Hail to the Thief (or The Gloaming), usually referred to without its alternative title as simply Hail to the Thief, is the sixth studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead. It was produced by Nigel Godrich and released on 9 June 2003. It was the last album released under Radiohead's six-album record contract with Parlophone.
After two Radiohead albums incorporating electronica, jazz and 20th-century classical music influences, Hail to the Thief was seen as a return to a more conventional rock sound while maintaining electronic and jazz elements. Following difficult recording sessions for previous albums, the band worked deliberately quickly, employing a live, "spontaneous" approach, and cited the Beatles, the Pixies, Charlie Mingus, Can, New Order, Tubeway Army and Siouxsie and the Banshees as influences. George Orwell, Dante, and fairy tales influenced the lyrics, much of which were written in response to the "War on Terror" and the subsequent War in Afghanistan. Songwriter and vocalist Thom Yorke said the album addresses "frustration and powerlessness and anger, and the huge gap between the people that put themselves in control and the people that allegedly voted for them."
Hail to the Thief debuted at number one in the United Kingdom and at number three in the United States, and produced three charting singles: "There There", "Go to Sleep" and "2 + 2 = 5". It was praised by critics, though many felt it was not Radiohead's strongest work, and it became the fifth consecutive Radiohead album to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Hail to the Thief the 89th best album of the 2000s.Hail to the Thief (or The Gloaming), usually referred to without its alternative title as simply Hail to the Thief, is the sixth studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead. It was produced by Nigel Godrich and released on 9 June 2003. It was the last album released under Radiohead's six-album record contract with Parlophone.
After two Radiohead albums incorporating electronica, jazz and 20th-century classical music influences, Hail to the Thief was seen as a return to a more conventional rock sound while maintaining electronic and jazz elements. Following difficult recording sessions for previous albums, the band worked deliberately quickly, employing a live, "spontaneous" approach, and cited the Beatles, the Pixies, Charlie Mingus, Can, New Order, Tubeway Army and Siouxsie and the Banshees as influences. George Orwell, Dante, and fairy tales influenced the lyrics, much of which were written in response to the "War on Terror" and the subsequent War in Afghanistan. Songwriter and vocalist Thom Yorke said the album addresses "frustration and powerlessness and anger, and the huge gap between the people that put themselves in control and the people that allegedly voted for them."
Hail to the Thief debuted at number one in the United Kingdom and at number three in the United States, and produced three charting singles: "There There", "Go to Sleep" and "2 + 2 = 5". It was praised by critics, though many felt it was not Radiohead's strongest work, and it became the fifth consecutive Radiohead album to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Hail to the Thief the 89th best album of the 2000s.false2025-11-07 22:07:33Hail to the Thief20032003-01-012003-01-0159Alternative RockArt RockElectronicRock1114182112020b9a560b3-7af4-41b2-aec6-83df4633a1e2a74b1b7f-71a5-4011-9441-d0b5e41227115c14fd50-a2f1-3672-9537-b0dad91bea2f/media/data/media5/Music/Radiohead/Hail to the Thief/folder.jpgRadioheadRadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass); Ed O'Brien (guitar, backing vocals); and Philip Selway (drums, percussion). They have worked with producer Nigel Godrich and cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994. Radiohead's experimental approach is credited with advancing the sound of alternative rock.
After signing to EMI in 1991, Radiohead released their debut single, "Creep", in 1992. It became a worldwide hit after the release of their debut album, Pablo Honey (1993). Their popularity and critical standing rose with the release of their second album, The Bends (1995). Radiohead's third album, OK Computer (1997), brought them international fame; noted for its complex production and themes of modern alienation, it is acclaimed as a landmark record and one of the best albums in popular music. Kid A (2000) marked a dramatic change in style, incorporating influences from electronic music, jazz, classical music and krautrock. Though Kid A divided listeners, it later attracted wide acclaim. It was followed by Amnesiac (2001), recorded in the same sessions.
Hail to the Thief (2003), with lyrics addressing the War on Terror, was Radiohead's final album for EMI. Radiohead self-released their seventh album, In Rainbows (2007), as a download for which customers could set their own price, to critical and chart success. Their eighth album, The King of Limbs (2011), an exploration of rhythm, was developed using extensive looping and sampling. A Moon Shaped Pool (2016) prominently featured Jonny Greenwood's orchestral arrangements. Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Selway and O'Brien have released solo albums; in 2021, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood debuted a new band, the Smile.
By 2011 Radiohead had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. Their awards include six Grammy Awards and four Ivor Novello Awards. Seven Radiohead singles have reached the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart: "Creep" (1992), "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" (1996), "Paranoid Android" (1997), "Karma Police" (1997), "No Surprises" (1998), "Pyramid Song" (2001) and "There There" (2003). "Creep" and "Nude" (2008) reached the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Rolling Stone named Radiohead one of the 100 greatest artists of all time, and Rolling Stone readers voted them the second-best artist of the 2000s. Five Radiohead albums have been included in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time lists, and the band are the most nominated act in Mercury Prize history, with five nominations. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.