OK Computer, Radiohead’s third album, is considered a masterpiece and remains the centrepiece of the band’s catalogue. But that’s a weird title, isn’t it? Where did it come from?
The story is that the phrase “OK computer” had been part of the band’s vocabulary for some time. It probably came from Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which used it throughout the series. Or they may have picked it up when they were visiting a record shop in Japan.
For some reason, a kid in the store kept yelling “OK COMPUTER.” This got other shoppers in the store riled up, and everyone started chanting “OK COMPUTER.” Whatever the case, it seemed like a good phrase to adopt at the end of the 20th century, so they did.
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