Don't bother posting your choice, I've put up a poll. Though I think its painfully obvious which band will win.

I know what you're all going to say. "Radiohead is better than Coldplay."

But I want to hear why.

I also want to see why FragileKidA thinks they're dissimilar.

Discuss.

Question:
Radiohead or Coldplay?

Choices:
Radiohead
Coldplay

 

Neither, but you all knew I was going to say that didn't you?

Radiohead obviously. But Coldplay are very good to, I'm not a hater.

Coldplay

Currently listening to Coldplay for the very first time (A Rush...). It's OK. Nothing earth-shattering.

Played OK Computer for the second time ever the other day in response to its position in a certain poll I'm trying hard to forget. It sounded dreary and monotonous to my ears. I remember listening to The Bends years ago and hating it.

Radiohead's a band I just don't "get".

Obviously Radiohead's been more consistant and innovative, but I think both bands are essentially cut from the same cloth, so to speak. I hear a great deal of U2 influence in both bands, but Radiohead picked up on the more experimental side, while Coldplay picked up on the more anthemic, arena-rock side.

Even though I say Radiohead is better, I think Coldplay gets a bad rap. They're first two albums were very good, and there were even a few gems on the much hated X & Y. Maybe they'll bounce back. Who knows?

When at their best, I'd say Radiohead, but A Rush Of Blood To The Head beats some Radiohead albums IMO. Guess I like Coldplay's jangly style.

I agree with the two posts above.

I believe Coldplay is far more motivated to be a good band than RH at this point. I think that's important to point out.

I think Coldplay is on a more slow rise trajectory. Like a bell curve, if you were to describe it visually. I don't think Coldplay will ever advance as fast as Radiohead did in the five years from "The Bends" to "Kid A." (I mean, my God, not since the Beatles has their been that kind of quick jump in creative evolution.)

But Coldplay ostensibly made their "Bends" with "Rush of Blood." Their "OK Computer," that is to say their big art-rock, Significant breakthough, is as far as five years off.

Radiohead's creative arc has gone up hard and quickly with slight dips due to gaps between releases. With three landmark records, Radiohead has shot its creative wad for a good while, I think. "Amnesiac," "Hail to the Thief" and "The Eraser" are ultimately just okay releases, considering their past performance.

EDIT: All I'm saying is, if you put their performances on a graph, Radiohead's line is only a little bit above Coldplay's line right now.

Some of my favorite people at this site don't like Radiohead, which is OK (Computer), but it makes the back of my spinal cord feel a little dulled. I like Coldplay well enough, but the lyrics on the last album were so banal they seemed to come from a fortune cookie and turned me off of most of that album's songs.

I also don't believe Radiohead has necesarily hit their peak yet, but I'll tell you after their new one. As far as Coldplay, unless I hear a good song, through and through, I may never buy another one of their albums.

I pretty much agree with eric about how both bands mined U2 territory, especially at their beginnings (Bono's voice casts a wide net, and the Edge's style is also influential.)

I also want to add that, although others disagree, I'm very impressed with the latest outputs of Wilco, CVB, and Los Lobos. Those last three are truly great American bands. (No, I don't think I'm going off-topic.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mark f,

I began listening to both groups at about the same time and I really don't prefer one over the other. Coldplay may sound to me like Radiohead-lite but that's okay. I find it easier to like tracks on Radiohead's albums yet I'm also rewarded with repeated listens from Coldplay, so all's fair in the end.

quote:

Originally posted by Yay!:
"Amnesiac," "Hail to the Thief" and "The Eraser" are ultimately just okay releases, considering their past performance.
EDIT: All I'm saying is, if you put their performances on a graph, Radiohead's line is only a little bit above Coldplay's line right now.

The Eraser is by Thom Yorke, not Radiohead. Also, Radiohead's line would be so much higher than Coldplay's:

First of all, I can’t stand Chris Martin: he is arrogant, boring and untalented. It always seems to me like he is just trying to act like it is just a coincidence that he and his band mates just happen to have the same musical influences as Radiohead. He claims how amazing R.E.M. is and it just turns out that Radiohead once toured with them a long time ago—that’s how long Radiohead has been good—but I don’t think Michael Stipe has ever praised Coldplay nor played a set with them. Also, Martin always praises Radiohead, but I don’t think ANYONE from Radiohead has ever said one good thing about Coldplay—if anyone can find anything on line to confirm this they are welcome to. Coldplay are artists that just borrow and steal from other artists, why would you want to hear alternative rock by them when Radiohead already perfected it way back in 1995 and 1997.

As for music, Radiohead is creative, innovative and they are always willing to try new styles of music. They have gorgeous slow songs: “Street Spirit (Fade Out,)” ‘Fake Plastic Trees,” “Motion Picture Soundtrack,” “Pyramid Song,” and “The Gloaming (Softly Open Our Mouths in the Cold)” and that’s not even half, great examples of alternative rock: “Creep,” “Black Star,” “There, There (The Boney King of Nowhere,)” “Airbag,” “I Might be Wrong,” “No Surprises,” and “Optimistic” and that isn’t even close to half. Not only that but they have tons of different songs that showcase their ability to try and beautifully succeed at new styles of music like jazz, electronica, contemporary rock and music that can only be catalogued as alternative like: “A Wolf at the Door,’ “The National Anthem,” “Life in a Glass House,” “Paranoid Android,” “Idioteque,” “My Iron Lung,” “Everything in its Right Place,” “Myxomatosis,” and “Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors” to name a few. They are light-years ahead of Coldplay and it really is no contest.

Not only that, but isn’t Radiohead arguably the best live band today? I have never heard anyone say that about Coldplay.

quote:

why would you want to hear alternative rock by them when Radiohead already perfected it way back in 1995 and 1997.

Hey, why bother listening to music at all? If Radiohead already perfected it, what's the point?

Well, all I can offer is this: I don't like Coldplay. But Hail to the Thief left a bad taste in my mouth, so if they get into a deathmatch I don't much care who wins.

Well...I think I'd prefer Coldplay win. Unfortunately that wouldn't stop Radiohead from being injected into every conversation on these boards.

I liked Hail to the Thief well enough, but it was definitely the sign of a band running out of ideas. To draw a comparison to the Rolling Stones, Radiohead just finished releasing Beggars Banquet, Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Main Street. Hail to the Thief was their Goat's Head Soup. Sure "Angie" and "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" were pretty sweet, but the rest was kinda meh. The may have a couple of gems left in their pocket, but I'm saying it's pretty much downhill from here.

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:
I liked Hail to the Thief well enough, but it was definitely the sign of a band running out of ideas. To draw a comparison to the Rolling Stones, Radiohead just finished releasing Beggars Banquet, Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Main Street. Hail to the Thief was their Goat's Head Soup. Sure "Angie" and "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" were pretty sweet, but the rest was kinda meh. The may have a couple of gems left in their pocket, but I'm saying it's pretty much downhill from here.

When I think of the Stones, I think of a band with some great material who (really) overstayed their welcome.

When I think of Joy Division, I think of a band I wish had made another album.

History will give Radiohead a little latitude for their '95–'03 run—I'll count Hail for the sake of their fans—but a couple average albums could really start to alter how they're defined 15 or 20 years from now.

Amnesiac was the time to quit. Time will tell.

I think both bands have likely peaked.

Coldplay's first two records showed progress from a heavily Radiohead influenced band with a hint of U2 to the likely (at the time) heir to the anthemic rock throne that U2 has held so long. X&Y wasn't a total disappointment, but it didn't take them further in their quest for world domination. It gave me more of the impression that they had perfected their formula, which is never a good sign for significant growth. I also sense that they are catering more to their listeners, in favor of risk-taking.

Radiohead is no doubt the most important band of the last decade. As great as their greatest albums are, and as innovative as they were, it seems highly unlikely that they could ever top themselves again. Besides, they are getting up there in age. If "Hail" was any indication, they have also perfected their formula. I doubt they could surprise us again the way they have in the past. I mean, what can they really do beyond Kid A? I think every artist, even the great ones, eventually exhaust their innovations over time.

Overall, I prefer Radiohead, but Coldplay isn't half bad.

I think Radiohead are on their way down and Coldplay are on their way up.

That can't really be denied.

What's more I'm pretty sure you folks agree with me.

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:
Hey, why bother listening to music at all? If Radiohead already perfected it, what's the point?

Precisely eric, why bother listening to music at all because that’s exactly what I meant. What a blistering genius you are. My attempted point was that Radiohead already perfected and many others, Wilco, Beck, The Flaming Lips—to name a few—do it very nicely: Beck and Wilco further mastered it with beautiful works in 2002; I don’t want to hear crappy Coldplay unjustly re-produce it and horribly fail at it.

It’s really funny how people can automatically dismiss a band or artist for album’s that aren’t as good as their previous work. Sure, Hail to the Thief isn’t even close to being as good as The Bends or Kid A but it is still very good and a lot better than a lot of the other albums that were released in 2003 (number 3 on my list.) Everything is relative. I mean, OK Computer is the best album of the 90s, The Bends is definitely in the top ten if not top five, and Kid A is probably the best album of the 00s—so far—with Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief in the top 20 of this decade— at least. When you talk about releasing the two best albums of the 90s and 00s along with three other gems, that can hardly be dismissed. I am sure many people thought that Yo La Tengo peaked after Fakebook, they then released Electr-O-Pura and everyone thought that they should quit but then they released the almost-perfect I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One and then after a couple of good albums and the not-so-good Summer Sun, everyone again thought they should hang them up and now they released another strong effort in 2006. I guess my point is who knows if Radiohead has peaked or not? We wont ultimately know until they call it quits and someone can sit there and pin-point when they maxed out and when they should have quit and so on. But the bottom line is that even though their most recent albums may not be as superb as their previous albums; not only are their previous albums 1)classics, 2)unbeatable in so many ways, and 3)incomparable; but their new ones are 1)still very good, 2)towards the top of year-end lists and 3)although these albums don’t compare to previous albums when they tour they are only the best and anyone who has seen them—including myself—can vouch for it.

All of the aforementioned is further reasoning why that band that starts with a c and ends with a y and is fronted by a loser is simply no contest to the downright brilliance of Radiohead. And that’s why, leland, they are “injected into every conversation on these boards”—they are that superior.

quote:

Originally posted by Yay!:
I think Radiohead are on their way down and Coldplay are on their way up.
That can't really be denied.
What's more I'm pretty sure you folks agree with me.

No, I don't agree with you and yes it can be denied.

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
All of the aforementioned is further reasoning why that band that starts with a c and ends with a y and is fronted by a loser is simply no contest to the downright brilliance of Radiohead.

Now come on, there's no reason to be dissing Cab Calloway, Corrosion of Conformity, and Chingy

You should change your name to AggroKidA, the Fragile tag does you no justice.

Here's my two cents. I think that Coldplay have handcuffed themselves. People have expectations of them and I believe they have no choice but to deliver on said expectations. They have to sound a certain way or it would be a huge deal.

Radiohead can make an album of pitch-shifted fart sounds. They have the "carte-blanche" because of their change in direction between bends/ok computer and ok computer/kid a. I think they set themselves up to do whatever they please and I think that they are better off because of it.

Fans of both bands expect them to release "great" material, so the pressure is equal in that regard.

I don't hate Chris Martin and I don't really think he's an asshole. I don't care for the arena rock they are churning out, and the constant falsetto gets on my nerves, but I can only say it's not my cup of tea. I am not surprised by their popularity, and in fact I believe they deserve it more than some other bands (Green Day and Nickleback for example).

Check out this clip of Chris Martin and my favorite comedian, Ricky Gervais (that's where my "obviously..." came from). I think Chris is a pretty smart dude, so I'll give him props.

Hilarious