Passion Blog #3 – Coldplay

Singer, guitarist, and pianist Chris Martin has one of the best singing voices of all time.  He’s the driving force of one of my favorite bands – Coldplay.  Coldplay, originally Pectoralz, then Starfish, then finally the current household name, was created in 1998.  The 4 members of the band – Chris Martin (lead singer), Jonny Buckland (lead guitarist), Guy Berryman (bassist), and Will Champion (drummer) – met at University College London in the mid 1990’s, and they started making music.  In 1998, Coldplay released their EP “Safety”, with only 50 available copies sold to the public.  Nevertheless, they signed a record deal with Parlophone.  The deal stated that the next 5 albums that Coldplay creates are under the contract with Parlophone.

Their debut album, Parachutes, was released on July 10th of 2000.  Earlier that year, the hit single “Yellow” from the album, was released separately.  This song garnered immediate attention and critical acclaim, and it was Coldplay’s first song to crack into the top 5 singles chart, reaching #4 in the United Kingdom.  Eventually moving on from England and venturing over to the United States, the album reached double platinum status in the U.S. and the band even won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 2002 Grammy Awards.  After the rise to fame and fortune with their first album, Coldplay released A Rush of Blood to the Head in August of 2002.  This album includes 2 of Coldplay’s most iconic works, the ballad The Scientist, and my personal favorite, Clocks.  I was mesmerized by the piano work in Clocks that I dedicated weeks into learning how to play the song on piano, despite never having any formal training.  These songs and this album won Coldplay many awards, including the privilege of performing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City at the 2003 MTV Music Video Awards.  Additionally the band won their 2nd Grammy in a row for Best Alternative Album in 2003, and Clocks won Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 2004.

The band’s next 2 albums, released between 2004 and 2008, are considered Coldplay’s most famous work.  The 2 albums, X&Y and Viva la Vida won numerous awards in both the United Kingdom and the United States.  X&Y became the 3rd fastest selling album in UK history at the time, and its lead single Speed of Sound is one of my favorites that the band has ever produced.  Their next album’s title song, Viva la Vida, became #1 on both the U.S. and United Kingdom’s top 100 charts.  This album rewarded Coldplay with 3 Grammy Awards and numerous other prestigious awards in 2008.  The BBC called this album the fastest selling in British history.  It became #1 on the United Kingdom’s album charts within 3 days of its release, and it was the world’s best selling album of 2008.  My 2 favorite Coldplay songs, Lost and Viva la Vida both come from this album.

In recent years, Coldplay has continued to globally tour and have evolved with the times, transitioning from an alternative pop-rock band to incorporating more EDM and R&B aspects into their music.  I’m excited to see what the future holds for Coldplay and what they’ll decide to do next.  What are your thoughts on the band?  Have you heard any of their songs, and do you like any of them?