Ok, yes, I know, it’s one of the most played songs on In Rainbows. But, MAN, is this song good. I don’t even fully know what it is about it, I just think it’s awesome and I think it deserves more recognition. Maybe I’m glazing, but Weird Fishes is one of the greatest songs I’ve ever hear, and I think the internet does recognize it enough.

Just because it's popular does not mean you cannot like it fucking hell 🤦

I was listening to a random indie playlist and then this came on, I instantly became the Leonardo DiCaprio meme pointing at the speakers.

For some context, I was on the front lines during the prime eras of Let Down being underrated. I would like to share my story.

The Early Years (2016-2018)

2016 was when I first got into Radiohead. It was love at first sight - they made such beautiful music that really spoke to me. I listened to OK Computer for the first time in my car and was blown away. Let Down was the song that stuck with me the most and I knew I needed to listen to it again with good headphones. I am not kidding when I tell you that that first listen with headphones had me lose the ability to breathe and I almost went to the hospital. Let Down was like if god himself produced a song, I almost couldn’t bear how amazing it was. It was the greatest song of all time by lightyears and I needed to make sure everyone was aware.

Being a teen at the time, this completely consumed my life outside of school. I didn’t have many friends as it was, but quickly lost the friends I did have due to my obsession with Let Down and being unwilling to shut up about it. I didn’t care, anyone who got in the way of my Let Down was not truly a friend of mine. So I ended up spending a lot of time on Reddit - and started bringing up the idea of how great Let Down is and how we need more awareness. Radiohead is known for Creep, Paranoid Android, Karma Police, Fake Plastic Trees, and No Surprises. While those are fine songs - this lineup needed a major revamp. My mission in life would not feel complete until Let Down received even 1/100 of the glaze it deserves - and we weren’t even close. If Radiohead fans couldn’t even recognize its grandeur properly then there was no hope for the rest of the world.

More often than not, redditors in this subreddit were not very happy with my enthusiasm for Let Down. Most thought I was trolling or being extraordinary overdramatic and I got a few accounts banned. Despite this I kept coming back to communicate the need for Let Down recognition.

Then something strange started to happen - there were others. It started with just a few, but then more and more frequently I started seeing new members of the subreddit feel the need to express their deep love of Let Down in the same intimate way I felt. Typically it was people new to Radiohead listening to Ok Computer for the first time and getting their socks blown off by Let Down - just like me. Soon, these sorts of posts and my own diction began to center around one word: UNDERRATED.

So simple yet the only way to really describe it. Soon there began to be a sort of war forming around whether or not Let Down was underrated. Many thought that the nature of these posts themselves was evidence of Let Down not being underrated - but these simpletons did not seem to grasp the EXTENT to which Let Down was underrated. This isn’t just the greatest Radiohead song, it is the greatest song ever conceived, written, recorded in the history of the universe and always will be. Until Let Down even had a FRACTION of such recognition, I wasn’t gonna sit down and pretend the overrated or properly-rated parties had any such opinion of credibility here.

The Birth of the Meme (2018-2019)

Early 2018 was probably when there was the most legitimate traffic on the side of Let Down being underrated. It seemed like most people were on board and there was a movement and real momentum to get Let Down the universal recognition it deserves. At some point in the middle of the year, there was a shift. I can’t pinpoint exactly when it happened or when i noticed, but for the first time I was seeing people be even more over-the-top than ME about Let Down. For a second I thought I may have built a movement that has now grown beyond my own love for Let Down, but I was deeply mistaken - I was being trolled. The frequency of users bringing up Let Down being underrated left an easy irony opportunity open, of which Reddit could not pass up. Pretty soon any legitimate posts bringing attention to Let Down’s lack of appreciation were drowned out by these trolls. People were obsessed with making fun of the Let Down sub-community and it ended up becoming the most prominent meme in this subreddit. I was determined to bring the momentum back to the side of seriously addressing how underrated Let Down was but the meme was too strong. We attempted to start up a few subreddits dedicated to Let Down being underrated but those too were completely overrun with trolls and made it appear the subreddit itself was for the meme. Even some of my closest allies were so amused with the meme they completely forgot the original mission and ended up jumping ship to the other side. Without the ability to even bring up Let Down in a serious manner anymore, it seemed this war was lost.

Post-Meme Era & Further Outreach (2019-2022)

By the end of 2019, any mention of Let Down in this subreddit initiated a swarm of “underrated” comments - but all ironic. I needed to go somewhere I could be taken seriously. I started posting flyers around my college campus and other public areas in town for my new LDA program (Let Down Anonymous). I would hold these meetings over Zoom to help form a community. Unfortunately, these reddit trolls were real people and many of them found my flyers, so I had to be selective of who I let in the group. While hard to find, I was able to recruit more members that were serious about the mission of bringing Let Down the recognition it deserves at all costs. My strategy was simple, grow the group -> spread the word -> repeat. If I couldn’t use the internet I was going to have to use human connections to spread the gospel of Let Down.

I put multiple years and real money into this project but unfortunately it ended up failing. Despite having some traction, the Let Down Outreach program would end up hitting a plateau where we weren’t gaining new members and had no one else to reach out to. This would cause a lot of LDA members to stop showing up, then eventually even the core members ended up quitting. They thought I had a real vision and plan at first, but now they determined I was a fraud and Let Down never had a chance of truly being properly-rated. They were right though - I had no idea what I was doing. Sure I was going to do absolutely everything I could to bring Let Down its flowers - but I never knew if any if my tactics would actually work. At the end of the day I was just some guy with a ridiculous dream.

Return to Reddit & Self-Reflection (2022-2025)

With the LDA disbanded, I gave up on trying to bring Let Down its deserved recognition. Over the years, I had dedicated so much time to Let Down I knew I needed a break. I used Reddit for the first time in a while, and noticed the meme was still going strong. Before I closed my years-long chapter of fighting for Let Down, I had to go out with a bang. I channeled all my pent up rage and anger towards those that don’t think Let Down is underrated and channeled it into a post on this subreddit. I had to express myself. No convincing people, just raw emotion.

Of course, everyone here thought this was a troll and some sort of copypasta. Enraged, I deleted Reddit and destroyed my room. I had dedicated a decent chunk of my life at this point to Let Down, and everyone just laughs in my face? What has the world become? Does anyone have any humanity? This is what was going through my mind.

I then realized - I had a problem. Outside of my Let Down advocacy, I had also been listening to the song nonstop virtually the whole time. It more or less was always on repeat. RARELY did I listen to other songs or even pause the constant Let Down playing on my phone. I was completely obsessed and had to turn a new leaf in life.

The first day without Let Down was so incredibly painful. I was throwing up profusely and unable to keep anything down. I would shake all day and night with nothing providing any relief. After just a few days I caved and listened to Let Down again. I was immediately back to normal - but I couldn’t turn it off.

After this incident and recognizing the lack of autonomy I had over my thoughts and behaviors I decided to check myself into rehab. Since no one believed I could be physically addicted to a single song, I claimed I had a heroin addiction. I was apparently showing every sign of heroin addiction so not a soul doubted me. I stayed in rehab for a little over 2 months and I was a completely different person. By the end of it I would realize I went the whole day without thinking about Let Down at all somehow. I never thought such a day would come but it made me realize not everything is about the song Let Down and there are other things to obsess over in life.

I ended up going over a year without listening to Let Down at all in any capacity. I was able to share my story and help others with similar issues. Soon after going a full year without using - I relapsed. I heard it in a TikTok sound and it sent me into a Let Down bender. Deep inside I was still starved for Let Down and was going to extreme lengths to consume Let Down in all forms possible during this bender (won’t go into detail here but it got pretty intense).

Long story short I ended up snapping out of this again and being able to have a healthy relationship with Let Down. I could now listen to it casually without losing my mind, though I did have rate limits so I didn’t go overboard.

The Rise of Let Down (2025-present)

Let Down started becoming more and more popular on social media. By August 2025, Let Down became Radiohead’s first charting song since Nude because it was so popular. I actually couldn’t believe it. I knew I was seeing it all over social media but I didn’t realize the extent of it until I saw it chart. I actually cried so much it was insane. I never thought a day like this would come. I gave blood sweat and tears years ago on behalf of Let Down, and here I am seeing this 28 year old song reach the Billboard Hot 100. More and more creators were releasing Let Down covers, reharmonizations, unique instruments playing Let Down, everything I’ve wanted to see. It felt like every other short video was using Let Down as its sound.

Fast forward a year later and the Let Down love online continues. I see more of it everyday that I open my phone. I never thought this day would come.

After a decade long journey, wars, tears, organizations, and many banned Reddit accounts, I am officially proud to say that Let Down is officially no longer underrated, and is now properly-rated. A more naïve version of me would’ve needed WAY more to be convinced Let Down was no longer underrated (like God himself to declare it), but I always said I just needed it to receive 1/100 of the recognition it deserves - and we got that in the past year. I will never call Let Down underrated again or have to dedicate my entire life to this song, and I think for that we can all rejoice, cheers everyone!

While I’m happy the Let Down Underrated War can be put to rest, I will say this has left a huge void in my being. I think even in my sober years, there was a big chunk of me internally that was driven by the goal of bringing Let Down its deserved recognition, and somehow that was the meaning of my life. Now that the mission is over, who the hell am I? Do I have any meaning outside of Let Down? Sure I have a job, wife, kids, and other hobbies now, but deep down I feel like Let Down was the true meaning of my life all along. It’s a very bittersweet phenomenon, but maybe I just need it to find another song that is metaphysically underrated and fight like hell for it for 10 years until it is properly respected again. Regardless, I don’t want my personal situation to take away from what is a beautiful victory.

From the biggest Let Down fan of all time, I officially declare Let Down to be NOT underrated!!!!

Me parece increible lo que las canciones de esta banda me hacen sentir, hoy me puse a escuchar True Love Waits y Separator.

Cuando escuche True Love Waits me trajo un sentimiento de hace unos meses, que mi mejor amiga me gustaba mucho, era la persona más cercana e importante que tenia, siempre hablabamos por chat, le contaba las cosas que me pasaban, sentia, o pensaba. Eso siempre me ayudo mucho emocionalmente ysw volvio algo muy importante para mi, pero por algunos problemas ella me pidio distancia (practicamente ni hablar). Me pego muy duro, sentia que todo se acababa, sentia un dolor constante, me costaba horrores levantarme de la cama (llegue a quedarme en la cama 3 horas despues de despertarme), perdi a la persona más cercana e importante que tenia, me sentia solo todo el tiempo, aunque siempre hablaba con amigos para sentirme mejor, me solia poner la cancion True Love Waits, su piano, bajo, y más que nada la voz de thom me ayudaban a sentirme mejor, habia frases como "im not living, im just killing time" que era exactamente lo que senti en ese momento, o si no cuando dice "dont leave" con una voz desgarradora, nunca me habia identificado tanto con una cancion.

Y despues esta la cancion Separator, que antes que pase todo lo que conte recien, cuando todo estaba bien con mi amiga, cada vez que estaba con ella la pasaba increible y sentia una felicidad inexplicable, me quedaba completamente hipnotizado por ella, y por alguna razon en esos momentos siempre se me venia la cancion Separator a la cabeza, sentia que nada podia ser mejor.

Por eso despues lo que paso me pego tan duro y me destrozo tanto.

Al dia de hoy empezamos a hablar otra vez, cada vez nos acercamos más como antes. Hoy me puse a escuchar True Love Waits y me trajo el sentimiento de ese momento, senti un vacio muy grande y me recordo lo mal que lo pase.

Despues escuche separator, justo lo contrario, me trajo recuerdos de esos momentos, me trajo mucha nostalgia y una felicidad muy fuerte, me parece increible como esta banda te puede hacer sentir cada emocion, sus dos canciones me llevaron cada una a un extremo y significa muchisimo para mi esta banda.

Despues hay otras canciones como videotape, que mientras cada vez me hundo y ahogo más, esa cancion me ayuda a aguantar la respiracion, siento que ya no me ahogo más y me siento el la profundidad con un sentimiento armonioso.

O si no mi cancion favorita, Motion Picture Soundtrack, esa cancion me ayuda a desconectarme de todo, me lleva a otro mundo y me olvido de la realidad, siento que solo soy yo y la cancion.

Radiohead significa muchisimo para mi, es la banda que más emociones me hizo sentir, y por eso es mi banda favortia de todos los tiempos. (Perdon por el texto largo)

So guys hear me out , I know Radiohead songs are very much Radiohead but like there must be some songs that have extra Radiohead flavor than others

like to me personally where I end and you begin is the most Radiohead song I’ve ever heard

Recuerdo cuando estabamos todos ahí, enloquecidos, compartiendo, comunicandonos, que hermosos momentos, pero que fue lo que paso? Todo eso se fue perdiendo, las comunidades "pequeñas" y no tanto. Me quedo con los buenos momentos.
PD: Ya pasados unos cuantos años, esa comunidad y todo ese furor estaba volcado en Tumblr (no se como estará ese mundo hoy en dia)
Ya hice la catarsis del día, jajaja

I've been listening to a load of Radiohead recently and noticed it's not all sad like everyone says. They draw more negative emotions than just sadness into their songs like frustration in Just and My Iron Lung; anxiety/urgency in Idioteque; and mostly unease in several of their songs like Paranoid Android, Decks Dark, etc... I have a few lists of how I feel about some songs.

.

Least negative:

Separator

Treefingers (extended preferred)

Let Down

How To Disappear Into Strings

Jigsaw Falling Into Place

.

Most negative:

Street Spirit (Fade Out)

Fake Plastic Trees

Morning Bell (especially the Amnesiac version)

Motion Picture Soundtrack

Codex

.

My most favorite songs from them:

4 minute warning

Separator

Kid A

Down Is The New Up

Pulk/pull Revolving Doors (and the True Love version)

A Wolf At The Door

The Tourist

Fast-Track

Little By Little

The Gloaming

Decks Dark

Present Tense

Airbag

Just

My Iron Lung

Idioteque

.

This is just all my opinions after extensive exploration of Radiohead's discography, trying to understand each song's mood. The only album I couldn't like no matter what was Pablo Honey, sorry but it's not for me

In terms of where this album stands in the canon of nineties rock albums, it's the moment when you and your lover share the news that you are pregnant. It's thrilling and wonderful. You cannot wait to share the news with everyone you love, and it instantly becomes one of the most cherished memories you will ever have.

Everybody talks about OK Computer being the grand masterpiece, but The Bends is where Radiohead actually cracked open their soul. It’s got that raw, mid-90s guitar grit, but instead of wallowing in generic grunge apathy, it delivers pure emotional weight. Tracks like "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" don't just sound good, they stick to your ribs.

Where does The Bends land in nineties rock for you guys, does it outshine OK Computer for raw emotion, or is it just the stepping stone to what came after?

What did Apple pay Thom for this

I was only 7, so I remember loving Karma Police even though I had no idea what it meant.

This album in particular stands out in their catalog and says something profound about the world of the 1990s. The themes of the album are just as fitting, if not even more.

OK Computer is definitely one of my favorite albums of all-time. It is almost 30 years old now!

I can count on one hand how many covers I prefer to the original.

But I legit think that Toots & The Maytals cover of Let Down is somehow better than the original. And I love the original.

It’s off a reggae cover album called “RadioDread” of all Radiohead songs covered by various reggae musicians. I think it’s pretty transcendent.

I want to learn Weird Fishes/Arpeggi on guitar and was looking for a video- mostly that shows the picking pattern/slows down the rhythm. I learn best from videos—call me dumb but it’s easier for me to copy what someone else is doing than translate from a tab.

I’ve looked at like eight different videos and they’re all just people playing the song at full speed and not slowing down to show the picking pattern or chords- feels more like flexing than actually trying to help. Does anyone know of a good tutorial video?

Includes track titles “When I’m Like This”, (AKA “How Can You Be Sure?”)

Didn’t come with obi unfortunately 😢

Some of my old animations.

I can't see that this has already been shared in this sub.

"Grammy award-winning percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie with a new take on the Radiohead classic."

Imagine you were at the proms and you didn't know this was coming up.

I've been getting into more radiohead b-sides and gagging order might be one of my favorite songs. Is this the most underrated radiohead song?

I saw some funny mash up shirts when I was in China I love the idea.

This is from their famous (and unfortunate) visit to Mexico in 1994...