Ranking the 5 Best Songs on ‘OK Computer,’ the Breakthrough Classic by Radiohead

OK Computer is one of those albums that’s so hallowed that even contrarians have a hard time finding reasons to knock it. Radiohead put it all together on their third album in 1997, settling in the sweet spot right between the straightforward rock of their early records and the experimentation of their later ones.

There’s no real weak spot on OK Computer, which is why choosing the top five songs of the bunch is such a bear. But we’ll try anyway.

5. “Airbag”

This was the toughest call, since “Karma Police” might be the most well-known of all the songs on the record and expertly captures the creeping dread that’s prevalent throughout OK Computer. But we’re going to go with the opener for how well it sets the tone, not to mention it’s a pretty fantastic piece even taken out of context. What happens if we mistrust technology and yet it still comes in handy? That seems to be the point of Thom Yorke’s lyrics, which come in the middle of stop-and-start rhythms, skittering guitars, and ghoulish backing vocal effects.

4. “No Surprises”

There’s something chilling about the way the shiny arpeggio notes that underpin “No Surprises” emerge from the grinding gears of “Climbing Up the Walls,” the song that precedes it on the record. Even when you hear the song on its own, there’s something almost too bright and chirpy about those notes, as if you can’t trust them. And you can’t, because Yorke piles up the ailments that afflict modern life like they were Jenga blocks. The alternative he suggests, a life spent striving for numbness, is somehow just as chilling.

3. “Exit Music (For a Film)”

Retelling Shakespeare is always tricky business, especially a story as well-worn as Romeo and Juliet. Radiohead not only dare to do it on this song, but they go for the gusto with a sweeping crescendo. But before we get to that point, we get Yorke mumbling his vocals as if barely conscious, just wisps of instrumentation burbling behind him. This is Exhibit A for how to do a musical and lyrical slow build. Yorke’s Romeo goes from focusing on practicalities about his escape with his beloved to shouting down all those who would dare hold them back.

2. “Paranoid Android”

Here we have the perfect song for those who aren’t quite sure how they like their Radiohead. Mid-tempo and twitching with restrained energy? That’s how it starts. Loud and punkish? Check out the connecting section, with Jonny Greenwood’s guitars slashing through the tableau. Slow and anthemic? Reserved for the end, as Yorke’s countermelodies alternately reach for the heavens and scramble in the dirt. Every generation gets the “Bohemian Rhapsody” they deserve, which means the folks who came of age in ’97 clearly did something right to get “Paranoid Android.”

1. “Let Down”

“Let Down” sums up so many of the themes racing through the album. Modern life whizzes by the narrator, leaving him feeling dazed and ineffectual. His attempts to transcend all that are futile; Hysterical and useless is how he describes himself. Musically, the interlocking guitars, Phil Selway’s climbing beat, Colin Greenwood’s thudding bass, and the video game blips, all assemble in a kind of somber harmony. And then Yorke lets out a rebel yell that unleashes the combined frustration of every narrator on the album. Simply flawless.

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