Fitter, Happier, More Innovative… The Legacy of Radiohead’s “OK Computer”

Albums such as Radiohead’s landmark “OK Computer” (1997), which celebrates its 20th anniversary this May, are released only once in a generation. “OK Computer” challenged listeners to consider popular music not merely as a form of entertainment, but more importantly as a culturally relevant medium of art and philosophy. Its most definitive aspect is its driving pathos, which appeals to the deepest emotions of the listener and forces the audience to reconsider the nature of the world that we live in.

While “OK Computer” is remembered 20 years after its release for its relevant themes and prophetic social commentaries, it shook the music industry at the time with its maverick spirit—its defiance of the music industry’s norms and ventures into uncharted territories.

“OK Computer” was a notable departure from the ‘90s alternative rock scene spearheaded by the emergence of grunge bands such as Nirvana and Alice in Chains. Alternative rock of the ‘90s was “alternative” in the sense that it primarily embodied anger, violence, and self-destructive habits. It was also associated with sex, drugs, and alcohol, all of which represented a thrilling escape from a mundane livelihood and came to define the rebellious culture of Generation Y.

Radiohead first burst through mainstream commercial success with their hit single “Creep” (1991), which remains one of the band’s most well-known songs today. Their second album, “The Bends” (1995), was also well received by audiences. The vocal range of lead singer Thom Yorke and the dexterity of guitarist Jonny Greenwood gained recognition in the alternative rock community. However, their early works were thematically clichéd, simply structured, and driven by a minimalistic sound. Radiohead’s early works failed to break any new ground within an increasingly stale genre.

The band’s sudden transition into the experimental “OK Computer” was initially perceived by its producer and record label to be “commercial suicide” due to the album’s lack of radio-friendly tracks.WIth respect to “The Bends,” “OK Computer” was much more difficult for listeners to digest. It sacrificed marketability and appeal for the lowest common denominator through its often contradictory and dichotomous nature. It is simultaneously soothing and terrifying, balancing between chaos and calm.

Rather than appealing to an audience that readily consumed the agonized lyrics of Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley, Radiohead’s “OK Computer” took a different approach by striving to be unorthodox—musically, lyrically, and thematically.

“Karma Police” is a standout track that showcases the band’s unique brand of experimentation with sound. The somber piano chords and soft strumming of the background acoustic guitar harmonize to establish a deceptively lulling tone, which conceals the sinister themes of the song. Yorke’s distressed vocal timbres in the final verse, “For a minute there, I lost myself,” are accompanied by frantically paced piano segments. These combine to strike a particular chord with the listener by channeling the narrator’s torment into audible sounds. The source of this torment is the “karma police,” the namesake of the song’s title.

The leading single, “Paranoid Android,” is particularly notable for its rapid transitions between sharply contrasting sections and changes in key. The chorus, “What’s this? / (I may be paranoid but not an android),” is accompanied by multiple guitars and synths, adding on to Yorke’s extended vocal notes. The song builds up to a dizzying crescendo, culminating with Greenwood’s frantic guitar solo, and a sudden decrescendo into a dissonant verse. These transitions then leave the listener unsettled by Yorke’s anguished singing.

“Fitter Happier,” the album’s most anomalous track and most difficult listen, incorporates a computer text generated voice to paint a picture of an ideal society in the future. Dissonant and jarring piano chords have an unpleasant effect on the listener and accompany the computerized narrating voice, which lists in rapid succession unreasonable expectations for both personal and societal progress. Such expectations of the narrator include “Sleeping well, no bad dreams, no paranoia / No longer afraid of the dark or midday shadows / Nothing so ridiculously teenage and desperate.”

The seemingly positive lyrics are instantly stripped of their deceptive facade as the song’s ominous and discomforting sound takes a more looming presence. The clashing piano, strings, and electronic instruments all convey an atmosphere of despair and false hope through irregular time signatures and asymmetric sections. The hidden overarching theme present in “Fitter Happier” is a society driven by consumerism and advertisements. Much of the song portrays an ideal lifestyle—a society preoccupied with “eating well,” “not drinking too much,” and “a safer car”—while being oblivious to the fact that there is “no chance of escape” from the rituals and routines they have been accustomed to.

In addition to exploring new realms of sound, the album also delves into several criticisms of modern society by depicting lives corroded by technology. The opening track “Airbag” is about a narrator surviving a car crash and walking out of the experience as a changed man: “In a fast German car / I’m amazed I survived / An airbag saved my life.” These lyrics emphasize the fragility of our lives which are at the mercy of technology, foreshadowing the unprecedented role that technology has in our lives today in the 21st century. The narrator also expresses a newfound thrill to be alive—an adrenaline rush from surviving a lifestyle of breakneck speed.

Shortly after the release of “OK Computer,” the music industry took off in a completely different direction, with many pop artists rising to the top of the BIllboard charts, only to fizzle a few weeks later. This profit-driven system of cashing in on the latest trends encouraged artists to release hot, catchy singles at the expense of taking the time to craft an entire album. The band members of Radiohead were pressed with a demanding deadline for “OK Computer,” and much of their frustration was voiced while creating the album. By the late ‘90s, the band witnessed the rapid rise of the World Wide Web, the advent of cellphones, and the increasing prevalence of mass media in everyday life.

Yorke attributes the fast-paced lifestyle depicted in “Airbag” to people’s diminishing attention span and need for instant gratification—the notion that faster is always better. In defiance, “OK Computer” was designed to be a lengthy hour-long album, devoid of pop friendly tracks and with little marketability. Radiohead was more intent on channeling their frustrations of modern society rather than appeasing their listeners. They were ultimately aware of the troubling direction that popular music was heading toward.

While the album encompasses a multitude of themes throughout, it is essentially a scathing commentary on human nature and its inherent ignorance. The narrator’s plea for self-validation in “Paranoid Android” (“You don’t remember / Why don’t you remember my name?”) expresses the crushing reality in which society has become a monolith that drives out any form of creativity and promotes dullness. The society depicted by “OK Computer” believes that “It’s always better when the light is off / It’s always better on the outside” (From the track “Climbing Up the Walls”).

“OK Computer” completely upended the definition of “alternative music” and delved into thematicism and experimentation like no other musicians have done before. The album’s insistent defiance of the music industry’s norms have set a new precedent for other artists across all different genres to follow. Ultimately, its intentions were to have a profound effect on the listeners and to both captivate and provoke them. Despite the troubling and perhaps prophetic depiction of modern society in the 21st century, the album reassures its listeners to “Breathe, keep breathing / Don’t lose your nerve” (From “Exit Music For a Film”).