Amnesiac

Amnesiac, the fifth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, was released on 30 May 2001 by EMI. Produced by Nigel Godrich, it was recorded during the same sessions as Radiohead’s preceding album Kid A (2000). The band decided to split the work into two separate albums due to its perceived density.

Similar to Kid A, Amnesiac incorporates influences from electronic music, 20th-century classical music, jazz, and krautrock. The album’s final track, “Life in a Glasshouse,” is a collaboration with jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton and his band.

After not releasing any singles for Kid A, Radiohead promoted Amnesiac with singles such as “Pyramid Song” and “Knives Out,” accompanied by music videos. Additional videos were created for “Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors,” “Like Spinning Plates,” and “I Might Be Wrong,” the latter being a promotional single. The Amnesiac tour commenced in June 2001, marking Radiohead’s first North American tour in three years.

Amnesiac achieved critical and commercial success, debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number two on the US Billboard 200. By October 2008, it had sold over 900,000 copies globally and earned platinum certifications in the UK, the US, and Canada, along with gold status in Japan. Although some critics found it too experimental or less cohesive than Kid A, it received positive reviews and was named one of the best albums of the year by various publications.

The album garnered nominations for the Mercury Prize and several Grammy Awards, winning Best Recording Package for the special edition. “Pyramid Song” was acclaimed as one of the best tracks of the decade by Rolling Stone, NME, and Pitchfork. In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked Amnesiac at number 320 in their “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list.