Tynan's Anger

SONGS OF THE DECADE #16

[For more info, read the Ground Rules of The Song of The Decade List]

Recaps: 100-75, 74-50, 49-25

Radiohead- The National Anthem (2000)




"Everything in its Right Place" was one of the most baffling album opening tracks in rock history, but in order to make the Kid A experiment work, Radiohead needed a song that could link their new direction with the band that produced "Creep," "Just" and "Subterranean Homesick Alien." Enter "The National Anthem," a song with as much of a satirical bite as anything in Radiohead's notoriously hostile catalog. Colin Greenwood's scathing bassline was the only traditional pop touch on the album, and upon first listen in 2000, it would be easy to think "this is where the band returns to normal." It ends up not being normal in the rigid structures of pre-electronica pop, but normal in what music is supposed to do in the first place-please you with sound, and bring you to a new state of mind. OK Computer had been an attempt to move beyond the star lust and electioneering that had come to dominate rock by the end of the 20th century, but because it was so good, it only made the star lust worse. So Radiohead stripped every pretense of vocals-guitar-bass-drums-verse-chorus-verse rock out of their sound, returning music to its spiritual roots even while fully engaged in the technological tools that have made that spirit increasingly rare. As ironic as kids raised on Radiohead would become, if this song would actually become the national anthem one day, it wouldn't be all that ironic. Radiohead would be wise to return to this song's lesson themselves; the only reason I haven't placed this song higher is the self-righteous promotion of Kid A's greatness that has caused "Everything In Its Right Place" to appear on these lists more often.

Labels: 2000s, lists, pop music, Radiohead, songs of the decade, the national anthem