A Rush Of Blood To The Head Image
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 257 Ratings

  • Summary: The UK quartet follows the critical and commercial success of their 2000 debut album 'Parachutes' with this long-awaited follow-up release, which the band has suggested may be their last.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 25
  2. Negative: 2 out of 25
  1. Fierce and noble and fragile and genuinely moving, 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head' is a lovely furnace of searing goodness made by some wonderful contradictory bastards.
  2. 80
    The sound is simultaneously terse and expansive--moody and powerful, shot through with singer Chris Martin's grainy delivery. [#9, p.145]
  3. Without the emotional resonance of Martin's voice at its most free, Coldplay's brilliantly minimal musical foundation has nothing to support. So it falters.
  4. 30
    The most disappointingly safe alternative album of the year.

See all 25 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Negative: 12 out of 144
  1. For me, the greatest Coldplay album and one of the best of the decade. Possibly the coldplay album with the most piano. Songs like "Green eyes", "clocks", "a rush of blood to the head", "the scientist" or "politik" are top class melodic rock. I would only delete the song "god put a smile up on your face". Here they don't sound like first era Radiohead at all as they did on their fantastic first album. Expand
  2. Not completely flawless but definitely Coldplay's finest album to date. Some of Coldplay's classics such as "Clocks" are in here amongst other tracks that are meaningful and sound great. Rush of Blood to the Head also finishes the album off wonderfully with the conclusive "Amsterdam". Expand
  3. HC
    7
    Luckily, since the good songs are all in the first half, you can delete the second. They're a singles band, but the singles are good.
  4. Frank
    3
    really bland stuff and so damn middle of the road. The amount of acclaim this record is getting shows how boring music critics are. At least Travis had the decency to do a humorous video clip. Expand

See all 144 User Reviews