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 and drummer Will Champion; manager Phil Harvey is also credited as a full member. The group are best known for their live performances and have had a significant impact on popular culture.
Coldplay initially went by the names Big Fat Noises and Starfish. Following the independent release of the EP Safety, the band signed a record deal with Parlophone in 1999 and issued their debut album, Parachutes, which included the breakthrough single "Yellow"; the album won a Brit Award for British Album of the Year and a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. The follow-up, A Rush of Blood to the Head, earned the same accolades. X&Y concluded what Coldplay viewed as a trilogy, and their fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album; both releases topped the charts in over 30 countries, becoming the best-sellers of their respective years worldwide. Viva la Vida title track was the first song by a British act to reach number one in the United States and United Kingdom simultaneously in the 21st century.
The albums Mylo Xyloto, Ghost Stories, A Head Full of Dreams, Everyday Life, Music of the Spheres and Moon Music drew from genres such as electronica, R&B, ambient, disco, funk, gospel, blues and progressive rock. Music of the Spheres included the single "My Universe", which was the first song by a British group to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and the band's Music of the Spheres World Tour is the most-attended and second-highest-grossing tour of all time, becoming the first by a band to gross $1 billion. A documentary, Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams, was released in 2018 for Coldplay's 20th anniversary. In 2023, they featured on the inaugural Time 100 Climate list.
With over 160 million records 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 100 million monthly listeners. Fuse listed them among the most awarded artists, which includes 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, and are the most played group of the 21st century on British media. The British Phonographic Industry called them one of the world's most "influential and pioneering acts", 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 exhibit. Coldplay are involved in philanthropy, politics and activism, supporting numerous humanitarian projects and donating 10% of their profits to charity. Despite their popularity, they are considered polarising cultural icons.
History
1997–1999: Formation and first years
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. Guy Berryman was the third to join the band months later, and the trio recorded numerous demos without a drummer, calling themselves Big Fat Noises by November. In January 1998, Will Champion joined. He said that Martin, Buckland and Berryman came to his house because his roommate was a good drummer with a drum kit; however, when the roommate did not arrive, Champion played instead.Champion scheduled the band's live debut a few days later, on 16 January 1998 at the Laurel Tree in Camden. They had not chosen a proper name yet and called themselves Starfish. After settling on the name Coldplay, they released the EP Safety in May, 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 to record labels.
As Martin complained about the "vice-like grip" one of the Camden promoters had on the band, Harvey suggested they book their own concert at Dingwalls; there, they sold 50 copies of Safety. The event is generally considered when Harvey officially became Coldplay's manager, and he eventually dropped out of his course at Trinity College, Oxford, to dedicate himself to the role. More concerts were scheduled for the summer. Martin tried to invite Tim Rice-Oxley to play keyboard for the band, but this was vetoed by the other band members. In September 1998, Coldplay performed at Manchester's In the City showcase, where they were discovered by A&R scout Debs Wild. Safety was followed by a cassette demo with "Ode to Deodorant" and "Brothers & Sisters".
Wild informed BMG Music Publishing's Caroline Elleray and 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 the BBC DJ 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 band spent the following days 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, but became tumultuous due to Martin having heated discussions regarding Champion's abilities as a drummer. Martin said that "Three days later, the rest of us were feeling miserable and 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. Now if I find myself making a big mistake, I have to force myself to drink that stuff". 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 fired immediately, inspired by R.E.M. and U2.
2000–2001: ''Parachutes''
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 May 2000. The album was initially 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. 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.File:YellowLive.JPG|thumb|alt=Coldplay performing "Yellow" live in 2005|Coldplay performing "Yellow", their breakthrough hit, from the band's 2000 debut album Parachutes, in 2005
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; they embarked on their first headlining tour, including a performance at the Glastonbury Festival. They 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 American 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 American 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 United Kingdom and United States. The third single was "Trouble", which reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. It was released more than a year later in the United States 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 issued only to fans and journalists.
Parachutes was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in September 2000. Having found success in Europe, the band targeted 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. Martin said the success was meant to make Coldplay 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.