- Awards And Honors:
- Grammy Award (2008)
- Grammy Award (2003)
- Grammy Award (2002)
- Grammy Award (2001)
- Notable Works:
- âClocksâ
- âMylo Xylotoâ
- âSpeed of Soundâ
- âViva la Vidaâ
- Date:
- 1998 - present
- On the Web:
- AllMusic - Coldplay (Oct. 20, 2026)
Coldplay
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Who are Coldplay?
Coldplay is a British rock group formed in London in 1998 by vocalist Chris Martin and guitarist Jonny Buckland. Later, Guy Berryman joined on bass, and Will Champion, initially a guitarist, switched to drums, completing the lineup.
The band gained prominence in the U.K. with their single "Brothers & Sisters" in 1999 before signing with Parlaphone. Their debut album, Parachutes (2000), achieved massive sales, featuring the hit "Yellow" and winning a Grammy Award. Subsequent albums like A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) and X & Y (2005) solidified their status, leading to comparisons with iconic bands like U2 and Radiohead.
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Where is Coldplay from?
Coldplay is a British rock group that formed in 1998 at University College, London. The band's original lineup consisted of Chris Martin (vocals, piano) and Jonny Buckland (guitar), who were later joined by fellow students Guy Berryman (bass) and Will Champion (drums). Coldplay first gained recognition in the U.K. Top 100 in 1999 with their single "Brothers & Sisters." Their debut album, Parachutes (2000), achieved massive sales, featuring the hit single "Yellow" and earning them their first Grammy Award.
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Who are the members of Coldplay?
Coldplay, a British rock group formed in London in 1998, consists of Chris Martin (vocals, piano), Jonny Buckland (guitar), Guy Berryman (bass), and Will Champion (drums). Their melodic, piano-driven anthems propelled them to global fame in the early 21st century.
Their debut album, Parachutes (2000), achieved massive sales, featuring the hit single "Yellow." Subsequent albums like A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) and X & Y (2005) solidified their status, leading to collaborations with artists like Rihanna and Brian Eno.
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What style of music does Coldplay play?
Coldplay is a British rock group that formed in London in 1998. Their melodic, piano-driven anthems lifted them to the top of the pop music world in the early 21st century. Their 2005 album, X & Y, included guitar-driven, arena-friendly rock anthems, which elevated them to the level of bands such as U2 and Radiohead. In 2009, they won a Grammy Award for best rock album. Coldplay has also experimented with a variety of sounds, including the subdued style of Ghost Stories (2014) and the pop collaborations on Mylo Xyloto (2011).
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What are some of Coldplay's most famous songs?
Coldplay, formed in London in 1998, is a British rock group known for its melodic, piano-driven anthems. Their debut album, Parachutes (2000), achieved massive sales with singles like "Yellow," earning them their first Grammy Award.
Their success continued with A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), featuring "Clocks," and X & Y (2005), which included the hit single "Speed of Sound," solidifying their status alongside major bands like U2. In 2008, Viva la Vida topped charts with its title track, earning them multiple Grammy Awards. Later albums include Ghost Stories (2014), featuring "Magic" and "A Sky Full of Stars," and Music of the Spheres (2021), which became their ninth consecutive UK chart-topper.
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How has Coldplay influenced modern music?
Coldplay, the British rock group formed in London in 1998, is known for their melodic, piano-driven anthems. Their debut album, Parachutes (2000), which featured the hit single "Yellow," earned them their first Grammy Award. Subsequent albums like A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) and X & Y (2005) solidified their position in the pop music world, with singles such as "Clocks" and "Speed of Sound" achieving widespread success. With the 2008 release Viva la Vida, Coldplay produced arguably their most radio-friendly effort yet, topping charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom and winning multiple Grammy Awards in 2009.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Coldplay, British rock group whose melodic piano-driven anthems lifted the band to the top of the pop music world in the early 21st century. Coldplay was formed in 1998 at University College, London, with the pairing of pianist-vocalist Chris Martin and guitarist Jonny Buckland. The band was later filled out with fellow students Guy Berryman on bass and Will Champion, a guitarist who later switched to drums.
- Jonny Buckland: b. September 11, 1977, London
- Will Champion: b. July 31, 1978, Southampton, England
Coldplay penetrated the U.K. Top 100 in 1999 with the single âBrothers & Sistersâ on the independent Fierce Panda label before signing with major label Parlaphone. Later that year the band released the Blue Room EP to a flurry of glowing reviews.
Coldplayâs full-length debut Parachutes (2000) sold millions on the strength of Martinâs vocals and such singles as the bittersweet âYellow.â Parachutes earned the band its first Grammy Award, for best alternative album, and paved the way for the more ambitious A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002). The latter album earned the group two more Grammy Awards, and singles such as âClocksâ helped drive the bandâs total album sales over the 20 million mark. Coldplay followed the concert album Live 2003 (2003) with X & Y (2005), a collection of guitar-driven, arena-friendly rock anthems (including the hit single âSpeed of Soundâ) that elevated the group to the rank of such âbig bandsâ as U2 and Radiohead. Meanwhile, Martinâs 2003â16 marriage to American actress Gwyneth Paltrow earned him celebrity status independent of his musical achievements.
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The bandâs 2008 release, Viva la Vida, produced in part by Brian Eno, topped the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom, and the albumâs title track, arguably Coldplayâs most radio-friendly effort yet, was the number one single on both sides of the Atlantic. That popularity was reflected at the 2009 Grammy Awards ceremony, where the band collected honors for song of the year, best rock album, and best pop performance by a group. Working again with Eno, Coldplay returned with the sleek Mylo Xyloto (2011), which notably featured a duet between Martin and pop singer Rihanna.
Later releases included the subdued Ghost Stories (2014), which yielded the hit singles âMagicâ and âA Sky Full of Starsâ; the upbeat A Head Full of Dreams (2015); and the EP Kaleidoscope (2017). To mark the release of Everyday Life (2019), Coldplay performed two livestreamed concerts, one at sunrise and the other at sunset, in Amman, Jordan. In 2021 Music of the Spheres appeared, and it became the bandâs ninth consecutive studio album to reach the top spot of the British album chart.