In Rainbows - Radiohead
Metascore
88 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 42 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 42
  3. Negative: 0 out of 42
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  1. Q Magazine
    100
    Once again, Radiohead have proven themselves priceless. [Dec 2007, p.107]
    All this publication's reviews
  2. The Guardian
    100
    The most heartening thing about In Rainbows, besides the fact that it may represent the strongest collection of songs Radiohead have assembled for a decade, is that it ventures into new emotional territories.
  3. NOW Magazine
    100
    It's true that we've come to expect a certain level of genius from this band, but when they actually exceed expectations, as they do here, it's a clear sign that Radiohead will continue to reinvent themselves and drop more jaws along the way.
  4. Entertainment Weekly
    100
    Rainbows may be the gentlest, prettiest Radiohead set yet.
  5. Pitchfork
    93
    The brilliant In Rainbows represents no such thing [downshift]. Nonetheless, it's a very different kind of Radiohead record. Liberated from their self-imposed pressure to innovate, they sound--for the first time in ages--user-friendly.
  6. Lost At Sea
    91
    Excluding the established Radiohead franchise from consideration of In Rainbows, it is still one of the most compelling recent releases, and should be considered for 2007's Album of the Year in any context.
  7. Stylus Magazine
    91
    In Rainbows, then, is Radiohead as straight and lean as they’ve ever sounded.
  8. The A.V. Club
    91
    Elsewhere, it's business as usual--mostly amazing business, to be sure, but never entirely unexpected.
  9. New Musical Express (NME)
    90
    Sonically, it was staggering.
  10. Under The Radar
    90
    Maybe In Rainbows is their life--settling into things, creating permanence. If so, we may grow to miss the anger and the striving and the discovery that comes as a result. But for now, we can enjoy the beauty of Radiohead understanding their identity and the craftsmanship that lies in comfort.
  11. No Ripcord
    90
    It’s as brazen, bold and brilliant as anything it’s done thus far. It is, as Thom Yorke claimed, very minimal. Yet, the album never sounds half-finished, but instead focused and refined. It’s as vital as anything the band has done.
  12. All Music Guide
    90
    In Rainbows will hopefully be remembered as Radiohead's most stimulating synthesis of accessible songs and abstract sounds, rather than their first pick-your-price download.
  13. Rolling Stone
    90
    All of it rocks; none of it sounds like any other band on earth; it delivers an emotional punch that proves all other rock stars owe us an apology.
  14. musicOMH.com
    90
    By turns danceable, blissed out romantic, familiar and new, it's technologically and musically fascinating. Its juxtaposition of orga and mecha is one of its many well executed contradictions. Packed but sparse, thrilling, complex, innovative, simple. Without even a dud bar never mind a filler track, In Rainbows is more than any fan could hope for.
  15. BBC collective
    90
    In Rainbows really does present Radiohead at their most full-blooded and confident.
  16. Delusions of Adequacy
    90
    This album is more a statement of where they're going. It feels big, open, and alone, like you are listening in on something you shouldn't hear.
  17. PopMatters
    90
    The album proves itself to be what we all thought Radiohead couldn’t make again: a masterpiece.
  18. Los Angeles Times
    90
    The first time I listened to Radiohead's In Rainbows, I loved it, no holds barred.
  19. cokemachineglow
    85
    Radiohead sound as ephemeral and variegated as ever, flowering and streaming and as big as the light our eyes can catch.
  20. Prefix Magazine
    85
    This is a grownup album, made for grownups.
  21. Hot Press
    85
    First impressions are pretty damn good. It’s dreamy, eerie, epic, soaring, soothing, very occasionally manic... and more.

User Reviews

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User Score
9.2 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 1375 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 652 out of 712
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 712
  3. Negative: 35 out of 712
  1. VinnyP
    10
    This album is stunning and achingly beautiful. There is absolutely no filler here, and the band sounds the most genuine that they've sounded in years. I keep changing my mind on what the best songs are, because they really are all that good. Listening to In Rainbows takes you ona journey that is a bit of a rollercoaster, a bit of sonic orgasm, all with an undercurrent infused with a dark sense of love. I know I'm talking crazy here but the music has just captivated me that much. By the time the journey ends with "Videotape," you'll want to revisit it right away. As a fan I not only love the album but am happy for the band, for them to continue to reach new levels and to continue to put out music that matters. Hands down the best album of the year so far, possibly my favorite of the decade.… Full Review »
  2. j30
    10
    A perfect album and one of the best albums of the decade. This is one of those albums you'll look back on and remember the exact time and place you first listened to it. It's a record that changed the music industry forever by asking consumers how much their music meant to them. Apparently a lot, because the album went number 1 on music charts when the cd copy came out. It's kind of funny to think that this album didn't win "Album of the Year" at the Grammy's.… Full Review »
  3. Tom
    10
    Makes me realize there are true artist still left in this world.
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