What was Radiohead's first hit?

Radiohead's first hit was “Creep.” Released in 1992 as the band's debut single, it became the breakthrough that introduced the Oxfordshire group to an international audience.

The song was written largely by singer Thom Yorke before Radiohead had fully formed. It was recorded during sessions for the band's debut album, Pablo Honey, after producer Paul Q. Kolderie suggested the group try it. Jonny Greenwood's abrasive guitar blasts became one of the track's defining features.

“Creep” was not an immediate success in Britain, where its first release reached only number 78. Radio play in Israel and later the United States helped it catch on, and a 1993 reissue became a much bigger hit. It remains Radiohead's most commercially successful single, even though the band later moved toward more experimental music.

A common mix-up is confusing “first hit” with “first single”: “Creep” was both Radiohead's debut single and their first major hit. Its chord progression also led to songwriting credits for Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood because of similarities to “The Air That I Breathe.”