ESSENTIAL ALBUMS : Coldplay - "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" (2002)

    As the 9/11 anniversary approached, Chris Martin and his three pals unveiled their sophomore effort, penned (and designed) with a feeling of post-attack "desperation." The UK No. 1 set took eight months to record in Liverpool and London, interrupted by friends who soon got "very bored," and Echo and the Bunnymen's influential Ian McCulloch. He convinced Martin the album needed "a song that goes one-two- three, one-two-three, one-two-three," resulting in the psychedelic "A Whisper."

"Ά rush of blood to the head'," Martin told yahoo.com's LAUNCH," is about when you do something on impulse: when you suddenly think, ‘I’m going to ask Rachel Weisz to marry me,’ or 'I'm going to ring up J-Lo and ask her to do a remix album.'" In the event, Gwyneth Paltrow, not Rachel Weisz, won Martin's heart, and there is no trace of Jennifer Lopez. Instead, the pummeling piano and heartfelt vocals of "Politik" herald a manifesto of engrossing pop rock. The melodies and harmonies are gently captivating, as on the offbeat "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" and "The Scientist" (inspired by George Harrison's "It's A Pity").

Band pal Phil Harvey convinced the lads to include "Clocks"—a piano-led piece of uplifting homesickness. Contemporary hit-makers (and fans) such as Kylie Minogue also inspired the band, and the shimmering, Eastern-leaning "Daylight" is a more upbeat chop-and- loop singalong. Add in the acoustic "Green Eyes," the Floydian, stratospheric title track, and the crescendo of "Amsterdam," and you have what NME called "an album of outstanding natural beauty."