Kid A
by Radiohead
  • Record Label: Capitol
  • Release Date: Oct 3, 2000
User Score
8.9

Universal acclaim- based on 1244 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,134 out of 1244
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 1244
  3. Negative: 90 out of 1244

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  1. StJimofSuburbia
    Feb 22, 2011
    10
    Upon first listen I can see why old school Radiohead fans won't like this album, I didn't either. After a few listens though the album grew on me. Radiohead took a leap of faith here by making an album totally opposite of their past masterpieces (The Bends & OK Computer). This transition kind of reminds me of Dylan going acoustic. His loyal folk fan base was horrified and didn't wantUpon first listen I can see why old school Radiohead fans won't like this album, I didn't either. After a few listens though the album grew on me. Radiohead took a leap of faith here by making an album totally opposite of their past masterpieces (The Bends & OK Computer). This transition kind of reminds me of Dylan going acoustic. His loyal folk fan base was horrified and didn't want anything to do with him after that. Thankfully artists make music for themselves and what that is and what the fans want may be two different things. If artists just stuck to their roots we they would never be able to grow intellectually and musically. Kid A is a fantastic album and is well worthy of all the praise it has and continues to receive and "Everything In It's Right Place" is one of the best songs of all time.… Collapse
  2. StaticBunny
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    When I first listened to this album, I thought it was entirely a pile of garbage. How could the greatest rock band in the world make such a horrendous processed electronic earwreck? A month later, I gave it another chance. Then I thought, "huh, this is alright. Wonder why I thought it was so bad." Then I listened to it for a third time. That's when my mind was blown. Radiohead had struckWhen I first listened to this album, I thought it was entirely a pile of garbage. How could the greatest rock band in the world make such a horrendous processed electronic earwreck? A month later, I gave it another chance. Then I thought, "huh, this is alright. Wonder why I thought it was so bad." Then I listened to it for a third time. That's when my mind was blown. Radiohead had struck gold again. Only this time, they found diamond. This album is absolutely flawless, even if at first glance it's completely flawed. Just keep polishing the diamond, and only then will it sparkle.… Expand
  3. Kideoteque
    Aug 25, 2010
    10
    Everything truly is in its right place.
  4. SaxMan16
    Aug 19, 2010
    10
    To call Kid A a good album is an understatement, while not as diverse and as good song by song as its predecesor Ok Computer, Kid A may be better as a full collective album. Its one of those albums that it is almost required of you to listen from start to finish. While it is an album that definetely has a recurring musical theme, each song takes you to a different place, whether it beTo call Kid A a good album is an understatement, while not as diverse and as good song by song as its predecesor Ok Computer, Kid A may be better as a full collective album. Its one of those albums that it is almost required of you to listen from start to finish. While it is an album that definetely has a recurring musical theme, each song takes you to a different place, whether it be the chilling "Everything in its Right Place" to the near tear jerking "How to Disappear completely, to the anything but "Optimistic", to "In Limbo" which most certainly lives up to its name being confusing and without real direction (in a good way). Kid A while not Radioheads magnum opus, may be their most obscure, challenging, and most thought provoking piece of art, which it is nothing less than a piece of art.… Expand
  5. shakersonic
    Sep 28, 2012
    10
    Rather than silly club synths, their use of electronica is proper. It feels artistic and sophisticated. It's an intelligent record. It's a masterpiece. Perhaps this is the best album of the last decade.
  6. gaussy
    Mar 2, 2012
    10
    When you ask people about the best 90's album, the most common answer is: "OK Computer". And they go beyond in asserting that also is the best Radiohead album. I'm not in agreement with the last affirmation. "Kid A" is a huge album that overcomes their previous recording. Since I first heard it, 6 years ago, I was impressed by it's peculiar sound, the experimentation, the quality, theWhen you ask people about the best 90's album, the most common answer is: "OK Computer". And they go beyond in asserting that also is the best Radiohead album. I'm not in agreement with the last affirmation. "Kid A" is a huge album that overcomes their previous recording. Since I first heard it, 6 years ago, I was impressed by it's peculiar sound, the experimentation, the quality, the elegance. It's a masterpiece! (for me, of course). Since these High School days it has becomes one of my favorites recordings of ever!!… Expand
  7. federicobenny
    Sep 20, 2012
    10
    The best Radiohead's album of the last twelve years. Nothing more, nothing less. It's absolutely worth listening to it, but if you never liked them this album is not gonna make you change your mind. Haters are warned!
  8. BartholomewCubs
    Oct 21, 2014
    10
    Kid A is indubitably one of the best albums of the past decade, and Radiohead's crowning achievement. Rarely have I listened to an album so cohesive and unified. Every song paints a beautiful picture and the songs flow from one to each other so naturally. Listening to this album, I experienced the sensation one has while watching a good plot twist in a movie. I felt my previous notions ofKid A is indubitably one of the best albums of the past decade, and Radiohead's crowning achievement. Rarely have I listened to an album so cohesive and unified. Every song paints a beautiful picture and the songs flow from one to each other so naturally. Listening to this album, I experienced the sensation one has while watching a good plot twist in a movie. I felt my previous notions of the world disassembled. It was an ethereal but otherworldly experience. It's like if "Everything in its Right Place" sets the stage for the events of the album, "Kid A" shows the unbridled innocence of the world we see, and then something really, really bad happens on "The National Anthem". The rest is survival. The lyrics, bizarre and arbitrary as they might seem on first glance, really have a distinct purpose serving the atmosphere of the song. Could you imagine "Everything in its Right Place" without the now iconic "I woke up sucking on lemon" line?

    The musicianship here is impeccable. "Everything in its Right Place" is an almost hypnotic trance in 10/4 time that leaves you simultaneously disturbed and intrigued. "The National Anthem" features blistering horns and brass that slowly metamorphoses into hectic hysteria, which the bass line still serving as an undercurrent of survival and hustle and bustle beneath. Brilliant. "How to Disappear Completely" is an acoustic ballad, but not in the traditional sense, and feature's Greenwood's Penderecki-esque string arrangements. "Idioteque" sees the band exploring some bleak territory in its lyrics hidden beneath the veneer of a dance song, while songs like "Optimistic" and "In Limbo" defy genre classification.

    This is a really magnificent piece of work. The only drawback is that it's not very accessible for a casual listener. But for those willing to take on this accomplishment, you will be heavily rewarded. It's a fantastic album and work of art and I highly recommend you listen to it altogether.

    Must tracks – All of them. But since I restrict myself to three I'll say Idioteque, Everything in its Right Place, and How to Disappear Completely.    … Expand
  9. greekmatthew
    Apr 12, 2017
    10
    Arguably one of the best albums of the 21st century so far. Radiohead demonstrates their ability to blend electronic sounds with a deliverance of words that are heavy and moving beyond comprehension.
  10. Anarch
    Sep 19, 2017
    10
    Simply one of the greatest albums ever, there is nothing wrong with this album, and it feels amazing to listen of as a whole for a very emotional experience. It reminds of of The Dark Side of the Moon but with a more heavier, technical sound.
  11. PauliAlexander
    Sep 23, 2018
    10
    Almost two decades later, this LP truly foreshadowed the upcoming struggles of the 21st century, along with its predecessor OK Computer. Although of course, Kid A is more electronic whilst OK Computer is more rock. But they are masterpieces, nonetheless. Don't want to get wordy here, so go listen for yourself.
  12. All_ButTrU4
    Feb 1, 2021
    10
    THIS ALBUM CHANGED MUSIC. Bold claim,yes? Even so it's indisputable. The acclaimed radiohead still recovering from the suffocating success and acclaim of 'ok computer' went into isolation and emerged at the beginning of a millennium with the end of radiohead as we knew them. Thom had recovered enough from the pressure a follow up presented. The experimentation demonstrated on this wasn'tTHIS ALBUM CHANGED MUSIC. Bold claim,yes? Even so it's indisputable. The acclaimed radiohead still recovering from the suffocating success and acclaim of 'ok computer' went into isolation and emerged at the beginning of a millennium with the end of radiohead as we knew them. Thom had recovered enough from the pressure a follow up presented. The experimentation demonstrated on this wasn't without precision. Everything fits together so well the album feels preordained and inevitable. In my mind it tells a story of a cold future where the beginning, period and end of an apocalypse happen in the 49+min. From the electronic sinister opener or the peace of 'how to dissapear completely ' and the panic of 'idioetique' we are exposed to the genius of Thom and the talent of his band. Not a single moment is wasted in this iconic record that is infamously snubbed at the 2000 grammy's AOTY . When this album was conceived Thom aimed to dismantle the preconceptions attached to the group and by doing so created something so divisive and unanimous the applause and boo's are equal in their praise settimg a standard for artists deciding to take a new route. Favourites:idioetique, kid a,how to dissapear completely, motion picture soundtrack, optimistic… Expand
  13. thedeparted06
    Jan 27, 2021
    10
    Masterpiece, its weird to see pepole from 2002 who couldn´t adapt and see the future, literally one of the most influential albums of all time
  14. Uhhuhhim
    May 30, 2005
    10
    Resonance - A magazine that might've been amazing if the writers had only bothered to write some actual reviews.
  15. JordanS
    Jun 29, 2009
    10
    Words fail me. A pioneering, post-genre masterpiece. Easily the best album of the 21st century. Period.
  16. ChrisH
    Jul 6, 2003
    10
    undeniably beautiful, and after 50 listens, it seems even better
  17. MHarris
    Oct 16, 2005
    10
    This album is more than just music. It is a visceral experience.
  18. LilianP
    Dec 30, 2005
    10
    you'd have to like free jazz and modern classical music to like what radiohead did with rock music. it's music not for a commercial audience, but for real lovers of music.
  19. EkC
    Aug 27, 2006
    10
    Everything radiohead does is unbelievable (besides pablo honey)... i think the band peaked at ok computer, but this album is still unbelievable.
  20. SteveO
    Aug 26, 2009
    10
    Quite simply one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Not to everyone's tastes, but certainly to mine.
  21. chris
    Jul 25, 2003
    10
    I would give this album an 11 if i could. If you do not understand kid A you might as well stop listening to music altogether. you lameoids who gave this album a bad rating sholuld perish in one of Dante's concentric circles of hell that Thome Yorke so emotionally transends to us in his flawless and dominating voice. Why don't you invalids go off on an island somewhere with your I would give this album an 11 if i could. If you do not understand kid A you might as well stop listening to music altogether. you lameoids who gave this album a bad rating sholuld perish in one of Dante's concentric circles of hell that Thome Yorke so emotionally transends to us in his flawless and dominating voice. Why don't you invalids go off on an island somewhere with your Ben Kweller and O.A.R. cd's and leave the rest of us alone. Be sure to bring a t.v. because i know you can't miss American Idol.… Expand
  22. Aaron
    Jan 2, 2006
    10
    it's my favorite album ever
  23. DaveG
    Jul 14, 2006
    10
    I hated this record when I first heard it. However, I now consider it to be the greatest record that I've ever heard.
  24. TKOFOX
    May 22, 2009
    10
    This album tells a story of simple men/women enduring complex ideas with johnny greenwood (etc.) composing the sound scape. Its brilliant. I wish more albums like this would come along. Until then.
  25. GauravG
    Dec 24, 2002
    10
    A masterpiece. The only album I still listen to constantly 2 years later in 2002. Radiohead has taken the otherworldly sounds of Aphex Twin & Autechre and made it slightly more accessible. And what other major band has taken a risk like this? U2? The Beatles? That's good company if you ask me.
  26. RG
    Jul 28, 2006
    10
    tired of everyone saying you have to listen to it more than once to get it. The first feeling that you get after the first listen ... cannot put my words together. every listen something new rises up. every listen some part of your brain or heart gives out. i will stop now, but it is one of the best records ever made, still dont know how it reached #1 when it came out, myabe because of ok tired of everyone saying you have to listen to it more than once to get it. The first feeling that you get after the first listen ... cannot put my words together. every listen something new rises up. every listen some part of your brain or heart gives out. i will stop now, but it is one of the best records ever made, still dont know how it reached #1 when it came out, myabe because of ok computer buzz.… Expand
  27. j30
    Feb 1, 2012
    10
    Radiohead's Kid A sucker punches you with it's marvelous production, intense lyrics, sweeping (even distorted) melodies, and beautiful artwork. Three years after the great OK Computer I don't think anyone could have seen this coming. For better or worse this album changed the way people look at alternative music.
  28. kiddroy
    Feb 20, 2014
    10
    An album that both alienates listeners yet draws them back in for more. Kid A is quite possibly the most unique sounding albums and constructed ideas of the last several decades. The stripped down sound of the "new era" Radiohead of the 21st century does more than cement their place as one of the most influential bands of all time and without question, one the best bands of all time.
  29. yoshimon3
    Dec 6, 2015
    10
    Bloody Perfect. Everything in its right place is the song. I can't think of any album that comes close to this. The 80 on metacritic proves how stupid some people are when it comes to art.
  30. sratomasfer
    Feb 28, 2017
    10
    Albums like these that push musical boundaries so far that you can't even see where it started are hard to come by that do it so beautifully and precisely. This is a record that is a MUST LISTEN to anyone. EXPERIENCE THIS MASTERPIECE.
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Awards & Rankings

29
#29 Best Album of 2000
2
#2 Most Discussed Album of 2000
2
#2 Most Shared Album of 2000

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 24
  3. Negative: 1 out of 24
  1. Pitchfork
    100
    Comparing this to other albums is like comparing an aquarium to blue construction paper.... It's the sound of a band, and its leader, losing faith in themselves, destroying themselves, and subsequently rebuilding a perfect entity. In other words, Radiohead hated being Radiohead, but ended up with the most ideal, natural Radiohead record yet.
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  2. Spin
    90
    Radiohead have completely immersed themselves in the studio-as-instrument--signal processing, radical stereo separation, and other antinaturalistic techniques. Even the precious Guitars--saturated with effects and gaseous with sustain--resemble natural phenomena rather than power chords or lead lines. Essentially, this is a post-rock record.... Kid A is not only Radiohead's bravest album but its best one as well. [Oct 2000, p.172]
  3. Ink Blot Magazine
    80
    For an album that apparently grew out of the band trying to get away from melody, there's a lot of it here. They can't help themselves. They try to do a song with a robotic dance beat, load it up with bleak phrases like "laughing till my head comes off" and "take the money and run" and "this is really happening," call it "Idioteque" for chrissake, and what stands out are not the beat and not the phrases or the apparent concept of dance music being silly when horrible things are happening in the world, but the seven or eight different heartwrenching vocal lines and the amazing way they intertwine.
    Read full review
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