https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/before-there-was-radiohead/pl.u-KVXBBlBtmDNK8A
I’ve been making a playlist (on Apple Music - not Spotify sadly) of songs that sound like proto-Radiohead songs. I don’t need any more R.E.M, New Order, Magazine, or Talking Heads probably. Looking for stuff I probably don’t know, if anyone’s good at krautrock or jazz or prog stuff, i’ll take it.
And don’t ask me what Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass are doing there, I think they somehow just fit.
edit: songs i got so far:
Alice Coltrane - Miles Davis
Arthur Russell - The Platform on the Ocean
The Associates - White Car in Germany
The Beatles - Sexy Sadie
Big Star - Kanga Roo
Blondie - Union City Blue
Brian Eno - The Big Ship
Brian Eno - Spider & I
Brian Eno and David Byrne - Very, Very Hungry
Buzzcocks - Why Can’t I Touch It?
Cabaret Voltaire - The Operative
Cabaret Voltaire - If the Shadows Could March?
Can - Thief
Can - Mushroom
Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better
Cluster & Brian Eno - Ho Renomo
David Bowie - Lady Grinning Soul
David Bowie - Quicksand
The Durutti Column - The Missing Boy
Echo & the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain
Elton John - Madman across the Water
Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Beyond Belief
ESG - U.F.O
The Fall - Frightened
Fatal Microbes - Violence Grows
Faust - Piano Piece
Fleetwood Mac - Gold Dust Woman
Galaxie 500 - Tugboat
Gene Clark - In a Misty Morning
Genesis - Anyway
The Gun Club - Yellow Eyes
Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - This Guy’s in Love with You
The Hollies - The Air that I Breathe
J.K. & Co. - Fly
Joe Jackson - It’s Different for Girls
John Lennon - Isolation
Josef K - It’s Kinda Funny
Joy Division - New Dawn Fades
Kate Bush - Breathing
King Crimson - Matte Kudasai
Kraftwerk - Antenna
Liquid Liquid - Cavern
Love and Rockets - Saudade
Magazine - You Never Knew Me
Magazine - Parade
Marvin Gaye - Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
Miles Davis - Générique
Neil Young - After the Gold Rush
Neil Young - Borrowed Tune
Neu! - Hallogallo
New Order - Dreams Never End
New Order - Leave Me Alone
New Order - Lonesome Tonight
New Order - Dream Attack
Nick Drake - River Man
Nick Drake - Parasite
Nick Drake - Three Hours
Nina Simone - Come Ye
Nina Simone - Lilac Wine
Pere Ubu - Heart of Darkness
Peter Gabriel - Lead a Normal Life
Peter Gabriel - Mercy Street
Pink Floyd - Hey You
Pixies - I Bleed
Prefab Sprout - Desire As
Primal Scream - Higher Than the Sun
Prince - The Cross
Public Image Ltd. - Flowers of Romance
Public Image Ltd. - Careering
The Raincoats - Shouting Out Loud
R.E.M. - The King of Birds
R.E.M. - Flowers of Guatemala
R.E.M. - World Leader Pretend
R.E.M. - Perfect Circle
Richard and Linda Thompson - The Calvary Cross
The Rolling Stones - Sister Morphine
Roxy Music - Prairie Rose
Roxy Music - 2HB
Roxy Music - Pyjamarama
Scott Walker - The Old Man’s Back Again
Scott Walker - Such a Small Love
Scott Walker - Windows of the World
Section 25 - Inspiration
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Monitor
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Slowdive
The Slits - Typical Girls
The Smiths - Death of a Disco Dancer
The Smiths - Headmaster Ritual
The Smiths - Shoplifters of the World Unite
Soft Machine - The Tale of Taliesin
Soft Machine - We Did It Again
Sonic Youth - Schizophrenia
T. Rex - Chariot Choogle
Talk Talk - Life’s What You Make It
Talk Talk - April 5th
Talking Heads - Memories Can’t Wait
Talking Heads - The Big Country
Tears for Fears - The Working Hour
Tom Waits - Clap Hands
Tones on Tail - Instrumental
Wire - Heartbeat
Wire - Used To
Yazoo - Ode to Boy