Voted second-best artist of the 2000s by the readers of Rolling Stone, Radiohead is recognised as not only one of the most eminent alternative rock bands, but also one of the most forward-thinking and experimental. After gaining attention with the slow-burning success of their single "Creep", the band have continued to ceaselessly move forward, rejecting the “MTV eye-candy lifestyle” set out for them and choosing to alter and refine their sound with every subsequent release.

Three-and-a-half decades later, the band manages to remain one of the most prominent names on the music scene. However, when they formed as On A Friday in 1985, they were considered musical outliers from the detached and indistinguishably instrumented era of shoegaze, with their earlier work earning mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. It was a long road until the group scored the international attention and acclaim that they can boast today.

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Author John Aizlewood writes for Mojo, Q and Classic Rock. During a 25-year career, he has written about music for The Guardian, Blender, The Observer, Melody Maker, Sounds, FHM, The Sunday Times and a host of others. His books include Love Is The Drugand Playing At Home; he is a critic on the widely acclaimed Rock Icons series and lives near London.