Are Coldplay's lachrymose ballads really better than The Beatles? Rush Of Blood To The Head voted 'best album of all time'

Chris Martin of Coldplay performing in Melbourne last November (Getty Images)

Coldplay's second album has been named the favourite album of all time by radio listeners. A Rush Of Blood To The Head triumphed in a poll of Radio 2 listeners which saw The Beatles placed at just number eight.

The top album was revealed this afternoon by DJ Jo Whiley following a countdown of the favourites throughout the day, starting in the early hours.

Coldplay's winning album - which features hits such as "Clocks", "In My Place" and "The Scientist" - was released in 2002 and topped the charts, going on to sell more than 2.8 million copies in the UK.

Runner-up Hopes And Fears by Keane, which like the Coldplay release is piano-heavy, was the most recent album in the top 10, dating from 2004. Duran Duran's Rio came third.

The poll was held to tie in with the recent BBC season The Golden Age of the Album.

Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles - often viewed as one of the greatest and most influential albums ever made - took eighth spot.

A number of other classics figured highly in the list. 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.

Radio 2 head of music Jeff Smith said: "With albums ranging from Sinatra in the fifties 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."

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)

PA