The computer-shaped FM radioīut the rarest piece of Radiohead promotional material wasn’t even intentional. These items were not only advertising material, but art emblematic of the album’s era. They also released an FM radio shaped as a computer. The band released a floppy disk, which when inserted into a computer could run visuals complementary to the music on the album. The unconventional promo trend began with Ok Computer. (It worked they won.) Library Book released for Amnesiac Grammy Consideration For the Grammy campaign of their 2001 album, Amnesiac, the band created a thirty-two page library book that contained artwork and lyrics for the project.
In 2003, Radiohead released a stencil and a jigsaw puzzle as promotional items for Hail to the Thief. In 2011, for instance, newspapers were used to promote the physical release of King of Limbs. Radiohead is known for odd promotional strategies for upcoming projects. Radiohead's promotional sets, such as this one featuring a jigsaw puzzle, are often inventive It was by trying to avoid this that Radiohead inadvertently birthed this promotional genius. Albums would be sent out as cassettes or CDs which could easily be copied, and then shared. In this era, leaks would often occur only weeks before release when promotional copies were sent out to writers for reviews. Snippets of a new album could not be disseminated through Instagram live or cryptic Soundcloud accounts, but fans were still clamoring to hear new music from their favorite bands.
The 1990s were a different era for music leaking. And how it brought about one of the coolest promotional items ever. This article isn’t about the content of Ok Computer, but what Radiohead did before the release to build anticipation and protect their masterpiece. If you haven’t heard it do this now: put it on, relax, and experience a hallmark moment of alternative music.
The album was groundbreaking at the time of its release in 1997 and continues to inspire artists across genre and location. Seemingly all that can be said about the project has been. In the two decades since its release, the record has been analyzed and reanalyzed. Radiohead’s Ok Computer is one of music history’s most critically acclaimed pieces of alternative rock and roll.
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