that it was important to have an "artefact" or "object".[55] For the retail release, Radiohead retained ownership of the recordings and compositions but licensed the music to record labels.[56] Licensing agreements were managed by Radiohead's publisher, Warner Chappell Music Publishing.[56]

In Rainbows was released on CD and vinyl in Japan by BMG on 26 December 2007,[57] in Australia on 29 December 2007 by Remote Control Records,[58] and in the United States by the ATO imprint TBD Records and in Canada by MapleMusic and Fontana on 1 January 2008.[59][60] Elsewhere, it was released on 31 December 2007 by the independent record label XL Recordings,[61] which had released Yorke's solo album The Eraser.[62] The CD release came in a cardboard package containing the CD, lyric booklet, and several stickers that could be placed on the blank jewel case to create cover art.[63] In Rainbows was the first Radiohead album available for download in several digital music stores, such as the iTunes Store and Amazon MP3.[64] On 10 June 2016, it was added to the streaming service Spotify.[65]

Response

[edit]

The pay-what-you-want release, the first for a major musical act, attracted international media attention and sparked debate about the implications for the music industry.[35] According to Mojo, it was "hailed as a revolution in the way major bands sell their music", and the media's reaction was "almost overwhelmingly positive".[8] Time called it "easily the most important release in the recent history of the music business".[66] Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote that "for the beleaguered recording business Radiohead has put in motion the most audacious experiment in years".[35] NME wrote that "the music world seemed to judder several rimes off its axis", and praised the fact that everyone, from fans to critics, had access to the album at the same time, calling it an unusual "moment of togetherness".[67]

The U2 singer Bono praised Radiohead as "courageous and imaginative in trying to figure out some new relationship with their audience".[68] The rapper Jay-Z described the release as "genius",[31] and the singer Courtney Love wrote on her blog: "The kamikaze pilot in me wants to do the same damn thing. I'm grateful for Radiohead for making the first move."[31] In the 2010s, Gigwise and DIY credited In Rainbows as the first "surprise album" — a major album released without prior publicity — ahead of acts such as Beyoncé and U2.[69][70]

The release also drew criticism. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails thought it did not go far enough, and accused Radiohead of using a compressed digital release as a bait-and-switch to promote a traditional record sale. Reznor released his sixth album, Ghosts I–IV, under a Creative Commons licence the following year.[71] The singer Lily Allen said the release was "arrogant" and sent a bad message to less successful acts, saying: "You don't choose how to pay for eggs. Why should it be different for music?"[72] The Sonic Youth bassist, Kim Gordon, said the release "seemed really community-oriented, but it wasn't catered towards their musician brothers and sisters, who don't sell as many records [as Radiohead]. It makes everyone else look bad for not offering their music for whatever."[73] The Guardian journalist Will Hodgkinson argued that Radiohead had made it impossible for less successful musicians to make a living from their music.[74]

Response from Radiohead

[edit]

Responding to criticisms, Jonny Greenwood said Radiohead were responding to the culture of downloading free music, which he likened to the legend of King Canute: "You can't pretend the flood isn't happening."[31] Colin said the criticism was "worrying about all these ancillary questions and forgetting about the primal urge of people to share and enjoy music. And there's always going to be a way of finding money or livings to be made out of it."[31] Yorke told the BBC: "We have a moral justification in what we did in the sense that the majors and the big infrastructure of the music business has not addressed the way artists communicate directly with their fans ... Not only do they get in the way, but they take all the cash."[55]

Radiohead's managers differed from the rest of the music industry and felt that non-profit peer-to-peer file sharing should be legalised.[10] They defended the release as "a solution for Radiohead, not the industry", and doubted "it would work the same way [for Radiohead] ever again".[75] Radiohead have not used the pay-what-you-want system for subsequent releases.[76]

In February 2013, Yorke told the Guardian that though Radiohead had hoped to subvert the corporate music industry with In Rainbows, he feared they had instead played into the hands of content providers such as Apple and Google: "They have to keep commodifying things to keep the share price up, but in doing so they have made all content, including music and newspapers, worthless, in order to make their billions. And this is what we want?"[77]

Piracy

[edit]

The release came at a time when CD sales were falling due to internet piracy.[78] An unidentified executive at a major European label told Time: "This feels like yet another death knell. If the best band in the world doesn't want a part of us, I'm not sure what's left for this business."[66] U2's manager, Paul McGuinness, said that 60 to 70 percent of Radiohead fans had pirated In Rainbows, and saw this as an indication that Radiohead's strategy had failed.[79]

The media measurement company BigChampagne concluded that the music industry should not think of piracy as lost sales, as Radiohead had shown that even releasing music free had not deterred it.[80] Based on this report, Wired concluded that "by 'losing' the battle for the email addresses of those who downloaded their album via bit torrent, [Radiohead] actually won the overall war for the public's attention – no easy feat, these days".[80] In an article for the album's tenth anniversary, NME argued that Radiohead had demonstrated that the best response to piracy was to explore alternative ways to connect with fans, offering content at different price points: "The pay-what-you-want aspect isn't something to be followed slavishly ... It's the willingness to try it and the connection with fans that made it successful that should be an inspiration."[81]

Dispute with EMI

[edit]
The EMI owner, Guy Hands,(pictured in 2019) clashed with Radiohead in public statements.

As Radiohead's recording contract with EMI ended in 2003, Radiohead recorded In Rainbows without a record label. Shortly before work began, Yorke told Time: "I like the people at our record company, but the time is at hand when you have to ask why anyone needs one. And, yes, it probably would give us some perverse pleasure to say 'fuck you' to this decaying business model."[66]

In August 2007, as Radiohead were finishing In Rainbows, EMI was acquired by the private equity firm Terra Firma for US$6.4 billion (£4.7 billion), with Guy Hands as the new chief executive.[82] EMI executives including Keith Wozencroft, who had signed Radiohead to EMI, travelled regularly to Radiohead's studio in hopes of negotiating a new contract.[62] The executives were "devastated" when Radiohead told them they would not be signing.[62] O'Brien later said he had not realised Radiohead's importance to EMI: "That probably sounds really naive. But there weren't people going, 'You're so important.' We were just one of the bands on their roster."[83] According to Eamonn Forde, the author of The Final Days of EMI, Radiohead had lost faith in EMI and thought the new ownership would be a "bloodbath".[62] O'Brien said Radiohead had believed a deal with EMI was possible, and that "it was really sad to leave all the people [we'd worked with] ... But Terra Firma don't understand the music industry."[31]

Hands believed that Radiohead would only have canceled their self-release plan with a "really big" offer,[62] and an EMI spokesperson said that Radiohead had demanded "an extraordinary amount of money".[84] Yorke and Radiohead's management released statements denying this, and said that they had instead wanted control over their back catalogue,[84][85] which Hands had refused.[62] Radiohead's co-manager, Bryce Edge, said Radiohead had the moral rights to the albums.[84] According to Hands, Radiohead wanted a large payment in addition to ownership of their back catalogue, which EMI "valued even more". He estimated that they had wanted "millions and millions".[62] Responding to Hands's statement, Yorke told an interviewer: "It fucking pissed me off. We could have taken them to court. The idea that we were after so much money was stretching the truth to breaking point. That was his PR company briefing against us and I'll tell you what, it fucking ruined my Christmas."[62]

Days after Radiohead signed to XL, EMI announced a box set of Radiohead albums recorded before In Rainbows, released in the same week as the In Rainbows special edition. Radiohead were reportedly angered by the release,[62] and commentators including the Guardian saw it as retaliation for the band choosing not to sign with EMI.[86] Hands defended the reissues as necessary to boost EMI's revenues and said "we don't have a huge amount of reasons to be nice [to Radiohead]".[62] The box set was promoted on Google Ads with an advert falsely claiming that In Rainbows was included. EMI removed it, citing a "data source glitch". A spokesperson for Radiohead said they accepted this was a genuine mistake.[87]

Promotion

[edit]

Webcasts

[edit]

Following the release of In Rainbows, Radiohead broadcast two webcasts from their Oxfordshire studio: "Thumbs Down" in November 2007 and "Scotch Mist" on New Year's Eve. In the US, "Scotch Mist" was also broadcast on Current TV.[88] The webcasts featured performances of In Rainbows songs, covers of songs by New Order, the Smiths and Björk, poetry, and videos created with the comedian Adam Buxton and the filmmaker Garth Jennings.[89][88][90][91] Colin Greenwood described the webcasts as spontaneous and liberating, bypassing the usual lengthy process of commissioning music videos.[90]

Singles and music videos

[edit]

The first single from In Rainbows, "Jigsaw Falling into Place", was released in January 2008,[92] followed by "Nude" on 31 March.[93] They were accompanied by music videos directed by Buxton and Jennings.[94][95] Radiohead held remix competitions for "Nude" and "Reckoner", releasing the separated stems for purchase, and streamed the entries on their website.[96] "Nude" debuted at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100; boosted by sales of the stems, it was the first Radiohead song to enter the chart since "High and Dry" (1995) and Radiohead's first US top-40 song since their debut single, "Creep" (1992).[97][98] In July, Radiohead released a video for "House of Cards", made with lidar technology instead of cameras.[99]

In March 2008, Radiohead ran a contest with the animation company Aniboom whereby entrants submitted concepts for animated music videos for In Rainbows songs. Semifinalists were chosen by TBD Records and the Cartoon Network programming block Adult Swim.[100] Unable to choose only one winner, Radiohead awarded the full prize money of $10,000 each to four semifinalists, who created videos for "15 Step", "Weird Fishes", "Reckoner" and "Videotape".[101]

Live performances

[edit]
Radiohead performing at the 2008 Main Square Festival in Arras, France

On 16 January 2008, a surprise Radiohead performance at the London record shop Rough Trade East was relocated to a nearby club after police raised safety concerns.[102] Radiohead toured North America, Europe, South America and Japan from May 2008 until March 2009.[103] To determine how they could reduce carbon emissions, Radiohead commissioned the environmental group Best Foot Forward.[104] Based on the findings, Radiohead played in amphitheatres rather than smaller venues and focused on playing in city centres to reduce reliance on flights for attendees.[105] They also used a carbon-neutral "forest" of LEDs on stage.[106]

Radiohead recorded a live video, In Rainbows — From the Basement, broadcast on VH1 in May 2008.[107] In February 2009, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed "15 Step" with the University of Southern California Marching Band at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.[108]

Sales

[edit]

Digital

[edit]

In early October 2007, a Radiohead spokesperson reported that most downloaders paid "a normal retail price" for the digital version of In Rainbows, and that most fans had pre-ordered the limited edition.[109] Citing a source close to the band, Gigwise reported that In Rainbows had sold 1.2 million digital copies before its retail release;[110] this was dismissed by Radiohead's co-manager Bryce Edge as "exaggerated".[111]

According to research released in November 2007 by the market research firm Comscore, downloaders paid an average of $2.26 per download globally, and 62% of downloaders paid nothing.[112] Of those who paid, the average paid was $6 globally, with 12% paying between $8 and $12, around the typical cost of an album on iTunes.[112] Radiohead dismissed the report as "wholly inaccurate",[113] but said the results had been good.[31] Another survey, conducted by the industry organisation Record of the Day, found that 28.5% of those who downloaded the album paid nothing or £0.01 and the average price per download was £3.88.[114] In December 2007, Yorke said that Radiohead had made more money from digital sales of In Rainbows than the digital sales of all previous Radiohead albums combined.[41]

In October 2008, one year after the release, Warner Chappell reported that although most people paid nothing for the download, prerelease sales for In Rainbows had been more profitable than the total sales of Hail to the Thief and that the limited edition had sold 100,000 copies.[115] In 2009, Wired reported that Radiohead had made an "instantaneous" £3 million from the album.[116] Pitchfork saw this as proof that, thanks to their fans, "Radiohead could release a record on the most secretive terms, basically for free, and still be wildly successful, even as industry profits continued to plummet."[117]

According to the media measurement company BigChampagne, on the day of release, around 400,000 copies of In Rainbows were pirated via torrent. It had been shared 2.3 million times by 3 November 2007. At its peak, it was shared many times more than the second-most shared album released in the same period. Some piracy came from users driven to torrents after the official website overloaded.[80]

Retail

[edit]

Because inrainbows.com is not a chart-registered retailer, In Rainbows download and limited edition sales were not eligible for inclusion in the UK Albums Chart.[118] On the week of its retail release, In Rainbows reached number one on the UK Albums Chart,[119] with first-week sales of 44,602 copies.[120] In the US, after some record stores broke street date agreements, it entered the Billboard 200 at number 156. However, in the first week of official release, it became the 10th independently distributed album to reach number one on the Billboard 200,[121] selling 122,000 copies.[122] In October 2008, Warner Chappell reported that In Rainbows had sold three million copies worldwide since its retail release,[123] including 1.75 million physical sales.[124] It was the bestselling vinyl album of 2008.[125]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic88/100[126]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[127]
The A.V. ClubA−[128]
Entertainment WeeklyA[129]
The Guardian[130]
Mojo[131]
Pitchfork9.3/10[132]
Q[133]
Rolling Stone[134]
Spin[135]
The Times[136]

On the review aggregate site Metacritic, In Rainbows has a rating of 88 out of 100 based on 42 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[126] The Guardian critic Alexis Petridis praised Radiohead's performance in the studio and said they sounded like they were enjoying themselves.[130] Billboard's Jonathan Cohen commended the album for not being overshadowed by its marketing hype.[137] Andy Kellman of AllMusic wrote that In Rainbows "will hopefully be remembered as Radiohead's most stimulating synthesis of accessible songs and abstract sounds, rather than their first pick-your-price download".[127]

NME described In Rainbows as "Radiohead reconnecting with their human sides, realising you [can] embrace pop melodies and proper instruments while still sounding like paranoid androids ... This [is] otherworldly music, alright."[138] Will Hermes, writing in Entertainment Weekly, called In Rainbows "the gentlest, prettiest Radiohead set yet" and stated that it "uses the full musical and emotional spectra to conjure breathtaking beauty".[129] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone praised its "vividly collaborative sonic touches" and concluded: "No wasted moments, no weak tracks: just primo Radiohead."[134]

Jon Dolan of Blender called In Rainbows "far more pensive and reflective" than Hail to the Thief, writing that it "formulates a lush, sensualised ideal out of vague, layered discomfort".[139] Spin's Mikael Wood felt that it "succeeds because all of that cold, clinical lab work hasn't eliminated the warmth from their music",[135] while Pitchfork's Mark Pytlik wrote it was a more "human" album that "represents the sound of Radiohead coming back to earth".[132] Robert Christgau, writing for MSN Music, gave In Rainbows a two-star honourable mention and wrote that it was "more jammy, less songy and less Yorkey, which is good".[140] The Wire was more critical, finding "a sense here of a group magisterially marking time, shying away ... from any grand, rhetorical, countercultural purpose".[141]

In 2011, The Rolling Stone Album Guide described In Rainbows as Radiohead's "most expansive and seductive album, possibly their all-time high".[142] In 2023, Selway said it was his favourite Radiohead album. He said it combined "everything that we'd been learning over two decades, and it seemed to land in quite a concise way ... It feels like a band that have learned to play their instruments together but have been able to spend long enough doing that so the playing reaches a new level."[143]

Accolades

[edit]

In Rainbows was ranked among the best albums of 2007 by many music publications.[144] It was ranked first by Billboard, Mojo and PopMatters, third by NME and The A.V. Club, fourth by Pitchfork and Q, and sixth by Rolling Stone and Spin.[144] It was also named one of the best albums of the decade by NME,[145] Paste,[146] Rolling Stone,[147] the Guardian,[148] and Newsweek.[149] Rolling Stone included In Rainbows on its updated lists of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time at number 336 in 2012 and number 387 in 2020.[150][151] It was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[152] In 2019, the Guardian named In Rainbows the 11th-greatest album of the 21st century so far.[153] In 2020, Rolling Stone named it one of the 40 most groundbreaking albums for its pay-what-you want release, influencing acts such as Beyoncé and U2.[154] In 2021, Pitchfork readers voted it the fourth-greatest album of the previous 25 years.[155] In 2011, NME ranked "Reckoner" the 93rd-best track of the preceding 15 years,[156] and Pitchfork named it the 254th-greatest song of the decade.[157]

In Rainbows was nominated for the short list of the 2008 Mercury Prize,[158] and won the Grammy awards for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.[159] It was also nominated for Grammy awards for Album of the Year and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (for Godrich), and "House of Cards" was nominated for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Rock Song and Best Music Video.[160]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Radiohead

In Rainbows track listing
No.TitleLength
1."15 Step"3:58
2."Bodysnatchers"4:02
3."Nude"4:15
4."Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"5:18
5."All I Need"3:49
6."Faust Arp"2:10
7."Reckoner"4:50
8."House of Cards"5:28
9."Jigsaw Falling into Place"4:09
10."Videotape"4:40
Total length:42:39

In Rainbows Disk 2

[edit]
In Rainbows Disk 2
EP by
Radiohead
Released3 December 2007
Genre
Length26:49
LabelSelf-released

The special edition of In Rainbows included a second disc, In Rainbows Disk 2, which contains eight additional tracks.[161] Yorke said he felt Disk 2 contained some of Radiohead's best work, such as "Down Is the New Up", but which did not fit the main album.[13] In 2009, Radiohead made Disk 2 available to purchase as a download on their website.[162] It was released on digital services in October 2016.[22]

Music

[edit]

Stereogum characterised Disk 2 as more downcast and "balladeering" than Disk 1, with more piano and less guitar.[163] "MK 1", an instrumental, extends the chords of "Videotape".[163] "Down Is the New Up" is an "ominous" piano anthem, with a "funky" falsetto, "shimmering atmospherics" and orchestral swells.[163][164] "Go Slowly" is a tense, "ghostly" song with guitars, glockenspiel and synthesisers.[164][163] "MK 2" is a synthesiser instrumental.[164] "Up on the Ladder" features synthesisers and a "gnarled", "funk-ish" guitar riff.[164][163] "Last Flowers" has "mournful" vocals, piano arpeggios and acoustic guitar.[164] "Bangers and Mash" is an "uptempo freakout" with "choppy" guitar.[164][163] "4 Minute Warning" is a "peaceful" song with a droning ambient introduction.[164]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Pitchfork6.2/10[161]
Rolling Stone[165]
StereogumPositive[163]

In Pitchfork, Chris Dahlen wrote that "a lesser band might have crammed some bootlegs and demo takes in here, but when Radiohead put something on disc, they want it to count". However, he criticised Yorke's vocals: "The cynical/alienated rut into which he grinds himself has the persistence of a toothache ... Yorke sounds like neither a post-millennial prophet nor an uncanny empathist, so much as a crank."[161] In Rolling Stone, David Fricke wrote that "if you bought the deluxe box edition of In Rainbows just for the session leftovers, you did not get your eighty dollars' worth", but conceded that the songs "deserve to be on record".[165] Stereogum wrote that the most impressive thing about Disk 2 was "how effortless it all seems".[163]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Radiohead.

In Rainbows Disk 2 track listing
No.TitleLength
1."MK 1"1:03
2."Down Is the New Up"4:59
3."Go Slowly"3:48
4."MK 2"0:53
5."Last Flowers"4:26
6."Up on the Ladder"4:17
7."Bangers + Mash"3:19
8."4 Minute Warning"4:04
Total length:26:49

Personnel

[edit]

Radiohead

Additional musicians

  • The Millennia Ensemble – strings
    • Everton Nelson – leading
    • Sally Herbert – conducting

Production

Artwork

Charts

[edit]

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Certifications and sales for In Rainbows
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[207] Gold 35,000^
Belgium (BEA)[208] Gold 15,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[209] Platinum 100,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[210] Gold 10,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[211] Gold 25,000‡
Japan (RIAJ)[212] Gold 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[213] Platinum 300,000‡
United States (RIAA)[215] Gold 500,000^ / 1,020,000[214]
Summaries
Europe — 500,000[216]
Worldwide — 3,000,000[124]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f Pareles, Jon (2 July 2006). "With Radiohead, and alone, the sweet malaise of Thom Yorke". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 January 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kent, Nick (1 August 2006). "Ghost in the Machine". Mojo. EMAP. pp. 74–77.
  3. ^ Torres, Eric (14 April 2021). "Radiohead unearth Thom Yorke's 2005 From the Basement concert". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Radiohead album – the band speak". NME. 22 December 2005. Archived from the original on 26 January 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  5. ^ Dombal, Ryan (28 March 2008). "Radiohead". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 18 August 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018. It wasn't about being too safe with him, he just wasn't around because he was working with Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck. It wasn't like he was twiddling his thumbs and we were like, 'Ah well, we won't give him a ring.'
  6. ^ Pritchard, Stephen (3 April 2005). "Don't box them in". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Radiohead speak from the studio". NME. 1 February 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Paytress, Mark (1 January 2008). "Chasing Rainbows". Mojo.
  9. ^ a b Vozick-Levinson, Simon (27 April 2012). "The making of Radiohead's In Rainbows'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  10. ^ a b Collins, John (1 May 2009). "Working in harmony". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Radiohead on in Rainbows". XFM. 28 January 2008. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  12. ^ "Radiohead: The Escape Artists, Part Two". The Word. 7 May 2008. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  13. ^ a b c d Marshall, Julian (8 December 2007). "Rainbow Warriors". NME. p. 8—11.
  14. ^ Yorke, Thom (15 October 2006). "if you are concerned about climate change". Dead Air Space. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  15. ^ Marr, Johnny (2023). Marr's Guitars. Thames & Hudson. pp. 146–149, 163, 285. ISBN 978-0500026328.
  16. ^ "Radiohead deafened during 'In Rainbows' sessions". NME. 27 May 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  17. ^ Yorke, Thom (19 January 2007). "back at werk". Dead Air Space. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2007.
  18. ^ Godrich, Nigel (15 June 2007). "a bit of tape from the studio". Dead Air Space. Archived from the original on 18 June 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
  19. ^ "Radiohead's In Rainbows: track-by-track preview". Rolling Stone. 1 October 2007. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2007.
  20. ^ a b c Yorke, Thom; O'Brien, Ed (19 November 2007). "Interview with Thom & Ed". BBC 6 Music (Interview). Interviewed by Steve Lamacq. BBC.
  21. ^ a b "Thom Yorke: Why he's glad to have made such a big noise". The Independent. 3 January 2008. Archived from the original on 9 January 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  22. ^ a b Yoo, Noah (14 October 2016). "Radiohead release In Rainbows bonus disc for streaming". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  23. ^ "Radiohead mastering seventh album in New York". NME. 16 July 2007. Archived from the original on 2 September 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2007.
  24. ^ a b c d Malitz, David (11 October 2007). "Radiohead's 'Rainbows': Is Free Release A Potential Pot of Gold?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 18 January 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  25. ^ Mendelsohn, Jason and Eric Klinger (3 May 2013). "Counterbalance No. 127: Radiohead's 'In Rainbows'". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  26. ^ "15 artists who completely reinvented their sound from album to album". Alternative Press. 21 September 2021.
  27. ^ Hyman, Dan (9 December 2011). "The Ten Most Disappointing Albums of 2011: #5 – #1". OC Weekly. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  28. ^ Waniata, Ryan (23 April 2017). "Radiohead started a sonic revolution 25 years ago, and is still leading it". Digital Trends. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  29. ^ "Radiohead reveal 'terrifying' new album". NME. 3 April 2006. Archived from the original on 26 February 2007. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
  30. ^ a b c Chris Mincher (1 July 2007). "Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Ed O'Brien". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i j McLean, Craig (9 December 2007). "Caught in the flash". The Observer. London. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  32. ^ Engelshoven, Tom (17 December 2007). "De prijs van Radiohead". Oor. Argo Media.
  33. ^ Witmer, Phil (22 February 2018). "The first song on Radiohead's debut album predicted their future greatness". Vice. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  34. ^ Doyle, Tom (April 2008). "The Complete Radiohead". Q (261).
  35. ^ a b c d e Pareles, Jon (9 December 2007). "Pay what you want for this article". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 December 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  36. ^ a b "The Music Producers: Nigel Godrich on 'Nude' by Radiohead (2007)". Word Magazine. 14 June 2008. Archived from the original on 3 July 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  37. ^ Pytlik, Mark (15 October 2007). "Radiohead: In Rainbows Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  38. ^ Maletsky, Kiernan. "Radiohead at the Scottrade Center: Selections From Thom Yorke's Banter". Riverfront Times. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  39. ^ Steve Lamaq. 19 November 2007. BBC. BBC 6 Music.
  40. ^ Diver, Mike (14 January 2008). "Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling Into Place". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  41. ^ a b c Byrne, David (18 December 2007). "David Byrne and Thom Yorke on the real value of music". Wired. Archived from the original on 26 December 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2007.
  42. ^ a b Randall, Mac (2011). Exit Music: The Radiohead Story. Delta. pp. 248, 249. ISBN 978-0-385-33393-1.
  43. ^ "Stanley Donwood: Bio". Eyestorm. Archived from the original on 18 March 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
  44. ^ Elize (10 October 2007). "Stanley Donwood on in Rainbows". Creative Review. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2007.
  45. ^ a b Smyth, David (5 October 2007). "Off the Record – Radiohead are right on the money". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2007.
  46. ^ Jones, Lucy (27 September 2013). "Stanley Donwood on the stories behind his Radiohead album covers". NME. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  47. ^ a b "Radiohead artist reveals secret In Rainbows cover art". NME. 24 October 2007. Archived from the original on 28 October 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2007.
  48. ^ a b Greenwood, Jonny (1 October 2007). "In Rainbows". Dead Air Space. Archived from the original on 6 November 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2007.
  49. ^ Greenwood, Colin (13 September 2010). "Radiohead's Colin Greenwood: Set yourself free". Index on Censorship. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  50. ^ "PacketExchange Brings New Radiohead Album to Fans around the Globe in Record Time". StreamingMedia.com. 12 October 2007. Archived from the original on 6 November 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2007.
  51. ^ Eliot Van Buskirk (9 October 2007). "Will Radiohead's Servers Be Able to Handle All Tomorrow's Downloads?". Wired. Archived from the original on 24 December 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2007.
  52. ^ "The End of The Beginning". Dead Air Space. 5 December 2007. Archived from the original on 7 December 2007. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
  53. ^ "Discbox: Details". inrainbows.com. 2007. Archived from the original on 12 December 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  54. ^ Breihan, Tom (9 June 2009). "Radiohead open digital store, sell In Rainbows CD 2". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  55. ^ a b "Web-only album 'mad', says Yorke". BBC News. 2 January 2008. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  56. ^ a b Brandle, Lars (9 October 2007). "Radiohead in Direct-Licensing Deal For New CD". Billboard. Archived from the original on 14 February 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2007.
  57. ^ Barrett, Christopher (8 November 2007). "Radiohead ink North America and Japan deals". Music Week. Archived from the original on 21 May 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2007.
  58. ^ "Radiohead 'In Rainbows' CD Release Date Announced". Remote Control Records. 13 November 2007. Archived from the original on 26 December 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2007.
  59. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (12 November 2007). "Radiohead Sets U.S. Deal For New Album Release". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 February 2008. Retrieved 12 November 2007.
  60. ^ "Maple/Fontana To Release Radiohead's Rainbows in Canada". Chart. 10 December 2007. Archived from the original on 8 January 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  61. ^ Leeds, Jeff (23 October 2007). "Radiohead said to shun major labels in next deal". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  62. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Forde, Eamonn (18 February 2019). "Chasing rainbows: inside the battle between Radiohead and EMI's Guy Hands". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  63. ^ Radiohead (14 December 2007). "Radiohead – In Rainbows – In Stores 1 January 2008". Archived from the original on 21 December 2007. Retrieved 15 December 2007 – via YouTube.
  64. ^ Brandle, Lars (2 January 2008). "Radiohead's In Rainbows looms for UK No. 1". Billboard. Archived from the original on 26 March 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2008.
  65. ^ Monroe, Jazz (10 June 2016). "Radiohead's In Rainbows is now on Spotify". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 14 July 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  66. ^ a b c Tyrangiel, Josh (1 October 2007). "Radiohead says: pay what you want". Time. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
  67. ^ Martin, Dan (22 December 2007). "Radiohead release In Rainbows. The music industry shudders". NME.
  68. ^ "Did Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' Honesty Box Actually Damage the Music Industry?". NME. 15 October 2012. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  69. ^ Finn, Rachel (25 March 2019). "Out of the blue: a brief history of the surprise album". DIY. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  70. ^ Butler, Ben (20 May 2016). "The 10 greatest surprise album drops ever — ranked". Gigwise. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  71. ^ "Trent Reznor: Radiohead's In Rainbows promotion was 'insincere'". CNET. 15 March 2008. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  72. ^ Kreps, Daniel (14 November 2007). "Lily Allen, Oasis, Gene Simmons criticise Radiohead's Rainbows". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  73. ^ Thill, Scott (8 July 2009). "Sonic Youth slams Radiohead's In Rainbows model". Wired. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  74. ^ Hodkingson, Will (19 October 2007). "Thanks, Radiohead, for making it ever harder for new acts to survive". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  75. ^ Edgecliffe-Johnson, Andrew (11 October 2007). "Radiohead MP3 release a tactic to lift CD sales". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 23 November 2007.
  76. ^ Brown, Mike (10 June 2016). "Radiohead embraces Spotify with In Rainbows". Inverse. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  77. ^ Adams, Tim (23 February 2013). "Thom Yorke: 'If I can't enjoy this now, when do I start?'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  78. ^ "Radiohead's bid to revive music industry: pay what you like to download albums". the Guardian. 2 October 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  79. ^ "Radiohead album idea "backfired"". BBC News. 10 June 2008. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  80. ^ a b c Buskirk, Eliot Van (31 July 2008). "New In Rainbows numbers offer lessons for music industry". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  81. ^ "Did Radiohead's In Rainbows honesty box actually damage the music industry?". NME. 9 October 2017. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  82. ^ Holton, Kate; Goldfarb, Jeffrey (21 May 2007). "EMI agrees $4.7 billion offer from Terra Firma". Reuters. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  83. ^ Doyle, Patrick (30 March 2019). "Radiohead Talk Rock Hall Induction: 'It's a Big F-cking Deal'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  84. ^ a b c Amol, Rajan (29 December 2007). "EMI split blamed on Radiohead's £10m advance demands". The Independent. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  85. ^ Kreps, Daniel (2 January 2008). "'Nude' Radiohead video hits web, EMI airs dirty laundry". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  86. ^ Nestruck, Kelly (8 November 2007). "EMI stab Radiohead in the back catalogue". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 November 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  87. ^ "Radiohead speak out about box set mix-up". NME. 13 November 2007. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  88. ^ a b Empire, Kitty (6 January 2008). "Kitty Empire on Radiohead's online celebration of their latest album". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  89. ^ "Radiohead covers the Smiths and New Order (2007)". Open Culture. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  90. ^ a b Ryan, Dombal (28 March 2008). "Radiohead". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  91. ^ Whatley, Jack (7 November 2020). "Radiohead cover Björk's song 'Unravel' in 2007 webcast". Far Out. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  92. ^ "Radiohead's In Rainbows to be released on CD this year". NME. 8 November 2007. Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
  93. ^ "Radiohead announce new single details". NME. 12 March 2008. Archived from the original on 14 March 2008. Retrieved 12 March 2008.
  94. ^ Dombal, Ryan (28 March 2008). "Radiohead". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  95. ^ Henderson, Paul (3 September 2020). "Adam Buxton: 'I made the least popular Radiohead video ever. And I don't care'". GQ. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  96. ^ Buskirk, Elliot (25 September 2008). "Radiohead launches easier, less expensive remix contest". Wired. Archived from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  97. ^ "Radiohead Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  98. ^ Molanphy, Chris (10 April 2008). "Countin' down the drum stems! Remixable single gives Radiohead a hit". Idolator. Archived from the original on 26 May 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
  99. ^ Michaels, Sean (14 July 2008). "Radiohead's camera trick". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  100. ^ Eliot Van Buskirk (17 March 2008). "Radiohead Launches in Rainbows Video Contest". Wired. Archived from the original on 21 March 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2008.
  101. ^ Kreps, Daniel (11 August 2008). "Radiohead picks four winners for animation contest". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  102. ^ "Radiohead abandon record shop gig". BBC. 17 January 2008. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  103. ^ Brandle, Lars (18 October 2007). "Radiohead returning to the road in 2008". Billboard. Archived from the original on 8 February 2008. Retrieved 21 December 2007.
  104. ^ Boyd, Brian (31 May 2008). "Not a carbon copy band". The Irish Times. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  105. ^ Budgen, Simon Hayes (21 December 2007). "Radiohead seek to reduce global impact". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  106. ^ Fischer, Jonathan L. (14 March 2011). "Strobe lights and blown speakers". T. A. G. Sulzberger. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  107. ^ Kreps, Daniel (30 April 2008). "Radiohead Ready VH1 Special, New Video, U.S. Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  108. ^ Singh, Amrit (9 September 2009). "The 2009 Grammys: Just The Good Parts". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  109. ^ "Fans crash Radiohead album site". BBC News. 2 October 2007. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2007.
  110. ^ Colothan, Scott (11 October 2007). "Exclusive: Radiohead sell 1.2 million copies of In Rainbows". Gigwise. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  111. ^ Brandle, Lars (18 October 2007). "Radiohead returning to the road In 2008". Billboard. Archived from the original on 8 February 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2007.
  112. ^ a b Andrews, Robert (6 November 2007). "Data on Radiohead Experiment: 38 Percent of Downloaders Choose To Pay". gigaom.com. Archived from the original on 1 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  113. ^ Schofield, Jack (9 November 2007). "Radiohead rubbishes ComScore download numbers". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  114. ^ "What Price did you choose? Survey Results |". whatpricedidyouchoose.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  115. ^ "Radiohead reveal how successful 'In Rainbows' download really was". NME. 15 October 2008. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2008.
  116. ^ Thill, Scott. "Sonic Youth Slams Radiohead's in Rainbows Model". Wired. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  117. ^ Gordon, Jeremy (12 May 2016). "Internet Explorers: The Curious Case of Radiohead's Online Fandom". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  118. ^ Brown, Jonathan (11 October 2007). "Radiohead album goes live on the internet". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 19 May 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2007.
  119. ^ "Radiohead CD tops UK album chart". BBC News. 6 January 2008. Archived from the original on 8 January 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
  120. ^ Armstrong, Stephen. "The Revolution Will Be Digitised". Q. April 2008
  121. ^ "Ask Billboard: Indies, No. 2 Hits & Teddy Pendergrass". Billboard. 14 September 2009. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  122. ^ Jonathan, Cohen (9 January 2008). "Radiohead Nudges Blige From Atop Album Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on 12 February 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
  123. ^ Kreps, Daniel (15 October 2008). "Radiohead publishers reveal In Rainbows numbers". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  124. ^ a b Thompson, Paul (15 October 2008). "Radiohead's In Rainbows successes revealed". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  125. ^ Kreps, Daniel (8 January 2009). "Radiohead, Neutral Milk Hotel help vinyl sales almost double in 2008". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 31 July 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
  126. ^ a b "Reviews for In Rainbows by Radiohead". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  127. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "In Rainbows – Radiohead". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  128. ^ Modell, Josh (16 October 2007). "Radiohead: In Rainbows". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 12 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  129. ^ a b Hermes, Will (6 October 2007). "In Rainbows". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  130. ^ a b Petridis, Alexis (10 October 2007). "Radiohead's In Rainbows – a five-star review". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  131. ^ Paytress, Mark (December 2007). "Everything must go". Mojo. No. 169. p. 96.
  132. ^ a b Pytlik, Mark (15 October 2007). "Radiohead: In Rainbows". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 21 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  133. ^ Goddard, Simon (December 2007). "Radiohead: In Rainbows". Q. No. 257. p. 107.
  134. ^ a b Sheffield, Rob (1 November 2007). "In Rainbows". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 12 February 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  135. ^ a b Wood, Mikael (December 2007). "After the Revolution". Spin. Vol. 23, no. 12. p. 111. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  136. ^ Paphides, Pete (10 October 2007). "Radiohead: In Rainbows". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 10 August 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  137. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (October 2007). "In Rainbows". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  138. ^ "Radiohead: In Rainbows". NME. 14 December 2007. Archived from the original on 30 December 2007. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
  139. ^ Dolan, Jon (10 October 2007). "Radiohead: In Rainbows". Blender. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
  140. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Radiohead: In Rainbows". RobertChristgau.com. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  141. ^ Dale, Jon (1 December 2007). "Radiohead – In Rainbows". The Wire.
  142. ^ "Radiohead: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 31 October 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  143. ^ Randall, Mac (9 June 2023). "Philip Selway: Tidal Backstory". Tidal. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  144. ^ a b "Metacritic: Best Albums of 2007". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 5 March 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
  145. ^ "The Top 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade". NME. 11 November 2009. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  146. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of the Decade (2000–2009)". 23 October 2009. Archived from the original on 7 March 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  147. ^ "100 Best Albums of the 2000s: Radiohead, 'In Rainbows'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 13 April 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  148. ^ "OMM's Top 50 Albums of the Decade". The Guardian. 21 November 2009. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  149. ^ Colter, Seth. "In Rainbows Radiohead – Best Albums – Newsweek 2010". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  150. ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  151. ^ "500 Best Albums of All Time". Penske Media Core. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  152. ^ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (2014). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
  153. ^ "The 100 best albums of the 21st century". The Guardian. 13 September 2019. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  154. ^ "40 Most Groundbreaking Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  155. ^ "The 200 best albums of the last 25 years, according to Pitchfork readers". Pitchfork. 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  156. ^ Schiller, Rebecca (6 October 2011). "150 best tracks of the past 15 years". NME. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  157. ^ "The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s: 500-201 - Page 2". Pitchfork. 17 August 2009. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  158. ^ "Radiohead News – 2008 Mercury Music Prize Nominees Announced". idiomag. 24 July 2008. Archived from the original on 2 January 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  159. ^ "The 51st Annual Grammy Awards Winner List". Grammy.com. 8 February 2009. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
  160. ^ "The 51st Annual Grammy Awards Nominations List". Grammy.com. 3 December 2008. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  161. ^ a b c Dahlen, Chris (14 December 2007). "Radiohead: In Rainbows [CD 2] album review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  162. ^ "w.a.s.t.e. merchandise :: radiohead :: DIGITAL :: IN RAINBOWS DISK 2". waste.uk.com. 2009. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  163. ^ a b c d e f g h "Premature evaluation: Radiohead – In Rainbows CD2". Stereogum. 4 December 2007. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  164. ^ a b c d e f g Hogan, Marc (28 March 2019). "I might be wrong: every Radiohead song, ranked". Vulture. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  165. ^ a b Fricke, David (24 January 2008). "'In Rainbows' Bonus Disc". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  166. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Radiohead – In Rainbows". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  167. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Radiohead – In Rainbows" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  168. ^ "Ultratop.be – Radiohead – In Rainbows" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  169. ^ "Ultratop.be – Radiohead – In Rainbows" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  170. ^ "Radiohead Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  171. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Radiohead – In Rainbows". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  172. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Radiohead – In Rainbows" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  173. ^ "Radiohead: In Rainbows" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  174. ^ "Lescharts.com – Radiohead – In Rainbows". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  175. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Radiohead – In Rainbows" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  176. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Radiohead". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  177. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Radiohead – In Rainbows". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  178. ^ "レディオヘッドの売上ランキング" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  179. ^ a b "Swisscharts.com – Radiohead – In Rainbows". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  180. ^ "Charts.nz – Radiohead – In Rainbows". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  181. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Radiohead – In Rainbows". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  182. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  183. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  184. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Radiohead – In Rainbows". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  185. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Radiohead – In Rainbows". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  186. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  187. ^ "Radiohead Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  188. ^ "Radiohead Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  189. ^ "Radiohead Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  190. ^ "Radiohead Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  191. ^ "2024 40-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 4 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  192. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Radiohead – In Rainbows". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  193. ^ "Alternative Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  194. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2008". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  195. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2008". Ultratop. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  196. ^ "Rapports Annuels 2008". Ultratop. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  197. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2008". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  198. ^ "Top de l'année Top Albums 2008" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  199. ^ "Classifica Annuale 2008 (dal 31.12.2007 al 28.12.2008) – Album & Compilation" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  200. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2008". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  201. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2008". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  202. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Archived from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  203. ^ "Alternative Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 10 November 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  204. ^ "Independent Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  205. ^ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  206. ^ "Independent Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  207. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2008 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  208. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2008". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  209. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Radiohead – In Rainbows". Music Canada. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  210. ^ "Danish album certifications – In Rainbows". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  211. ^ "Italian album certifications – Radiohead – In Rainbows" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 30 October 2023. Select "2023" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "In Rainbows" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
  212. ^ "Japanese album certifications – レディオヘッド – イン・レインボウズ" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 5 October 2018. Select 2007年12月 on the drop-down menu
  213. ^ "British album certifications – Radiohead – In Rainbows". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  214. ^ DeSantis, Nick. "Radiohead's Digital Album Sales, Visualized". Forbes. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  215. ^ "American album certifications – Radiohead – In Rainbows". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  216. ^ "Impala Sales Award Winner June 2005 – January 2008" (PDF). Impala. 3 December 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=In_Rainbows&oldid=1257218054"