There was speculation that the Radiohead album In Rainbows would hit the number-one spot with the release of the actual CD – and it came true. After taking the world by storm and offering a music download that shook the music biz, Radiohead went all conventional and released their album as a CD for the new year.
The music download hit the headlines when fans were asked to pay what they wanted for the album, with most choosing to get it for free, perhaps emphasizing why filesharing programs like Limewire and Omemo are so popular now.
In the US, the Radiohead album shifted 122,000 copies of their CD. While these numbers are down from the last album, Hail to the Thief, you have to take into account that most Radiohead fans got the album as a digital download.
Their last album sold 300,000 copies in its first week, but that was before music downloads had taken over the world.
In Rainbows hit the top spot in both the UK and the US. Radiohead really are the biggest band in the world.