'''A Rush of Blood to the Head''' is the second
album by
English rock band Coldplay, released on
August 26,
2002 in the
UK and on
August 27 in the
U.S.. It was as successful as, if not more than, its predecessor, ''
Parachutes'', debuting at #1 in the
United Kingdom, moving 273,000 copies, and at #5 in the
United States, moving 144,000 copies in the first week.
The album includes "guitar-pop" singles ("
In My Place", "
God Put a Smile upon Your Face"),
ballads ("
The Scientist", "Warning Sign"), and acoustic songs ("Green Eyes"). However, the
U2-esque
epic rock of the album's opening track "Politik," the synth-driven "
Clocks", and the loud guitars of "A Whisper" were seen to extend the band's musical range. The album also had greater use of
piano than Coldplay's debut album or that of many other rock bands popular at the time. "Clocks," a song centered around a cyclic piano riff and included on the album only at the last minute, ultimately became the band's largest hit to date, earning the band a Grammy for
Record of the Year.
''A Rush of Blood to the Head'' won the
2002 Grammy for
Best Alternative Album. The album received generally excellent reviews, and many critics considered it better than Coldplay's first album, ''Parachutes''.
Track listing
All songs written by Berryman, Buckland, Champion and Martin.
#"Politik" – 5:18
#"
In My Place" – 3:48
#"
God Put a Smile upon Your Face" – 4:57
#"
The Scientist" – 5:09
#"
Clocks" – 5:07
#"Daylight" – 5:27
#"Green Eyes" – 3:43
#"
Warning Sign" – 5:31
#"A Whisper" – 3:58
#"A Rush of Blood to the Head" – 5:51
#"Amsterdam" – 5:19
Certifications, peaks and sales
| Country | Peak position | Certification (if any) | Sales/shipments |
|---|
| Argentina | 1 | 2x Platinum [1] | 80,000+ |
| Australia | | 5x Platinum [2] | 350,000+ |
| Austria | 10 | Platinum [3] | 30,000+ |
| Belgium | | 2x Platinum [4] | 100,000+ |
| Brazil | | Gold [5] | 50,000+ |
| Canada | | 4x Platinum [6] | 400,000+ |
| Denmark | 1 | Gold [7] | 20,000+ |
| Finland | 4 | Gold [8] | 16,708+ |
| France | 4 | 2x Gold [9] | 200,000+ |
| Germany | | 3x Gold [10] | 450,000+ |
| Mexico | | Platinum [11] | 150,000+ |
| Netherlands | 3 | Platinum [12] | 80,000+ |
| New Zealand | 2 | 4x Platinum [13] | 60,000+ |
| Norway | 1 | | |
| Portugal | 8 | Platinum [14] | 20,000+ |
| Sweden | 5 | Gold [15] | 30,000+ |
| Switzerland | 1 | Gold [16] | 20,000+ |
| United Kingdom | | 7x Platinum [17] | 2,100,000+ |
| United States | | 4x Platinum | 4,400,000+ [18] |
Awards
Release
References
★ Roach, Martin (2003). ''Coldplay: Nobody Said It Was Easy''. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-9810-8.
External links
★
''A Rush of Blood to the Head'' lyrics