On October 1st, 2007, Radiohead quietly put the world on notice.

It been four years since the most influential band of their generation had released an album.

Radiohead's last effort, 2003's Hail to Theeve, had fulfilled their record contract with major label

EMI, meaning the band was under no legal obligation to release new music.

In the intervening years, all five band members had become fathers.

Singer Tom York released his first solo album,

and guitarist Johnny Greenwood had ventured into film scoring.

Having already cemented a place in music history with landmark albums like

okay computer and Kid A, it wasn't clear what the future of Radiohead looked like,

or if they had one at all.

But then on October 1st, 2007, Johnny took to the diary section of the band's website.

Hello everyone.

Well, the new album is finished, and it's coming out in 10 days. We've called it in

Rainbows Love from Assault. Back in 2007, Surprise Albums were simply not a

thing.

Radiohead had just invented them.

That was already enough to get people talking.

But the real bombshell was discovered when clicking the discreet link embedded in the title

in Rainbows, which took you to a web store where you could

pre-order the digital album for download on release day.

Curiously, there is no price for the album, but rather an empty box with text at read, it's up to you.

Click on the red question mark below that and a pop-up prompt read,

...