

Its pop power derives from a stark sonic contrast that’s at the heart of many of Radiohead’s best songs: the aural clash of Thom Yorke’s brittle, ethereal voice against an instrumental wash of noisy menace: “I’m a creep / I’m a weirdo / What the hell am I doing here? / I don’t belong here.” The song’s popularity typecast the band in ways that they struggled to break free from, much as “Smells Like Teen Spirit” had done to Nirvana earlier, and for almost seven years, Radiohead refused to play “Creep” at their shows.

“Creep” was an infectious anthemic ballad of self-loathing with a sing-along chorus. The band’s single “Creep,” from their 1993 début, “Pablo Honey,” spent half the year on the British charts, peaking at No. When Radiohead released their third album, “OK Computer,” on May 21, 1997, they were a band that a typical indie-rock fan would know-but maybe not well.
