Thom Yorke
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Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician who is the vocalist and main songwriter of the rock band
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
. He plays guitar, bass, keyboards and other instruments, and is noted for his
falsetto Falsetto ( , ; Italian language, Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ...
. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' described Yorke as one of the greatest and most influential singers of his generation. Yorke formed Radiohead with schoolmates at Abingdon School in
Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
. They gained notice with their debut single, " Creep", and went on to achieve acclaim and sales of more than 30 million albums. Yorke's early influences included
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
acts such as the Pixies and R.E.M. With Radiohead's fourth album, '' Kid A'' (2000), Yorke moved into
electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
, influenced by artists such as
Aphex Twin Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), known professionally as Aphex Twin, is a British musician, composer and DJ active in electronic music since 1988. His idiosyncratic work has drawn on many styles, including techno, ambient music, ambi ...
. For most of his career, he has worked with the producer Nigel Godrich and the cover artist Stanley Donwood. Yorke's solo work comprises mainly electronic music. His debut solo album, '' The Eraser'', was released in 2006. To perform it live, he formed a new band, Atoms for Peace, with musicians including Godrich and the
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
bassist
Flea Flea, the common name for the order (biology), order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by hematophagy, ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult f ...
. They released an album, '' Amok'', in 2013. Yorke's second solo album, '' Tomorrow's Modern Boxes'', was released in 2014, followed by '' Anima'' in 2019. In 2021, Yorke debuted a new band, the Smile, with the Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and the drummer Tom Skinner; they have released three albums. Yorke has collaborated with artists including Mark Pritchard, PJ Harvey,
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
, Flying Lotus, Modeselektor and Clark, and has composed for film and theatre, including the films '' Suspiria'' (2018) and ''Confidenza'' (2024). Yorke is an activist on behalf of environmental, trade justice and
anti-war An anti-war movement is a social movement in opposition to one or more nations' decision to start or carry on an armed conflict. The term ''anti-war'' can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conf ...
causes, and his lyrics incorporate political themes. He has been critical of the music industry, particularly of major labels and
streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...
services such as
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
. With Radiohead and his solo work, he has employed alternative release platforms such as pay-what-you-want and
BitTorrent BitTorrent is a Protocol (computing), communication protocol for peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P), which enables users to distribute data and electronic files over the Internet in a Decentralised system, decentralized manner. The protocol is d ...
. He was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
as a member of Radiohead in 2019.


Early life

Yorke was born on 7 October 1968 in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. He was born with a paralysed left eye, and underwent five eye operations by the age of six. According to Yorke, the last surgery was "botched", giving him a drooping eyelid. He decided against further surgery: "I decided I liked the fact that it wasn't the same, and I've liked it ever since. And when people say stuff I kind of thought it was a badge of pride, and still do." The family moved frequently. Shortly after Yorke's birth, his father, a nuclear physicist and later a chemical equipment salesman, was hired by a firm in Scotland. The family lived in Lundin Links in
Fife Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...
until Yorke was seven, and he moved from school to school.Randall, p. 21 They settled in
Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
in 1978, where Yorke attended primary school in Standlake. Yorke said he knew he would become a rock star after seeing the
Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...
guitarist
Brian May Sir Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, animal welfare activist and astrophysics, astrophysicist. He achieved global fame as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Queen ...
on television for the first time at the age of eight. He initially wanted to be a guitarist rather than a singer, but had no one else to sing the songs he was writing. He received his first guitar as a child. At 10, he made his own guitar, inspired by May's homemade Red Special. By 11, he had joined his first band and written his first song. Seeing Siouxsie Sioux in concert at the
Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...
in 1985 inspired him to become a performer; Yorke said he had never seen anyone "captivate an audience like she did". Yorke attended the boys'
private school A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...
Abingdon in Oxfordshire. He felt out of place, and got into physical fights with other students. He found sanctuary in the music and art departments, and wrote music for a school production of ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
''. At school, he performed a vocal recital of a
Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...
piece, which helped him find the confidence to become a singer. He also had
classical guitar The classical guitar, also known as Spanish guitar, is a member of the guitar family used in classical music and other styles. An acoustic wooden string (music), string instrument with strings made of catgut, gut or nylon, it is a precursor of the ...
lessons with his future bandmate
Colin Greenwood Colin Charles Greenwood (born 26 June 1969) is an English bassist and a member of the rock band Radiohead. Along with bass guitar, Greenwood plays Double bass, upright bass and Electronic musical instrument, electronic instruments. With his y ...
. Terence Gilmore-James, the Abingdon director of music, recalled Yorke as "forlorn and a little isolated" thanks to his unusual appearance, but talkative and opinionated. He said Yorke was "not a great musician", unlike his future bandmate Jonny Greenwood, but a "thinker and experimenter". Yorke later credited the support of Gilmore-James and the head of the art department for his success.


1985–1991: On a Friday

In
sixth form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...
at Abingdon, Yorke played with a punk band, TNT, but left when he was dissatisfied with their progress. He began playing with Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien and Philip Selway, joined later by Colin's younger brother, Jonny. In 1985, they formed a band, On a Friday, named after the only day they were allowed to practice. According to Selway, while each member contributed songs in the band's early period, Yorke emerged as the main songwriter. After leaving Abingdon, Yorke took a gap year and tried to become a professional musician. He held several jobs, including a period selling suits and working in an architect's office, and made a demo tape. He was also involved in a serious car accident that influenced the lyrics of later songs, including the ''Bends'' B-side "Killer Cars" (1995) and "Airbag" from '' OK Computer'' (1997). In the late 1980s, Yorke made a solo album, ''Dearest'', which O'Brien described as similar to the Jesus and Mary Chain, with delay and
reverb In acoustics, reverberation (commonly shortened to reverb) is a persistence of sound after it is produced. It is often created when a sound is reflected on surfaces, causing multiple reflections that build up and then decay as the sound is a ...
effects. On the strength of their first demo, On a Friday were offered a record deal by
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
, but the members decided they were not ready and wanted to go to university first. Yorke had wanted to apply to St John's to read English at the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
, but, he said, "I was told I couldn't even apply – I was too thick. Oxford University would have eaten me up and spat me out. It's too rigorous." He also considered studying music, but could not read
sheet music Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chords of a song or instrumental musical piece. Like its analogs – printed Book, books or Pamphlet, pamphlets ...
. In late 1988, Yorke left Oxford to attend the
University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a research university in the West Country of England, with its main campus in Exeter, Devon. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of ...
, where he achieved a 2:1 in English and art. On a Friday entered hiatus aside from rehearsals during breaks.Randall, p. 43 At Exeter, Yorke performed experimental music with a classical ensemble, played in a techno group called Flickernoise, and played with the band Headless Chickens, performing songs including future Radiohead material. He also met Stanley Donwood, who would become Radiohead's cover artist, and his future wife, Rachel Owen. According to Yorke, his paintings at Exeter were "shit"; he was rejected by his classmates and "went AWOL for three months". Yorke credited his art school education for preparing him creatively for his later work. On a Friday resumed activity in 1991 as most of the members were finishing their degrees. Ronan Munro, the editor of the Oxford music magazine '' Curfew'', gave the band their first interview while they were sharing a house in Oxford. He recalled: "Thom wasn't like anyone I'd interviewed before ... He was like 'This is going to happen... Failure is not an option.' ... He wasn't some ranting diva or a megalomaniac, but he was so focused on what he wanted to do."


Career


1991–1993: "Creep" and rise to fame

In 1991, when Yorke was 22, On a Friday signed to EMI and changed their name to
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
. They gained notice with their debut single, " Creep", which appeared on their 1993 debut album, '' Pablo Honey''. Yorke grew tired of "Creep" after it became a hit, and told ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' in 1993: "It's like it's not our song any more ... It feels like we're doing a cover." According to Yorke, around this time he "hit the self-destruct button pretty quickly". He tried to project himself as a rock star and drank heavily, often becoming too drunk to perform. Yorke said: "When I got back to Oxford I was unbearable ... As soon as you get any success you disappear up your own arse." Years later, Yorke said he had found it difficult to cope with Radiohead's success: "I got angry ... I got more control-freakery. I put my hands on the steering wheel and I was white-knuckled, and I didn't care who I hurt or what I said." He later apologised to his bandmates for his behaviour.


1994–1997: ''The Bends''

Paul Q Kolderie, the co-producer of ''Pablo Honey'', observed that Yorke's songwriting improved dramatically after ''Pablo Honey.'' O'Brien later said: "After all that touring on ''Pablo Honey'' ... the songs that Thom was writing were so much better. Over a period of a year and a half, suddenly, ''bang''." Recording Radiohead's second album, '' The Bends'' (1995), was stressful, as they felt pressured to release a follow-up to "Creep". Yorke in particular struggled. According to the band's co-manager, Chris Hufford, "Thom became totally confused about what he wanted to do, what he was doing in a band and in his life, and that turned into a mistrust of everybody else." Yorke said he had a "profound fear of having so much to prove". ''The Bends'' was engineered by Nigel Godrich, who became one of Yorke's longest-running collaborators. ''The Bends'' received acclaim and brought Radiohead wider international attention. It influenced a generation of British and Irish alternative rock acts; ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...
'' wrote that it popularised an "angst-laden falsetto" which "eventually coalesced into an entire decade of sound". The American rock band R.E.M., a major influence on Radiohead, picked them as their support act for their European tour. Yorke befriended the singer, Michael Stipe, who gave him advice about how to deal with fame. Yorke joined R.E.M. to perform their song " E-Bow the Letter" on several occasions from 1998 to 2004.


1997–1998: ''OK Computer''

During the production of Radiohead's third album, '' OK Computer'' (1997), the members had differing opinions and equal production roles, with Yorke having "the loudest voice", according to O'Brien. ''OK Computer ''achieved acclaim and strong sales, establishing Radiohead as one of the leading rock acts of the 1990s. Yorke struggled with the attention the success brought him, and the stress of the ''OK Computer'' tour. Colin Greenwood described the "hundred-yard stare" in Yorke's eyes when performing, and said "he absolutely did not want to be there... You hate having to put your friend through that experience." Yorke said later: In 1997, Yorke provided backing vocals for a cover of the 1975
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
song " Wish You Were Here" with Sparklehorse. The following year, he duetted on "El President" with Isabel Monteiro of Drugstore, and sang on the Unkle track " Rabbit in Your Headlights", a collaboration with
DJ Shadow Joshua Paul Davis (born June 29, 1972 in San Jose, California, San Jose, California), better known by his stage name DJ Shadow, is an American DJ and record producer. His debut studio album, ''Endtroducing.....,'' was released in 1996. He uses l ...
. ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
'' cited "Rabbit in Your Headlights" as a "turning point" for Yorke, foreshadowing his work in experimental electronic music. For the soundtrack of the 1998 film '' Velvet Goldmine'', Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Andy Mackay of
Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry (lead vocals/keyboards/principal songwriter) and Graham Simpson (musician), Graham Simpson (bass). By the time the band recorded their Roxy Music (album), first albu ...
and Bernard Butler of Suede formed a band, the Venus in Furs, to cover Roxy Music songs. In 2016, ''Pitchfork'' wrote that Yorke "weirdly comes off as the weak link", with understated vocals that did not resemble the Roxy Music singer Bryan Ferry.


1999–2004: ''Kid A, Amnesiac'' and ''Hail to the Thief''

Following the ''OK Computer'' tour, Yorke suffered a mental breakdown and found it impossible to write new music. He experienced imposter syndrome, and became self-critical and over-analytical. He was approached to score the 1999 film '' Fight Club'', but declined as he was recovering from stress. Around this period, acts influenced by Radiohead emerged, such as Travis and
Coldplay Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...
. Yorke resented them, feeling they had copied him. He said in 2006: "I was really, really upset about it, and I tried my absolute best not to be, but yeah, it was kind of like— that sort of thing of missing the point completely." Godrich felt Yorke was oversensitive and told him he did not invent "guys singing in falsetto with an acoustic guitar". He saw Yorke's resentment as "a byproduct of being so focused on what he wanted to do that he figures he's the only person that's ever had that idea". To recuperate, Yorke moved to
Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
and spent time walking the cliffs, writing and drawing. He restricted his songwriting to piano; the first song he wrote was " Everything in Its Right Place". During this period, Yorke listened almost exclusively to the
electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
of artists such as
Aphex Twin Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), known professionally as Aphex Twin, is a British musician, composer and DJ active in electronic music since 1988. His idiosyncratic work has drawn on many styles, including techno, ambient music, ambi ...
and Autechre, saying: "It was refreshing because the music was all structures and had no human voices in it. But I felt just as emotional about it as I'd ever felt about guitar music." Yorke gradually relaxed and came to enjoy his work again. Radiohead took Yorke's electronic influences to their next albums '' Kid A'' (2000) and '' Amnesiac'' (2001), processing vocals, obscuring lyrics, and using electronic instruments such as synthesisers, drum machines and samplers. The albums divided listeners, but were commercially successful and later attracted acclaim. ''Kid A'' was named the best album of the decade by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' and ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
''. In 2000, Yorke contributed vocals to three tracks on the PJ Harvey album '' Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea,'' and duetted with
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
on her song "
I've Seen It All "I've Seen It All" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for the ''Dancer in the Dark'' soundtrack, '' Selmasongs'' (2000). It was written by the singer, along with Sjón and Lars von Trier (who also directed the film). It was released a ...
" from her soundtrack album '' Selmasongs''. In 2002, Yorke performed at the Bridge School Benefit, a charity concert organised by the Canadian songwriter
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...
, one of Yorke's influences. His set included a cover of Young's 1970 song " After the Gold Rush", performed on the piano Young wrote it on. Radiohead released their sixth album, '' Hail to the Thief'', a blend of rock and electronic music, in 2003. Yorke wrote many of its lyrics in response to the war on terror and the resurgence of
right-wing politics Right-wing politics is the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that view certain social orders and Social stratification, hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position b ...
in the west after the turn of the millennium, and his shifting worldview after becoming a father. Yorke and Jonny Greenwood contributed to the 2004 Band Aid 20 single " Do They Know It's Christmas?", produced by Godrich.


2004–2008: ''The Eraser'' and ''In Rainbows''

Yorke recorded his debut solo album, '' The Eraser'', during Radiohead's 2004 hiatus. It comprises electronics songs recorded and edited with computers. Yorke, who formed Radiohead while the members were in school, said he was curious to try working alone. He stressed that Radiohead were not splitting up and that the album was made "with their blessing". According to Jonny Greenwood, Radiohead were happy for Yorke to make the album. ''The Eraser'' was released in 2006 on the independent label XL Recordings, backed by the singles " Harrowdown Hill", which reached number 23 in the UK Singles Chart, and " Analyse". It reached the top ten in the UK, Ireland, United States, Canada and Australia, and was nominated for the 2006
Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...
and the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. It was followed by a B-sides compilation, '' Spitting Feathers'', and a remix album by various artists, '' The Eraser Rmxs''. In 2005, Yorke performed on the pilot episode of the music television program '' From the Basement'', created by Godrich. In 2007, Radiohead independently released their seventh album, '' In Rainbows'', as a pay-what-you-want download, the first for a major act. The release made headlines worldwide and sparked debate about the implications for the music industry. Yorke described it as a statement of Radiohead's belief in the value of music and a "contract of faith" between musicians and audiences. In the same year, Yorke sang on the Modeselektor track "The White Flash" from the album '' Happy Birthday!''. ''Pitchfork'' likened it to ''The'' ''Eraser'' and wrote that Yorke's vocals "work so perfectly that it feels like this is ''his'' band". Yorke also sang backing vocals on Björk's 2008 charity single " Náttúra".


2009–2010: Atoms for Peace

In 2009, Yorke released a cover of the Miracle Legion song "All for the Best" with his brother, Andy, for the compilation '' Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy''. In July, he performed solo at the
Latitude Festival Latitude Festival is an annual music and arts festival set within the grounds of Henham Park, near Southwold, Suffolk, England. The first edition of the festival took place in 2006 and has continued annually (apart from 2020 when it was cancel ...
in Suffolk and released a double-A-side single, " FeelingPulledApartByHorses/TheHollowEarth". He also contributed the track "Hearing Damage" to the ''Twilight Saga: New Moon'' film soundtrack. That year, Yorke formed a new band, Atoms for Peace, to perform songs from ''The Eraser''. Alongside Yorke, the band comprises Godrich on keyboards and guitar, the bassist
Flea Flea, the common name for the order (biology), order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by hematophagy, ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult f ...
of the
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
, the drummer Joey Waronker and the percussionist Mauro Refosco of Forro in the Dark. Yorke said: "God love 'em but I've been playing with adioheadsince I was 16, and to do this was quite a trip ... It felt like we'd knocked a hole in a wall, and we should just fucking go through it." Atoms for Peace performed eight North American shows in 2010. They went unnamed for early performances, billed as "Thom Yorke" or "??????". In February, Yorke performed a benefit concert at the Cambridge Corn Exchange for the British Green Party. In June, he performed a surprise set at
Glastonbury Festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...
with Jonny Greenwood, performing ''Eraser ''and Radiohead songs. Yorke created two remixes of the 2010 single " Gazzillion Ear" by the rapper MF Doom. The second remix went unreleased until 2021, after MF Doom's death. Yorke provided vocals for "...And the World Laughs with You" from the Flying Lotus album '' Cosmogramma,'' and for "Shipwreck" and "This" on the Modeselektor album '' Monkeytown'', both released in 2010. He joined Modeselektor to perform "Shipwreck" at Coachella in April 2012. Along with
Damien Rice Damien George Rice (born 7 December 1973) is an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. He began his career as a member of the 1990s rock group Juniper (band), Juniper, who were signed to Polygram Records in 1997. The band enjoyed moderate succe ...
and
Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...
, he contributed to the soundtrack for the 2010 documentary ''When the Dragon Swallowed the Sun''.


2011–2013: ''The King of Limbs'' and ''Amok''

In 2011, Radiohead released their eighth album, '' The King of Limbs'', which Yorke described as "an expression of physical movements and wildness". Yorke sought to move further from conventional recording methods. The music video for " Lotus Flower", featuring Yorke's erratic dancing, became an
internet meme An Internet meme, or meme (, Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''MEEM''), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the Internet, primarily through Social media, social media platforms. Internet memes manif ...
. By 2011, Radiohead had sold more than 30 million albums. In the same year, Yorke collaborated with the electronic artists
Burial Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...
and Four Tet on "Ego" and "Mirror", and he and Greenwood collaborated with MF Doom on "Retarded Fren". In 2012, Yorke contributed music to a show by the fashion label Rag & Bone, and sang on "Electric Candyman" on the Flying Lotus album '' Until the Quiet Comes.'' He also remixed the single " Hold On" by the electronic musician Sbtrkt, under the name Sisi BakBak. His identity was not confirmed until September 2014. In February 2013, Atoms for Peace released an album, '' Amok'', followed by a tour of Europe, the US and Japan. ''Amok'' received generally positive reviews, though some critics felt it was too similar to Yorke's solo work. That year, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood contributed music to ''The UK Gold'', a documentary about
tax avoidance Tax avoidance is the legal usage of the tax regime in a single territory to one's own advantage to reduce the amount of tax that is payable. A tax shelter is one type of tax avoidance, and tax havens are jurisdictions that facilitate reduced taxe ...
. The soundtrack, described by ''Rolling Stone'' as a series of "minimalist soundscapes", was released free in February 2015 through the online music platform
SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...
.


2014–2017: ''Tomorrow's Modern Boxes'' and ''A Moon Shaped Pool''

Yorke released his second solo album, '' Tomorrow's Modern Boxes'', via
BitTorrent BitTorrent is a Protocol (computing), communication protocol for peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P), which enables users to distribute data and electronic files over the Internet in a Decentralised system, decentralized manner. The protocol is d ...
on 26 September 2014. It became the most torrented album of 2014 (excluding
piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
), with more than a million downloads in its first six days. Yorke and Godrich hoped to use the BitTorrent release to hand "some control of internet commerce back to people who are creating the work". In December 2014, Yorke released the album on the online music platform
Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online music distribution platform founded in 2008 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with an office and record store in Oakland, California. Acquired by Epic ...
along with a new track, "Youwouldn'tlikemewhenI'mangry". In 2015, Yorke contributed a soundtrack, ''Subterranea'', to an installation of Radiohead artwork, ''The'' ''Panic Office'', in Sydney, Australia. The soundtrack was composed of field recordings made in the English countryside and played on speakers at different heights with different
frequency Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. Frequency is an important parameter used in science and engineering to specify the rate of oscillatory and vibratory phenomena, such as mechanical vibrations, audio ...
ranges. The radio station Triple J described it as similar to the ambient sections of ''Tomorrow's Modern Boxes'', with some digitally spoken sections similar to "Fitter Happier" from ''OK Computer''. The music was not released. In July 2015, Yorke joined the band Portishead at the Latitude Festival to perform their song " The Rip". Yorke composed music for a 2015 production of
Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...
's 1971 play '' Old Times'' by the Roundabout Theater Company in New York City. The director described the music as "primeval, unusual ... The sort of neurosis within orke'smusic certainly has elucidated elements of the compulsive repetition of the play." That year, Yorke performed with Godrich and the audiovisual artist Tarik Barri at the Latitude Festival in the UK and Summer Sonic in Japan. Radiohead released their ninth album, '' A Moon Shaped Pool'', on 8 May 2016. Several critics felt its lyrics were coloured by Yorke's separation from his partner, Rachel Owen. Spencer Kornhaber of the ''
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
'' wrote that ''A Moon Shaped Pool'' "makes the most sense when heard as a document of a wrenching chapter for one human being". Yorke contributed vocals and appeared in the video for "Beautiful People" from Mark Pritchard's 2016 album ''Under the Sun''. In August 2017, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed a benefit concert in the
Marche Marche ( ; ), in English sometimes referred to as the Marches ( ) from the Italian name of the region (Le Marche), is one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. The region is located in the Central Italy, central area of the country, ...
, Italy, to help restoration efforts following the August 2016 Central Italy earthquake.


2018–2019: ''Suspiria''

Yorke's first feature film soundtrack, '' Suspiria'', composed for the 2018 horror film, was released on 26 October 2018 by XL. It was Yorke's first project since ''The Bends'' not to feature production from his longtime collaborator Nigel Godrich; instead, he produced it with Sam Petts-Davies. It features the London Contemporary Orchestra and Choir, and Yorke's son, Noah, on drums. Yorke cited inspiration from the 1982 ''Blade Runner'' soundtrack and music from ''Suspiria'''s 1977 Berlin setting, such as
krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It originated among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electron ...
. The lyrics do not follow the film narrative and were influenced by discourse surrounding President Donald Trump and
Brexit Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...
. "Suspirium" was nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 2020 Grammy Awards. Yorke performed two shows in 2017, and toured Europe and the US in 2018. That year, he and the artist Tarik Barri created an audiovisual exhibition, "City Rats", commissioned by the Institute for Sound and Music in Berlin. ''I See You'', a limited-edition
zine A zine ( ; short for ''magazine'' or ''fanzine'') is, as noted on Merriam-Webster’s official website, a magazine that is a “noncommercial often homemade or online publication usually devoted to specialized and often unconventional subject ...
edited by Yorke with '' Crack Magazine'', was published in September 2018, with profits donated to
Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by a group of Environmental movement, environmental activists. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its biod ...
. Yorke contributed music to the 2018 short film "Why Can't We Get Along?" for Rag & Bone. On 29 March 2019, Yorke was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
as a member of Radiohead. He did not attend the induction ceremony, citing cultural differences between the UK and the US and his negative experience of the Brit Awards, "which is like this sort of drunken car crash that you don't want to get involved with".


2019–2020: ''Anima''

Yorke's third solo album, '' Anima'', was released on 27 June 2019. It became Yorke's first number-one album on the ''Billboard'' Dance/Electronic Albums chart. At the 2020 Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. Philip Sherburne of ''Pitchfork'' wrote that it was Yorke's most ambitious and assured solo album and the first that felt complete without Radiohead. The album was accompanied by a short film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, which was nominated for the Grammy for Best Music Film. In August, Yorke released ''Not the News Rmx EP'', comprising an extended version of the ''Anima'' track "Not the News" plus remixes by various artists. A solo tour set to begin in March 2020 was canceled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. For the 2019 film ''Motherless Brooklyn'', Yorke wrote "Daily Battles", with horns by his Atoms for Peace bandmate
Flea Flea, the common name for the order (biology), order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by hematophagy, ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult f ...
. The director, Edward Norton, enlisted the jazz musician Wynton Marsalis to rearrange the song as a ballad reminiscent of 1950s
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
. It was shortlisted for Best Original Song at the 92nd Academy Awards. Yorke's first classical composition, "Don't Fear the Light", written for the piano duo Katia and Marielle Labeque, debuted in April 2019. In April 2020, Yorke performed a new song from his home, "Plasticine Figures", for '' The Tonight Show''. In the same year, he collaborated with Four Tet and Burial again on "Her Revolution" and "His Rope", and remixed "Isolation Theme" by the electronic musician Clark. Yorke said his remix mirrored the COVID-19 lockdowns, "entering a new type of silence".


2021–2022: the Smile

In March 2021, Yorke contributed music to shows by the Japanese fashion designer Jun Takahashi, including a remixed version of "Creep". In May, Yorke debuted a new band, the Smile, with Jonny Greenwood and the jazz drummer Tom Skinner, produced by Godrich. Greenwood said the project was a way for him and Yorke to work together during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The Smile made their surprise debut in a performance streamed by
Glastonbury Festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...
on May 22, with Yorke singing and playing guitar, bass, Moog synthesiser and Rhodes piano. The '' Guardian'' critic
Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis (born 13 September 1971) is an English journalist. He is the head Rock music, rock and pop music critic for ''The Guardian'', and a regular contributor for ''GQ''. In addition to his music journalism for the paper, he has written ...
said the Smile "sound like a simultaneously more skeletal and knottier version of Radiohead", exploring more
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
influences with unusual
time signature A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates th ...
s, complex riffs and "hard-driving" motorik psychedelia. In October 2021, Yorke performed a Smile song, "Free in the Knowledge", at the Letters Live event at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
, London. In the same month, Yorke and the Radiohead cover artist, Stanley Donwood, curated an exhibition of ''Kid A'' artwork and lyrics at
Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shan ...
headquarters in London, ahead of a reissued package of the ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesia'' albums, '' Kid A Mnesia''. The pair also contributed lyrics and artwork to '' Kid A Mnesia Exhibition'', a free digital experience for
PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...
,
macOS macOS, previously OS X and originally Mac OS X, is a Unix, Unix-based operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. With ...
and
Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
. On 9 April 2022, Yorke performed a solo concert at the Zeltbühne festival in
Zermatt Zermatt (, ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Visp (district), Visp in the German language, German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a year-round population of about 5,800 and is cl ...
, Switzerland, playing songs from across his career. In May, the Smile released their debut album, '' A Light for Attracting Attention'', and began a European tour. Yorke wrote two songs, "5.17" and "That's How Horses Are", for the sixth series of the television drama '' Peaky Blinders'', broadcast in 2022. He executive-produced '' Sus Dog'' (2023), the tenth album by Clark, contributing vocals and bass and acting as a mentor for Clark's vocals.


2023–present: further Smile records, ''Confidenza'' and ''Tall Tales''

In September 2023, Yorke and Donwood exhibited a selection of artwork, ''The Crow Flies'', in London. The paintings, based on Islamic pirate maps and 1960s US military topographic charts, began as work for ''A Light For Attracting Attention''. The Smile toured internationally between 2022 and 2024. In 2024, they released the albums '' Wall of Eyes'' and '' Cutouts'', recorded simultaneously. Yorke composed
the score The Score may refer to: Films and television * The Score (1978 film), ''The Score'' (1978 film), a 1978 Swedish film, released in Sweden as ''Lyftet'' * The Score (2001 film), ''The Score'' (2001 film), a 2001 crime drama film starring Robert De Ni ...
for the 2024 film '' Confidenza'' by the Italian filmmaker Daniele Luchetti. It features the London Contemporary Orchestra and a jazz ensemble including Yorke's Smile bandmate Tom Skinner. On 22 April, Yorke released two tracks from the soundtrack, "Knife Edge" and "Prize Giving". The soundtrack was released on 26 April. Yorke produced "Stepdaughter", a song written and performed by his wife, Dajana Roncione, and released in November 2024. It was written for the Italian film ''Eterno Visionario'', directed by
Michele Placido Michele Placido (; born 19 May 1946) is an Italian actor, director and screenwriter. He began his career on stage, and first gained mainstream attention through a series of roles in films directed by the likes of Mario Monicelli and Marco Belloc ...
and starring Roncione. In October, Yorke began the Everything tour of New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Japan, performing songs from across his career. Yorke reworked ''Hail to the Thief'' for ''Hamlet Hail to the Thief,'' a stage production of ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'' that opened at Aviva Studios, Manchester, in April 2025. It is directed by Christine Jones and Steven Hoggett and scheduled to run at Aviva Studios, Manchester, from April to May 2025, followed by the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in
Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of Engl ...
in June. Yorke said ''Hail to the Thief'' "chimes with the underlying grief and paranoia" of ''Hamlet''. Yorke collaborated again with the electronic musician Mark Pritchard to create the album '' Tall Tales'', released through Warp Records on 9 May, 2025. The project began during the COVID-19 lockdowns, with Pritchard and Yorke exchanging recordings online. In May, Yorke contributed the song "Dialing In" to the Apple TV+ series ''
Smoke Smoke is an aerosol (a suspension of airborne particulates and gases) emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwante ...
''. It was formerly titled "Gawpers" and performed by Yorke with Katia and Marielle Labeque in 2019. This Is What You Get, an exhibition of Yorke and Donwood's Radiohead artwork, is due to run from August 2025 to January 2026 at the
Ashmolean Museum The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street in Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University ...
in Oxford.


Artistry

Yorke writes the first versions of most Radiohead songs, after which they are developed harmonically by Jonny Greenwood before the other band members develop their parts. According to Yorke, Greenwood is "more impatient" and eager to move to the next idea, whereas he enjoys editing and perfecting songs. Yorke's solo work comprises mainly electronic music. ''
Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...
'' characterised it as "largely interior", "frigid" and "beat-driven", unlike the "wide-open horizons" of Radiohead songs, while ''Rolling Stone'' wrote: "Radiohead's music sounds like it's written to bring people in, while Yorke's electronic-leaning solo work ... is prone to keep the listener at an icy distance." Yorke has worked with the producer Nigel Godrich on most of his projects, including Radiohead, Atoms for Peace, the first Smile record and most of his solo work. He credits Godrich with helping edit his work, identifying which parts need improvement and which have potential. He said they sometimes had arguments that last for days, but that they always resolve their differences, and likened him to a brother. Godrich said the pair were "very productive together and that's a really precious and important thing and it changes within the context of whatever we're doing". Yorke said the nature of being a creative person was "to retain a beginner's mind. The search is the point. The flailing around is the point. The process is the point." He said he used to be more controlling in the studio, but learnt to be more relaxed and open to new ideas. He likened the creative process to surfing: "You can sit out there on a board for ages waiting for the right wave to come along. You can't get angry about it. You know it will happen eventually and you start to understand the waiting itself might be part of it."


Instruments

Yorke is a multi-instrumentalist, and plays instruments including guitar, piano, bass and drums. He played drums for performances of the 2007 Radiohead song "Bangers and Mash". With the Smile, Yorke has used a Fender Mustang bass with a fingerstyle technique. Yorke uses electronic instruments such as synthesisers, drum machines and sequencers, and electronic techniques including programming, sampling and looping. In 2015, he said: "Really I just enjoy writing words sitting at a piano. I tend to lose interest in the drum machine." According to Godrich, "Thom will sit down and make some crazy, fractured cheese-grater-on-head mayhem on a computer, but at some point he always gets his guitar out to check he can actually play it." Unlike Greenwood, Yorke does not read sheet music. He said: "You can't express the rhythms properly like that. It's a very ineffective way of doing it, so I've never really bothered picking it up." Explaining why he declined an invitation to play piano on the song "Mr. Bellamy" on Paul McCartney's album '' Memory Almost Full'' (2007), Yorke said: "The piano playing involved two hands doing things separately. I don't have that skill available. I said to him, 'I strum piano, that's it.'"


Vocals

Yorke has one of the widest vocal ranges in popular music. He is known for his
falsetto Falsetto ( , ; Italian language, Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ...
'', ''which '' Paste'' described as "sweet", "cautious" and "haunting". ''Rolling Stone ''described his voice as a "broad, emotive sweep" with a "high, keening sound". The ''Guardian'' described it as "instrument-like" and "spectral", and wrote that it "transcends the egocentric posturing of the indie rock singer stereotype". The music journalist
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
wrote that Yorke's voice has "a pained, transported intensity, pure up top with hints of hysterical grit below ... Fraught and self-involved with no time for jokes, not asexual but otherwise occupied, and never ever common, this is the idealised voice of a pretentious college boy ... Like it or not the voice is remarkable." Yorke often manipulates his voice with software and effects, transforming it into a "disembodied instrument". For example, on " Everything in Its Right Place" (2000), his vocals are treated to create a "glitching, stuttering collage". ''Pitchfork'' wrote in 2016 that, over the decades, Yorke's voice had evolved from "semi-interesting alt-rocker" to "left-field art-rock demigod" to "electronic grand wizard". In 2006, Yorke said: "It annoys me how pretty my voice is. That sounds incredibly immodest, but it annoys me how polite it can sound when perhaps what I'm singing is deeply acidic." He said he keeps vocals in mind whenever he builds music, no matter the genre, and that he found it difficult to listen to dance music without imagining a voice. In 2023, Yorke said that his vocal range had dropped with age and that he now found "Creep" difficult to sing. In 2005, readers of '' Blender'' and MTV2 voted Yorke the 18th-greatest singer of all time. In 2010, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked him the 66th-greatest and wrote that he was one of the most influential singers of his generation, influencing bands such as
Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...
,
Coldplay Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...
, Travis and
Elbow The elbow is the region between the upper arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and t ...
. In their updated 2023 list, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked Yorke the 34th-greatest singer, praising his "genuine edge of alienation".


Lyrics

Yorke's early lyrics were personal, but he found that "tortured" lyrics became tired. He said his lyrics were not "some deep heartfelt thing"; instead, he likened them to a collage assembled from images and external sources such as television. From ''Kid A'', he experimented with cutting up words and phrases and assembling them at random. He sometimes chooses words for their sounds rather than meanings, such as the title phrase of "Myxomatosis" or the repeated phrase "the rain drops" on "Sit Down. Stand Up". A 2021 study found that Yorke had among the largest vocabularies of pop singers, based on the number of different words used in each song. Yorke deliberately uses cliches,
idiom An idiom is a phrase or expression that largely or exclusively carries a Literal and figurative language, figurative or non-literal meaning (linguistic), meaning, rather than making any literal sense. Categorized as formulaic speech, formulaic ...
s and other common expressions, inspired by the American artist Barbara Kruger. For example, according to the ''Pitchfork'' writer Rob Mitchum, the ''Kid A'' lyrics feature "hum-drum observations twisted into panic attacks". Another ''Pitchfork'' writer, Jayson Greene, said the approach suggested "a mind consumed by meaningless data". Yorke said he hoped to capture the everyday experience of trying to make emotional sense of words and images, and that "lyrics should be a series of windows opening rather than shutting, which is incredibly hard to do". Colin Greenwood described Yorke's lyrics as "a running commentary on what's happening in the world ... like a shutter snapping in succession". The '' New Republic'' writer Ryan Kearney speculated that Yorke's use of common expressions, which he described as "Radioheadisms", was an attempt "to sap our common tongue of meaning and expose the vapidity of everyday discourse". Kearney felt the approach had become a crutch for Yorke, creating a "senseless mush". He wrote in 2016 that he was "the most overrated lyricist in music today", and that fans, critics and academics had "taken the bait and delivered one overwrought interpretation after another". Yorke said his lyrics were motivated by anger, expressing his political and environmental concerns and written as "a constant response to doublethink". The lyrics of the 2003 Radiohead album ''Hail to the Thief ''dealt with what Yorke called the "ignorance and intolerance and panic and stupidity" following the 2000 election of US President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
and the unfolding war on terror. Yorke wrote his 2006 single " Harrowdown Hill" about David Kelly, the British weapons expert and
whistleblower Whistleblowing (also whistle-blowing or whistle blowing) is the activity of a person, often an employee, revealing information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe, unethical or ...
. In a 2008 television performance of " House of Cards", Yorke dedicated the "denial, denial" refrain to Bush for rejecting the
Kyoto Protocol The was an international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that global warming is oc ...
, an international treaty to reduce greenhouse gases. The 2011 single " The Daily Mail" attacks the right-wing ''
Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...
'' newspaper. Many of Yorke's lyrics express paranoia. The ''Guardian'' critic
Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis (born 13 September 1971) is an English journalist. He is the head Rock music, rock and pop music critic for ''The Guardian'', and a regular contributor for ''GQ''. In addition to his music journalism for the paper, he has written ...
described "what you might call the Yorke worldview: that life is a waking nightmare and everything is completely and perhaps irreparably screwed". In a 2015 interview with the activist and writer George Monbiot, Yorke said: "In the 60s, you could write songs that were like calls to arms, and it would work ... It's much harder to do that now. If I was going to write a protest song about climate change in 2015, it would be shit. It's not like one song or one piece of art or one book is going to change someone's mind." Working on Radiohead's ninth album, '' A Moon Shaped Pool'', Yorke worried that political songs alienated some listeners, but decided it was better than writing "another lovey-dovey song about nothing". Greene wrote that Yorke's lyrics on ''A Moon Shaped Pool'' were less cynical, conveying wonder and amazement. Many critics felt the lyrics might address Yorke's separation from Rachel Owen, his partner of more than 20 years. Yorke denied writing biographically, saying he instead writes "spasmodic" lyrics based on imagery.


Dance

Yorke often incorporates
dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
into his performances, described by the ''Sunday'' ''Times'' as his "on-stage signature". He began dancing on stage after Radiohead released ''Kid A'' in 2000, as many songs did not require him to play guitar. The ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' contrasted Yorke's "tortured" 1990s appearance with his later "looser", more comfortable performances. Yorke said he enjoyed "messing around with the idea of being the rock star or the uptight
990s The 990s decade ran from January 1, 990, to December 31, 999. Significant people * Al-Qadir * Mahmud of Ghazni * Pope John XV * Pope Gregory V References {{Reflist ...
guy. I can ''choose'' to do something completely different and be stupid or jump around." Yorke's dancing features in music videos for songs such as " Lotus Flower" and "Ingenue", and the short film ''Anima''. Critics have described it as "erratic", "flailing" and unconventional. In 2011, ''Rolling Stone'' readers voted Yorke their 10th-favourite dancing musician.


Influences

As a child, Yorke's favourite artists included
Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...
, R.E.M.,
Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees ( ) were a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. Post-punk pioneers, they were widely influential, both over their contemporaries and later ...
, Joy Division and
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
. He initially attempted to emulate singers including Michael Stipe,
Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 198 ...
and
David Sylvian David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt; 23 February 1958) is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan (band), Japan. During his time in Japan, Sylvia ...
. He also wrote that Mark Mulcahy of Miracle Legion had affected him "a great deal" at this time: "It was the voice of someone who was only truly happy when he was singing ... It changed the way I thought about songs and singing." When he was 16, Yorke sent a demo to a music magazine, who wrote that he sounded like
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...
. Unfamiliar with Young, Yorke purchased his 1970 album '' After the Gold Rush'', which gave him the confidence to reveal "softness and naiveté" in vocals. Yorke also credited Young as a lyrical influence. He said: "It was his attitude toward the way he laid songs down. It's always about laying down whatever is in your head at the time and staying completely true to that, no matter what it is." Yorke said Jeff Buckley gave him the confidence to use falsetto and be vulnerable in his singing, while the 1986 album '' Blood & Chocolate'' by Elvis Costello and the Attractions changed how he approached recording and writing music and lyrics. Yorke cited the Pixies,
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
and PJ Harvey as artists who "changed his life", and in 2006 he told ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
'' that Radiohead had "ripped off R.E.M. blind for years". He cited Stipe as his favourite lyricist: "I loved the way he would take an emotion and then take a step back from it and in doing so make it so much more powerful." The chorus of " How to Disappear Completely" from ''Kid A'' was inspired by Stipe, who advised Yorke to relieve tour stress by repeating to himself: "I'm not here, this isn't happening." Yorke cited the
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
guitarist John Frusciante as an influence on his guitar playing on ''In Rainbows'', and Scott Walker as an influence on his vocals and lyrics. Yorke admired how the
Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
worked independently despite being signed to a major record label, and was influenced by their activism, such as their Tibetan Freedom Concerts. Beginning with ''Kid A'', Radiohead incorporated influences from electronic artists such as
Aphex Twin Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), known professionally as Aphex Twin, is a British musician, composer and DJ active in electronic music since 1988. His idiosyncratic work has drawn on many styles, including techno, ambient music, ambi ...
and Autechre. In 2013, Yorke cited Aphex Twin as his biggest influence, saying: "Aphex opened up another world that didn't involve my fucking electric guitar ... I hated all the music that was around Radiohead at the time, it was completely fucking meaningless. I hated the
Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s United Kingdom, British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. Musically, Britpop produced bright, catchy alternative rock, with significant influences from British guitar pop of the 1960s and 1970s. B ...
thing and what was happening in America, but Aphex was totally beautiful." He cited the 1962 live album '' The Complete Town Hall Concert'' by the jazz musician Charles Mingus as another formative influence during this period.


Artwork

Since the EP '' My Iron Lung'' (1994), Yorke has created artwork for Radiohead and his other projects with Stanley Donwood. The pair met as art students at the
University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a research university in the West Country of England, with its main campus in Exeter, Devon. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of ...
. Donwood said his first impression of Yorke was that he was "mouthy", "pissed off" and "someone I could work with". Whereas Donwood described himself as having a tendency towards "detailing and perfectionism", he said Yorke is "completely opposed, fucking everything up ... I do something, then he fucks it up, then I fuck up what he's done ... and we keep doing that until we're happy with the result. It's a competition to see who 'wins' the painting, which one of us takes possession of it in an artistic way." Yorke is credited for artwork alongside Donwood as the White Chocolate Farm, Tchock, Dr. Tchock and similar abbreviations. The artist Tarik Barri provides live visuals for Yorke's solo and multimedia projects and shows with Atoms for Peace.


Politics and activism


Music industry

Yorke has been critical of the
music industry The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...
. Following Radiohead's tour of America in 1993, he became disenchanted with being "right at the sharp end of the sexy, sassy, MTV eye-candy lifestyle" he felt he was helping sell. After a 1995 ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...
'' article suggested that Yorke would kill himself like the Nirvana singer
Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establis ...
, Yorke developed an aversion to the British music press. In November 1995, ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' covered an incident in which Yorke became sick and collapsed on stage at a show in Munich, and titled the story "Thommy's temper tantrum". Yorke said it was the most hurtful thing anyone had written about him, and refused to give interviews to ''NME'' for five years. The 1998 documentary '' Meeting People Is Easy'' portrays Yorke's disaffection with the music industry and press during Radiohead's ''OK Computer'' tour. After Radiohead's fourth album, ''Kid A'' (2000), was leaked via the peer-to-peer filesharing software Napster weeks before release, Yorke told ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' he felt Napster "encourages enthusiasm for music in a way that the music industry has long forgotten to do. I think anybody sticking two fingers up at the whole fucking thing is wonderful as far as I'm concerned." In 2001, Yorke criticised the American live music industry, describing it as a
monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek and ) is a market in which one person or company is the only supplier of a particular good or service. A monopoly is characterized by a lack of economic Competition (economics), competition to produce ...
controlled by Clear Channel Entertainment and Ticketmaster. With Radiohead and his solo work, Yorke has pioneered alternative release platforms. After Radiohead's record contract with EMI ended with the release of ''Hail to the Thief'' (2003), Yorke told ''Time'': "I like the people at our record company, but the time is at hand when you have to ask why anyone needs one. And, yes, it probably would give us some perverse pleasure to say 'Fuck you' to this decaying business model." In 2006, he called major record labels "stupid little boys' games ''–'' especially really high up". Radiohead independently released their 2007 album '' In Rainbows ''as a download for which listeners could choose their price. Yorke said the "most exciting" part of the release was the removal of the barrier between artist and audience. However, in 2013, Yorke told the ''Guardian'' he feared the ''In Rainbows'' release had instead played into the hands of content providers such as
Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
and
Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...
: "They have to keep commodifying things to keep the share price up, but in doing so they have made all content, including music and newspapers, worthless, in order to make their billions. And this is what we want?" In 2015, he criticised
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
for "seizing control" of contributor content, likening it to Nazis looting art during World War II.


Spotify

In 2013, Yorke and Godrich made statements criticising the music
streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...
service
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
, and removed Atoms for Peace and Yorke's solo music from the service. In a series of tweets, Yorke wrote: "Make no mistake, new artists you discover on Spotify will not get paid. Meanwhile, shareholders will shortly be rolling in it ... New artists get paid fuck-all with this model." Yorke called Spotify "the last gasp of the old industry", accusing it of only benefiting major record labels with large back catalogues, and encouraged artists to build their own "direct connections" with audiences instead. Brian Message, a partner at Radiohead's management company, disagreed with Yorke, noting that Spotify pays 70 percent of its revenue back to the music industry. He said that "Thom's issue was that the pipe has become so jammed ... We encourage all of our artists to take a long-term approach ... Plan for the long term, understand that it's a tough game." Yorke and Atoms for Peace's music was re-added to Spotify in December 2017. For Yorke's second solo album, '' Tomorrow's Modern Boxes'' (2014), released via
BitTorrent BitTorrent is a Protocol (computing), communication protocol for peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P), which enables users to distribute data and electronic files over the Internet in a Decentralised system, decentralized manner. The protocol is d ...
, he and Godrich expressed their hope to "hand some control of internet back to people who are creating the work ... bypassing the self-elected gatekeepers". Asked if the release had been a success, Yorke said: "No, not exactly ... I wanted to show that, in theory, today one could follow the entire chain of record production, from start to finish, on his own. But in practice it is very different. We cannot be burdened with all of the responsibilities of the record label."


Climate change

In 2000, during the recording of ''Kid A'', Yorke became "obsessed" with the Worldwatch Institute website, "which was full of scary statistics about icecaps melting and weather patterns changing". He said he became involved in the movement to halt climate change after having children and "waking up every night just terrified". In 2003, Yorke became a spokesperson for the environmental organisation Friends of the Earth and their Big Ask Campaign. He said this was a difficult decision, as it would expose him to personal attacks, and that journalists had harassed his friends and family for personal details. In an article for the ''Guardian'', Yorke wrote that he initially felt he would be a poor match as his touring consumed a large amount of energy. However, Friends of the Earth persuaded him that this was ideal as they did not want to "present a holier-than-thou message". He accepted that he would be criticised for his support. In 2006, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed at the Big Ask Live, a 2006 benefit concert to persuade the British government to enact a new law on climate change. That year, Yorke refused an invitation from Friends of the Earth to meet the prime minister,
Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...
. Yorke said that Blair had "no environmental credentials" and that his
spin doctors Spin Doctors are an American alternative rock band from New York City, best known for their early 1990s hits "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong", which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at No. 7 and N ...
would manipulate the meeting. He told the ''Guardian'' that Blair's advisers had wanted to vet him and that Friends of the Earth would lose access if he said "the wrong thing", which he equated to
blackmail Blackmail is a criminal act of coercion using a threat. As a criminal offense, blackmail is defined in various ways in common law jurisdictions. In the United States, blackmail is generally defined as a crime of information, involving a thr ...
. Yorke also found it unacceptable to be photographed with Blair because of his involvement in the
Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
. In 2008, Radiohead commissioned a study to reduce the carbon expended on tour. Based on the findings, they chose to play at venues supported by public transport, made deals with trucking companies to reduce emissions, used new low-energy LED lighting and encouraged festivals to offer reusable plastics. That year, Yorke guest-edited a special climate change edition of '' Observer Magazine'' and wrote: "Unlike pessimists such as James Lovelock, I don't believe we are all doomed ... You should never give up hope." In 2009, Yorke performed via
Skype Skype () was a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for IP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also had instant messaging, file transfer, ...
at the premier of the environmentalist documentary '' The Age of Stupid'', and gained access to the COP 15 climate change talks in Copenhagen by posing as a journalist. In 2010, he performed a benefit concert at the Cambridge Corn Exchange for the British Green Party and supported the 10:10 campaign for
climate change mitigation Climate change mitigation (or decarbonisation) is action to limit the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that cause climate change. Climate change mitigation actions include energy conservation, conserving energy and Fossil fuel phase-out, repl ...
. The following year, he joined the maiden voyage of '' Rainbow Warrior III, ''a yacht used by
Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by a group of Environmental movement, environmental activists. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its biod ...
to monitor damage to the environment. Yorke endorsed the Green Party candidate
Caroline Lucas Caroline Patricia Lucas (born 9 December 1960) is a British politician who was the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2003 to 2006, 2007 to 2012, and 2016 to 2018. She was Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parli ...
at the 2015 UK general election. That December, he performed at the
United Nations Climate Change Conference The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are yearly conferences held in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They serve as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC parties – the conference of the par ...
in Paris at a benefit concert in aid of 350.org, an environmental organisation raising awareness about climate change. His performance was included on the live album ''Pathway to Paris'', released in July 2016. Yorke contributed an electronic track, "Hands Off the Antarctic", to a 2018 Greenpeace campaign.


Trade and finance

In 1999, Yorke travelled to the G8 summit to support the Jubilee 2000 movement calling for cancellation of third-world debt. In a 2003 ''Guardian'' article criticising the
World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that regulates and facilitates international trade. Governments use the organization to establish, revise, and enforce the rules that g ...
, he wrote: "The west is creating an extremely dangerous economic, environmental and humanitarian time bomb. We are living beyond our means." In 2005, he performed at an all-night vigil for the Trade Justice Movement, calling for a better trade deal for poor countries. The music video for the 2007 Radiohead song " All I Need" was produced with MTV EXIT, an initiative to raise awareness of
human trafficking Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or oth ...
and modern slavery. Yorke said he saw slavery as a "political stability issue", and that it was important for people in the west to "understand the consequences of our economic activity". In 2011, alongside
Robert Del Naja Robert Del Naja (; born 21 January 1965), also known as 3D, is a British artist, musician, singer and songwriter. He emerged as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective The Wild Bunch (sound system), the Wild Bunch, and later as ...
of
Massive Attack Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol, England, by Robert Del Naja, Robert "3D" Del Naja, Daddy G, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall, Tricky (musician), Adrian "Tricky" Thaws and Andrew Vowles, Andrew "Mushroom" ...
and Tim Goldsworthy of Unkle, Yorke played a secret DJ set for a group of Occupy activists in the abandoned offices of the investment bank UBS. In 2015, Yorke released a statement accusing the British government of "siphoning money through our tax havens for the global super rich, while now preaching that we the people must pay our taxes and suffer
austerity In economic policy, austerity is a set of Political economy, political-economic policies that aim to reduce government budget deficits through Government spending, spending cuts, tax increases, or a combination of both. There are three prim ...
".


Israel

In April 2017, more than 50 prominent figures, including the musicians
Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. In 1965, he co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd as the bassist. Following the departure of the group's main songwriter Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became ...
and
Thurston Moore Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as a member of the rock band Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running ...
, the rights activist Desmond Tutu and the filmmaker Ken Loach, signed a petition urging Radiohead to cancel a performance in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
as part of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, a cultural boycott of Israel. A week before the Tel Aviv performance, a Radiohead concert in Glasgow was attended by pro-Palestine protestors waving flags and signs. Yorke responded with anger on stage. In a ''Rolling Stone'' interview, Yorke said of the criticism: "I just can't understand why going to play a rock show or going to lecture at a university s a problem to them... It's really upsetting that artists I respect think we are not capable of making a moral decision ourselves after all these years. They talk down to us and I just find it mind-boggling that they think they have the right to do that." Yorke said that the petitioners had not contacted him. This was disputed by Waters, who wrote in an open letter in ''Rolling Stone'' that he had attempted to contact Yorke several times. In a statement, Yorke responded: "We don't endorse Netanyahu any more than Trump, but we still play in America. Playing in a country isn't the same as endorsing the government. Music, art and academia is about crossing borders not building them, about open minds not closed ones, about shared humanity, dialogue and freedom of expression." At a solo concert in Melbourne in October 2024, Yorke was heckled by a pro-Palestinian protester for his lack of condemnation for Israel's attacks on Gaza. Yorke challenged him to make a statement onstage and left the stage when he continued to heckle. He returned to perform the final song, "Karma Police". Yorke wrote later that it "didn't really seem like the best moment to discuss the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza". In May 2025, Yorke released a statement condemning the Israeli government and
Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...
's attacks. He wrote that he was "in shock that my supposed silence was somehow being taken as complicity" and that he did not support "any form of extremism or dehumanisation". He also condemned the calls for artists to release statements on the subject, saying it was "a dangerous illusion to believe reposting, or one or two line messages are meaningful, especially if it is to condemn your fellow human beings". The American comedian and musician Reggie Watts criticised Yorke's statement, writing that it "centres his hurt feelings and frames his fans' demands for him to speak up as a 'social media witch hunt, and hoped that Yorke would "reflect and decentre himself" from public outcry against the Gaza genocide.


Other issues

In September 2004, Yorke was a key speaker at a Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament rally outside the RAF Fylingdales air base in
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
, protesting Blair's support of the Bush administration's plans for the "''Star Wars''" missile defence system. Yorke and musicians including Plan B, Bryan Ferry and Mark Ronson appeared in the music video for the 2010 charity single "2 Minute Silence", which comprises two minutes of silence. The single commemorates Remembrance Day, with all proceeds to the Royal British Legion. To celebrate the 2008 election of US president
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
, Yorke released a remixed version of his single " Harrowdown Hill" as a free download. In June 2016, following the Orlando nightclub shooting in Florida, Yorke was one of nearly 200 music industry figures to sign an open letter published in ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' urging the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
to impose stricter
gun control Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms and ammunition by civilians. Most countries allow civilians to own firearms, bu ...
. After the election of
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
in 2016, Yorke tweeted lyrics from Radiohead's single " Burn the Witch", interpreted as a criticism of Trump's policies. He opposed
Brexit Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...
, and in March 2019 joined the People's Vote march calling for a second referendum. In 2024, Yorke was one of 10,500 creative professionals who signed a statement warning against the unlicensed use of copyrighted work in AI training. Yorke is a vegetarian. In a 2005 film for the animal rights foundation Animal Aid, he said: "Society deems it necessary to create this level of suffering in order for eopleto eat food that they don't need ... You should at least be aware of what you're doing rather than assuming that that's your right as a human being to do it."


Personal life

For 23 years, Yorke was in a relationship with the artist and lecturer Rachel Owen, whom he met while studying at the
University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a research university in the West Country of England, with its main campus in Exeter, Devon. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of ...
. In 2012, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' reported that Owen and Yorke were unmarried. However, ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' later found that they had married in a secret ceremony in
Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
in May 2003. Their son, Noah, was born in 2001, and their daughter, Agnes, in 2004. In August 2015, Yorke and Owen announced that they had separated amicably. Owen died from cancer on 18 December 2016, aged 48. In September 2020, Yorke married the Italian actress Dajana Roncione in Bagheria, Sicily. Roncione appears in the video for the Radiohead song " Lift" and the ''Anima'' film. They live in Oxford. On Yorke's 2018 soundtrack album '' Suspiria'', his son, Noah, played drums on two tracks and his daughter, Agnes, collaborated on the artwork. In September 2021, Noah released a song, "Trying Too Hard (Lullaby)". ''NME'' likened its "ghostly" arrangement to Radiohead's album ''In Rainbows''. Noah has since released several more songs, and performs with James Knott as the noise duo Hex Girlfriend. Yorke's younger brother and only sibling, Andy, is the singer of the band Unbelievable Truth. Yorke practises meditation. In 2004, he said he had "dabbled" in
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
. He has suffered from anxiety and depression, which he treats with exercise, yoga and reading. While recording in California with Atoms for Peace, Yorke took up surfing, which he said taught him patience in creativity. In 2023, an extinct stingray species was named '' Dasyomyliobatis thomyorkei'' in his honour.


Awards and nominations

{, class=wikitable , - ! Award !! Year !! Work !! Category !! Result !! Ref. , - ! scope="row" rowspan=2, A2IM Libera Awards , rowspan=2,
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
, Himself , Marketing Genius , , rowspan=2, , - , '' Anima'' , Best Dance/Electronic Album , , - ! scope="row" , Brit Awards ,
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, Himself , British Male Solo Artist , , , - ! scope="row", Chicago Film Critics Association Award , 2018 , '' Suspiria'' , Best Original Score , , , - ! scope="row", David di Donatello , 2020 , '' Suspiria'' , Best Score , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=5, Denmark GAFFA Awards , 1998 , rowspan=4, Himself , Best Foreign Songwriter , , rowspan=5, , - , 2001 , rowspan=3, Best Foreign Male Act , , - , 2004 , , - , rowspan=2, 2006 , , - , '' The Eraser'' , Best Foreign Album , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=5,
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
,
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, '' The Eraser'' , Best Alternative Music Album , , - , rowspan=4,
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
, rowspan=3, '' Anima'' , Best Alternative Music Album , , - , Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package , , - , Best Music Film , , - , " Suspirium" , Best Song Written for Visual Media , , - ! scope="row" rowspan="2", Libera Awards , rowspan="2", 2020 , rowspan="2", '' Anima'' , Best Dance/Electronic Record , , rowspan="2", , - , Marketing Genius , , - ! scope="row" ,
Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...
, 2006 , '' The Eraser'' , Album of the Year , , , - ! scope="row" , NME Awards , 2008 , Himself , Hero of the Year , , , - ! scope="row" ,
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association The Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) is a group of film criticism, film critics based in Washington, D.C., and founded in 2002. WAFCA is composed of over 65 D.C.-based film critics from internet, printing, print, radio, and te ...
, 2018 , '' Suspiria'' , Best Score , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=4, UK Music Video Awards , rowspan=3,
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, rowspan=3, '' Anima'' , Best Special Video Project , , rowspan=3, , - , Best Production Design in a Video , , - , Best Choreography in a Video , , - ,
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
, "Last I Heard (...He Was Circling the Drain)" , Best Alternative Video - UK , , , - !scope="row" rowspan=4, Žebřík Music Awards , 2000 , rowspan=4, Himself , rowspan=4, Best International Male , , rowspan=3, , - , 2001 , , - , 2003 , , - , 2005 , ,


Solo discography


Studio albums

*'' The Eraser'' (2006) *'' Tomorrow's Modern Boxes'' (2014) *'' Anima'' (2019)


Collaborative albums

* '' Tall Tales'' (2025; with Mark Pritchard)


Film soundtracks

*''When the Dragon Swallowed the Sun'' (2010; additional music only) *''The UK Gold'' (2013; with
Robert Del Naja Robert Del Naja (; born 21 January 1965), also known as 3D, is a British artist, musician, singer and songwriter. He emerged as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective The Wild Bunch (sound system), the Wild Bunch, and later as ...
) *''Why Can't We Get Along'' (2018; Rag & Bone short film) *''Time of Day'' (2018; Rag & Bone short film) *'' Suspiria'' (2018) * ''Confidenza'' (2024)


Albums produced

*'' Suspiria'' (2018) *'' Sus Dog'' by Clark (2023; executive produced)


See also

* List of Old Abingdonians * List of British Grammy winners and nominees


References


Sources

* Randall, Mac. ''Exit Music: The Radiohead Story''. Delta, 2000.


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yorke, Thom 1968 births 20th-century English singers 21st-century English singers British alternative rock guitarists Alternative rock pianists British alternative rock singers Alumni of the University of Exeter Anti-consumerists Anti-globalization activists English alternative rock musicians Art rock musicians English activists English electronic musicians English environmentalists English rock singers English male singer-songwriters English rock guitarists English tenors Grammy Award winners Ivor Novello Award winners Living people English male pianists Music in Oxford People with ptosis (eyelid) People educated at Abingdon School People from Wellingborough Radiohead members British rhythm guitarists Atoms for Peace (band) members English male guitarists The Smile (band) members British political music artists XL Recordings artists Love Da Records artists BT Digital Music Awards winners Warp (record label) artists