Coldplay
Coldplay, from left to right: Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, Chris Martin, and Will Champion
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genre(s)	Alternative rock, indie rock, piano rock
Years active	1997–present
Label(s)	Parlophone Capitol EMI
Website	coldplay.com
Members
Chris Martin Jonny Buckland Guy Berryman Will Champion

Coldplay are an English alternative rock band formed in London in 1997. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of Indie rock is genre of Alternative rock that primarily exists in the independent Underground music scene Piano rock, sometimes referred to as piano pop, is a term for a style of Rock music that is based around the Piano, and sometimes around In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Parlophone is a Record label, founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company. Capitol Records is a major United States -based Record label owned by EMI and located in Hollywood California and New York City as The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977 is the English lead Singer-songwriter, Pianist, and occasional rhythm Guitarist of the Jonathan Mark Buckland (born 11 September 1977 known as Jonny Buckland, is the lead Guitarist of the band Coldplay. Guy Rupert Berryman (born 12 April 1978 is a member of the group Coldplay. William " Will " Champion (born 31 July 1978 is the Drummer of the band Coldplay. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The group comprises vocalist/pianist/guitarist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Will Champion. Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977 is the English lead Singer-songwriter, Pianist, and occasional rhythm Guitarist of the Jonathan Mark Buckland (born 11 September 1977 known as Jonny Buckland, is the lead Guitarist of the band Coldplay. Guy Rupert Berryman (born 12 April 1978 is a member of the group Coldplay. William " Will " Champion (born 31 July 1978 is the Drummer of the band Coldplay. Coldplay has been one of the most commercially successful bands of the new millennium, selling over 30 million albums. The band is also known for its hit singles, such as "Yellow", "Speed of Sound", the Grammy Award-winning "Clocks" and their latest single "Viva La Vida". For a song with an identical title see Yellow (Nicholas Tse song. " Speed of Sound " is a song by English Alternative rock band Coldplay. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences " Clocks " is a song by English Alternative rock band Coldplay.

Coldplay achieved worldwide fame with the release of their single "Yellow", followed by the success of their debut album, Parachutes (2000), which was nominated for the Mercury Prize. For a song with an identical title see Yellow (Nicholas Tse song. Parachutes is the Debut album by English Alternative rock band Coldplay, released by the record label Parlophone on July 10 The Mercury Prize, formerly the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Nationwide Mercury Prize for Sponsorship reasons is an annual music prize Both Parachutes and its follow-up, A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), were released to commercial success; the latter was named NME's Album of the Year. A Rush of Blood to the Head is the second Studio album by English Alternative rock band Coldplay, released on August 26 2002 in the United The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been X&Y (2005) received a generally positive reception; and since December 2006, the band have been working with producer Brian Eno on their fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, which will be released on June 17th 2008. X&Y is the third Studio album by English Alternative rock band Coldplay, released June 6 2005 in the United Kingdom via the record label Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (born 15 May 1948 commonly known as Brian Eno (ˈiːnoʊ is an English Musician, producer For the song see Viva la Vida (song. Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (also simply known as Viva la Vida 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

Coldplay's early material was compared to acts such as Jeff Buckley,^[1] U2, and Travis. Jeffrey Scott Buckley (November 17 1966 – May 29 1997 raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American Singer-songwriter and Guitarist He was the son Travis are a Scottish Alternative rock band from Glasgow, comprising Fran Healy ( lead vocals, Guitar, Piano, ^[2] Since the release of Parachutes, Coldplay have drawn influence from other sources, including Echo and the Bunnymen^[1] and George Harrison^[3] on A Rush of Blood to the Head and Johnny Cash and Kraftwerk for X&Y. Echo & the Bunnymen are an English Post-punk group formed in Liverpool in 1978 George Harrison, MBE (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001 was an English rock Guitarist Singer - Songwriter, Author Johnny Cash (born J R Cash; February 26 1932 - September 12 2003 was a Grammy Award -winning American country Singer-songwriter. Kraftwerk (ˈkʁaftvɛɐk German for " power plant " or " Power station " is an influential Electronic music band from ^[4] Coldplay have been an active supporter of various social and political causes, such as Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign and Amnesty International. Oxfam International is a confederation of 13 organizations working with over 3000 partners in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice Make Trade Fair is a campaign organized by Oxfam International to promote Trade justice and Fair trade among governments institutions and multinational Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to The group has also performed at various charity projects such as Band Aid 20, Live 8, and the Teenage Cancer Trust. Band Aid was a British and Irish charity supergroup, founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in order to raise money Live 8 was a string of Benefit concerts that took place on 2 July, 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. Teenage Cancer Trust is a charity that focuses on the needs of Teenagers and young adults with Cancer, Leukaemia, Hodgkin’s and related diseases by providing ^[5]

History

Formation and first years (1996–1999)

The members of the band met at the University College London (UCL) in September 1996. University College London ( UCL) is a multi-faculty university institution based in the United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland were the first members of the band, having met one another during their orientation week. Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977 is the English lead Singer-songwriter, Pianist, and occasional rhythm Guitarist of the Jonathan Mark Buckland (born 11 September 1977 known as Jonny Buckland, is the lead Guitarist of the band Coldplay. Orientation week is the first week of the academic year at a University or other tertiary institution and a variety of events are held to help orient and welcome They spent the rest of the college year planning a band, with their efforts culminating in a band called Pectoralz. ^[6] Later, Guy Berryman, a classmate of the two, joined the band without considering what musical direction it was taking. Guy Rupert Berryman (born 12 April 1978 is a member of the group Coldplay. By 1997, Coldplay performed gigs for local Camden promoters at small clubs. The London Borough of Camden ( is a borough of London, England, which forms part of Inner London. By that time, the band had renamed themselves Starfish. ^[7] Martin also had recruited his longtime school friend Phil Harvey, who was studying classics at Oxford, to be the band's manager. Phil Harvey (born Philip Christopher Hammond Harvey is the former manager and sometime 'creative director' of the English rock group Coldplay. "Classical literature" redirects here For literature in Classical languages outside the Graeco-Roman sphere see Ancient literature. ^[8]

The band's lineup was complete when Will Champion joined the band to take up percussion duties. William " Will " Champion (born 31 July 1978 is the Drummer of the band Coldplay. Champion had grown up playing piano, guitar, bass, and tin whistle; he quickly learned the drums, despite having no previous experience. The tin whistle, also called the tinwhistle, whistle, pennywhistle or Irish whistle, is a simple six-holed Woodwind instrument ^[6] Eventually Tim Rice-Oxley, a mutual friend, permitted the band to use the name "Coldplay", which he had used for his band but then thought the name was "too depressing". Timothy "Tim" James Rice-Oxley is the co-founder Pianist, Bassist, main composer and Lyricist of English Piano rock ^[7] Rice-Oxley was also offered the position as Coldplay's keyboard player, but he refused since he was already committed to the band Keane. Keane (kiːn are an English Piano rock band, first established in Battle, East Sussex in 1995, and taking their current ^[7]

In 1998, the band released 500 copies of the Safety EP. Safety was the first public release by English band Coldplay. ^[9] Most of the discs were given to record companies and friends; only 50 copies remained for sale to the public. In December, Coldplay signed to the independent label Fierce Panda. Fierce Panda Records is a London -based Independent record label, with its first release in February 1994. ^[9] Their first release was the three track Brothers and Sisters EP which they had quickly recorded over four days in February 1999. ^[9]

After completing their final examinations, Coldplay signed to Parlophone for a five-album contract in the spring of 1999. Parlophone is a Record label, founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company. ^[10] After making their first appearance at Glastonbury, the band went into studio to record a third EP titled The Blue Room. For the classical music and theatre festivals co-founded by Rutland Boughton between 1914 and 1926 see Glastonbury Festival (1914-1925 The The Blue Room is the third EP released by English band Coldplay, and their first release after signing with the Parlophone label ^[11] 5,000 copies were made available to the public in October,^[12] and the single "Bigger Stronger", which received airplay on Radio 1, was instrumental in establishing Coldplay. However, the recording sessions for The Blue Room were tumultuous. Martin kicked Champion out of the band but later pleaded with him to return, 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. First, the band declared an all-for-one approach: Coldplay was a democracy, and profits were to be shared equally, taking a page from bands like U2 and R.E.M. REM is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe ( lead vocals) Peter Buck ( Guitar Second, the band would fire anyone who used hard drugs.

Parachutes (1999–2001)

In March 1999, Coldplay focused efforts on their debut album. They went into "Rockfield Studios" with producer Ken Nelson. Ken Nelson (born 6 February 1959 in Liverpool) is an English Record producer. They also played on the Carling Tour, which showcased up-and-coming acts. The NME Tours consist of a variety of tours organised by British music industry publication NME. After releasing three EPs without a hit song, Coldplay scored their first Top 40 single, "Shiver". " Shiver " is a song written and recorded by English Alternative rock band Coldplay. Released in March 2000, the single placed at a modest #35 on the UK Singles Chart^[13] and earned the band their first airplay on MTV. The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. June 2000 was a pivotal moment in Coldplay's history. The band embarked on their first headlining tour, which included a triumphant return to Glastonbury. More notably, the band released the breakthrough single, "Yellow". For a song with an identical title see Yellow (Nicholas Tse song. ^[14] The song shot to #4 on the UK Singles Chart and placed the band in public consciousness. The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry ^[14]

Coldplay released their first full-length album, Parachutes, in July 2000, which debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart. Parachutes is the Debut album by English Alternative rock band Coldplay, released by the record label Parlophone on July 10 ^[15] Along with critical acclaim, Parachutes was sometimes criticised for bearing a strong resemblance to the music of alternative rock band Radiohead in their The Bends–OK Computer era. Radiohead The Bends is the second album by the English Alternative rock band Radiohead. OK Computer is the third album by English Alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 16 June 1997 "Yellow" and "Trouble" earned regular radio airplay on both sides of the Atlantic. " Trouble " is a song by English Alternative rock band Coldplay. Parlophone originally predicted sales of 400,000 units of Parachutes; by Christmas, 1. 6 million copies had been sold in the United Kingdom alone. Parachutes was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in September 2000. The Mercury Prize, formerly the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Nationwide Mercury Prize for Sponsorship reasons is an annual music prize

Having found success in Europe, the band set their sights on North America. ^[16] Parachutes was released in North America, in November 2000. The band embarked on a US club tour in early 2001, beginning with a show in Vancouver, Canada, which was coupled with appearances on Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Late Show with David Letterman. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an Emmy Award -winning American late-night Talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien on NBC The Late Show with David Letterman is an Emmy Award -winning American late-night Talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS Whilst Parachutes was a slow-burning success in U. S. , it eventually reached double-platinum status. The album was critically well-received, earning Best Alternative Music Album honours at the 2002 Grammy Awards. The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album has been awarded since 1991 The 44th Grammy Awards were held on February 27, 2002. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year ^[17]

A Rush of Blood to the Head (2001–2004)

Coldplay returned to the studio in October 2001 to begin work on their second album, once again with Ken Nelson producing. Ken Nelson (born 6 February 1959 in Liverpool) is an English Record producer. Coldplay released A Rush of Blood to the Head in August 2002. A Rush of Blood to the Head is the second Studio album by English Alternative rock band Coldplay, released on August 26 2002 in the United The album spawned several popular singles, notably "In My Place", "Clocks", and the ballad "The Scientist". " In My Place " is a song by English Alternative rock band Coldplay. " Clocks " is a song by English Alternative rock band Coldplay. " The Scientist " is the seventh single from the English Alternative rock band Coldplay and the second single to be released from their second ^[3]

Coldplay toured for over a year, from June 2002 to late 2002, and from early 2003 to September 2003 (for the A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour), visiting five continents including co-headlining festival dates at Glastonbury Festival,^[12] V2003, and Rock Werchter. Coldplay 's A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour was a global Concert tour that supported the band's second album A Rush of Blood to the Head. For the classical music and theatre festivals co-founded by Rutland Boughton between 1914 and 1926 see Glastonbury Festival (1914-1925 The The V Festival is an annual music festival in England, the first to be held simultaneously at two sites - currently Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Rock Werchter is an annual Music festival in the village of Werchter in Belgium since 1974 Many shows included elaborate lighting and individualised screens reminiscent of U2's recent Elevation tour. The Elevation Tour was a Concert tour by the Irish rock band U2, which took place in 2001, in support of the group's 2000 ^[18] During the extended tour, Coldplay recorded a live DVD and CD, Live 2003, at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion. Live 2003 is a Live album by English rock band Coldplay, first released in November 2003 Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 The Hordern Pavilion is a Building located in Moore Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on the grounds of the old Sydney Showground ^[19]

In December 2003, they were named by readers of Rolling Stone magazine as the best artist and the best band of the year. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published At that time Coldplay covered The Pretenders' 1983 hit "2000 Miles", which was made available for download on their official site. The Pretenders are a British rock band The original band consisted of group founder and main Songwriter Chrissie Hynde ( lead vocals It was the top selling UK download that year, with proceeds from the sales donated to Future Forests and Stop Handgun Violence campaigns. A Rush of Blood to the Head won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 2003 Grammy Awards. The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album has been awarded since 1991 The 45th Grammy Awards were held on February 23, 2003. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year ^[20] At the 2004 Grammy Awards, Coldplay earned Record of the Year for "Clocks". The 46th Grammy Awards were held on the February 8, 2004. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually ^[17]

X&Y (2004–2006)

2004 was quite a year for Coldplay, as they spent most of the year out of the spotlight, resting from touring, and recording their third album. In terms of musical influences for this particular album, bassist Guy Berryman has said, "We were listening to lots of different stuff during the early stages [of X&Y], from Bowie, Eno and Pink Floyd to Depeche Mode, Kate Bush and Kraftwerk. And U2 as we usually do. "^[21] In May, lead singer Chris Martin celebrated the birth of Apple, his daughter with wife, actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Gwyneth Kate Paltrow (born September 27 1972 is an Academy Award - Golden Globe - and double Screen Actors Guild Award -winning American ^[22]

Coldplay's third album, X&Y, was released in June 2005 in UK and Europe. X&Y is the third Studio album by English Alternative rock band Coldplay, released June 6 2005 in the United Kingdom via the record label The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[23] This new, delayed release date had put the album back into the next fiscal year, actually causing EMI's stock to drop. ^[24][25] It became the best-selling album of 2005 with worldwide sales of 8. 3 million. The lead single, "Speed of Sound",^[26] made its radio and online music store debut on 18 April and was released as a CD on 23 May 2005. A lead single is the first single released by a Musician or a band from a given Album. " Speed of Sound " is a song by English Alternative rock band Coldplay. Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an Optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[27] The album debuted at #1 in 22 countries worldwide and was the third-fastest selling album in UK chart history. Two other singles were released that year: "Fix You" in September and "Talk" in December; set to the melody of "Computer Love" released in 1981 by the German synthpop band Kraftwerk. " Fix You " is a song by English rock band Coldplay and is the fourth track on their 2005 Album, X&Y. " Talk " is a song recorded by English Rock band Coldplay and originally released as the fifth track on their third Album Kraftwerk (ˈkʁaftvɛɐk German for " power plant " or " Power station " is an influential Electronic music band from Despite the commercial success, the critical reaction to X&Y was less unanimous in its praise than the reviews for its predecessor, with New York Times critic Jon Pareles describing them as "the most insufferable band of the decade. "^[28] Defying renewed rumours of a band breakup and Chris Martin's marriage to Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow, the band's third album found them in fine form. Press comparisons to U2 among the rock elite became commonplace. ^[29]

From June 2005 to July 2006, Coldplay went on their Twisted Logic Tour, which included festival dates like Coachella, Isle of Wight Festival, Glastonbury and the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Twisted Logic redirects here For the song see X&Y. The Twisted Logic Tour was a global Concert tour in support of Coldplay's The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly known as Coachella) is a three-day (formerly a one or two-day annual music and arts festival organized by Goldenvoice The Isle of Wight Festival is a Music festival which takes place annually on the Isle of Wight, England. For the classical music and theatre festivals co-founded by Rutland Boughton between 1914 and 1926 see Glastonbury Festival (1914-1925 The The Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual three-day music and art festival in Austin Texas 's Zilker Park. ^[30] In July 2005, the band appeared at Live 8 in Hyde Park, where they played a rendition of The Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony" with Richard Ashcroft on vocals. Live 8 was a string of Benefit concerts that took place on 2 July, 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. Hyde Park is one of the largest Parks in central London, England and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner The Verve (originally Verve) are an English rock band formed in Wigan, Greater Manchester in 1989 at Winstanley Sixth " Bitter Sweet Symphony " is a song by English Alternative rock band The Verve, and is the lead track on their third album Urban Hymns Richard Paul Ashcroft (born September 11 1971 in Billinge Higher End Lancashire) is an English Singer-songwriter. ^[31] In September, Coldplay recorded a new version of "How You See the World" with reworked lyrics to War Child's Help: A Day in the Life charity album. For other uses see War Child (disambiguation War Child is a non-governmental organization founded by British filmmakers Bill Leeson Help! A Day in the Life, released in 2005 brought together many contemporary artists from Britain and Canada. In February 2006, Coldplay earned Best Album and Best Single honours at the BRIT Awards. The BRIT Awards, often simply called The BRITs, are the British Phonographic Industry 's annual pop music awards ^[32]

Chris Martin playing a concert in São Paulo

Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2006–present)

The band began to work on their fourth studio album as early as December 2006, with Brian Eno as their producer. São Paulo ( is the largest city in Brazil, with its metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (born 15 May 1948 commonly known as Brian Eno (ˈiːnoʊ is an English Musician, producer In addition, music producer Timbaland was rumoured to be collaborating. Timothy Z Mosley (born March 10, 1971) better known by his Stage name Timbaland, is an American Record producer, ^[33] Coldplay took a break from recording and toured Latin America in early 2007 including shows in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. ^[34] The band has revealed that the album seemed to be shaping up with Hispanic influences, after having recorded in churches and other areas in Latin America and Spain during their tour; after which they spent the rest of the year recording the new album, mainly with producer Brian Eno. Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (born 15 May 1948 commonly known as Brian Eno (ˈiːnoʊ is an English Musician, producer

In December 2007 a post appeared on the band's website suggesting that the group had nearly finished recording, stating that "the creative momentum keeps on gathering. " Coldplay have been mixing the record in New York as announced on their site since December 2007. December 2007 is the twelfth month of that year It began on a Saturday and 31 days later ended on a Monday In a Rolling Stone online article, Chris Martin announced that the next Coldplay album was to be titled Viva la Vida. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published For the song see Viva la Vida (song. Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (also simply known as Viva la Vida ^[35] Its full title, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, was subsequently announced by EMI along with a release date of 17 June 2008. Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

Chris Martin has described this album as a new direction for Coldplay: a change from their past three albums, which they have referred to as a 'trilogy'. ^[36] Martin has also revealed that this album features much less of his falsetto, and he has allowed his voice's lower register to take precedence. The term falsetto (Italian diminutive of falso, false refers to the Vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the Modal voice register and ^[36] Some songs on Viva la Vida, such as "Violet Hill", contain distorted guitar riffs and bluesy undertones. " Violet Hill " is a song by English Alternative rock band Coldplay. ^[36] "Violet Hill" was confirmed as the first single, with a radio release date of 29 April 2008. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[37] After the first play, it was freely obtainable from Coldplay's website from 12:15 pm (GMT +0) for one week, until it became commercially available to download on May 6. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. ^[38][39] It has entered the UK Top 10, US Top 40 (entering the Top 10 in the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart) and has charted well in the rest of the world. The title track "Viva la Vida" was also released exclusively on iTunes and has since reached number 3 on the Hot 100 and charted in most charts around the world. On 16 June, Coldplay will kick off their 'Viva la Vida World Tour' with a free concert at Brixton Academy in London. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses.

Musical style

Coldplay's musical style has been defined as alternative rock, being compared to Radiohead and Oasis,^[40][41] while on their MySpace profile, Coldplay describes their musical style as "very heavy soft rock". Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of Radiohead Oasis are an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991 MySpace is a popular social networking Website offering an interactive user-submitted network of friends personal profiles blogs groups photos music and ^[42] The band's music has been called "meditative"; it "[reflects] on their emotions" and lead singer/songwriter Martin "endlessly examine[s] his feelings". ^[43] Martin's lyrical wordplay has been called feminist, similar to Andrew Montgomery of Geneva. Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate Andrew Montgomery is a Scottish Singer who is best known as a member of late '90s Aberdeen indie band Geneva. Geneva were a British indie band from Aberdeen in Scotland. The band were formed in 1992 by vocalist Andrew Montgomery ^[41]

The tone of the band's first studio album, Parachutes, was defined as melodic pop with "distorted guitar riffs and switching percussion". Parachutes is the Debut album by English Alternative rock band Coldplay, released by the record label Parlophone on July 10 It was also described as being "exquisitely dark and artistically abrasive". ^[41] In a review for A Rush of Blood to the Head, the songs were considered to contain "lush melodies and a heartbreak" and that they had a "newfound confidence. A Rush of Blood to the Head is the second Studio album by English Alternative rock band Coldplay, released on August 26 2002 in the United "^[44] The music on X&Y has been considered to be "ruminations on Martin's doubts, fears, hopes, and loves. X&Y is the third Studio album by English Alternative rock band Coldplay, released June 6 2005 in the United Kingdom via the record label "^[43]

Activism

Make Trade Fair, abbreviated as MTF, shown on Chris Martin's piano during a concert

Despite Coldplay's worldwide popularity, the band has remained protective of how their music is used in the media, refusing its use for product endorsements. In the past, Coldplay turned down multi-million dollar contracts from Gatorade, Diet Coke, and Gap, who wanted to use the songs "Yellow", "Trouble", and "Don't Panic" respectively. Gatorade is a flavored non- carbonated Sports drink manufactured by the Quaker Oats Company, now a division of PepsiCo. Diet Coke (formally known as Diet Coca-Cola) is a Sugar -free Soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. The Gap Incorporated ( is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco California, and founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher For a song with an identical title see Yellow (Nicholas Tse song. " Trouble " is a song by English Alternative rock band Coldplay. " Don't Panic " is a song written and recorded by English Alternative rock band Coldplay. ^[45] According to vocalist/pianist Martin, "We wouldn't be able to live with ourselves if we sold the songs' meanings like that. "^[45] Coldplay is a supporter of Amnesty International. Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to ^[46] Chris Martin is also noted as one of the most visible celebrity advocates for fair trade, supporting Oxfam's ongoing Make Trade Fair campaign. Fair trade is an organized Social movement and market-based approach to empowering developing country producers and promoting sustainability Oxfam International is a confederation of 13 organizations working with over 3000 partners in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice Make Trade Fair is a campaign organized by Oxfam International to promote Trade justice and Fair trade among governments institutions and multinational ^[47] Martin has been on trips with Oxfam to assess conditions, has appeared in its advertising campaign, and is known for wearing a "Make Trade Fair" wristband during public appearances, including at Coldplay concerts. ^[48] Their song Viva La Vida was used in an iTunes commercial in 2008.

In the band's early years, Coldplay was also widely noted in the media for their claim to give 10% of the band's profits to charity. ^[49] Bassist Guy Berryman said, "You can make people aware of issues. It isn't very much effort for us at all, but if it can help people, then we want to do it". ^[46]

Discography

Main article: Coldplay discography

• Parachutes (2000)
• A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
• X&Y (2005)
• Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)

Notes

References

• Roach, Martin (September 2003), Coldplay: Nobody Said It Was Easy, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0711998108 

Further reading

• Spivack, Gary. Omnibus Press is a British Publisher of Books primarily about Music. Coldplay : Look at the Stars. ISBN 0743491963.  

External links

• Official Site
• Coldplay at MySpace
• Coldplay at Last.fm
• Coldplay at NME