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Coldplay | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Coldplay at Broadcasting House in 2021. From left to right: Buckland, Martin, Berryman and Champion. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels | |
| Spinoffs | Apparatjik |
| Members | |
| Website | coldplay |
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997, consisting of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey.[a] They are best known for their live performances,[3] having also impacted popular culture with their artistry, advocacy and achievements.
The members of the band initially met at University College London, calling themselves Big Fat Noises and changing to Starfish, before settling on the current name. After releasing Safety (1998) independently, Coldplay signed with Parlophone in 1999 and wrote their debut album, Parachutes (2000). It featured breakthrough single "Yellow" and received a Brit Award for British Album of the Year and a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. The group's follow-up, A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), won the same accolades. X&Y (2005) later saw the completion of what they considered a trilogy, being nominated for Best Rock Album as well. Its successor, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), prevailed in the category. Both albums were the best-selling of their years, topping the charts in over 30 countries. Viva la Vida's title track also became the first British act single to lead the Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart simultaneously in the 21st century.
Coldplay further expanded their repertoire in subsequent albums, with Mylo Xyloto (2011), Ghost Stories (2014), A Head Full of Dreams (2015), Everyday Life (2019) and Music of the Spheres (2021) exploring sounds like electronica, R&B, ambient, disco, funk, gospel, blues and progressive rock. Additional endeavours for the band include philanthropy, politics and activism, as they donate 10% of their profits to charity and endorse various humanitarian organizations. In 2018, a career-spanning film directed by Mat Whitecross was made available in cinemas to commemorate their 20th career anniversary.
With over 100 million albums sold worldwide, Coldplay are among the best-selling music acts of all time.[b] Fuse ranked them as the sixth-most awarded group in history, which includes securing the most Brit Award wins by a band. They own three of the 50 best-selling albums in the United Kingdom and the most number-one albums in the region without missing the top (nine),[6] while "My Universe" is the first British group song to ever debut atop Billboard Hot 100. Coldplay have two of the 15 highest-grossing tours of all time as well.[7] The British Phonographic Industry hailed the band as one of "most influential and pioneering" artists in the world.[8] Similarly, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) on the 200 Definitive Albums list and "Yellow" on the Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll exhibit.[9] In 2023, Time stated the group were among the most impactful climate action leaders on the planet. Despite their popularity and recognition, they are considered polarising musicians.[10]
History[edit]
1997–1999: Formation and first years[edit]
The final name change came courtesy of close friend and fellow UCL student Tim Crompton. Tim was in the process of putting a band of old schoolmates together (later called Bettina Motive). While killing time waiting for a delayed removal van, he had considered the name after he found a copy of Philip Horky's book, Child's Reflections, Cold Play. Tim had a list of potential band names but Cold Play was quickly rejected; the future bandmates didn't like it, so they discarded it. Starfish were happy to pick it up.
—Life in Technicolor: A Celebration of Coldplay, 2018[11]
Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland first met during their orientation week at University College London, in September 1996.[12] The pair began to write their first songs together in early 1997 and practised every night.[13] Guy Berryman was the third member to join the band in the following months and they recorded various demos without a drummer, calling themselves Big Fat Noises by November.[14] In 1998, Will Champion completed the line-up.[15] He explained that Martin, Buckland and Berryman had come to his house because a roommate had a drum kit and was a good drummer, but he had not turned up, "so I just said [I would] give it a go".[15]
Champion scheduled the band's first performance only a few days after becoming part of it.[16] They had not chosen a proper name yet and called themselves Starfish for the show, which was held on 16 January 1998 at The Laurel Tree, in Camden.[16] Weeks later, the name Coldplay was settled.[16] In May 1998, the band released Safety, an independent EP financed by Martin's lifelong friend, Phil Harvey.[17] 150 out of 500 copies went to open market.[18] Harvey sold the first one to his roommate for £3 and the rest were given away to record labels.[19]
As Martin complained about the "vice-like grip" one of the Camden promoters had on the band, Harvey suggested the group should book their own concert at Dingwalls, where they managed to sell 50 copies of Safety.[19] The event is generally considered when the latter officially became Coldplay's manager.[19] He eventually dropped out of his course at Trinity College, Oxford to dedicate himself to the role.[17] More concerts were scheduled throughout the summer.[20] Martin tried to invite Tim Rice-Oxley to play keyboard for the band, but when "[they] discussed it again a couple of weeks later, he said that the rest of the band weren't keen on adding a member".[20] In September 1998, they performed at Manchester's In the City showcase and got discovered by A&R scout Debs Wild.[21] Safety was followed by a cassette demo with "Ode to Deodorant" and "Brothers & Sisters".[22]
Wild informed BMG Publishing's Caroline Elleray and music lawyer Gavin Maude about the group.[22] Elleray then talked to Dan Keeling at Parlophone, but he had already passed on them.[22] Conversely, Maude talked to Simon Williams from Fierce Panda Records, who in turn contacted Steve Lamacq.[22] On 3 January 1999, Coldplay became the first unsigned act in history to guest on Lamacq's Evening Session.[23] A month later, they signed a short-term contract with Fierce Panda and re-recorded "Brothers & Sisters".[24] Six labels offered a contract as the band's popularity grew; but they wanted Parlophone, which led Elleray to meet Keeling again.[24] He changed his mind and the deal was signed at Trafalgar Square in April 1999, the same month in which "Brothers & Sisters" was released.[24] The next days saw them study for UCL's final examinations.[25]
On 27 June 1999, Coldplay made their first appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in the New Bands Tent.[26] They later recorded The Blue Room, which had 5,000 copies pressed and sold to the public.[27] Its sessions were originally meant for Parachutes (2000), but became tumultuous due to Martin having heated discussions regarding Champion's abilities as a drummer.[28] The singer commented that "Three days later, the rest of us were feeling miserable, [...] we asked him to come back. They made me have lots of vodka and cranberry juice in remembrance of what a nasty piece of work I was being".[29] After working out their differences, the band decided to work as a democracy, established a new set of rules, then declared that anyone using hard drugs would be kicked out of the group immediately, a decision inspired by R.E.M. and U2.[30]
2000–2001: Parachutes[edit]
The band first planned to record their debut album, Parachutes, over the span of two weeks. However, due to tours and other live performances, the recording took place between September 1999 and April–May 2000.[31] The album was recorded at Rockfield Studios, Matrix Studios, and Wessex Sound Studios with producer Ken Nelson, although the majority of Parachutes' tracks were recorded at Liverpool's Parr Street Studios (where they used three studio rooms). American engineer Michael Brauer in New York mixed all of the songs for the album.[32] During that time they played on the Carling Tour, which showcased up-and-coming acts.[33]
After releasing two EPs without a hit song, Coldplay had their first Top 40 hit with the lead single from Parachutes, "Shiver", which was released in March 2000, the same week Coldplay played The Forum in Tunbridge Wells supporting the band Terris as part of the NME Premier Tour.[34] "Shiver" peaked at the number 35 position on the UK Singles Chart.[35] June 2000 was a pivotal moment in Coldplay's history: the band embarked on their first headlining tour, including a performance at the Glastonbury Festival. The band also released the single "Yellow";[36] it was Coldplay's first release to reach the top five and rose to number four on the UK Singles Chart.[36] The minimalistic music video for "Yellow" was filmed at Studland Bay in Dorset, and featured Martin singing the song in one continuous shot as he walked along the beach.[37] "Yellow" and "Shiver" were initially released as EPs in the spring of 2000.[38] "Yellow" was released as a single in the United Kingdom on 26 June 2000. In the United States, it was released as the lead single from the then-untitled debut album. In October 2000, the track was sent to US college and alternative radio outlets.[39]
Coldplay released Parachutes on 10 July 2000 in the United Kingdom via their record label, Parlophone. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart.[31] It was released on 7 November 2000 by record label Nettwerk in North America.[40] The album has been made available in various formats since its initial release; both Parlophone and Nettwerk released it as a CD in 2000, and it was also released as a Cassette by US label Capitol in 2001. In the following year, Parlophone issued the album as an LP.[41] Four singles were released from Parachutes, including "Shiver" and "Yellow", and enjoyed popularity in the UK and US.[42] The third single was "Trouble", which reached number 10 in the UK charts.[43] It was released more than a year later in the US, and reached number 28 in the Alternative Songs chart.[44] In December 2001, the band released a limited-edition CD, Mince Spies, featuring a remix of "Yellow" and the Christmas song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". It was pressed to 1,000 copies, and was issued only to fans and journalists.[45]
Parachutes was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in September 2000.[46] Having found success in Europe, the band set their sights on North America,[47] by releasing the album there in November 2000, and started the US Club Tour in February 2001.[48] At the 2001 Brit Awards in February, Coldplay earned awards for Best British Group, and Best British Album.[49] Although Parachutes was a slow-burning success in the United States, it eventually reached double-platinum status.[50] The album was critically well received and earned a Best Alternative Music Album honours at the 2003 Grammy Awards.[51] Chris Martin said after Parachutes was released that the album's success was meant to elevate the band's status to the "biggest, best band in the world".[52] After single-handedly managing the band until early 2001, Harvey resigned due to the stress of having to perform duties that typically require a team of people. He became the group's creative director and is often referenced as their fifth member; Dave Holmes replaced him as manager.[53]
2002–2004: A Rush of Blood to the Head[edit]
After the success of Parachutes, Coldplay returned to the studio in September 2001 to begin work on their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, once again with Ken Nelson producing. They had trouble focusing in London and decided to relocate to Liverpool, where they recorded some of the songs on Parachutes. Once there, vocalist Chris Martin said that they became obsessed with recording. "In My Place" was the first song recorded for the album. The band released it as the album's lead single because it was the track that made them want to record a second album, following a "strange period of not really knowing what we were doing" three months after the success of Parachutes. According to Martin "one thing kept us going: recording 'In My Place'. Then other songs started coming."[54]
The band wrote more than 20 songs for the album. Some of their new material, including "In My Place" and "Animals", was played live while the band were still touring Parachutes.[45][55] The album's title was revealed through a post on the band's official website.[56] The album was released in August 2002 and spawned several successful singles, including "In My Place", "Clocks", and the ballad "The Scientist", which was inspired by George Harrison's 1970 song "All Things Must Pass".[57]
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Coldplay toured from 19 June 2002 to 8 September 2003 for the A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour. They visited five continents, including co-headlining festival dates at Glastonbury Festival,[27] V2003 and Rock Werchter. Many concerts showcased elaborate lighting and individualised screens reminiscent of U2's Elevation Tour and Nine Inch Nails' Fragility Tour.[58] During the extended tour, Coldplay recorded a live DVD and CD, Live 2003, at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion.[59] At the 2003 Brit Awards held at Earls Court, London, Coldplay received awards for Best British Group, and Best British Album.[49] On 28 August 2003, Coldplay performed "The Scientist" at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and won three awards.[60][61]
In December 2003, readers of Rolling Stone magazine chose Coldplay as the best artist and the best band of the year.[62] At that time the band covered the Pretenders' 1983 song "2000 Miles" (which was made available for download on their official website). "2000 Miles" was the top selling UK download that year, with proceeds from the sales donated to Future Forests and Stop Handgun Violence campaigns.[63] A Rush of Blood to the Head won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 2003 Grammy Awards.[64] At the 2004 Grammy Awards, Coldplay earned Record of the Year for "Clocks".[65]
2005–2007: X&Y[edit]
Coldplay spent most of 2004 out of the spotlight, taking a break from touring and releasing a satire music video of a song from a fictional band titled The Nappies while recording their third album.[66] X&Y was released in June 2005 in UK and Europe.[67] This new, delayed release date had put the album back into the next fiscal year, and the late release was blamed for a drop in EMI's stock.[68][69] It became the best-selling album of 2005 with worldwide sales of 8.3 million.[70] The lead single, "Speed of Sound",[71] made its radio and online music store debut on 18 April and was released as a CD on 23 May 2005.[72] X&Y entered the album charts of 32 countries at the number one position[73] and was the third-fastest-selling album in UK chart history upon release.[74]
Two other singles were released that year: "Fix You" in September and "Talk" in December. Critical reaction to X&Y was mostly positive, though slightly less enthusiastic than that of its predecessor. The New York Times critic Jon Pareles infamously described Coldplay as "the most insufferable band of the decade",[75] whereas NME awarded the album 9/10 calling it "Confident, bold, ambitious, bunged with singles and impossible to contain, X&Y doesn't reinvent the wheel but it does reinforce Coldplay as the band of their time".[76] Comparisons between Coldplay and U2 became commonplace.[77][78] Martin said the critical review of the album by the New York Times made him feel liberated as he "agreed with a lot of the points", adding that "in a way, it was liberating to see that someone else realised that also".[79]
From June 2005 to March 2007, Coldplay went on their Twisted Logic Tour, which included festival dates like Coachella, Isle of Wight Festival, Glastonbury and the Austin City Limits Music Festival.[80] In July 2005, the band appeared at Live 8 in Hyde Park, where they played a rendition of the Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony" with Richard Ashcroft on vocals.[81] On 28 August, Coldplay performed "Speed of Sound" at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards in Miami.[82] In September, Coldplay recorded a new version of "How You See the World" with reworked lyrics for War Child's Help!: A Day in the Life charity album.[83] In February 2006, Coldplay earned Best Album and Best Single honours at the Brit Awards.[84] Three more singles were released during 2006 and 2007, "The Hardest Part", "What If" and "White Shadows".
2008–2010: Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends[edit]
In October 2006, Coldplay began work on their fourth studio album,
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