Business Wire (Press Release)
09-JUL-97

NEW YORK (July 9) ENTERTAINMENT WIRE -July 9, 1997--Radiohead's new album OK Computer is the third highest non-soundtrack album debut this week, appearing at No. 21 on the Billboard Top 200 album charts with over 50,000 units scanned, surpassing the success of their previous record, the critically-acclaimed The Bends.

In comparison, The Bends debuted in April 1995 with 5,250 units scanned and reached No. 88 with 13,943 scanned during its best week on the chart. Only new albums by Prodigy and Blues Traveler placed higher than OK Computer for single artist chart debuts. OK Computer also topped International charts upon debuting last month, shipping platinum in the U.K. and gold in Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. The U.S. street date was July 1st.

Radiohead joins Prodigy, Bush, Jamiroquai and Spice Girls in what appears to be a British Invasion at American radio and retail! New single "Let Down" went for adds at Modern Rock radio this week, gaining play at such top stations as WXRK/New York, KITS/San Francisco, WNNX/Atlanta, KNDD/Seattle, WFNX/Boston and WHFS/Washington, D.C. The six and a half minute lead single from OK Computer, "Paranoid Android,"
was played selectively by radio stations, supported by a fully animated video clip which aired exclusively on MTV Networks for the month of June. A clip for "Let Down" will be delivered to video outlets shortly.

OK Computer has already been hailed as a landmark record by critics around the world. Robert Hilburn recently named the record as one of the year's ten best on the Los Angeles Times' midyear list and USA Today, NME and Select have given the record perfect scores in their album rating systems:

"While its richly textured art-rock revisits the Byrds, The Beatles and Queen, Radiohead's ambitious and timely concept album also expands the frontier of '90s guitar rock."

Edna Gunderson, USA Today

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"...This British entry checks in with some of the darkest and most demanding music since Nirvana and the birth of grunge."

Robert Hilburn, L.A. Times

"OK Computer -- a stunning art-rock tour de force -- will have you reeling back to their debut, Pablo Honey, for insight into the group's dramatic evolution."

Mark Kemp, Rolling Stone

"OK Computer is another impressive leap forward for these purveyors of grandly distressed pop..."

Tom Moon, Request

"Radiohead make body music that circumvents the head to reach the spirit...it feels utterly contemporary, an achievement few mainstream guitar bands can claim."

Barry Walters, Spin

"With its startling sonic attack and multiple layers of noise and melody, this British quintet has produced what is easily one of the best rock albums of the year so far."

Amy Linden, People

"...Their aim -- to take British pop to a heavenly new level -- is true."

David Browne, Entertainment Weekly

"OK Computer soars even higher, filtering Yorke's gloom-child vocals through expansive headphone rock with the epic guitar textures of Jonny Greenwood and Ed O'Brien."

Rob Sheffield, Details

"Radiohead has released their best album to date...Play OK Computer and be hypnotized by its' greatness."

Scott A. Meister, The Album Network

"OK Computer (is) both age-defining and one of the most startling albums ever made."

James Oldham, New Musical Express

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"A landslide victory."

John Harris, Select (5 out of 5)

Radiohead are headlining a U.S. tour later this month, starting on July 26th in Los Angeles. The tour kicks off with a "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" performance on Friday, July 25th and ends with a "Late Show with David Letterman" performance on Friday, August 29th. A full itinerary follows.