The 44 songs Thom Yorke is “obsessed” with
There are many things to be said about Radiohead; their music seems to split crowds down the middle, but that tends to be the case when a band is forward-thinking and not afraid to try new things. Radiohead are crowned for being innovative thanks to their experimental approach towards their music, credited with advancing the sound of alternative rock.
One of the driving forces behind Radiohead is the lead singer and frontman Thom Yorke, arguably one of his time’s most influential musicians and singers. Yorke is responsible for creating great songs and injecting an undeniable sound into Radiohead that is nearly impossible to turn away from. Many still consider them one of the most innovative bands out there, and Yorke’s contribution is one of the prominent factors contributing towards this.
You tend to find in music that innovation doesn’t happen by accident. Ideas aren’t purely original; people can expand on what they know and, in doing so, create something original. To continue blending sound and merging genre in the way Thom Yorke can in Radiohead, he needs to continue listening to an eclectic mix of music.
It’s common for musical legends to release new music which falls by the wayside; this is because they only tend to listen to stuff from their time, and in doing so, their sound doesn’t develop with the rest of the world. That hasn’t happened with Yorke and Radiohead, but that’s hardly a surprise considering the music he listens to.
Yorke has been responsible for curating playlists in the past, and in doing so, he is accountable for his In The Absence Thereof playlists. Throughout these, he lists some of the songs he is listening to, giving music lovers insight into what inspires him when working on music.
Unsurprisingly, the playlists have an eclectic mix of new and old sounds. Yorke states the songs are what “fascinates or moves me, what obsesses me, challenges me, opens new doors, reminds me of what I have forgotten, is insanely complex or elegantly simple, violent, messy, heavy or light. Whatever has hit me over the head basically. It may be new or old or just dug up again.”
Old tracks include the likes of ‘Send In The Clowns’ by Frank Sinatra, a haunting song that has been used in multiple senses to convey sinister undertones since its release. Yorke also goes modern with inclusions from the likes of Gilla Band, Kim Gordon and JPEGMAFIA. It’s funny to think that if you blend the sound of all those artists, you would come close to having a Radiohead song.
To be a pioneering musician, you need to be open to music that’s different from what you would usually listen to. In doing so, you can learn about various styles, all of which can be taken from to influence your sound. This is what Thom Yorke does with the music he obsesses over.
