YEAR
2019
INDUCTED BY
David Byrne (Talking Heads)
CATEGORY
Performers
Radiohead pushed the boundaries of rock and roll. Never settling for genre archetypes, they incorporated a wide variety of musical influences – from Pink Floyd to R.E.M. – that challenge even the most dedicated fan. They flipped the music industry on its head and were pioneers of the digital revolution.
HALL OF FAME
ESSAY
By David Fricke
In October 2000, a week after Radiohead’s fourth album – the cryptic, electronica-soaked Kid A – shot to Number One in America upon release, singer Thom Yorke politely dodged a question about the record’s improbable success, especially given the English modern-rock band’s perversely low-key promotion.
They had done no videos and released no singles; they did three tour dates in North America plus a TV appearance on Saturday Night Live; and they had just one U.S. interview, on a bench in New York’s Central Park in the crisp autumn dusk.