Why Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’ Feels Exactly Like Life in 2020

The paranoia and icy alienation of Radiohead’s masterpiece Kid A may have seemed like a bit much back to some listeners when it was released in 2000. But in 2020, Kid A (which just landed at Number 20 on Rolling Stone’s revamped list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time) feels exactly like our day-to-day lives.

In the new episode of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Steven Hyden — author of the new book This Isn’t Happening: Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’ and the Beginning of the 21st Century — joins host Brian Hiatt to discuss how Radiohead reinvented themselves to make the album, its significance, Radiohead’s broader career arc, and much more. They also discuss how the success of 1997’s OK Computer frontman affected Thom Yorke’s state of mind in the period before Kid A, and the band’s fears of being seen as a one-hit wonder in the wake of 1992’s inescapable hit Creep.

To hear the entire episode, press play below, or download and subscribe on on iTunes or Spotify. (And also check out Rob Sheffield’s recent thoughts on the album.)

Download and subscribe to our weekly podcast, Rolling Stone Music Now, hosted by Brian Hiatt, on iTunes or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts), and check out three years’ worth of episodes in the archive, including in-depth, career-spanning interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Halsey, Neil Young, the National, Questlove, Julian Casablancas, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Marr, Scott Weiland, Alice Cooper, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis Costello, Donald Fagen, Phil Collins, Alicia Keys, Stephen Malkmus, Sebastian Bach, Tom Petty, Kelly Clarkson, Pete Townshend, Bob Seger, the Zombies, Gary Clark Jr., and many more — plus dozens of episodes featuring genre-spanning discussions, debates, and explainers with Rolling Stone’s critics and reporters. Tune in every Friday at 1 p.m. ET to hear Rolling Stone Music Now broadcast on SiriusXM’s Volume, channel 106.