In a move that will stun many musical purists but will surprise few who read the playlists for Radio 2, Coldplay's A Rush Of Blood To The Head has been named the favourite album of all time by the BBC station's listeners.
The group, whose output was famously described by former Creation Records boss Alan McGee as "bedwetters' music", beat The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – regularly at top of best album lists – into eighth place in the poll.
Coldplay's winning album, which features hits such as Clocks, In My Place and The Scientist, was their second LP and topped the chart when it was released in 2002. It has since sold more than 2.8m copies in the UK.
The runner-up, Hopes and Fears by Keane, another piano-led recording, was the most recent album in the top 10, dating from 2004. Duran Duran's Rio came third.
The poll was part of the recent BBC season The Golden Age of the Album, aired variously on Radio 2, BBC4 and 6 Music.
Musos may have been comforted by some of the more traditional classics in the top ten. Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon, released 40 years ago, was fourth and Sticky Fingers by the Rolling Stones was in sixth place.
The top album was revealed by DJ Jo Whiley following a countdown of the favourites throughout the day.
Radio 2's head of music, Jeff Smith, said: "With albums ranging from Sinatra in the 50s to Emeli Sandé 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."
The top 10 albums were:
1 Coldplay Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002)
2 Keane Hopes and Fears (2004)
3 Duran Duran Rio (1982)
4 Pink Floyd The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)
5 Dido No Angel (1999)
6 The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers (1971)
7 The Pet Shop Boys Actually (1987)
8 The Beatles Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
9 U2 The Joshua Tree (1987)
10 Queen A Night At The Opera (1975)
Courtesy The Guardian
