David Byrne Honors Radiohead at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

"They both changed our idea of ​​what popular music can be and how it can be broadcast and commercialized."

David Byrne paid tribute to Radiohead during a speech in front of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last night.

Radiohead often mentions Byrne's Talking Heads as a major influence; they took their name from a song from Talking Heads' 1986 album, "True Stories," and singer Thom Yorke was interviewed in detail by Bryne in 2007 for Wired. Jonny Greenwood also spoke at length about the importance of Talking Heads music for Radiohead.

In his speech, Byrne stated that he was "surprised and flattered" to have taken their name from one of his songs. He added: "But [I] had to ask me, "Why this song? This slightly crazy song Tex-Mex? Why this one? "We'll never know."

He then added that he was a "big fan" of the group and that he "deserved this honor" because of "the constant quality and innovation" of his work and "their innovations in the way they publish their work … they are creative and intelligent … a rare and inspiring combination. "

Byrne added, "Here's a small detail: Radio 1 in the UK refused to play its song" Creep "because she found it too depressing. But then he started to be played elsewhere in the world and the rest …

"And another: Capitol Records felt that what many see as its masterpiece," OK Computer, "was a professional suicide and adjusted its marketing and distribution plan accordingly. 1 in the UK "Android Paranoid" from this album was considered the new "Bohemian Rhapsody", no matter what it meant, I can not wait to see the movie and see who will play Thom. "

You can watch Byrne's speech in full here:

Byrne spoke of his love for Radiohead's flagship albums, "Kid A" and "In Rainbows", claiming he was a fan of their experiences and creativity.

He added: "The music that seemed radical at one time was quite natural. Right now, their latest album, 'Moon-Shaped Pool', was very cinematic and looked like a movie in your head. They both changed our idea of ​​what popular music might be and how it can be broadcast and marketed. For these things, I am honored to introduce Radiohead to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "

The award was raised by Ed O'Brien and Phillip Selway of Radiohead. In accepting the award, Selway said, "It's a real honor. And it is particularly special that David Byrne has enthroned us. As David said, we borrowed him a group name 30 years ago and luckily for us, he did not ask us yet.

"I would just like to say a little bit about what it means to be at Radiohead. It can be embarrbading and difficult sometimes. But I guess that's what we've all been interested in over the last three decades. I'm very proud of what we accomplished together at five and I know that Radiohead would not have become what it is without us five. "

O'Brien added, "I just want to say it's such a wonderfully surreal evening for us and it's a long way from home. But thank you for inviting us and inducting us into this Hall of Fame. It's a big deal. I wish others could be here because they would feel it.

"…I want to thank [the others] for their integrity, their authenticity, their commitment … I also want to thank them for the musicians they are. This thing when we play together; this collective sound that we do. Some of our nights in the rehearsal studio are like transcendental moments. "

Last January, band leader Thom Yorke confirmed he did not plan to attend the band's induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In June 2017, Jonny Greenwood also declared Rolling stone that he did not care about the possible nomination of Radiohead that year. "It may be a cultural thing that I do not really understand. I mean, from the outside, it looks like … it's still a profession that wants to be quite personal. And everything that intensifies makes me even more uncomfortable. "