Viva La Vida definitely is a masterpiece. As you'd expect from a Coldplay album it's easy listening and pop, but that alone does not make music bad.

The intro, Life in Technicolor sounds suspiciously like Sigur Rós.

The background arrangements of Cementries of London tend to remind me of Muse, while the rest of the track seems to float above Lady in Black.

Lost! is a typical Coldplay track: Long, steady notes all around, simple guitar solos. Björkish beats all over the place. I knew that I could place a reference to her somewhere in this post so people can flame me for doing so.
Guitar distortion, though, is quite exceptional for a typical Colplay song.

42 sounds like two tracks: The later reocurence of all that melancholy kind of expressing the insanity of the same melancholy before the joyful middle part. Sounds quite like The Arcade Fire and a bit like later Tocotronic.

Reign of Love - Lovers of Japan sounds quite like Rebellion (Lies).

As Chris once said something along the lines of The Arcade Fire being the best band ever, Coldplay picking up Arcade Fire themes shouldn't come as a complete surprise. From 4:00 onwards, the track is just pure, sad and hopeful beauty.

In Yes, Chris' Voice sounds like some artist I can't remember right now. It's hard to miss, though. Again some very Tocotronic-like guitars.

Viva La Vida. I can't remember having banged my head to strings before. The continuous beat and glorious chorus makes it most likely the most pop song ever, the string and piano arrangements rescue it from having no musical value whatsoever.

So, if Arcade Fire rescued Rock, Coldplay is rescuing Pop.

Violet Hill sounds nearly like a second Viva La Vida. I can't really place it anywhere else.

The intro of Strawberry Swing is definitely sweet, as the rest of the track. "Like a sweet, I could taste in my mouth"

Death And All His Friends nearly completely fades into the background while giving a resume, and thus makes a perfect last song on the album.

The Escapist too, but in a completely different manner. It's Life in Technicolor with text.

You can either dedicate your ears to the album or listen to it in the background: You will get neither bored nor distracted.