Radiohead romp home in Q poll

Radiohead: a favourite of Q readers

Radiohead have topped a chart of the 50 best pop albums of the last 15 years - according to readers of music magazine Q.

The Oxford group, who specialise in a brand of haunting rock, have two albums in the chart's top five.

Besides 1997's OK Computer at number one, the band's 1995 album The Bends is at number four.

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Noticeable by their absence are major figures like David Bowie, The Rolling Stones and Queen - as well as today's big sellers like Robbie Williams and Eminem.

The other groups in the top five are Primal Scream, Nirvana and Oasis.

'Big favourite'

Matt Allen, the magazine's features editor, told BBC News Online: "Radiohead getting number one wasn't a surprise.

Q readers' top 10

1. Radiohead:
OK Computer

2. Primal Scream:
Screamadelica

3. Nirvana: Nevermind

4. Radiohead:
The Bends

5. Oasis:
What's The Story Morning Glory

6. REM:
Automatic For The People

7. The Stone Roses:
The Stone Roses

8. Massive Attack:
Blue Lines

9. U2: Achtung Baby

10. Manic Street Preachers:
The Holy Bible

"It's an album Q readers always go on about and it's a big favourite in the office.

"With some of the missing names, their greatest moments happened before Q was around - though I'm surprised Queen didn't get in."

Though most of the albums in the chart were released in the early- to mid-90s there were a number of more recent records, including Travis' The Man Who and Coldplay's Parachutes.

'Rock'n'roll'

But soul and R&B were not well represented, only Prince's Sign o' The Times and Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in the top 25.

"It shows that Q readers like guitar music, they like old-fashioned rock'n'roll," said Mr Allen.

The readers' poll was conducted by the magazine to celebrate its 15th birthday.

Since its advent in 1986 Q has become the UK's biggest-selling music magazine, selling more than 200,000 copies a month.