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Comment by neetrain | Hacker News Reader

How about Radiohead's 2007 album In Rainbows?

Maybe OK Computer too, but I don't know how much hype there were because I was too young then...

Wasn't In Rainbows famously released as a surprise and thus had no real hype built up to it?

I was a particularly anxsty teenager at the time, but I do remember there being plenty of hype and speculation about "LP7" in Radiohead fan circles before In Rainbows finally arrived.

If I recall it was initially a self released pay how much you want download.

I believe this was a 'first' and there was more hype about that than the album itself.

In Rainbows is my favorite Radiohead album for sure, closely followed by the Bends.

I do remember the "name your price" thing, but it seems I've completely forgotten it was unannounced release!

Therefore, there was virtually no hype...

Ehhh, Radiohead is very divisive. My music friends are very split with them. Half can't get off their knees praising them.

The other half see them as bandwagon music.

I think they're music is alright but I think most people dive into like it's the bible or something and you can't say anything bad about them.

>Half can't get off their knees praising them.

The other half see them as bandwagon music.

They are both right. OK Computer and Kid A deserve all their praise and more. They were like nothing else in popular music at the time. After those two records, they were rather bandwagonesque, although to their credit, they did create the bandwagon they have ridden on since then. Although the self-release they did for In Rainbows certainly changed the artist relationship with fans and media companies. How they released that album was far more the game changer than the content.

Regarding OK Computer, not so much hype as I recall but after The Bends they were certainly a group to pay attention to. I don't think anyone was expecting anything as exceptional as OK Computer from them. What lived up to all the hype was the follow up, Kid A.

I try not to hype up albums I love too much anymore.

I think of Radiohead as our late stage Beatles. Experimental and exciting, even if there's a jagged edge now and then.

In Rainbows was very accessible and holds up in my view.

OK Computer was more of a surprise. Listen to The Bends first, and you will hear what a break it was in quality and style. Their next release, Kid A, was the one that was hotly anticipated. It was also a huge departure, but when they were the biggest band in the world.

Kid A holds up too.

I think Radiohead lives up to the hype. One way to check on this is to watch them live (say, on YouTube) or pick up some of their concerts on etree (a free taper sharing site). They make headphone records, and then they replicate most of their sounds in real time.

this one is interesting because they basically invented the “pay what you want” box for selling digital media.

tons of people copy this now, it’s not even notable. but at the time, the idea that they would let you type in $0 was shocking.

Jolt Cola, but not New Coke.

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