Kathleen Hanna’s favourite Radiohead song
The widespread influence of Radiohead is impossible to ignore, even for artists from vastly different music scenes like Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna. Many regard Radiohead as the epitome of cool due to their penchant for delving into complex concepts and experimenting with unconventional sounds throughout their discography. However, Hanna stands out for her willingness to admit something that few others dare to: her favourite Radiohead song.
In 2015, ahead of the release of A Moon Shaped Pool, Stereogum gathered a gaggle of big names to share their favourite song from the band. In typical fashion, there are many left-field options and cool cuts as the celebrities try to appear well-versed. J Mascis picks the album track ‘Black Star’, The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne picks ‘There, There’ from the 2003 lesser-loved record Hail To The Thief, and Skrillex chose the glitchy ‘Kid A’.
Sure, there are some people who opt for hits like ‘High and Dry’ and ‘Fake Plastic Trees’, but Hanna is the only one brave enough to pick their biggest and best-known track. Refusing to act edgy, she chose ‘Creep’, their uber hit off the 1993 record Pablo Honey.
“I am the oddball who always thought ‘Creep’ was such a perfectly constructed pop song, complete with weird minor chords to change things up and that amazing dropout,” she explained. However, she understands the plight of the big hit and how one super-successful song can seem to hold a band captive. It must be a drag to still have to play that one track over and over, despite any artistic or sonic evolution. She says, “I’m sure the band is probably horrified by that song having to play it so many times and then taking a brand new direction.”
But that still doesn’t stop her from selecting ‘Creep’ as her top Radiohead track for the simple reason that she’s “a fan of Thom Yorke’s singing”.
It’s always all too easy to roll your eyes at an artist’s biggest tracks, but if we’re honest, there’s a reason why they get so successful. Much like The Rolling Stones’ ‘Jumpin Jack Flash’, Prince’s ‘Kiss’ or Pulp’s ‘Common People’, they’re hits because they’re great, displaying the true spirit and the very best of the artist. ‘Creep’ is the same. While the band and their more dedicated fans might attempt to shrug off its commercial success, it remains an enduring favourite because it is a well-made song complete with anthemic lyrics and a breakdown that stuns every time.
Even the band have joined the cliché masses that try to hate on music fans who want to hear the greatest hits. In the years since its release, they’ve deemed the song “crap”. There have even been incidents where Thom Yorke has attacked audiences who have called out to hear ‘Creep’, yelling back at them, “Fuck off, we’re tired of it.”
While the band quickly evolved beyond the track and established themselves as a more complex outfit than that 1990s hit might lead a listener to believe, maybe they should show a little bit more respect and gratitude towards the hit that made them. Perhaps everyone should take a leaf out of Kathleen Hanna’s book and finally get the bravery to admit that sometimes the biggest song is the best.
