The Scientist (track)
by Coldplay
Year: 2002
From the album A Rush Of Blood To The Head (track #4)
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The Scientist appears on the following album(s) by Coldplay:
- A Rush Of Blood To The Head (track #4) (this album) (2002)
- Live In Buenos Aires (track #4) (2018)
- Love In Tokyo (track #3) (2018)
- The Singles 1999-2006 (track #17) (compilation) (2007)
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The Scientist ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 3 ratings for this track. | Show all 699 ratings for this track.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Track ratings | Avg. track rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 09/06/2026 07:06 | mash | 4,637 | 92/100 |
| ! | 08/04/2026 04:59 | Leginlists | 615 | 84/100 |
| ! | 07/20/2026 01:18 | Exist-en-ciel | 174,435 | 71/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some tracks can have several thousand ratings)
This track is rated in the top 1% of all tracks on BestEverAlbums.com. This track has a Bayesian average rating of 89.7/100, a mean average of 88.6/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 89.9/100. The standard deviation for this track is 13.9.
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The Scientist comments
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soundguardian 05/12/2013 11:04 | #75890
Sometimes the sheer simplicity of a song marks its beauty and importance. For "The Scientist", this is so. Nothing is completely complicated in the composition of the song. Nothing complicated about the piano accompaniment, nothing complicated about the vocals, nothing complicated about the strings, guitar, and beat that later are introduced. Nothing about the components' interactions to form the song's texture. And nothing is complicated about the devotion and love that the narrator holds for his (ex)lover. And THAT'S what makes it so magical.
The track is reminiscient of something like "Imagine" [John Lennon, 1971], which contains a simple and beautiful message encased in a modest arrangement. In both cases, the songs' inherent quality is pure, sincere, and unadorned. The narrator's sincerity in his apology for destroying a friendship and his straightforward appeal to the listener for a second chance make this song so relatable. (Edited)
DeusExMackia TOP 100 COMMENTER 02/23/2015 18:10 | #135511
Fantastic, realistic and yearning lyrics combined with a soulful, beautifully depressing piano riff and a tumultus finish. It's an achingly brilliant song. (Edited)
corenfro TOP 100 COMMENTER 05/08/2017 00:30 | #190468
I honestly don't get why this is so highly rated. Yes it is a catchy radio-friendly ballad, but it's not even among the best tracks on this album. The verse is a predictable repetitive melody, ditto chorus, ditto lyrics. It's not *bad* by any means, but this is actually among the weakest tracks on this LP. The crooning at the end adds a little but not enough to save this from being pretty forgettable for me (although constant airplay makes it an unforgettable nuisance) (Edited)
jhuik TOP 100 COMMENTER 01/07/2013 00:35 | #60473
The first time I heard this I was struck by its immediately apparent timelessness... and hundreds of listens later, its timeless beauty is holding steady. Certainly one of the most beautiful songs ever, if you ask me. (Edited)
Really beautiful and well-orchestrated track in terms of how the song is built up... (Edited)
