Sorry Frankie, this one's not for you.
It's for you:
(and the rest of those guys too, but mostly you.)
I picked up running again this year after a long absence due to pregnancy and subsequent general, post-baby laziness. I used to use play lists as my running soundtrack, but one day, for whatever reason, I couldn't get to my iPod to shuffle through something I'd grown tired of. My fingers slipped and Viva La Vida began to play. I wasn't even that fond of it at the time, (I prefer X&Y or Parachutes) but since I was focused on running and irritated by messing with my music, I just let it play. From start to finish. It was awesome.
I like Coldplay because they play melodies on top of melodies. You can zone out and follow the base line, the drums, Chris's singing (we're on a first name basis you know) or all of it together. The pace is good. It has up tempo and down tempo tracks that are arranged just right for a run; not too many of one or the other.
I've spent the better part of the year listening to this album three or four times a week and I'm still not sick of it. I've actually developed a Pavlovian reaction to it. If I'm making dinner and Strawberry Swing comes on I will feel the urge to squint my eyes because that's when I'm usually passing the lake and the sun gets in my eyes.
It's not the most cutting edge, most brilliant, new, hot thing, but it has been such an integral part of my year that I'd be amiss for not listing it here. It has truly rocked my world, one sweaty chunk of pavement at at time.
