Here are some pinnacle moments in rock history: The Beatles play on the “Ed Sullivan Show”; The Who release “Tommy,” the very first rock opera; Jimmi Hendrix plays his famous cover of “The Star Spangled Banner” at the 1969 Woodstock.

Well, now we can add one more to the list with Radiohead’s seventh studio album “In Rainbows,” which was released Oct. 10.

So why is this so important to rock history? Simple. For the first time a major band has released an album completely digitally and independently on their Web site and-get this-allowed for the fans to set the price to whatever the felt. The whole ordeal was a practical flicking-off to the record companies that have been annoying artists for decades.

However, the whole idea is almost ridiculous-that is if it were any other band than Radiohead. Why would someone willing pay money when they can just put in “$0.00” in the blank box and then click “OK”? Believe it not, many people have paid for the album on their own accord.

According to an article on bbc.com, the band’s spokesman Murray Chalmers said, “Although the idea is that you can decide what you want to pay, most people are deciding on a normal retail price with very few trying to buy it for a penny.”

While I found this statement surprising, it still gave me a little more hope in humanity.

So, what does this mean for the future of albums? It’s no secret that album sales have been rapidly declining since the conception of Napster, Kazaa and Lime Wire. Even iTunes has changed our definition of what it means to own an album. It seems that the days of holding a new album in our hands is rapidly becoming something of the past.

But wait just a minute and put down those pitchforks fellow purists. While it may sound scary to think of material albums as a thing of the past, it could also be a good thing as well. Imagine a world where artists wouldn’t have to appease executives so they can make their music “safe” or avoid the Parental Advisory label. Imagine a world where artists don’t have to change their album covers or bleep out the “naughty” words so they can get their product on the shelves at Wal-Mart.

Don’t get me wrong, I love going to a record store and buying an album that I can hold in my hands just as much as the next guy. In fact, I probably like it even better than the next guy. But like Bob Dylan said, “The times are a-changin” and it’s about time that artists find away to adapt.

In many ways, what Radiohead did was brilliant. They realized that their true fans are devoted to their music and what the concept of music stands for. The true music lovers would not download the album for free. And while they might not download the album for the standard retail price, they will make sure to at least give what they feel Radiohead deserves. I doubt this experiment would’ve worked with “artists” like Nickelback or Britney Spears. In fact, they would probably have to pay me to download their albums.

Radiohead’s experiment helped to unify fans in a way that has not happened in a long time. On the albums release, the www.inrainbows.com Web site experienced major problems from all the people signing in and downloading the album. And just the image all different people from all over the globe listening to the album simultaneously is one that brings me chills.

Oh yeah, and the album is pretty damn good as well no matter how much you pay for it.