Radiohead enters the download age

Radiohead, who until recently were the only major band besides the Beatles and Led Zeppelin not to offer its music for digital download, just signed a deal with online music retailer 7digital. Radiohead isn't fooling anybody, said Simon Jary in PC Advisor

Radiohead, who until recently were the only major band besides the Beatles and Led Zeppelin not to offer their music for digital download, just signed a deal with online music retailer 7digital. For years, Radiohead has shunned iTunes because the band wanted their albums sold as a whole and not broken apart into individual songs. In a compromise that is unique in the age of music downloads, 7digital has agreed to honor the band's wish.

Radiohead isn’t fooling anybody, said Simon Jary in PC Advisor. The band members have “apparently held out because they want the public to buy their whole albums and not ignore the crappier songs that occasionally make it past the producer.” And what’s with their “sudden aversion to non-album purchases”? The band has always released singles. Even more confusing is the fact that lead-singer Thom Yorke is “fond of shouting about global warming—and yet has stuck with the planet-sapping CD format instead of the practically carbon-neutral download.”

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us