Hail to the Thief

Hail to the Thief
Hail to the Thief
Studio album by Radiohead
Released	9 June 2003
Recorded	September 2002 – February 2003
Studio	Ocean Way, Hollywood; Radiohead studio, Oxfordshire;
Genre	Alternative rock; art rock; experimental rock; electronic rock;
Length	56:35
Label	Parlophone; Capitol;
Producer	Nigel Godrich; Radiohead;
Radiohead chronology
Singles from Hail to the Thief
	"There There"; Released: 21 May 2003; "Go to Sleep"; Released: 18 August 2003; "2 + 2 = 5"; Released: 17 November 2003;

Hail to the Thief is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released on 9 June 2003 through Parlophone internationally and a day later through Capitol Records in the United States. It was the last album released under Radiohead's record contract with EMI, the parent company of Parlophone and Capitol.

After transitioning to a more electronic style on their albums Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001), which were recorded through protracted studio experimentation, Radiohead sought to work more spontaneously, combining electronic and rock music. They recorded most of Hail to the Thief in two weeks in Los Angeles with their longtime producer, Nigel Godrich, focusing on live takes rather than overdubs.

The songwriter, Thom Yorke, wrote lyrics in response to the election of the US president George W. Bush and the unfolding war on terror. He took phrases from political discourse and combined them with elements from fairy tales and children's literature. The title is a play on the American presidential anthem, "Hail to the Chief".

Following a high-profile internet leak of unfinished material ten weeks before release, Hail to the Thief debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number three on the US Billboard 200 chart. It was certified platinum in the UK and Canada and gold in several countries. It was promoted with the singles "There There", "Go to Sleep" and "2 + 2 = 5", and short films, music videos and webcasts streamed from Radiohead's website. Hail to the Thief received positive reviews; it was the fifth consecutive Radiohead album nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, and won for the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Non-Classical Album.