Radiohead returns to multiple U.K. charts as Hail to the Thief (Live Recordings 2003–2009) debuts at No. 2 on the vinyl list and opens inside the top 10 elsewhere. Studio portrait of Radiohead, Phil Selway, Jonny Greenwood, Thom Yorke, Colin Greenwood, Ed O’Brien, Luna theater, Brussels, Belgium, 5th December 1995. (Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images)
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It’s been almost a decade since Radiohead last released a new album. The band has been largely silent since A Moon Shaped Pool arrived in the spring of 2016, though the group does occasionally dole out a compilation or live set — something to keep fans listening and interested as the members pursue solo creative endeavors.
Radiohead enjoyed a momentary commercial comeback earlier this year when the band’s “Let Down” suddenly went viral. The track, which had never been chosen as a single, was nonetheless selected by the public around the world, and listeners turned it into an actual chart win.
That unexpected smash helped set the group up for further commercial success this week, as Hail to the Thief (Live Recordings 2003–2009) – which features live editions of beloved songs from the group’s catalog recorded at various shows across more than half a decade – debuts on multiple charts in the United Kingdom, bringing the rockers back to the highest reaches of multiple rankings.
Hail to the Thief Misses No. 1 by One Space
BELGIUM – JUNE 26: ROCK WERCHTER Photo of RADIOHEAD, 26-06-2003/RADIOHEAD/WERCHTER/BELGIE (Photo by Peter Pakvis/Redferns)
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Hail to the Thief launches in the runner-up spot on the Official Vinyl Albums chart, its most impressive starting point in the U.K. this frame. Only Everybody Scream, the latest full-length by Florence and the Machine, beats it to the peak position, as the beloved singer and her backing group deny Radiohead a new No. 1.
Radiohead’s No. 2-Peaking Albums
Hail to the Thief marks Radiohead’s second project to miss out on becoming a champion on the Official Vinyl Albums chart by just one space. Kid A Mnesia stalled at No. 2 several years back. The group has previously conquered with both A Moon Shaped Pool and OK Computer, while The Bends climbed as high as No. 4.
Radiohead Scores More Top 10 Wins With Hail to the Thief
The same live offering manages top 10 beginnings on two other tallies. Radiohead’s latest release begins in fourth place on both the Official Albums Sales and Official Physical Albums charts this week.
How Many Top 10 Albums Has Radiohead Charted?
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 12: Rock band Radiohead poses for a portrait at Capitol Records during the release of their album OK Computer in Los Angeles, California on June 12, 1997. (Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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Hail to the Thief earns Radiohead the band’s fourth top 10 win on the list of the bestselling albums in the U.K., where only half a dozen projects by the rockers have become bestsellers, as the tally has missed several of the group’s more popular releases. Radiohead is far more successful on the Official Physical Albums chart, where Hail to the Thief marks an even dozen top 10s and a seventeenth placement overall.
Hail to the Thief Barely Misses the Main Albums Chart’s Top 10
The Grammy-winning act nearly finds its way to the highest region on the main albums chart in the U.K. Hail to the Thief misses out on that coveted space by just a few slots, as the live project enters at No. 12.
Hail to the Thief Returns to One Chart
While Hail to the Thief debuts on almost every chart on which it appears in the U.K. at the moment, it actually got off to an early start in late summer. Hail to the Thief was released in August, but only becomes a bestseller this frame in the U.K. after it was offered on physical formats — and clearly, fans of the band wanted to own it and hold it in their hands.
Hail to the Thief returns to the Official Album Downloads chart, a roster the set first reached several months back. The full-length breaks in at No. 76 after previously hitting No. 8.
“Creep” and “Let Down” Continue Radiohead’s Successful Chart Run
Radiohead is enjoying great success on the U.K. charts with both albums and singles at the moment. “Creep,” which is widely regarded as the outfit’s most famous single, returns to both the Official Singles Sales and Official Singles Downloads charts. At the same time, it hits a new all-time high on the Official Streaming tally at No. 41, buoyed largely by interest thanks to Halloween.
“Let Down,” which became a hit seemingly out of the blue only a few months ago, also finds its way to the same streaming roster, coming in second to last place.