Radiohead & Chipotle, Bad Mix: Why the Popular Mexican Restaurant Chain Doesn't Have 'OK Computer' Songs on Playlists

If you're thinking that you're going to hear one of your favorite Radiohead songs the next time you walk into Chipotle to enjoy a burrito bowl, you should get that notion out of your head. This new might come as a disappointment to some, but apparently lead sing Thom Yorke's voice is not a good fit for the Mexican restaurant chain. Don't start boycotting just yet! Chipotle doesn't have anything against the band's style or anything like that, it just literally sounds bad due to the acoustics of the restaurant's layout.

For those of us who have been to Chipotle locations, we are all aware that the interior is a bit different than most places of dining. For those of you who have not experienced the inside of a Chipotle, the design is a bit industrial. The ground is a cold concrete and there is plenty of metal going on as if a motif. It looks cool, but it comes at a price: no Radiohead!

Christopher Golub, Chipotle's playlist architect, recently talked about how the layout of the restaurants makes his job of choosing songs a bit more tasking than you would think.

Here is an excerpt from a recent interview of Golub:

But music programming at Chipotle is about more than just a feeling. "It also has to have what I call 'texture of sound,'" Golub explains. "You know that if you go into a store, you've got the small, hard surfaces. You've got concrete floors, a lot of windows, hard walls and a lot of cooking gear and tile. So that doesn't work with certain songs." For example, the high, tenuous yowl of Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke wreaks havoc with the steel and concrete of a Chipotle buildout.

So there you have it. Chipotle has nothing against Radiohead or the other bands not featured on its playlists. They're just saving you a headache!