Fake Plastic Trees

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"Fake Plastic Trees"
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Template:Infobox song/link by Radiohead
from the album The Bends
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  • "India Rubber"
  • "How Can You Be Sure?"
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Recorded1994
StudioRAK, London
Genre
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LabelParlophone
[[Songwriter|SongwriterTemplate:Pluralize from text]]Radiohead
[[Record producer|ProducerTemplate:Pluralize from text]]John Leckie
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"High and Dry" / "Planet Telex"
(1995) 		"Fake Plastic Trees"
(589) 		"Just"
(1995)
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"Fake Plastic Trees" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released in May 1995 by Parlophone from their second album, The Bends (1995). It was the third single from The Bends in the UK and the first in the US.

Radiohead recorded "Fake Plastic Trees" at RAK Studios, London, with the producer John Leckie. They struggled to settle on an arrangement, dismissing one version as "pompous and bombastic". The final version was influenced by the American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley.

"Fake Plastic Trees" reached the top 50 on the UK singles chart, the New Zealand Singles Chart, the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and the Canadian Rock/Alternative chart. In 2003, Rolling Stone included it at number 385 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Pitchfork credited "Fake Plastic Trees" as an influence on post-Britpop acts such as Coldplay and Travis.

Writing

Thom Yorke, Radiohead's songwriter, said "Fake Plastic Trees" was "the product of a joke that wasn't really a joke, a very lonely, drunken evening and, well, a breakdown of sorts".[6] He said it arose from a melody he had "no idea what to do with". According to Yorke, he did not force the lyrics, and instead "just recorded whatever was going on in my head ... I wrote those words and laughed. I thought they were really funny, especially that bit about polystyrene."[7]

Recording

Radiohead recorded "Fake Plastic Trees" for their second album, The Bends, in 1994 at RAK Studios, London, with the producer John Leckie.[8] The sessions were strained by pressure from Radiohead's record label, EMI, to record a single to match the success of their debut, "Creep".[9] The guitarist Ed O'Brien likened one version to the Guns N' Roses song "November Rain", saying it was "pompous and bombastic ... just the worst".[10]

One evening, Radiohead attended a concert by the American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley at the Garage, London.[11] Buckley gave Yorke the confidence to sing in falsetto,[12] and Leckie said: "It made [Thom] realise you could sing in a falsetto without sounding dripping."[13] Inspired by Buckley, Yorke recorded a performance of "Fake Plastic Trees" alone on acoustic guitar.[10] According to the bassist, Colin Greenwood, Yorke played three takes, then burst into tears.[12] Yorke initially did not want to use the takes, saying they were too "vulnerable", but was persuaded by his bandmates.[14]

Radiohead spent several days overdubbing additional parts onto Yorke's performance, including a Hammond organ played by Jonny Greenwood.[15] The drummer, Philip Selway, described following Yorke's fluctuating tempo: "Part of the beauty was the way it would actually slip in and out, but trying to follow it was a nightmare."[16] The string arrangement was written by Jonny Greenwood, who was inspired by the American composer Samuel Barber. The strings were performed by a viola player and a cello player, who multitracked their parts.[15] Radiohead spent several months removing elements, including most of the strings, to create the final song.[15] A mixing error by Paul Kolderie meant the distorted guitars entered later than Radiohead had intended, but they liked the effect and retained it.[15]

Release

According to Radiohead's co-manager Chris Hufford, American audiences were disappointed by the lack of a "Creep"-style song on The Bends. In response, Capitol, the US subsidiary of EMI, chose "Fake Plastic Trees" as the first US single, to further distance Radiohead from "Creep".[17]

Radiohead resisted pressure from Capitol to remix "Fake Plastic Trees" for the American market. Yorke said at the time: "If it doesn't get on the radio the way it is now, then I don't think it's going to get on the radio at all ... People say it won't work on the radio, but I have no fucking idea what they mean."[15] It received airplay on US alternative radio stations but did not enter the US Billboard Hot 100.[15] It reached number 20 on the UK singles chart.[18] An acoustic version was used in the 1995 film Clueless and introduced Radiohead to a larger American audience.[19][20]

The music video was directed by Jake Scott.[21] It depicts Yorke sitting in a supermarket trolley, which the journalist Mac Randall said reflects his "bitter sense that he and his music were just another commodity to be bought and sold".[15]

Reception

Reviewing The Bends, the European magazine Music & Media wrote that "Fake Plastic Trees" "best illustrates [Radiohead's] ambitions".[22] Writing for NME in May 1995, John Mulvey felt that it lacked substance. Both critics drew comparisons with the rock band U2.[23] Mark Frith from Smash Hits gave "Fake Plastic Trees" two out of five, writing: "Mournfully slow and really unremarkable, this will probably only appeal to die-hard fans."[24]

The Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, whom Radiohead supported on tour in 1996, wrote that "Fake Plastic Trees" was one of her favourite songs: "It's this intangible, spiritual thing. It's a mood piece but lyrically [Yorke] delves into his own vulnerability and talks about materialism and fallibility ... His voice is fragile, but there's nothing premeditated about the way he performs."[25] Morissette covered "Fake Plastic Trees" on her 1996 tour.[26] It has also been covered by Hayley Williams and Vance Joy.[27][28] In 2017, Pitchfork credited "Fake Plastic Trees" and another Bends song, "High and Dry", for influencing the "airbrushed" post-Britpop of Coldplay and Travis.[29]

In 2003, Rolling Stone included "Fake Plastic Trees" at number 385 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[30] In 2011, Rolling Stone readers voted it the third-best Radiohead song, with the critic Andy Greene writing that it was "one of Radiohead's most anthemic songs".[20] In 2009, "Fake Plastic Trees" was voted the 28th-best song on the Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time list.[31] In 2025, the Paste writer Sean Edgar wrote that it was "still an emotional tour de force guaranteed to make anyone with a soul cry in less than five minutes".[32]

Track listings

All tracks are written by Radiohead (Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Colin Greenwood, Philip Selway).

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Personnel

Radiohead

Additional performers

Charts

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Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[48] Platinum 80,000 
New Zealand (RMNZ)[49] Platinum 0 
United Kingdom (BPI)[50] Platinum 600,000 

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Same tracks appear on the two sides of the cassette tape.[35][36]
  2. ^ Noted as (single edit) on the US promo.[41]

Bibliography

Citations

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 13 May 1995. p. 39. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bossenger, A.T. (22 May 2016). "Greatest Hits: Radiohead". Treble. Retrieved 13 November 2024. One of the sappiest and most beautiful alt-rock ballads of all time...
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The 95 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1995". Spin. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pan, Arnold (3 June 2022). "Between the Grooves of Radiohead's The Bends". PopMatters. Retrieved 7 December 2024. Radiohead wasn't so much trying to prove that it wasn't just another one-hit-wonder by coming up with its next alt-rock chart-topper with "Fake Plastic Trees".
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Shields, Michael (3 March 2015). "Twenty Years Later: Radiohead's The Bends". Across the Margin. Retrieved 9 December 2024. The highly accessible, poppy meanderings of "High and Dry" provide the ideal primer for the dystopian rock-pop epic that follows, "Fake Plastic Trees."
  6. ^ Black, Johnny. "The Greatest Songs Ever! Fake Plastic Trees". Blender.com. 15 May 2003. Retrieved on 10 March 2010. Script error: No such module "webarchive".
  7. ^ Randall, p. 158-59
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Black, Johnny (1 June 2003), "The Greatest Songs Ever! Fake Plastic Trees", Blender, archived from the original on 9 April 2007, retrieved 15 April 2007
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Randall, Mac (12 September 2000). Exit Music: The Radiohead Story. Delta. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-385-33393-1.
  10. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Randall, Mac (15 May 2015). "Radiohead's The Bends 20 years later: reexamining a modern rock masterpiece". Guitar World. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Power, Ed (15 October 2022). "How Jeff Buckley changed Radiohead's 'Fake Plastic Trees'". Far Out. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  12. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Dalton, Stephen (September 1997). "The dour and the glory". Vox. IPC Media.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Runtagh, Jordan (23 August 2019). "Jeff Buckley's Grace: 10 things you didn't know". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Jones, Damian (12 September 2023). "Thom Yorke on why he cried hearing 'Fake Plastic Trees' played back to him for the first time". NME. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Randall, Mac. Exit Music.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Wittet, T. Bruce (August 1996). "Phil Selway". Modern Drummer. David Frangioni.
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Gilbert, Pat (November 1996). "Radiohead". Record Collector.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Randall, Mac (1 February 2012). Exit Music: The Radiohead Story Updated Edition. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-1-4584-7147-5.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Al, Horner; Twells, John; Lobenfeld, Claire (13 April 2016). "Radiohead on film: The 9 best uses of their songs on screen". Fact. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  20. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Greene, Andy (12 October 2011). "Readers' poll: the 10 best Radiohead songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  21. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Fake Plastic Trees | Radiohead | Music Video | MTV". mtv.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  22. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 13. 1 April 1995. p. 9. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  23. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Mulvey, John. "Review: Radiohead – Fake Plastic Trees (Parlophone)". NME (20 May 1995). IPC Media: 54.
  24. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Frith, Mark (10 May 1995). "Singles". Smash Hits. p. 61. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
  25. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Alanis, Morissette (12 October 1995). "Alanis Morissette on 'Fake Plastic Trees' by Radiohead". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  26. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Dalton, Stephen (August 2011). "Radiohead: 'We were spitting and fighting and crying...'". Uncut. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  27. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sose, Fuamoli (11 August 2020). "Hayley Williams serves fans an acoustic cover of Radiohead's 'Fake Plastic Trees'". Triple J. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  28. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Vance Joy covers Radiohead 'Fake Plastic Trees' for Like A Version [2015]". Triple J. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  29. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The 50 Best Britpop Albums". Pitchfork. 29 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  30. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 11 December 2003. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  31. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Countdown | Hottest 100 - Of All Time". Triple J. 19 July 2009. Archived from the original on 22 January 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  32. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Edgar, Sean (28 November 2025). "The 25 greatest albums of 1995". Paste. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  33. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fake Plastic Trees (CD single liner notes). Radiohead. UK: Parlophone. 1995. CDRS 6411.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  34. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fake Plastic Trees (CD single liner notes). Radiohead. Europe: Parlophone. 1995. 7243 8 82161 2 8.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  35. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fake Plastic Trees (MC single liner notes). Radiohead. UK: Parlophone. 1995. 7243 8 82161 4 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  36. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fake Plastic Trees (MC single liner notes). Radiohead. New Zealand: Parlophone. 1995. 8821614.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  37. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fake Plastic Trees (CD single liner notes). Radiohead. Australia: Parlophone. 1995. 8821612.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  38. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fake Plastic Trees (CD single liner notes). Radiohead. UK: Parlophone. 1995. CDR 6411.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  39. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fake Plastic Trees (CD single liner notes). Radiohead. Europe: Parlophone. 1995. 7243 8 82162 2 7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  40. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fake Plastic Trees (CD promo liner notes). Radiohead. UK: Parlophone. 1995. CDRDJ 6411.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  41. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fake Plastic Trees (CD promo liner notes). Radiohead. US: Capitol. 1995. dpro-79567.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  42. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fake Plastic Trees (CD single liner notes). Radiohead. US: Capitol. 1995. C2 7243 8 58424 2 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  43. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fake Plastic Trees (7-inch vinyl jukebox single liner notes). Radiohead. US: Capitol. 1995. S7-18728.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  44. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fake Plastic Trees (CD single liner notes). Radiohead. Netherlands: Parlophone. 1995. 7243 8 82203 2 3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  45. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 23. 10 June 1995. p. 19. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  46. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."RPM Top 50 Alternative Tracks of 1995". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  47. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2001". Jam!. Archived from the original on 26 July 2002. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
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  50. ^ Script error: No such module "cite". Select singles in the Formats field. Type Fake Plastic Trees Radiohead in the "Search:" field.

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