Coldplay

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Coldplay

Coldplay about to take a bow after performing at

the BBC's Broadcasting House in 2021

Background information

 Pectoralz (1996–1997)
Also known as
 Starfish (1998)

 Los Unidades (2018)

Origin London, England

Genres  Alternative rock

 pop rock

 post-Britpop

 pop

Years active 1996–present

Labels  Parlophone

 Atlantic

 Capitol

 Warner Music

 EMI

 Fierce Panda

Associated acts  Apparatjik

  Brian Eno

 Davide Rossi

 Jon Hopkins

Website coldplay.com

Members  Chris Martin

 Jonny Buckland

 Guy Berryman

 Will Champion

 Phil Harvey[a]

Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1996. They consist of vocalist and
pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will
Champion and creative director Phil Harvey.[3] They met at University College
London and began playing music together from 1996 to 1998, first calling themselves
Pectoralz and then Starfish.
After releasing Safety EP independently in 1998, the band signed
with Parlophone during the next year. Their debut album, Parachutes (2000), included
the breakthrough hit "Yellow" and received a Brit Award for British Album of the Year,
a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, as well as a Mercury
Prize nomination. Their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), won the
same accolades while also spawning the singles "Clocks" and "The Scientist", with the
former winning a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. The band's third
album, X&Y (2005), was the best-selling of the year worldwide, topping the charts of
over 30 countries. On Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), Coldplay
achieved the distinction once again and explored new musical territory following the
completion of what they considered a trilogy. It earned them a Grammy Award for Best
Rock Album and their first Album of the Year nomination, while title track "Viva la Vida"
marked the first time a British group went number-one in both the United Kingdom and
United States in the 21st century.
Since then, Coldplay further diversified their sound with subsequent albums Mylo
Xyloto (2011), Ghost Stories (2014), A Head Full of Dreams (2015), Everyday
Life (2019) and Music of the Spheres (2021). Each one presented a specific theme and
added new musical styles to the band's original repertoire,
including electronica, ambient, pop, R&B, funk, classical, jazz fusion, and progressive
rock. They have also been noted for dazzling, euphoric live performances, [4] which critics
have stated are when the band "come alive and make the most sense". To celebrate
their 20th anniversary in 2018, they released a career-spanning documentary directed
by Mat Whitecross, featuring previously unseen behind the scenes footage.
With 100 million albums sold worldwide, Coldplay are the most successful band of the
21st century and one of the best-selling music acts of all time.[b] According to Fuse, they
are also the sixth-most awarded group in history. Other notable achievements include
the sixth-highest-grossing tour of all time, three of the 50 highest-selling albums ever in
the United Kingdom, the most number-one records in the country without ever missing
the top,[7] most nominations and wins for a band in Brit Awards history, and becoming
the first British group to debut at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. Coldplay are
considered one of the most influential bands of the 21st century as well,
with Forbes describing them as the standard for the current alternative scene. The Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame included A Rush of Blood to the Head on their "200 Definitive
Albums" list, and the single "Yellow" is part of their "Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll"
exhibition for being one of the most successful and important recordings in the industry.
In spite of their popularity and impact, Coldplay have also earned a reputation
as polarizing music icons.