Radiohead are one of the most celebrated alternative rock groups of the last two decades, wowing critics while maintaining a sizable following across the globe despite their insistence on producing challenging, forward-thinking music. When the British band began in the 90's, they resembled traditional modern-rock group, but in subsequent years the quintet have slowly moved away from convetional guitar-and-drum-based music to explore experimental structures and tones. The band members include Thom Yorke, brothers Jonny Greenwood, and Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, and Philip Selway. Radiohead had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide by 2011. Their work places highly in both listener polls and critics' lists of the best music of the 1990's, 2000's, and 2010s. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. They may not be the most popular group in rock, but they're certainly one of the most respected.
The band's lead guitarist and keyboardist. He is a multi-instrumentalist who also plays the bass guitar, drums, viola, haronica and the ondes Martenot, an early elecronic instrument. Johnny also works with electronic instruments and techniques such as programming, sampling and looping, and writes music software used by Radiohead.
Greenwood is considered by many to be one of the greatest guitarist of all time. He is an English musician as well as composer.
He is the youngest brother of Radiohead bassist Collin Greenwood
Thom is the lead singer but also plays electric guitar, accoustic guitar, base guitar, piano, and drums. He is also an electronic musician.
He was rated 66th greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone.
Thom has a paralyzed left eye because of botched surgeries. He was teased about this in elementary school and became an outcast until he met future band members of Radiohead
Edward is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter.
O'Brien uses a large collection of effects pedals. Even on tracks that do not feature any guitar work, his pedals are put to use for other purposes such as altering Thom's keyboard playing. His unconventioal guitar playing, focusing on effects to enhance the framework of the music.
In an article for Rolling Stone, David Fricke picked O'Brien as the 59th greatest guitarist of all time.
Colin usually plays the bass guitar, but in more recent albums he has taken to keyboards, samplers, and synthesizers.
Greenwood first teamed up with classmate Thom Yorke in 1986 to start a band, then known as On a Friday; Ed O'Brien was then recruited, and finally, older student Phil Selway was approached to join the band. Later, Greenwood's younger brother Jonny, then 14 years old, also joined the band.
Said Greenwood, "My involvement is to play bass guitar, but our ideas and suggestions in certain areas, as to where the music should go or develop, are listened to. We are very much a band".
Philip is the band's drummer. His timing and varied drumming helps to give the band its sound. Whereas his technique on earlier albums corresponded to the classic rock feel of the band's original style.
Selway is well known for his precision and proficiency in various styles and unsuual time signatures, being named the 26th greatest drummer of all time by Gigwise in 2008.
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