EMI to Sell Radiohead’s Past Catalog in Three Different, Overpriced Bundles

Radiohead’s pay-what-you-want business model for In Rainbows wasn’t exactly the death knoll to the music industry that people claimed it to be. The end of the music industry as we know it? No way. Savvy marketing? Absolutely!

Now, weeks after In Rainbows release Radiohead’s former label EMI is planning to sell the band’s entire back catalog digitally on December 10…for a sh*t-ton of money! Yay!

Raise your hands if you’re a Radiohead fan who has not purchased or downloaded (legally or illegally) their back catalog? Oh, four of you? Here’s an idea: go to your local record store and pick up any of their essential albums – The Bends, OK Computer and Kid A – for around 10-12 bucks (used copies would be even cheaper, of course). Don’t forget eBay either.

…Or you can buy an all-new package that contains the not-so-new albums for the hefty price of $83 for seven digipaks, or $73 for downloads with digital artwork.

Rounding out these anti-bargains is the “Limited Edition” USB package, which packs all seven albums into a USB drive with the Radiohead insignia…for $167.

Considering that Radiohead in the past has released worthless EPs and maxi-singles of questionable quality the last thing their super-fans need is another “special edition” of previously released material. Radiohead fans, be warned: if you buy into this scam you’ll enable EMI’s back-catalog of Radiohead-related output to reach Bjork levels of indulgence (check out her neverending catalog of re-re-releases, re-boxed box sets, etc.).

Talk about major (label) capitalizing on roots marketing.