"Pop Is Dead" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as a non-album single on 10 May 1993, several months after their debut album, Pablo Honey. It features a chromatic guitar riff and lyrics criticising the music industry. The music video features the singer, Thom Yorke, in a coffin.
"Pop Is Dead" reached number 42 on the UK singles chart and received mixed reviews. Years later, members of Radiohead said they regretted releasing it. It is not available on streaming platforms.
Music
"Pop Is Dead" is driven by a chromatic riff played by the lead guitarist, Jonny Greenwood.[2] As with Radiohead's previous single, "Anyone Can Play Guitar", the lyrics criticise the media and music industry.[2][3] The singer, Thom Yorke, said: "I wrote 'Pop Is Dead' as a kind of epitaph to 1992. Hence the lines 'Pop is dead / died an ugly death by catalogue'."[4] A performance was included in the 1995 live video Live at the Astoria.[4]
The journalist Mac Randall described the acoustic B-side "Banana Co." as "Beatlesque", with lyrics hinting at a loathing of multinational corporations. The electric version of "Banana Co." was later included on the "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" single (1996).[2][5] Another B-side, a live performance of the Pablo Honey song "Ripcord", was recorded at a Town and Country Club gig in London in February 1993, when Radiohead opened for Belly. The performance contains extra lyrics: "They can kiss my ass!"[6]
Music video
Thom Yorke as "a dandified vampire in a glass coffin" in the music video
The music video was directed by Dwight Clarke,[7] based on a treatment by Yorke.[8] It features Yorke portraying the character of Pop as "a dandified vampire in a glass coffin", accompanied by other band members.[7] According to Radiohead's video commissioner, Dilly Gent, "We had the entire Radiohead fan club carrying him across the Oxford Downs ... In the early '90s, we probably thought those videos were all right, but looking back at them now, we all just want to die."[8]Stereogum likened the video to those of Nirvana.[7]
According to the bassist, Colin Greenwood, Radiohead's record company, EMI, gave the band a stylist and money for clothes. The members chose completely different outfits: "We looked like we were in four different bands."[9]
Reception
"Pop Is Dead" reached number 42 on the UK singles chart.[10] It was not released in the US.[11] Years after its release, the Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien called it "a hideous mistake",[2] and the drummer, Philip Selway, said he regretted releasing it.[12] Asked in 2003 what advice Radiohead would give to their 1991 selves, Yorke responded: "Don't release 'Pop is Dead'!"[4] It is not available on streaming platforms and was not added to Radiohead's online Public Library archive.[4]
"Pop Is Dead" was included on the 2009 Pablo Honey reissue, released by Radiohead's original record label, EMI, without their approval.[13][14] Reviewing the reissue for IGN, Finn White described "Pop Is Dead" as a "clever and humorous rock satire".[15] However, Pitchfork's Scott Plagenhoef found it "dreadful".[16] In 2019, the music journalist Marc Hogan named it the worst Radiohead song.[17]
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