"Codplay" Join Greats On Anniversary Public Poll

The Beatles have topped the latest poll to find the nation's favourite Number One album.

Their most famous record, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, was yesterday revealed as the public's favourite record to have topped the album charts.

More than 220,000 votes were received by Radio 2 to compile the list, which was arranged to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the official UK album chart.

Aptly, the victory for the album comes on the 40th anniversary of the last public performance by the Fab Four - a live concert in San Francisco.

Dark Side of the Moon, by prog rockers Pink Floyd, won the "best of the rest" list, leading the votes for albums that did not reach number one in the chart - it only reached number two in 1973.Michael Jackson comes second on the overall list with Thriller, followed by U2's record The Joshua Tree, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, and Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here.

The Beatles' revolutionary 1966 record, Revolver, comes in at number six on the list, followed by Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water, the Beatles' last studio album, Abbey Road, and the top 10 is completed by Queen's A Night at the Opera and The Beatle's eponymous 1968 double album, aka the White album.

Simon Mayo, presenter of the run down, said: "It is a very impressive list and no surprise at all that Sgt Pepper is at the top. It revolutionised music and is what we expect from an album. A fine choice indeed."

Misspellings by voters keen to take part in the poll also saw votes go to The Dark Side of the Room (instead of the moon) by Pink Floyd and Achtung Bono (instead of Baby) by U2. Other blunders included fans voting for Codplay (Coldplay) and Oink Floyd (Pink Floyd).

Since the inception of the official albums chart in 1956, there have been 787 number one albums. Darren Haynes, marketing manager of the UK chart, said: "The list of No 1 albums is instantly interesting because it highlights the fact that such classics as Dark Side Of The Moon, Bat Out Of Hell, Ziggy Stardust and Hotel California failed to reach the Number One slot.

"With over 220,000 votes received from the British public, this is the most definitive record of the nation's favourite albums to date." There were only 201 votes between Sgt Pepper at number one and Thriller at number two on the list.

The "best of the rest" list included, at number two, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie, followed by Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf, Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys, The Wall by Pink Floyd, Hunky Dory by Bowie, The Bends by Radiohead and Nevermind by Nirvana.

The BBC Radio 2 Music Club Top 100 Albums list in full:

1 Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – Beatles

2 Thriller – Michael Jackson

3 The Joshua Tree – U2

4 Rumours – Fleetwood Mac

5 Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd

6 Revolver – Beatles

7 Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel

8 Abbey Road – Beatles

9 A Night At The Opera – Queen

10 The Beatles (The White Album) – Beatles

11 Rubber Soul – Beatles

12 Brothers In Arms – Dire Straits

13 (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? – Oasis

14 Automatic For The People – REM

15 Led Zeppelin IV (Four Symbols) – Led Zeppelin

16 Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette

17 Parallel Lines – Blondie

18 Tubular Bells – Mike Oldfield

19 Led Zeppelin II – Led Zeppelin

20 Band On The Run – Paul McCartney & Wings

21 Hounds Of Love – Kate Bush

22 Definitely Maybe – Oasis

23 Graceland – Paul Simon

24 Ray Of Light – Madonna

25 Who’s Next – Who

26 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John

27 OK Computer – Radiohead

28 Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols – Sex Pistols

29 Aladdin Sane – David Bowie

30 Out Of Time – REM

31 A Rush Of Blood To The Head – Coldplay

32 Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters

33 X & Y – Coldplay

34 Born In The USA – Bruce Springsteen

35 Like A Prayer – Madonna

36 A Hard Day’s Night – Beatles

37 Confessions On A Dancefloor – Madonna

38 Parachutes – Coldplay

39 Harvest – Neil Young

40 Bad – Michael Jackson

41 American Idiot – Green Day

42 A Kind Of Magic – Queen

43 Faith – George Michael

44 Fever – Kylie Minogue

45 Back In Black – AC/DC

46 Let It Be – Beatles

47 Like A Virgin – Madonna

48 The Unforgettable Fire – U2

49 Imagine – John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band With The Flux Fiddlers

50 Help! – Beatles

51 Arrival – Abba

52 Led Zeppelin 3 – Led Zeppelin

53 Urban Hymns – Verve

54 Spice – Spice Girls

55 Sing When You’re Winning – Robbie Williams

56 Let’s Dance – David Bowie

57 Hopes And Fears – Keane

58 Diamond Dogs – David Bowie

59 Escapology – Robbie Williams

60 Parklife – Blur

61 Rattle And Hum – U2

62 Hot Fuss – The Killers

63 How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb – U2

64 True Blue – Madonna

65 Sticky Fingers – Rolling Stones

66 Music – Madonna

67 A Day At The Races – Queen

=68 War – U2

=68 Life Thru A Lens – Robbie Williams

70 No Angel – Dido

71 Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin

72 Swing When You’re Winning – Robbie Williams

=73 Super Trouper – Abba

=73 Let It Bleed – Rolling Stones

75 All Things Must Pass – George Harrison

76 Spiceworld – Spice Girls

77 Dare! – Human League

78 Different Class – Pulp

79 Please Please Me – Beatles

80 Back To Bedlam – James Blunt

81 So – Peter Gabriel

82 All That You Can’t Leave Behind – U2

83 Diva – Annie Lennox

84 Paranoid – Black Sabbath

85 The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan – Bob Dylan

86 Songs About Jane – Maroon 5

87 By The Way – Red Hot Chili Peppers

=88 The Division Bell – Pink Floyd

=88 Scary Monsters And Super Creeps – David Bowie

90 Play – Moby

91 Listen Without Prejudice Volume 1 – George Michael

92 Dangerous – Michael Jackson

93 Voulez-Vous – Abba

94 Innuendo – Queen

95 Demon Days – Gorillaz

96 Love Over Gold – Dire Straits

=97 The Album – Abba

=97 Come On Over – Shania Twain

99 I’ve Been Expecting You – Robbie Williams

100 Welcome To The Pleasuredome – Frankie Goes To Hollywood