Acclaimed Music Forums

The basic idea is to rank the tracks off the album each week to see how each track compares to each other. It's an excuse to go back to classic albums and a way to gauge the best and worst tracks of the most acclaimed albums. Simply rank all the tracks from your favorite to your least.

I plan to go in cycles of decades with the 1950s and 2010s once every other cycle. I will go with the top album of each respective decade, but I might skip questionable albums (I doubt anyone wants to rank the tracks of 69 Love Songs, no matter how great the album is). Next week will be The Velvet Underground and Nico.

Also, if you missed an album that you want to rank, you can do so in this thread. Please keep it to 1 old album per week. I will update the results. Please don't bump previous threads. I'd like to keep everything in the current topic and the result topic.



Kid A track listing:
1. Everything In Its Right Place
2. Kid A
3. The National Anthem
4. How to Disappear Completely
5. Treefingers
6. Optimistic
7. In Limbo
8. Idioteque
9. Morning Bell
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack

1. Idioteque
2. How to Disappear Completely
3. Everything in Its Right Place
4. Motion Picture Soundtrack
5. The National Anthem
6. Morning Bell
7. Optimistic
8. In Limbo
9. Kid A
10. Treefingers

4. How to Disappear Completely
8. Idioteque
1. Everything in Its Right Place
3. The National Anthem
2. Kid A
6. Optimistic
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
5. Treefingers
9. Morning Bell
7. In Limbo

Probably "Treefingers" will show up at the bottom of many lists (it's not even too high on my own list) and I can understand why, it's the least "Radioheadish" song of their whole output and it travelled a path that many ambient music heroes travelled before (Brian Eno to name one). But it's a song that I enjoy a lot, particularly if I listen to it while driving at night, it tinges the space around you with a sense of unreality and it gives you a distinct sensation of floating. Just try it…

4. How to Disappear Completely
3. The National Anthem
8. Idioteque
1. Everything In Its Right Place
2. Kid A
6. Optimistic
9. Morning Bell
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
7. In Limbo
5. Treefingers

The top two tracks here are likely two of three Radiohead tracks that inhabit my all-time top five songs. They are perfect in every way.

1. Everything In Its Right Place
8. Idioteque
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
4. How to Disappear Completely
3. The National Anthem
2. Kid A
7. In Limbo
6. Optimistic
9. Morning Bell
5. Treefingers

This used to be my favorite Radiohead album, then I went through a year where for some reason I couldn't enjoy listening to it, and now its starting to pop up in my rotation more. I still like OK Computer better, but I'm rebuilding the emotional connections to these songs, if that makes sense.

1. Everything in Its Right Place
6. Optimistic
2. Kid A
3. The National Anthem
8. Idioteque
4. How to Disappear Completely
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
5. Treefingers
7. In Limbo
9. Morning Bell

Honorio wrote:Probably "Treefingers" will show up at the bottom of many lists (it's not even too high on my own list) and I can understand why, it's the least "Radioheadish" song of their whole output and it travelled a path that many ambient music heroes travelled before (Brian Eno to name one). But it's a song that I enjoy a lot, particularly if I listen to it while driving at night, it tinges the space around you with a sense of unreality and it gives you a distinct sensation of floating. Just try it…

The weird thing is I ranked it last and agree with you, but that has more to do with the fact I think every song on this album is special in its own way.

(Including my individual song ratings)

4. How to Disappear Completely 10
8. Idioteque 9
3. The National Anthem 8
1. Everything In Its Right Place 7+
6. Optimistic 7
7. In Limbo 7
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack 6
5. Treefingers 6
9. Morning Bell 6
2. Kid A 5

1. Everything in Its Right Place
3. The National Anthem
6. Optimistic
4. How to Disappear Completely
2. Kid A
7. In Limbo
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
9. Morning Bell
8. Idioteque
5. Treefingers

My top 2 are easy and my bottom 2 are easy picks, everything in the middle I love so much the placement is a little arbitrary. I know Idioteque is a fan favorite, and I will say it's great, but it's towards the bottom for me.

1. Idioteque
2. How To Disappear Completely
3. Optimistic
4. Motion Picture Soundtrack
5. Everything In Its Right Place
6. Morning Bell
7. The National Anthem
8. Kid A
9. Treefingers
10. In Limbo

4. How to Disappear Completely
1. Everything In Its Right Place
8. Idioteque
2. Kid A
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
9. Morning Bell
7. In Limbo
5. Treefingers
6. Optimistic
3. The National Anthem

This is my #59 album. But again, it's probably not best to take my ranking seriously before the algorithm is used, because that may not truly express my feelings for the album.

The National Anthem (My #125 song. Some may like other tracks, but this is the true masterpiece of the album for me)
How To Disappear Completely (A very moving track. "National Anthem" wins for ambition, but this is a great piece as well)
Morning Bell (Good music and decent lyrics)
In Limbo (Blends very well with "Optimistic" with an eerie tone to set it off)
Optimistic (A bass-heavy song. As a fan of those, I can appreciate this one)
Motion Picture Soundtrack (Sounds like a great movie if this is the soundtrack)
Idioteque (Catchy. Vocals rub me the wrong way, though, so it loses some points)
Kid A (Another fairly creative song)
Everything in its Right Place (A tad repetitive, but still enjoyable for what it is)
Treefingers (One of the best instrumental tracks I ever heard. But has no...substance)

1. Idioteque
2. Everything in its Right Place
3. The National Anthem
4. How to Disappear Completely
5. Motion Picture Soundtrack
6. Optimistic
7. Morning Bell
8. In Limbo
9. Kid A
10. Treefingers

1. Everything In Its Right Place
2. Idioteque
3. Morning Bell
4. The National Anthem
5. How to Disappear Completely
6. Optimistic
7. In Limbo
8. Kid A
9. Treefingers
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack

The last three could have been swapped in any way. Not a mediocre track in there.

8. Idioteque
4. How to Disappear Completely
6. Optimistic
1. Everything In Its Right Place
3. The National Anthem
9. Morning Bell
7. In Limbo
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
2. Kid A
5. Treefingers

1. Everything In Its Right Place
8. Idioteque
3. The National Anthem
6. Optimistic
7. In Limbo
4. How to Disappear Completely
5. Treefingers
2. Kid A
9. Morning Bell
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack

3. The National Anthem
1. Everything In Its Right Place
8. Idioteque
2. Kid A
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
4. How to Disappear Completely
9. Morning Bell
6. Optimistic
7. In Limbo
5. Treefingers

Since we are at it, "What's going on ?":

1 What's Going On
3 Flyin' High (In the Friendly Sky)
6 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
2 What's Happening Brother
4 Save the Children
7 Right On
9 Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
8 Wholy Holy
5 God is Love

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

1. Wouldn't It Be Nice
8. God Only Knows
9. I Know There's an Answer
7. Sloop John B
3. That's Not Me
5. I'm Waiting for the Day
2. You Still Believe in Me
4. Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)
11. I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
13. Caroline, No
10. Here Today
6. Let's Go Away for Awhile
12. Pet Sounds

Great :
1. Everything In Its Right Place
3. The National Anthem
4. How to Disappear Completely
9. Morning Bell

Good :
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
7. In Limbo
8. Idioteque
6. Optimistic
2. Kid A

Listenable :
5. Treefingers

Not for me :

4. How to Disappear Completely
6. Optimistic
8. Idioteque
3. The National Anthem
1. Everything In Its Right Place
7. In Limbo
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
9. Morning Bell
5. Treefingers
2. Kid A

Poor "Kid A"

4. How to Disappear Completely
7. In Limbo
3. The National Anthem
9. Morning Bell
2. Kid A
1. Everything In Its Right Place
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
6. Optimistic
8. Idioteque
5. Treefingers

1. Optimistic
2. Morning Bell
3. In Limbo
4. Everything In Its Right Place
5. Kid A
6. Idioteque
7. How to Disappear Completely
8. The National Anthem
9. Treefingers
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack

1 | Optimistic
2 | Everything in Its Right Place
3 | The National Anthem
4 | Morning Bell
5 | How to Disappear Completely
6 | In Limbo
7 | Idioteque
8 | Motion Picture Soundtrack
9 | Kid A
10 | Treefingers

04 | How to Disappear Completely
08 | Idioteque
06 | Optimistic
03 | The National Anthem
02 | Kid A
09 | Morning Bell
10 | Motion Picture Soundtrack
01 | Everything In Its Right Place
05 | Treefingers
07 | In Limbo

"I will see you in the next life."

01 | Idioteque
02 | Everything in Its Right Place
03 | Motion Picture Soundtrack
04 | The National Anthem
05 | How to Disappear Completely
06 | Morning Bell
07 | Optimistic
08 | In Limbo
09 | Kid A
10 | Treefingers

1. Everything In Its Right Place
4. How to Disappear Completely
3. The National Anthem
6. Optimistic
8. Idioteque
9. Morning Bell
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
7. In Limbo
2. Kid A
5. Treefingers

1. Everything In Its Right Place
2. Optimistic
3. Morning Bell
4. Motion Picture Soundtrack
5. The National Anthem
6. Idioteque
7. Treefingers
8. In Limbo
9. How to Disappear Completely
10. Kid A

1. Everything in It's Right Place
2. The National Anthem
3. Optimistic
4. Morning Bell
5. In Limbo
6. How to Disappear Completely
7. Kid A
8. Idioteque
9. Treefingers
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack

Seems like I skipped that one too :

8. Idioteque
4. How to Disappear Completely
6. Optimistic
3. The National Anthem
9. Morning Bell
1. Everything In Its Right Place
2. Kid A
7. In Limbo
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
5. Treefingers

1. The National Anthem
2. Idioteque
3. Kid A
4. Everything in Its Right Place
5. How to Disappear Completely
6. In Limbo
7. Motion Picture Soundtrack
8. Untitled
9. Treefingers
10. Optimistic
11. Morning Bell

I won't argue for either one but somehow songs from Amnesiac get significantly more play from me.

4. How to Disappear Completely
3. The National Anthem
8. Idioteque
1. Everything In Its Right Place
7. In Limbo
6. Optimistic
5. Treefingers
2. Kid A
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
9. Morning Bell

1. Idioteque
2. Everything In Its Right Place
3. Optimistic
4. Motion Picture Soundtrack
5. The National Anthem
6. How to Disappear Completely
7. Morning Bell
8. Kid A
9. In Limbo
10. Treefingers

3. The National Anthem
1. Everything In Its Right Place
6. Optimistic
7. In Limbo
8. Idioteque
2. Kid A
4. How to Disappear Completely
9. Morning Bell
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
5. Treefingers

1. Everything In Its Right Place
6. Optimistic
2. Kid A
8. Idioteque
4. How to Disappear Completely
3. The National Anthem
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
9. Morning Bell
7. In Limbo
5. Treefingers

03| The National Anthem
02| Kid A
06| Optimistic
08| Idioteque
07| In Limbo
09| Morning Bell
01| Everything in Its Right Place
04| How to Disappear Completely
05| Treefingers
10| Motion Picture Soundtrack

1. Idioteque
2. Everything In Its Right Place
3. How to Disappear Completely
4. The National Anthem
5. Optimistic
6. Motion Picture Soundtrack
7. Kid A
8. In Limbo
9. Morning Bell
10. Treefingers

Kid A is an album I hate. It’s not the worst album I have listened too, but it is responsible of many undesirable effects:

- It made me loose interest in Radiohead. A band I really appreciated and I had to rediscover a few years later (In rainbows era).

- It is one of the albums where I less understand its critical acclaim. Most of the times when I don’t agree with critics I understand why they say an album is worthy. 20 years later I still cannot understand about Kid A. Does anyone really think using electronic is revolutionary in 2000? After so many electronic artists working since the 60’s-70’s?

- It even made me loose interest in music as a whole. From 2000 to 2005 I listened to less music than ever in my life, and Kid A (along with Vespertine by Bjork, another deception) has a big responsibility on it.

After so many years and dozens of listenings I must confess that the first 5 songs in my list are good. They are even great. The problem is the rest is soooo boring. I even prefer Amnesiac, which is a much more balanced album.

1- 8. Idioteque
2- 1. Everything In Its Right Place
3- 6. Optimistic
4- 3. The National Anthem
5- 4. How to Disappear Completely
6- 9. Morning Bell
7- 7. In Limbo
8- 10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
9- 2. Kid A
10- 5. Treefingers

1. Idioteque
2. Optimistic
3. Everything in its Right Place
4. How to Disappear Completely
5. The National Anthem
6. Kid A
7. Morning Bell
8. In Limbo
9. Motion Picture Soundtrack
10. Treefingers

08| Idioteque
01| Everything in Its Right Place
03| The National Anthem
06| Optimistic
10| Motion Picture Soundtrack
04| How to Disappear Completely
09| Morning Bell
07| In Limbo
02| Kid A
05| Treefingers

1 idioteque
2 optimistic
3 motion picture soundtrack
4 the national anthem
5 everything in its right place
6 how to disappear completely
7 morning bell
8 in limbo
9 kid a
10 treefingers