Coldplay album wins BBC poll
The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is not only one of the world's best selling records, but it has been named the greatest album of all time by both All Time Top 1000 Albums and Rolling Stone. But being one of the best beloved albums ever made was not enough to beat British contemporary rock band Coldplay in a BBC Radio 2 poll.
As many music purists throw their hands up in the air, Coldplay's second album A Rush of Blood to the Head tops Radio 2 list as favourite album of all time. A Rush of Blood to the Head was released in 2002 and sold more than 2.8 million copies in the UK.
The album includes hits like The Scientist, Clocks and In My Place. The record has been awarded previously; the band won the 2003 Grammy for Best Alternative Album and the 2004 Grammy for Record of the Year for the song Clocks. Last year, it was ranked number 466 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Clocks also topped a recent BBC Radio 6 Music poll of the top 100 tracks of the past decade.
In the Radio 2 poll, Keane's Hopes and Fears took the second place, followed by Duran Duran's Rio. Pink Floyd's classic record Dark Side of the Moon was voted fourth favourite album of the year, while The Beatles' 1967 classic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band took the eight place. Dido's debut album No Angel -which won the artist international success- took the fifth place.
Other legendary bands also appeared on the list. The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers ranked sixth, U2's classic The Joshua Tree took the ninth place, followed Queen's A Night At the Opera in the tenth position.
Radio 2 head of music Jeff Smoth said: With albums ranging from Sinatra in the ‘50s to Emeli Sande in the last year, the range of eras and genres exhibited by the chart is typical of the breadth of Radio 2 and its distinctive music policy.
Musicians such as Coldplay and Dido have struck a chord with listeners and are in good company in the top 10 alongside legendary bands like the Rolling Stones and The Beatles, whose appeal remains undiminished after all these years.