10 Things We Learned From ClickHole’s ‘OK Computer’ History

Just last month, the Library of Congress deemed Radiohead’s 1997 album, OK Computer, "culturally, historically and aesthetically significant” and included it in its 2015 registry. Now, ClickHole has shared an oral history of the iconic album as told by the English alt-rockers themselves.

Well, okay, this is ClickHole, so the oral history does not come straight from the mouths of Thom Yorke and company -- in fact, it most definitely comes from thin air. Nevertheless, it certainly provides a creative retelling of the classic album’s making -- like the fact that Yorke really, really didn’t like “Creep.”

Below, we’ve gathered the 10 most illuminating tidbits we learned from ClickHole’s oral history (because it would definitely take you too long to read the whole thing):

1. Thom Yorke wanted everyone -- and we mean everyone -- to know “Creep” was a bad song. Much to his dismay, even Pope John Paul II and President Bill Clinton could agree the song ruled.

2. The inspiration for OK Computer originated when Yorke pondered what it would be like if a computer could play guitar.

3. From the sounds of ClickHole’s oral history, the rest of Radiohead are a bunch of yes-men -- save for Colin Greenwood. He took some convincing when it came to the computer-playing-guitar concept. Of course, Yorke was eventually able to sway his bandmate with a hand-drawing of a computer playing a g… you get the idea.

4. Yorke’s goal has always been to make an album that earns him and his bandmates some jail time. For OK Computer, that urge manifested in a song that simply repeated “Hitler hairdo” a bunch. However, the frontman's bandmates made him cut it down to a single mention in “Karma Police.”

5. Radiohead are a self-proclaimed “gum band” -- they’re really into gum.

6. In fact, Yorke has made two solo albums called Songs About Gum and More Songs About the Indestructible Meat Known as Gum.

7. Every song on OK Computer began as a jam session of Steely Dan’s “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.”

8. Radiohead record each of their albums while wearing wetsuits.

9. OK Computer became the number one sex album in the world. Yorke even received thank you notes proclaiming that the album made people believe “sex was possible again in England.”

10. During a concert, Yorke once tunneled into the crowd only to emerge carrying a dove.