Pablo Honey, The Bends and early success (1992–1995)

Drill, Radiohead's debut EP, was recorded with Hufford and Edge at Courtyard Studios and released in March 1992. Its chart performance was poor, and consequently the band hired Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade—who had worked with American indie bands Pixies and Dinosaur Jr.—to produce their debut album, which was recorded quickly in an Oxford studio in 1992.[8] With the release of the "Creep" single in late 1992, Radiohead began to receive attention in the British music press, although not all of it was favourable; NME described them as "a lily-livered excuse for a rock band",[12] and the song was not played on BBC Radio 1 because it was deemed "too depressing".[13] The band released their debut album, Pablo Honey, in February 1993. Its style was sometimes compared to the wave of grunge music popular in the early 1990s—to the extent of Radiohead being dubbed "Nirvana-lite"[14]—yet Pablo Honey reached no higher than number 22, and singles "Stop Whispering" and "Anyone Can Play Guitar" failed to make much impact on the charts. "Pop Is Dead", a one-off single, sold equally poorly.

"Creep"
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"Creep" was Radiohead's first hit. This sample features Jonny Greenwood's guitar distortion before the chorus. According to legend, the effects were an attempt to sabotage a song Greenwood didn't initially like.[15]
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However, "Creep" was building unexpected momentum around the world as it spread from popularity in Israel to a San Francisco college radio station.[10] By the time Radiohead began their first United States tour in early 1993, the music video for "Creep" was in heavy rotation on MTV.[13] The song rose to number two on the US modern rock chart and then to number seven in the UK singles chart when re-released there later that year. Radiohead nearly broke up due to the pressure of sudden success as the Pablo Honey supporting tour extended into its second year.[16] Band members described the tour as difficult, saying that towards its end they were "still playing the same songs that [they had] recorded two years previously ... like being held in a time warp" when they were eager to work on new songs.[17]

After the American tour, Radiohead began work on their second album, hiring veteran Abbey Road studios producer John Leckie. Tensions were high, as the band felt smothered both by "Creep"'s success and the mounting expectations for a superior follow-up.[18] The band sought a change of scenery, touring Australasia and the Far East in an attempt to reduce the pressure. However, confronted again by their popularity, Yorke became disenchanted at being "right at the sharp end of the sexy, sassy, MTV eye-candy lifestyle" he felt he was helping to sell to the world.[19] The 1994 EP My Iron Lung, featuring the single of the same title, was Radiohead's reaction, marking a transition towards the greater depth they aimed for on their second album.[20] The single was promoted through underground radio stations; sales were better than expected, starting a loyal fan base for the band.[21] Having developed more new songs on tour, Radiohead finished recording their second album in late 1994, and they released The Bends in March 1995.

While Radiohead were seen as outsiders to the Britpop scene that dominated the media's attention at the time, they were finally successful in their home country with The Bends.[11] The album was driven by dense riffs and ethereal atmospheres from the band's three guitarists, with greater use of keyboards than their debut.[8] Singles "Fake Plastic Trees", "High and Dry", "Just", and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" achieved chart success in the UK, "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" putting Radiohead in the top five for the first time. In mid-1995, Radiohead toured in support of R.E.M., one of their formative influences and at the time one of the biggest rock bands in the world.[17] Introducing his opening act, Michael Stipe said, "Radiohead are so good, they scare me."[22] The buzz generated by such famous fans, along with distinctive music videos for "Just" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", helped to expand Radiohead's popularity outside the UK. Jonny Greenwood said, "I think the turning point for us came about nine or twelve months after The Bends was released and it started appearing in people's [best of] polls for the end of the year. That's when it started to feel like we made the right choice about being a band."[23] But critical acclaim and a growing fan base weren't sufficient for Radiohead to repeat the commercial popularity of "Creep" outside the UK. Furthermore, the album's number 88 peak on the US charts remains Radiohead's lowest there.[24]