ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a consolidation of sorts that considers the means of genre discourse analysis in the digital age. The discussion of genre in online audience discourses on Radiohead is based on a study of source material taken from two substantial online platforms: YouTube and Amazon. Temporality has a considerable impact on genre reception online. While journalistic debates often appear as immediate reactions to the release of new musical material and mainly reflect on past events for special occasions, online audience commentary is inherently shaped by the concept of ‘retrospection.’ Since online discussions of genre in Radiohead’s music are highly personalised, writers often focus on the question how new albums fit into their individual conception of Radiohead’s style. Online and offline discourses on genre have several similarities. They work for instance with similar terminologies and apply categorisation as a tool for making sense of complex musical developments.
