Thom Yorke

Thom Yorke is the singer and main songwriter of Radiohead, the English rock band he formed with schoolmates at Abingdon School in Oxfordshire. Born Thomas Edward Yorke in Wellingborough, England, on 7 October 1968, he plays guitar, bass, keyboards and other instruments, alongside a voice noted for its wide range. Radiohead first drew attention with “Creep” in 1992, then went on to sell more than 30 million albums. Rolling Stone has described Yorke as one of the greatest and most influential singers of his generation.

Yorke's early musical reference points included the Pixies and R.E.M., while Radiohead's 2000 album Kid A marked a deeper turn toward electronic music, informed by Warp artists including Aphex Twin. Producer Nigel Godrich has been a central collaborator for most of Yorke's career. Yorke also works with Stanley Donwood on artwork for Radiohead and his other projects. His writing frequently incorporates political themes, alongside his activism for environmental, trade justice and anti-war causes.

His solo work has largely focused on electronic music. Yorke released his debut album, The Eraser, in 2006, and assembled Atoms for Peace to perform it live with Godrich, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and other musicians. The group released Amok in 2013. Yorke followed with Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes in 2014 and Anima in 2019. He has used alternative release models with both Radiohead and his own work, including pay-what-you-want and BitTorrent distribution, and has criticised major labels and streaming services including Spotify.

In 2021, Yorke debuted the Smile with Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and drummer Tom Skinner; the band has released three albums. His collaborations include work with Unkle, Burial, Four Tet, Mark Pritchard, PJ Harvey, Björk, Flying Lotus, Modeselektor and Clark. He has also composed for film and theatre, including the scores for Suspiria (2018) and Confidenza (2024). Yorke was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Radiohead in 2019, and received an Ivor Novello fellowship in 2026.