Autographed in person by: Chris Martin, John Buckland, Guy Barryman, and Will Champion

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Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1996.^[1][2] The four members – which include lead vocalist/pianist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion – were at University College London and came together from 1996 to 1998. During these two years, the band changed names from Pectoralz, to Starfish, and finally, to Coldplay.^[3][4] Creative director and former manager Phil Harvey is often referred to as the fifth member by the band.^[4] They recorded and released two EPs: Safety in 1998 and The Blue Room in 1999. The latter was their first release on a major label, after signing to Parlophone.^[5]

Coldplay achieved worldwide fame with the release of the song "Yellow" in 2000, followed in the same year by their debut album Parachutes, which was nominated for the Mercury Prize. The band's second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), was released to critical acclaim and won many awards, including NME's Album of the Year. Their next release, X&Y, the best-selling album worldwide in 2005, received mostly positive reviews, though some critics felt it was inferior to its predecessor. Their fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), the best-selling album worldwide of 2008, was produced by Brian Eno and released to largely positive reviews, earning three Grammy Awards. In October 2011, Coldplay released their fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto, which topped the charts in over 34 countries, was the UK's best-selling rock album of 2011, and received mixed reviews.^[6] In 2014, they released their sixth album, Ghost Stories, which also received mixed reviews and topped several national album charts. In December 2015, the band released their seventh album, A Head Full of Dreams, which reached the top two in most major markets, but received generally mixed reviews.

Coldplay have won numerous awards throughout their career, including nine Brit Awards, six MTV Video Music Awards, seven MTV Europe Music Awards and seven Grammy Awards from 29 nominations.^[7] They have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling music artists.^[8] Three of their albums: Parachutes, A Rush of Blood to the Head and X&Y are among the best-selling albums in UK chart history.^[9] In December 2009, Rolling Stone readers voted the group the fourth-best artist of the 2000s.^[10] Coldplay have supported various social and political causes, such as Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign and Amnesty International. They have also performed at charity projects, including Band Aid 20, Live 8, Global Citizen Festival, Sound Relief, Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief, One Love Manchester, The Secret Policeman's Ball, Sport Relief and the UK Teenage Cancer Trust.^[11]

History

1996–1999: Formation and first years

Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland first met during their orientation week at University College London (UCL) in September 1996.^[12] The pair spent the rest of the university year planning a band, ultimately forming a group called Pectoralz.^[13] Guy Berryman, a classmate of Martin and Buckland, later joined the group. By 1997, the group, who had renamed themselves Starfish, performed gigs for local Camden promoters at small clubs.^[3] Martin also had recruited his longtime school friend Phil Harvey, who was studying classics at the University of Oxford, to be the band's manager.^[14] Coldplay have since accepted Harvey as the fifth member of the group.^[4] The band's line-up was completed when Will Champion joined to take up percussion duties. Champion had grown up playing piano, guitar, bass, and tin whistle; he quickly learned the drums (despite having no previous experience).^[13] The band finally settled on the name "Coldplay" which was suggested by Tim Crompton, a local student who had been using the name for his group.^[4]

By 1997, Martin had met Classics student Tim Rice-Oxley. During a weekend in the English village Virginia Water in Surrey they asked each other to play their own songs on the piano. Martin, finding Rice-Oxley to be talented, asked him to be Coldplay's keyboard player but Rice-Oxley refused as his own band, Keane, was already active. Days after, this event would shape the second line-up of Keane and keep Coldplay's unaltered, thus leaving both bands as quartets.^[15] In 1998, the band released 500 copies of the EP Safety.^[16] Most of the discs were given to record companies and friends; only 50 copies remained for sale to the public. In December of that year, Coldplay signed to the independent label Fierce Panda.^[16] Their first release was the single "Brothers & Sisters", which they had recorded over four days in February 1999.^[16]

After completing their final examinations, Coldplay signed a five-album contract with Parlophone in early 1999.^[5] After making their first appearance at Glastonbury, the band went into the studio to record a second EP, titled The Blue Room.^[17] Five thousand copies were made available to the public in October,^[18] and the single "Bigger Stronger" received BBC Radio 1 airplay. The recording sessions for The Blue Room were tumultuous. Champion was briefly fired from the band, but Martin later pleaded with him to return after kicking him out, and because of his guilt, went on a drinking binge. Eventually, the band worked out their differences and put in place a new set of rules to keep the group intact. Inspired by bands like U2 and R.E.M., Coldplay decided that they would operate as a democracy. Additionally, the band determined they would fire anyone who used hard drugs.^[19]

1999–2002: Parachutes

The band initially planned to record their debut album in the space of two weeks. However, tours and other live performances caused the recording to spread out between September 1999 and April–May 2000.^[20] 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 accessed three studio rooms). The mixing process on all songs for the album was done by American engineer Michael Brauer in New York.^[21] During that period, they played on the Carling Tour, which showcased up-and-coming acts.^[22]

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 Tunbridge Wells forum in support of the band Terris. Shiver went on to peak at the number 35 position on the UK Singles Chart.^[24] June 2000 was a pivotal moment in Coldplay's history: the band embarked on their first headlining tour, including a showing at the Glastonbury Festival. The band also released the breakthrough single "Yellow".^[25] It was Coldplay's first release to reach the top five, rising to number four on the UK Singles Chart.^[25] "Yellow" and "Shiver" were initially released as EPs in the spring of 2000.^[26] The former was later released as a single in United Kingdom on 26 June 2000. In the United States, the song 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.^[27]

Coldplay released their first studio album, 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.^[28] It was released on 7 November 2000 by record label Nettwerk in North America.^[29] The album has been made available on 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.^[30] Four singles were released from Parachutes, including "Shiver" and "Yellow", and enjoyed popularity in the UK and US.^[31] The third single was "Trouble", which reached number 10 in the UK charts.^[32] It was released more than a year later in the US, and reached number 28 in the Alternative Songs chart.^[33] 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.^[34]

Parachutes was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in September 2000.^[35] Having found success in Europe, the band set their sights on North America,^[36] by releasing the album there in November 2000, and started the US Club Tour in February 2001.^[37] At the 2001 Brit Awards in February, Coldplay earned awards for Best British Group, and Best British Album.^[38] Although Parachutes was a slow-burning success in the United States, it eventually reached double-platinum status.^[39] The album was critically well received and earned a Best Alternative Music Album honours at the 2002 Grammy Awards.^[40] Chris Martin claimed, after the release of Parachutes, that the album's success was intended to elevate the band's status to the "biggest, best band in the world."^[41] After single-handedly managing the band until early 2001, Phil Harvey resigned from his role due to the stress of performing a role usually requiring a team of people. Harvey then took on the role of "creative director" and is often referred as the official fifth member by the band, while Dave Holmes took over as the band's manager.^[42]

2002–2004: A Rush of Blood to the Head

 

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. Since the band had never stayed in London before, they had trouble focusing. They decided to relocate in 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."^[43]

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 was still touring Parachutes.^[34][44] The album's title was revealed through a post on the band's official website.^[45] The album was released in August 2002 and spawned several popular singles, including "In My Place", "Clocks", and the ballad "The Scientist". The latter was inspired by George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass", which was released in 1970.^[46]

Coldplay toured from 26 March 2002 to October 2003 for the A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour. They visited five continents, including co-headlining festival dates at Glastonbury Festival,^[18] V2003 and Rock Werchter. Many concerts showcased elaborate lighting and individualised screens reminiscent of U2's Elevation Tour and Nine Inch Nails' Fragility Tour.^[47] During the extended tour, Coldplay recorded a live DVD and CD, Live 2003, at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion.^[48] At the 2003 Brit Awards held at Earls Court, London, Coldplay received awards for Best British Group, and Best British Album.^[38] 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.^[49]

In December 2003, readers of Rolling Stone chose Coldplay as the best artist and the best band of the year.^[50] 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.^[51] A Rush of Blood to the Head won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 2003 Grammy Awards.^[52] At the 2004 Grammy Awards, Coldplay earned Record of the Year for "Clocks".^[40]

2004–2007: X&Y

 

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.^[53] X&Y was released in June 2005 in UK and Europe.^[54] This new, delayed release date had put the album back into the next fiscal year, actually causing EMI's stock to drop.^[55][56] It became the best-selling album of 2005 with worldwide sales of 8.3 million.^[57] The lead single, "Speed of Sound",^[58] made its radio and online music store debut on 18 April and was released as a CD on 23 May 2005.^[59] X&Y entered the album charts of 20 countries at the number one position^[60] and was the third-fastest selling album in UK chart history.^[61]

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",^[62] 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".^[63] Comparisons between Coldplay and U2 became increasingly common.^[64][65] 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... so, in a way, it was liberating to see that someone else realised that also."^[66]

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