Coldplay

Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey. They are best known for their live performances, and their impact on popular culture through their music, advocacy and achievements.

The members of the band initially met at University College London, calling themselves Big Fat Noises and changing to Starfish, before the final name. After releasing the extended play Safety (1998) independently, they signed with Parlophone in 1999 and issued their debut album, Parachutes (2000), featuring the breakthrough single "Yellow". It earned 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) completed what they regarded as a trilogy and was shortlisted for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards. Its successor, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), prevailed in the category. Both releases were the best-sellers of their respective years, topping the charts in over 30 countries. Viva la Vida's title track was the first song from a British act to top 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), Music of the Spheres (2021) and Moon Music (2024) drawing from genres like electronica, R&B, ambient, disco, funk, gospel, blues and progressive rock. The group's additional endeavours include philanthropy, politics and activism, supporting numerous humanitarian projects and donating 10% of their profits to charity. In 2018, a career-spanning film directed by Mat Whitecross was released for their 20th anniversary.

With over 100 million albums sold worldwide, Coldplay are one of the best-selling music acts of all time. They are also the first group in Spotify history to reach 90 million monthly listeners. Fuse listed them among the most awarded artists, which includes holding the record for most Brit Awards won by a band. In the United Kingdom, they have three of the 50 best-selling albums, the most UK Albums Chart number ones without missing the top (10), and the distinction of most played group of the 21st century on British media. In 2021, "My Universe" was the first song by a British group to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100. Coldplay have two of the highest-grossing tours of all time and the most-attended. The British Phonographic Industry called them one of the most "influential and pioneering acts" in the world, while the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame added A Rush of Blood to the Head to the 200 Definitive Albums list and "Yellow" to the Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll exhibition. In 2023, Time cited the group among the most impactful climate action figures. Despite their renown, they are considered polarising cultural icons.

Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland met during their first week at University College London, in September 1996. They began to write their first songs together in early 1997 and practised every night. Guy Berryman was the third to join the band in the following months and the trio recorded numerous demos without a drummer, calling themselves Big Fat Noises by November. In January 1998, Will Champion completed the line-up. He declared that Martin, Buckland and Berryman came to his house because a roommate had a drum kit and was a good drummer, but the roommate did not turn up for the session, "so I just said [I would] give it a go".

Champion scheduled the band's first performance only a few days after becoming part of it. 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. Weeks later, the band settled on the name Coldplay. In May, they released Safety, an independent EP financed by Martin's lifelong friend, Phil Harvey. 150 out of 500 copies went to open market. Harvey sold the first one to his roommate for £3 and the rest was given away to record labels.

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. The event is generally considered when Harvey officially became Coldplay's manager. He eventually dropped out of his course at Trinity College, Oxford to dedicate himself to the role. More concerts were scheduled throughout the summer. 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". In September 1998, they performed at Manchester's In the City showcase and got discovered by A&R scout Debs Wild. Safety was followed by a cassette demo with "Ode to Deodorant" and "Brothers & Sisters".

Wild informed BMG Publishing's Caroline Elleray and music lawyer Gavin Maude about the group. Elleray then talked to Dan Keeling at Parlophone, but he had already passed on them. Maude talked to Simon Williams from Fierce Panda, who contacted Steve Lamacq. On 3 January 1999, Coldplay became the first unsigned act to appear on Lamacq's Evening Session. A month later, they signed a short-term contract with Fierce Panda and re-recorded "Brothers & Sisters". Six labels offered a contract as the band's popularity grew, but they wanted Parlophone, which led Elleray to meet Keeling again. He changed his mind and the deal was signed at Trafalgar Square in April 1999, the same month in which "Brothers & Sisters" was released. The following days saw them studying for UCL finals.

On 27 June 1999, Coldplay made their first appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in the New Bands Tent. They later recorded The Blue Room, which had 5,000 copies pressed and sold to the public. Its sessions were originally meant for Parachutes (2000), but became tumultuous due to Martin having heated discussions regarding Champion's abilities as a drummer. 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". After working out their differences, the band chose to operate as a democracy, established a new set of rules and proclaimed that anyone using hard drugs would be kicked out of the group immediately, a decision inspired by R.E.M. and U2.

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. 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. During that time they played on the Carling Tour, which showcased up-and-coming acts.

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. "Shiver" peaked at the number 35 position on the UK Singles Chart. 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"; it was Coldplay's first release to reach the top five and rose to number four on the UK Singles Chart. 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. "Yellow" and "Shiver" were initially released as EPs in the spring of 2000. "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.

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. It was released on 7 November 2000 by record label Nettwerk in North America. 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. Four singles were released from Parachutes, including "Shiver" and "Yellow", and enjoyed popularity in the UK and US. The third single was "Trouble", which reached number 10 in the UK charts. It was released more than a year later in the US, and reached number 28 in the Alternative Songs chart. 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.

Parachutes was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in September 2000. Having found success in Europe, the band set their sights on North America, by releasing the album there in November 2000, and started the US Club Tour in February 2001. At the 2001 Brit Awards in February, Coldplay earned awards for Best British Group and Best British Album. Although Parachutes was a slow-burning success in the United States, it eventually reached double-platinum status. The album was critically well received and earned a Best Alternative Music Album honours at the 2002 Grammy Awards. 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". 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.