TikTok Revives Radiohead’s Let Down from 1997’s OK Computer, Catapulting Song into Billboard Hot 100 Amid Viral Emotional Videos
In an unexpected turn of events, the melancholic masterpiece “Let Down” by Radiohead has entered the Billboard Hot 100, marking the band’s fourth song to grace this prestigious chart. Hailing from their critically acclaimed 1997 album, “OK Computer,” this track has found new life on TikTok, resonating deeply with users.
While “Let Down” may not have achieved the mainstream success of Radiohead’s hits like “Creep” or “Karma Police,” it is by no means a lesser-known gem. It stands among fan favorites from one of the most revered rock albums of all time. Unlike some songs that have gained popularity due to algorithmic quirks, such as the Pavement B-side “Harness Your Hopes,” this track has found resonance in its haunting melody and poignant lyrics.
Unlike the resurgence of tracks like Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” or Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” which often serve as background music for tutorials and recipes, “Let Down” taps into a collective emotional experience. The song’s crushing sadness is tempered by an earnest hopefulness, creating a poignant blend that resonates deeply with listeners.
My personal encounter with this trend began when a TikTok algorithm, seemingly intuitive to my tastes as a devoted fan of both the Philadelphia Phillies and Radiohead, served me a video that felt tailor-made to evoke tears. The video is a montage of Zack Wheeler, the steadfast ace of the Phillies’ pitching rotation who is set to undergo season-ending surgery, accompanied by a choral edit of “Let Down.” Lyrics like “Bouncing back and/One day, I am gonna grow wings” are overlaid on top of a Wheeler highlight reel.
Fortunately, this trend doesn’t appear to be the result of TikTok’s algorithm developing sentience with a singular mission to bring me to tears (that’s not how AI works, by the way!).
A variety of emotional videos have been set to “Let Down,” ranging from montages of clips from the Hunger Games movies to personal vlogs. The song received a boost when it was used to score a scene in the season 1 finale of “The Bear,” and in May, a music TikTok account posted an edit featuring vocals from a large chorus. This version of the song can be found in many of the videos that have recently gained popularity.
The caption of one such viral video reads, “Please make the saddest edit that ever exist [sic] with this overlay.” It has amassed over 1 million likes.
According to Google Trends, interest in the song began to spike in the spring, steadily rising until now, when it’s become popular enough to enter the Billboard charts.
