The first time I listened to Radiohead’s In Rainbows, I was instantly hooked. From the opening seconds of “15 Step” with its quick, jittery rhythm and hypnotic background vocals, I knew this album wasn’t like anything else I’d heard before.

Radiohead has been the blueprint for many big-name artists that we all listen to today, including Coldplay and The 1975. Since releasing their first album in 1993, they have blended their unique sound with raw emotion, and I believe that’s why this 2007 album speaks to and influences so many people.

The unique blends of sounds come from the mix of heavy, layered guitar and electronic sounds, and soft, emotional vocals. This alone is what gravitates me towards this specific album. I think it is perfectly balanced and tells a story, and the raw emotion is what brings it all together.

The song “House of Cards” is my personal favorite. I like to think of it as a love letter to this album, and the background vocals and strums of the guitar perfectly allude to the idea of love, which is represented throughout this song. The first lyrics of the song start off strong with “I don’t want to be your friend, I just wanna be your lover,” and it continues to explain the depths the person would go for this person. It starts off with desire and then goes into the feeling of denial, because of the potential for heartbreak. It holds a strong desire and craving for genuine love and connection, which is beautiful, but most importantly, relatable.

“All I Need” is almost the opposite when it comes to how it is composed, holding a dark feeling within the instruments and lyrics, as it expresses a deep obsession for someone, which leads someone to feel hopeless without them. This has always been one of my favorite records out of their whole discography because it conveys such authenticity. I love all the metaphors they use in the song because they help the listener fully understand how deep it affects the person. For me, this song has so many deeper meanings under its main one, and I believe that’s why it is so powerful.

Throughout the whole album, the key element is the emotion, and that goes for their entire discography as well. For decades, Radiohead has been a prime example of authenticity, and I don’t think any band will be able to be as influential and maintain originality throughout their career for decades to come.