Radiohead has historically had some trouble hitting the mainstream charts, despite their status as one of the most legendary turn-of-the-century rock bands. In a surprising turn of events, one of Radiohead’s songs has recently peaked at impressive spots on numerous charts. The weird thing is, though, that the song in question came out back in 1997.
Radiohead scored a hit in 2025 with the song “Let Down” from their 1997 album OK Computer. At the time of the song’s release, it did pretty well chart-wise. It originally reached No. 29 on the Billboard US Modern Rock Tracks chart.
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The interesting thing is that the song has seen a massive resurgence lately. In fact, the song recently debuted on the Top 20 in both the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart and the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. It might actually make it to the Hot 100.
How “Let Down” by Radiohead Became a Charting Hit in 2025, Decades After It Was Released
“Let Down” wasn’t featured in a new television show or film that breathed new life into its popularity. Rather, it blew up on none other than TikTok.
“Let Down” did chart a bit when it was first released. However, 2025 marks the first year it has charted substantially. This year, “Let Down” hit No. 14 on the Hot Rock Songs chart. It also hit No. 18 on the Hot Alternative Songs chart and No. 20 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. The sudden success of “Let Down” marks only the second time that Radiohead has scored a win on the Hot Alternative Songs chart. Their last tune to peak high on that particular chart is their biggest song, “Creep”.
The charting success comes from the fact that a large number of users have made “edits” using “Let Down” as the background song. For reference, edits are video clips compiled to background music, usually from the artistic fanbases of television shows, films, video games, celebrities, etc. It’s not clear where the recent interest in the song started. But plenty of users on TikTok have jumped on the bandwagon.
That surge in new activity has led plenty of new listeners to seek out the song on streaming platforms. Older fans of the tune, likewise, are revisiting it. To be honest, it really is a stunning song.
If TikTok doesn’t get banned again this year, I can imagine we’ll see more of this phenomenon. The platform is an excellent place for songs to go viral, including songs from decades past.
Photo by Frans Schellekens/Redferns
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