Coldplay Popular Books

Coldplay Biography & Facts

Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997, consisting of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey. They are best known for their live performances, having also impacted popular culture with their artistry, advocacy and achievements. The members of the band initially met at University College London, calling themselves Big Fat Noises and changing to Starfish, before settling on the current name. After releasing Safety (1998) independently, Coldplay signed with Parlophone in 1999 and wrote their debut album, Parachutes (2000). It featured breakthrough single "Yellow" and received 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) later saw the completion of what they considered a trilogy, being nominated for Best Rock Album as well. Its successor, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), prevailed in the category. Both albums were the best-selling of their years, topping the charts in over 30 countries. Viva la Vida's title track also became the first British act single to lead 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) and Music of the Spheres (2021) exploring sounds like electronica, R&B, ambient, disco, funk, gospel, blues and progressive rock. Additional endeavours for the band include philanthropy, politics and activism, as they donate 10% of their profits to charity and endorse various humanitarian organizations. In 2018, a career-spanning film directed by Mat Whitecross was made available in cinemas to commemorate their 20th career anniversary. With over 100 million albums sold worldwide, Coldplay are among the best-selling music acts of all time. Fuse ranked them as the sixth-most awarded group in history, which includes securing the most Brit Award wins by a band. They own three of the 50 best-selling albums in the United Kingdom and the most number-one albums in the region without missing the top (nine), while "My Universe" is the first British group song to ever debut atop Billboard Hot 100. Coldplay have two of the 15 highest-grossing tours of all time as well. The British Phonographic Industry hailed the band as one of "most influential and pioneering" artists in the world. Similarly, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) on the 200 Definitive Albums list and "Yellow" on the Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll exhibit. In 2023, Time stated the group were among the most impactful climate action leaders on the planet. Despite their popularity and recognition, they are considered polarising musicians. History 1997–1999: Formation and first years Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland first met during their orientation week at University College London, in September 1996. The pair began to write their first songs together in early 1997 and practised every night. Guy Berryman was the third member to join the band in the following months and they recorded various demos without a drummer, calling themselves Big Fat Noises by November. In 1998, Will Champion completed the line-up. He explained that Martin, Buckland and Berryman had come to his house because a roommate had a drum kit and was a good drummer, but he had not turned up, "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 name Coldplay was settled. In May 1998, the band 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 were 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 the latter 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. Conversely, Maude talked to Simon Williams from Fierce Panda Records, who in turn contacted Steve Lamacq. On 3 January 1999, Coldplay became the first unsigned act in history to guest 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 next days saw them study for UCL's final examinations. 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 decided to work as a democracy, established a new set of rules, then declared that anyone using hard drugs would be kicked out of the group immediately, a decision 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 April–May 2000. The album was recorded at Rockfield Studios, Matrix Studios, and Wessex.... Discover the Coldplay popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Coldplay books.