15 Thom Yorke Songs You've Got to Hear

By Aaron Tian

Yesterday, Thom Yorke dropped his second solo album, Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes on BitTorrent for $6.00. After eight studio albums with Radiohead, two solo albums, and one album with Atoms for Peace, Thom has built up a cult following that is always clamoring for more. He also has the sort of cult following that could truly not imagine a musical landscape without him, but however hard it may be for them to believe, there are lots of people out there who don't even know who he is.

If you're at least a little more familiar with Thom Yorke and Radiohead than Michael Evans above, but haven't taken the time to really explore his vast and varied catalog, this is for you. If you want to celebrate one of the most interesting artists of our generation, this is for you. And, if you just want to listen to 15 awesome songs, this is also for you.

Disclaimer: This includes all works by Yorke, including (but not limited to) Radiohead, Atoms for Peace, solo work, and maybe even a few surprises.

Year: 1996

Lift was never officially recorded or released, but Radiohead performed the song for a few years starting in 1996. It’s got a somber, sincere tone that many fans have been yearning for in the midst of Thom’s more experimental work. If you want some throwback, Bends-era, tri-guitar Radiohead, listen to this audio from their 1996 performance at Pinkpop.

Year: 2009

Radiohead put this track out for free on their website about five years ago, but it got obscured between In Rainbows, "Supercollider" / "The Butcher," and The King of Limbs. It’s like a hybrid of In Rainbows-style guitar sounds and King of Limbs drums, topped off with some silky Thom vocals that come in around the three minute mark. A must-listen for Radiohead-heads.

Year 2013

If you’re anything like me, you probably nerd-gasmed when you heard that MF DOOM was teaming up with Thom Yorke and Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood (if this is your first time, you might be nerd-gasming right now). The “Retarded Fren” remix was a bonus track off Keys to the Kuffs (Butter Edition) DOOM’s collab album with Jneiro Jarel under the moniker JJ DOOM. This track is like Big Foot working with the Abominable Snowman, so cherish it.

Year: 2003

“I Am Citizen Insane” was released as a B-side to “Go to Sleep” and again on the EP COM LAG (2plus2isfive) which was only available in Japan and Australia. I don’t know why Radiohead tried so hard to hide a stand-out track, but luckily the internet has made it available to the world.

Year: 2012

Eat your heart out DOOM, Thom Yorke can have alter egos too. The song was released in 2012 on Radiohead’s website, under the Thom Yorke/Atoms for Peace tab. It was not until two years later that Yorke confirmed that he was the producer behind the SBTRKT remix.

Year: 1997

Rumor has it that Thom was inspired to write this song after dropping a carton of eggs he and his girlfriend had just purchased. He immediately went to his home piano, grabbed his four-track and started recording (his girlfriend can even be heard putting away groceries in the background). When he went to show the song to his bandmates, they insisted on putting it out as is. It ended up as a B-side off of “No Surprises.”

Year: 2001

A live album might be a cop-out for a normal band, but Radiohead makes it worth your time with this exclusive track. Featuring nothing but Thom's vocals over a luscious acoustic guitar, “True Love Waits” displays the strength and fragility of his voice all in one incredibly passionate performance (break out the tissues before you click play).

Year: 2007

OK, not exactly obscure. Also, technically this isn’t even a Thom Yorke song. However, some people may not realize that the beat and chorus vocals are taken from Yorke’s “The Eraser,” plus every single verse on this song is a classic, so you need to hear it. Kanye released “Us Placers” to hype up the album that he was working on with Pharrell and Lupe tentatively titled Child Rebel Soldier, but it never came into fruition.

To this day, we're left wondering “what if?” *Sigh*

Year: 2012

Hopping back into the realm of Thom’s electronic/avant garde side, this song features some eclectic percussion and commanding vocal melodies. For those who don’t know, Atoms for Peace is Thom’s second band with Radiohead drummer Nigel Godrich, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea, Joey Waronker and Mauro Refosco. The track meshes Atoms for Peace’s “Other Side” with Other Lives’ “Tamer Animals.” If that doesn’t confuse you enough, wait until you hear the song.

Year: 2001

Another B-Side, “Cuttooth” features a groove so pleasant that it’s easy to ignore the fact that the lyrics are violent and horrifying. As the YouTube comments very eagerly point out, it sounds a bit like a Coldplay song with its grand piano chords and drum patterns. Check it out here.

Year: 1998

UNKLE, a trio comprised of DJ Shadow, James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy, brought on Yorke for a track off their 1998 album Psyence Fiction. With dark and moody undertones, this song is very reminiscent of Radiohead’s “How to Disappear Completely.” Perhaps a foreshadowing of things to come.

Year: 1997

A B-side from “Karma Police,” “Meeting in the Aisle” is an atmospheric, almost boom-bap style beat. Not too surprising, considering Thom’s admiration of producers like DJ Shadow, Flying Lotus, and other hip-hop acts. This beat is practically begging to be slowed down, chopped up, and rapped over by the likes of Kendrick Lamar or Lupe Fiasco.

Year: 2000

A beautiful song off Bjork’s 2000 album Selmasongs, the lyrics play out the inner monologue of a person who is going blind and struggling to convince him/herself that he/she has “seen it all.” As two of the most prolific artists of their generation, it only makes sense that Yorke and Bjork would collide on such a massive track.

Year: 2009

You may be wondering, “Hey, have I heard this before?” If you still have remnants of a #TeamEdward or #TeamJacob sticker on your bedroom wall, you probably have! “Hearing Damage” was released on the soundtrack of the second Twilight movie, New Moon, and it is pretty fantastic (the song, not the movie).

Year: 2003

Rounding out our list is Radiohead’s 2003 B-Side “Gagging Order.” If you’re still reading this far into the article, hopefully you’ve found something you hadn’t heard of before. If you already knew every single song on this list, then clearly you are a bigger Thom Yorke fan than everyone else. Go assert your dominance by leaving a nasty comment below about how the author doesn’t know a damn thing about music and doesn’t love Thom like you do. That’ll show us. Thanks for reading!