'The Bends'

My first exposure to Radiohead? On the soundtrack for the film Clueless was included a version of "Fake Plastic Trees," a great song off the album, The Bends. That is why good bands agree to include songs on soundtracks, even to films they don't necessarily relate to.

During a tour in support of The Bends, Radiohead nearly broke up. What a potential culture-shifting action that would have been.

The Bends peaked in the United States at No. 88 despite the relative success of the single "Creep" and due to its overwhelming success in the United Kingdom. Several months after the release of The Bends, Oasis would release What's the Story? (Morning Glory) and it would sell about 400 trillion units. Not until later did The Bends reach platinum sales in the United States.

Anyway, Radiohead was not very popular in the United States. Had they broken up, the seminal OK Computer doesn't exists. Neither do the next four albums that would attain almost immediate critical regard upon release. Essentially, take one of the biggest and best rock bands in the world out of the equation. Pretend The Rolling Stones broke up in 1962. That's what its like.