Coldplay's sophomore album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, is now 20 years old.
First released in their native U.K. on August 26, 2002, the record built on the success of Chris Martin and company's 2000 debut, Parachutes, and its single "Yellow," giving the group their highest-charting U.S. album, peaking at #5 on the Billboard 200.
Bolstered by the singles "Clocks," "In My Place" and "The Scientist," A Rush of Blood to the Head would become certified four-times Platinum by the RIAA and sell 15 million copies worldwide.
Like Parachutes, A Rush of Blood to the Head won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. "Clocks" would also go on to win Record of the Year at the 2004 Grammys.
Coldplay's rise to worldwide stardom with A Rush of Blood to the Head coincided with Martin becoming a fixture in the celebrity culture thanks to his relationship with Gwyneth Paltrow, who he'd started dating shortly after the album's release. The two got married in 2003 and were together for 10 years before Paltrow announced that she and Martin were splitting up with perhaps the most famous divorce euphemism: "Conscious uncoupling."
Following A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay has since released seven more albums while becoming one of the biggest bands in the world. Their most recent record, Music of the Spheres, dropped last October. Martin told NME last year that Coldplay will stop making records after their 12th studio effort.
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