# Thom Yorke
**Thomas Edward Yorke** (born 1968 in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England) is an English musician best known as the lead singer and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band [Radiohead](https://www.edgepedia.org/radiohead), and for a parallel career in electronic music spanning solo albums, the supergroup Atoms for Peace, the band [The Smile](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-smile-band), and film scores.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1968, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England[1](https://www.liverate.com/artists/thom-yorke) |
| Band career | Formed On a Friday with schoolmates at Abingdon School in 1985; the group became Radiohead, named after a Talking Heads song[2](https://worldhistoryproject.org/topics/thom-yorke/) |
| Solo debut | *The Eraser* (2006), XL Recordings, produced by Nigel Godrich, nine electronic songs[3](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-thom-yorke-6096735.html) |
| Second solo album | *Tomorrow's Modern Boxes* (26 September 2014, XL Recordings), Metascore 72 from 29 critic reviews, 22 positive and 0 negative[4](https://www.metacritic.com/music/tomorrows-modern-boxes/thom-yorke/critic-reviews) |
| Supergroup | Atoms for Peace, formed in 2009 to play *The Eraser* material live with Flea, Joey Waronker, Mauro Refosco, and Nigel Godrich; album *Amok* (2013)[5](https://www.factmag.com/2013/01/28/atoms-for-peace-thom-yorke-interview/) |
| Other band | The Smile, with Jonny Greenwood and drummer Tom Skinner of Sons of Kemet; three albums released[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/radiohead-split-smile-thom-yorke-jonny-greenwood-b2448552.html) |
| Film scores | *Suspiria* (2018) and *Confidenza* (2024)[7](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/thom-yorke-mn0000588887) |
## Early life and the formation of Radiohead
Yorke met the four schoolmates who would become his band, [Jonny Greenwood](https://www.edgepedia.org/jonny-greenwood), Colin Greenwood, Phil Selway, and [Ed O'Brien](https://www.edgepedia.org/ed-obrien), at [Abingdon School](https://www.edgepedia.org/abingdon-school) in Oxfordshire in 1985, and the group, called On a Friday after the only day they were allowed to practice, played its first gig in 1986[2](https://worldhistoryproject.org/topics/thom-yorke/). The name Radiohead came later, borrowed from the song "Radio Head" on Talking Heads' album *True Stories*[2](https://worldhistoryproject.org/topics/thom-yorke/).
Yorke studied [English literature](https://www.edgepedia.org/english-literature) at Exeter University, where he became politically active in the anti-fascist movement[8](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/radiohead). A *New Yorker* profile records that he was born with his left eye paralyzed, endured a series of operations in childhood to correct it, and was targeted by bullies partly because of his half-open eye[9](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/08/20/the-searchers).
## Radiohead
Under the Radiohead name the band moved quickly through its early releases: the single "Creep" and the EP *Drill* in 1992, the album *[Pablo Honey](https://www.edgepedia.org/pablo-honey)* in 1993, a second album in 1995, and *OK Computer* in 1997[2](https://worldhistoryproject.org/topics/thom-yorke/). Later albums came more slowly: *Kid A* in 2000, *Hail to the Thief* in 2003, *In Rainbows* in 2007, and *A Moon Shaped Pool* in 2016[2](https://worldhistoryproject.org/topics/thom-yorke/).
The shift from *OK Computer* to *Kid A* marked Yorke's turn from guitar-led songwriting toward electronics, particularly the roster of Warp Records; he told *Q Magazine* at the time that the music he was drawn to "was all structures and had no human voices on it"[10](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/lots-of-people-say-that-song-is-gibberish-its-not-its-totally-about-that-how-thom-yorke-channelled-his-tour-exhaustion-into-the-track-that-saved-radiohead-from-oblivion). *Kid A*'s opening song, "Everything In Its Right Place", was written on a piano Yorke had bought after growing tired of the guitar, and the week he bought it he also wrote "Pyramid Song"[10](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/lots-of-people-say-that-song-is-gibberish-its-not-its-totally-about-that-how-thom-yorke-channelled-his-tour-exhaustion-into-the-track-that-saved-radiohead-from-oblivion). From *Kid A* onward, Yorke and producer [Nigel Godrich](https://www.edgepedia.org/nigel-godrich) began deliberately mangling his voice, reversing, distorting, and delaying it to build atmosphere, repositioning the voice as one instrument among many rather than the emotional center of the songs[11](https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/33373c46-03bc-44b3-bbb0-be947bb2c8cc/1/Ehmann.pdf).
**In Rainbows and industry experimentation.** In 2007 Radiohead released *In Rainbows* directly to fans, letting buyers choose what to pay. According to Yorke, the band made more money from digital downloads of *In Rainbows* than from digital downloads of all its other studio albums combined[12](https://appext.hks.harvard.edu/publications/getFile.aspx?Id=1073).
Radiohead's most recent album remains *A Moon Shaped Pool* (2016); the band last performed in 2018 before returning after a seven-year pause with a 2025 tour of residencies in European cities, for which roughly 360,000 tickets for 20 concerts in five cities sold out in about 30 minutes[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/radiohead-split-smile-thom-yorke-jonny-greenwood-b2448552.html) • [13](https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2025-11-01/me-caso-thom-yorke-pero-el-no-lo-sabe.html). The band has announced concerts in Australia and Japan in 2027[14](https://www.radiohead.com/).
## Solo career
Yorke resisted solo recordings until 2006, when *The Eraser* appeared on the independent label [XL Recordings](https://www.edgepedia.org/xl-recordings), produced by Nigel Godrich[7](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/thom-yorke-mn0000588887). Its nine songs sit in the electronic territory of Radiohead's more experimental work, built on synthesizer pads and electro drum programs[3](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-thom-yorke-6096735.html). Yorke reacted defensively to the "solo album" label at the time, emailing a Radiohead fan site to say "I don't wanna hear that word solo"[15](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/jul/07/popandrock.shopping2).
**Tomorrow's Modern Boxes** followed on 26 September 2014, again on XL Recordings, announced as an online "experiment" in direct distribution with Godrich[4](https://www.metacritic.com/music/tomorrows-modern-boxes/thom-yorke/critic-reviews). It scored 72 on Metacritic, with 22 of 29 critics positive, none negative, and reviewers read it as a 2014 counterpart to *The Eraser*[4](https://www.metacritic.com/music/tomorrows-modern-boxes/thom-yorke/critic-reviews). His third solo album, *[Anima](https://www.edgepedia.org/anima-thom-yorke-album)* (2019), continued the electronic focus, and the *Guardian* described both solo records as a repository for electronic material not focused enough for Radiohead itself[16](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jun/27/thom-yorke-amina-review).
## Atoms for Peace
Atoms for Peace formed in 2009 as an attempt to recreate the music from *The Eraser* in a live setting, enlisting [Flea](https://www.edgepedia.org/flea-musician) of Red Hot Chili Peppers, drummer Joey Waronker, percussionist Mauro Refosco, and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, but the project soon developed material of its own[5](https://www.factmag.com/2013/01/28/atoms-for-peace-thom-yorke-interview/). Its debut album *Amok* appeared in 2013, with Yorke and Godrich discussing the influence of dance music on the record and approaching dance music from a singer's mindset[5](https://www.factmag.com/2013/01/28/atoms-for-peace-thom-yorke-interview/).
## The Smile and later collaborations
During Radiohead's dormancy, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood formed The Smile with drummer Tom Skinner of the experimental jazz quartet [Sons of Kemet](https://www.edgepedia.org/sons-of-kemet). The trio's debut, *A Light for Attracting Attention* (2022), drew criticism noting that it sounded more like Radiohead than any of Yorke's other side projects, and its second album *Wall of Eyes* followed in January of the following year; the band has since released three albums[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/radiohead-split-smile-thom-yorke-jonny-greenwood-b2448552.html).
**Tall Tales** (2025) is Yorke's first full-length collaboration with the electronic producer Mark Pritchard, released on Warp. The two began exchanging and modifying sound files remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the album pairs Pritchard's production with Yorke's darker lyrics and vocals, moving from largely electronic textures to analog instruments by its finale[17](https://apnews.com/article/37fedf425bb6bb01cc38a80acbdef87c). Yorke has also composed for film, with the score for the remake of *[Suspiria](https://www.edgepedia.org/suspiria-2018-film)* (2018) and *Confidenza* (2024)[7](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/thom-yorke-mn0000588887).
## Voice and industry activism
Commentators have repeatedly described Yorke's reluctance to let his voice take the starring role in his own songs, preferring texture and production; critics nonetheless identify his distinctive voice as what keeps his electronic records from dissolving into circuitry[18](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/thom-yorke-tour-review-amsterdam-radiohead-koninklijk-theatre-tickets-setlist-a8383756.html) • [19](https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-eraser/thom-yorke/critic-reviews). Since the *Kid A* era he has treated the voice as an instrument, using falsetto, wordless harmonies, and heavy processing alongside techniques such as pitch-shifting and reversed, delayed vocal fragments[10](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/lots-of-people-say-that-song-is-gibberish-its-not-its-totally-about-that-how-thom-yorke-channelled-his-tour-exhaustion-into-the-track-that-saved-radiohead-from-oblivion).
Yorke has also been an active voice on how music is sold. He became a prominent critic of Spotify, arguing that it was hard for new artists to earn meaningful revenue from the service, and at one point kept his solo work off the platform[20](https://time.com/4274430/spotify-albums/). Releasing *In Rainbows* directly to fans was framed by Yorke as giving more power to artists to market their own work[21](https://time.com/3432871/thom-yorke-new-album-radiohead/).
## References
1. [Thom Yorke, Live Tour & Concert Review Consensus, LiveRate](https://www.liverate.com/artists/thom-yorke)
2. [Thom Yorke timeline, World History Project](https://worldhistoryproject.org/topics/thom-yorke/)
3. [Album: Thom Yorke, The Eraser, The Independent (Andy Gill, 2006)](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-thom-yorke-6096735.html)
4. [Critic Reviews for Tomorrow's Modern Boxes, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/music/tomorrows-modern-boxes/thom-yorke/critic-reviews)
5. [A New Career in a New Town: Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich run AMOK as Atoms for Peace, Fact Magazine (2013)](https://www.factmag.com/2013/01/28/atoms-for-peace-thom-yorke-interview/)
6. [Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood continue as The Smile with new album, The Independent (2023)](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/radiohead-split-smile-thom-yorke-jonny-greenwood-b2448552.html)
7. [Thom Yorke, Biography, Discography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/thom-yorke-mn0000588887)
8. [Radiohead, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/radiohead)
9. [Becoming Radiohead, The New Yorker (2001)](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/08/20/the-searchers)
10. [How Thom Yorke channelled his tour exhaustion into the track that saved Radiohead from oblivion, MusicRadar](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/lots-of-people-say-that-song-is-gibberish-its-not-its-totally-about-that-how-thom-yorke-channelled-his-tour-exhaustion-into-the-track-that-saved-radiohead-from-oblivion)
11. [Vocal and lyrical development from OK Computer towards Kid A and Amnesiac, Oxford Brookes repository](https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/33373c46-03bc-44b3-bbb0-be947bb2c8cc/1/Ehmann.pdf)
12. [Radiohead and In Rainbows pay-what-you-want economics, Harvard Kennedy School](https://appext.hks.harvard.edu/publications/getFile.aspx?Id=1073)
13. [Me casó Thom Yorke, de Radiohead (pero él no lo sabe), El País](https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2025-11-01/me-caso-thom-yorke-pero-el-no-lo-sabe.html)
14. [Australia and Japan 2027, Radiohead.com](https://www.radiohead.com/)
15. [Thom Yorke, The Eraser, The Guardian (2006)](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/jul/07/popandrock.shopping2)
16. [Thom Yorke: Anima review, The Guardian (2019)](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jun/27/thom-yorke-amina-review)
17. [Music Review: Thom Yorke and Mark Pritchard team up for inventive 'Tall Tales', AP News (2025)](https://apnews.com/article/37fedf425bb6bb01cc38a80acbdef87c)
18. [Thom Yorke review, Koninklijk Theatre, Amsterdam, The Independent (2018)](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/thom-yorke-tour-review-amsterdam-radiohead-koninklijk-theatre-tickets-setlist-a8383756.html)
19. [Critic Reviews for The Eraser, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-eraser/thom-yorke/critic-reviews)
20. [11 Wildly Popular Albums You Can't Get on Spotify, Time (2015)](https://time.com/4274430/spotify-albums/)
21. [Thom Yorke Releases Experimental Solo Project as Radiohead Confirms New Album, Time (2014)](https://time.com/3432871/thom-yorke-new-album-radiohead/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical practice and theory › Popular music genres › Rock performers, groups, and musicians*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license