History Music / OKComputer

-->I like you.\\

** And then it fades right into "Fitter Happier", a Stephen Hawking-esque MachineMonotone over [[HellIsThatNoise dissonant piano and a series of bizarre sound effects.]]
** And of course "Paranoid Android" features two transitions from slow and sad to heavy and chaotic. One of those is situated near the middle, the other at the very end.
** "Climbing Up the Walls" is scary enough already, considering it deals with insanity and paranoia. The song then goes into a hyperactive guitar-led ending that has everything crashing at a peak complemented with Thom letting out a [[CarefulWithThatAxe horrific distorted shriek]]. Then most of the instruments fade out, leaving 16 violins playing notes separated by quarters. It can leave you thinking "Wait, how long were they there?!"

* SiameseTwinSongs: "Airbag" segues into "Paranoid Android."

-->''[[TheStinger "Hey man, slow down, slow down"]]''

* TakeThat: The line "Kicking screaming Gucci little piggy" in "Paranoid Android" has been interpreted by some people as a shot at the Music/SpiceGirls. The actual story behind the line is that Thom had a very unpleasant encounter he had in a Los Angeles bar, where a woman reacted violently after somebody spilled a drink on her.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The video for "Paranoid Android" has frontal nudity in it (and [[HardGay gay leathermen]]), although it is animated. Nevertheless, the unedited version was only played on Creator/{{MTV}} post-watershed.
** Thom expressed confusion as to why the censors were so quick to act on the inclusion of uncensored breasts in the video yet were ambivalent to the scene in which a man accidentally chops off his limbs.

->''And when it comes it's so, so disappointing"''

!!!LP One
[[AC: Eeny/Ip]]

[[AC: Meeny/Skip]]

!!!LP Two
[[AC: Miney/Sky]]

[[AC: Mo/Blue]]

[-Note: VanillaEdition CD releases are across a single disc-]

!!!''OKNOTOK'' Bonus Disc
[[AC: Who's]]
# "I Promise" (3:59)
# "Man of War" (4:29)
# "Lift" (4:06)
# "Lull" (2:25)
# "Meeting in the Aisle" (3:07)

[[AC: It]]
# "Melatonin" (2:08)
# "A Reminder" (3:52)
# "Polyethylene (Parts 1 & 2)" (4:22)
# "Pearly" (3:38)
# "Palo Alto" (3:51)
# "How I Made My Millions" (3:07)

Recorded with the intent to present a less introspective album than ''Music/TheBends'', exchanging the 1995 album's personally-oriented lyricism and downbeat melodies in exchange for a more aggressive, experimental, and sociopolitical style, ''OK Computer'' initiated a shift away from the popular {{Britpop}} genre of the time to the more melancholic, atmospheric style of alternative rock that would be prevalent in the next decade (corroborated by the fact that it released just a few months before Music/{{Oasis}}' ''Music/BeHereNow'', widely considered the GenreKiller for Britpop). It would also initiate the band's shift away from their original guitar-driven sound and into the more experimental territory that defined their subsequent work.

Prominent rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact, and boy, were they right -- in subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics, and musicians as one of the greatest of its time, if not one of the greatest albums of ''all'' time. ''OK Computer'' is currently listed at number 42 in Magazine/RollingStone's [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]; in 2006, Magazine/TimeMagazine placed it in their list of [[Magazine/TimeMagazine 100 timeless and essential albums]]; and it is currently listed as the 8th-most-acclaimed album of all time on Website/AcclaimedMusic's [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums compilation of critics' lists]]. In 2014, it was inducted into the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry for its "cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance." It also currently holds the position of being [[https://rateyourmusic.com/customchart the highest-rated album]] on ''Rate Your Music''. The album just two spots below it? ''The Dark Side of the Moon''.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[AC:Calm, fitter, healthier, and more productive; A pig, in a cage, on antibiotics.]]]]

''OK Computer'' is the third album released by AlternativeRock band Music/{{Radiohead}}. Upon its release in May 1997, the album reached number one in the UK and number 21 in the US, and received overwhelmingly positive acclaim from both fans and critics. The album is best remembered for the four singles that supported it-- "Paranoid Android", "Karma Police",
"Lucky", and "No Surprises"-- all of which were radio hits and remain fan favorites to this day.

Critics and fans often comment on the underlying themes found in the lyrics and artwork, emphasising Radiohead's views on rampant consumerism, social alienation, emotional isolation, and political malaise; in this capacity, ''OK Computer'' is often interpreted as having prescient insight into the mood of 21st century life. Others meanwhile noted the thematic similarities to Music/PinkFloyd's own 1973 BreakthroughHit ''Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon'', and dubbed this plus Radiohead's complex and experimental instrumentation techniques throughout ''OK Computer'' a sign of ProgressiveRock reemerging into public relevance after its downfall in the late 70's and early 80's. Radiohead themselves detested such comparisons; similarly to Pink Floyd however, the sudden explosion in popularity would take a hugely negative toll on the band, with burnout from their abrupt fame and ArtistDisillusionment with rock music altogether resulting in the even more experimental electronica and jazz directions of their [[Music/KidA next]] [[Music/{{Amnesiac}} two]] albums.

Prominent rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact, and boy were they right-- in subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics, and musicians as one of the greatest of its time, if not one of the greatest albums of ''all'' time. ''OK Computer'' was listed at number 162 in Magazine/RollingStone's [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]; in 2006, Magazine/TimeMagazine placed it in their list of [[Magazine/TimeMagazine 100 timeless and essential albums]]; and it is currently listed as the 8th-most-acclaimed album of all time on Website/AcclaimedMusic's [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums compilation of critics' lists]]. In 2014 it was inducted into the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry for its "cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance." It also currently holds the position of being [[https://rateyourmusic.com/customchart the highest-rated album]] on ''Rate Your Music''. The album just two spots below it? ''The Dark Side of the Moon''.

!! "Please can you stop the tropes? I'm trying to get some rest:"

# "Paolo Alto" (3:51)

** Music/DavidByrne openly called "Paranoid Android" one to [[Music/ANightAtTheOpera "Bohemian Rhapsody"]] by Music/{Queen}}, on account of it being another complex, multi-movement song with a similar runtime.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Critics have compared this album to Music/PinkFloyd's ''Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon'' due to its thematic similarities.

''OK Computer'' initiated a shift away from the popular {{Britpop}} genre of the time to the more melancholic, atmospheric style of alternative rock that would be prevalent in the next decade (corroborated by the fact that it released just a few months before Music/{{Oasis}}' ''Music/BeHereNow'', widely considered the GenreKiller for Britpop). It would also initiate the band's shift away from their original guitar-driven sound and into the more experimental territory that defined their subsequent work.

Prominent rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact, and boy were they right-- in subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics, and musicians as one of the greatest of its time, if not one of the greatest albums of ''all'' time. ''OK Computer'' was listed at number 162 in Magazine/RollingStone's [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]; in 2006, Magazine/TimeMagazine placed it in their list of [[Magazine/TimeMagazine 100 timeless and essential albums]]; and it is currently listed as the 8th-most-acclaimed album of all time on Website/AcclaimedMusic's [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums compilation of critics' lists]]. In 2014 it was inducted into the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry for its "cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance." It also currently holds the position of being [[https://rateyourmusic.com/customchart the highest-rated album]] on ''Rate Your Music''. The album just below it? ''The Dark Side of the Moon''.

''OK Computer'' is the third album released by AlternativeRock band Music/{{Radiohead}}. Upon its release in May 1997, the album reached number one in the UK and number 21 in the US, and received overwhelmingly positive acclaim from both fans and critics. The album is best remembered for radio hits such as "Paranoid Android", "Karma Police", and "No Surprises".

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The chorus of "Paranoid Android" contains a quiet MachineMonotone muttering the line "I may be paranoid, but not an android", which leads to the track "Fitter Happier", which has a MachineMonotone front and center.

* GenreRoulette: While the album as a whole is AlternativeRock, the exact style of it shifts from song to song, including the straighter style of "Airbag", "Subterranean Homesick Alien", "Lucky", and "The Tourist", the aggressive, ProgressiveRock-esque "Paranoid Android" and "Climbing Up the Walls", the acoustic "Exit Music (For a Film)", the Beatles and Beach Boys pastiches of "Karma Police" & "No Surprises" (respectively), the Laurie Anderson-esque AvantGardeMusic of "Fitter Happier", the PunkRock of "Electioneering"

* OverCrank: Thom Yorke in the music video of "No Surprises", wearing a dome over his head like an astronaut, which is being filled with water. When it is completely full, Thom goes completely limp and motionless. For almost a full minute. Then the dome drains out and Thom appears to be quite distressed (sucking in great lungfuls of air), and also quite relieved, laughing as he lip-syncs the last of the lyrics. He was never in any actual danger -- they {{Over Crank}}ed the film in order to make it appear he was motionless. He actually only had to hold his breath for a few seconds. The kicker? The video took several takes to film -- and each time Thom grew more and more stressed out and agitated at how long it was taking. Horribly, eye-wateringly claustrophobic.

* ProductPlacement: "Paranoid Android":
--> ''Kicking and squealing Gucci little piggy''

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: One possible interpretation of "Exit Music"--taking its roots in ''Romeo and Juliet'' into consideration--depicts it as one from Romeo and Juliet to Friar Laurence, who is an integral part of the pair's demise.

* RecordProducer: Nigel Godrich. This the first album where the band worked with him (after he had engineered ''Music/TheBends''), since then he has produced all their albums.

-->''"Hey man, slow down, slow down"''

*** Which is subverted at the end with:

* LyricalDissonace: "No Surprises" contrasts a lullaby-like melody and comforting instrumentation with bluntly frank lyrics about the crushing sense of apathy and ennui that depression causes.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/okcomputer.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[AC:Calm, fitter, healthier, and more productive; A pig, in a cage, on antibiotics.]]]]

** [[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy Marvin the "Paranoid Android"]].
** The beeps at the end of "Airbag" and the start of "Paranoid Android" are sampled from [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] radio, where they're used to mark the last seconds before a new hour starts.

* StudioChatter: "Climbing Up the Walls" contains clips of what is apparently studio chatter pitch-shifted and buried among the insect noises and violins. The song must be slowed down before it can even be noticed at all, and even then it's hard to make out what is being said (it seems to be: "We're playing... Ready?" though it also sounds rather like "Amazing... Amazing.")

Prominent rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact, and boy were they right-- in subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics, and musicians as one of the greatest of its time, if not one of the greatest albums of ''all'' time. ''OK Computer'' was listed at number 162 in Magazine/RollingStone's [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]; in 2006, Magazine/TimeMagazine placed it in their list of [[Magazine/TimeMagazine 100 timeless and essential albums]]; and it is currently listed as the 8th-most-acclaimed album of all time on Website/AcclaimedMusic's [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums compilation of critics' lists]]. In 2014 it was inducted into the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry for its "cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance." It also currently holds the position of being [[https://rateyourmusic.com/customchart the highest-rated album]] on Rate Your Music.

''OK Computer'' is the third album released by AlternativeRock band Music/{{Radiohead}}. Upon its release in May 1997, the album reached number one in the UK and number 21 in the US, and received considerable acclaim. The album is best remembered for radio hits such as "Paranoid Android", "Karma Police", and "No Surprises".

Prominent rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact, and boy were they right--in subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics, and musicians as one of the greatest of its time, if not one of the greatest albums of ''all'' time. ''OK Computer'' was listed at number 162 in Magazine/RollingStone's [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]; in 2006, Magazine/TimeMagazine placed it in their list of [[Magazine/TimeMagazine 100 timeless and essential albums]]; and it is currently listed as the 8th-most-acclaimed album of all time on Website/AcclaimedMusic's [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums compilation of critics' lists]]. In 2014 it was inducted into the UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry for its "cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance." It also currently holds the position of being [[https://rateyourmusic.com/customchart the highest-rated album]] on Rate Your Music.

[[AC: Eeny]]

[[AC: Meeny]]

[[AC: Miney]]

[[AC: Mo]]

** The beeps at the end of "Airbag" are sampled from [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] radio, where they're used to mark the last seconds before a new hour starts.

Critics and fans often comment on the underlying themes found in the lyrics and artwork, emphasising Radiohead's views on rampant consumerism, social alienation, emotional isolation, and political malaise; in this capacity, ''OK Computer'' is often interpreted as having prescient insight into the mood of 21st century life.