High and Dry (4:17)

“High and Dry” is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, and was the first single released from their second album, The Bends (1995). It was as a double A-side with album opener “Planet Telex”. “High and Dry” was released in the UK on 5 March 1995 and remains one of the band’s most popular radio hits, despite reaching only #17 upon release.

“High and Dry” was recorded during the Pablo Honey sessions but was dismissed by the band, who thought that it sounded like a Rod Stewart song. However, during the sessions for The Bends it was rediscovered and remastered, as it was felt that it worked well with the rest of the album’s content. The version that appears on the album is the original demo; it was never re-recorded.

The song is widely regarded as Radiohead’s most accessible pop hit, and was a live favourite, though it has not been performed in a decade.