Creep

Creep” is the debut single by the English rock band Radiohead, released in September 1992. It appeared on their debut studio album, Pablo Honey (1993). Radiohead took elements from the 1972 song “The Air That I Breathe”; following legal action, Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood are credited as cowriters. EMI releaseed “Creep” as a single. It was not initially a success, but achieved radio play in Israel and became popular on American alternative rock radio. It was reissued in 1993 and became a worldwide hit, likened to alt-rock “slacker anthems”.

“Creep” is atypical of Radiohead’s later work; the band grew weary of it, feeling it set narrow expectations of their music, and did not perform it for several years. Though they achieved greater commercial and critical success with later albums, “Creep” remains Radiohead’s most successful single. It was named one of the greatest debut singles and one of the greatest songs by Rolling Stone. In 2021, Yorke released a remixed version with synthesisers and time stretched acoustic guitar.

The “Creep” music video was filmed at the Venue, Oxford. For the video, Radiohead performed a free short concert, playing “Creep” several times. They donated proceeds from audience members to the Oxford magazine Curfew, which had covered their early work. In the audience was the electronic musician Four Tet, then a teenager, who years later supported Radiohead on tour and collaborated with Yorke.

In April 2008, the American musician Prince covered “Creep” at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. A bootleg recording was shared online, but removed at Prince’s request; after being informed of the situation in an interview, Yorke said: “Well, tell him to unblock it. It’s our song.”

According to the journalist Alex Ross in 2001, “What set ‘Creep’ apart from the grunge of the early nineties was the grandeur of its chords — in particular, its regal turn from G major to B major. No matter how many times you hear the song, the second chord still sails beautifully out of the blue. The lyrics may be saying, ‘I’m a creep,’ but the music is saying, ‘I am majestic.'” In 2007, VH1 ranked “Creep” the 31st greatest song of the 1990s.

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