Coldplay are the British rock band formed in 1996 consisting of lead vocalist and pianist Chris Martin (born March 2, 1977), bassist Guy Berryman (born April 12, 1978), lead guitarist Jonny Buckland (born September 11, 1977) and lead drummer Will Champion (born July 31, 1978).
After independently releasing an extended play, Safety (1998), Coldplay signed with Parlophone in 1999. The band's debut album, Parachutes (2000), included their breakthrough single "Yellow" and received a Brit Award for British Album of the Year, a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album and a Mercury Prize nomination. Their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), won the same accolades and included the single "Clocks", which won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. The band's third album, X&Y (2005), which completed what the band considered to be a trilogy, and their fourth album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), were both nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, with the latter winning; both albums were the best-selling of their respective years, topping the charts in over 30 countries. Viva La Vida was also nominated for Album of the Year, while its title track became the first single by a British group to simultaneously reach number one in the United Kingdom and United States in the 21st century.
Coldplay further diversified their sound over their next five studio albums, the most recent being Music of the Spheres (2021). Each album presented a unique theme and added new musical styles to the band's original repertoire, including electronica, ambient, pop, R&B, classical and progressive rock. They are also known for "euphoric", and "immersive" live performances, which NME said are when the band "come alive and make the most sense". In 2018, a career-spanning documentary directed by Mat Whitecross was released in select cinemas to mark the band's 20th anniversary.
With 100 million albums sold worldwide, Coldplay are one of the best-selling music acts of all time. According to Fuse, they are the sixth-most awarded group in history, which includes the most Brit Award nominations and wins for a band. Other notable achievements include the seventh-highest-grossing tour of all time, three of the 50 highest-selling albums in the United Kingdom, the most number-one albums in the country without ever missing the top and becoming the first British group to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Coldplay are considered one of the most influential bands of the 21st century, with Forbes describing them as the standard for the current alternative music scene. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included A Rush of Blood to the Head on their "200 Definitive Albums" list and the single "Yellow" is part of their "Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" exhibition for being one of the most successful and important recordings in the music industry. Despite their popularity and impact, Coldplay have earned a reputation as polarizing music icons.
Coldplay have explored many musical styles throughout their career, with their sound being considered alternative rock, alternative pop, pop rock, post-Britpop, soft rock and pop. After winning a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 2009, Martin jokingly stated in his acceptance speech that they were "limestone rock", in comparison to "hard rock". In the late 1990s, the EPs released by the band had characteristics of dream pop, setting them apart from future releases. Their first studio album, Parachutes (2000), was described as "melodic pop" which combined "bits of distorted guitar riffs and swishing percussion", being "exquisitely dark and artistically abrasive" as well. Berryman called it "a quiet, polite record", and Champion compared the lyrics to Lou Reed's "Perfect Day", saying they are "quite moody" but with "twists that imply optimism", making them ultimately "beautiful and happy" while the music is "really, really sad". He added it is the "kind of thing where you can create differing moods through the sound and lyrics".
2002's A Rush of Blood to the Head, on the other hand, is full of "plaintive strums and weary arpeggios", along with a sense of urgency and heartbreak. During an interview, Martin commented the record's title means "doing something on impulse". Critics described it as having larger, darker, and colder sounds than its predecessor, praising Coldplay for showing a "newfound confidence" as well. This style was largely kept for their third album, X&Y (2005), although with the addition of electronic influences and extensive use of synthesizers, having a grander scale in terms of both sound and existential themes. Craig McLean from The Guardian called it "the work of an increasingly driven, punchier band", describing the melodies as "heartfelt stuff, with thumping guitar lines and emotive piano". The lyrics in the record have been considered to be "ruminations on Martin's doubts, fears, hopes, and loves", his words "are earnest and vague, so listeners can identify with the underlying concepts in the songs". Kevin Devine from Hybrid Magazine wrote that Buckland's "gleaming guitar sound gives X&Y a euphonic radiance", and thematically, the lyrics contain a "running thread of importance of trying, as well as the need for basic communication amongst the cacophony of confusion in the world".
Coldplay are considered the most successful band of the 21st century. With over 100 million albums sold globally, they are one of the best-selling artists of all time. Parachutes (2000), A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) and X&Y (2005) have all been listed among the 50 best-selling albums of United Kingdom's history, marking the most appearances by a group in the ranking. The latter was the third-fastest-selling record ever in the country upon release. In 2008, "Viva La Vida" became the first British group song to top both UK Singles Chart and Billboard Hot 100 since "Wannabe" by The Spice Girls. Its parent album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, was the best-selling of the decade in digital download formats. In 2013, Coldplay were named the most influential British celebrities in the world by Forbes. The following year saw them become the first band in history to surpass one billion streams on Spotify Their performance at the Super Bowl 50 halftime show in 2016 earned the biggest audience ever for a group and male act, with the event's impact making them the year's most googled band. In November 2017, they finished the A Head Full of Dreams Tour, which is currently the seventh-highest-grossing tour of all time. Coldplay then headlined the Glastonbury Festival for a record-extending fifth time in 2021. During the same year, "My Universe" became the first song by a British group to ever debut at number one on Billboard Hot 100. In 2022, their touring gross surpassed $1 billion from 12 million tickets sold in 456 reported shows, making them the fifth band in history achieve the feat, following Bon Jovi, Eagles, The Rolling Stones and U2.
The band have received numerous accolades throughout their career as well, becoming the most awarded and nominated group of all time at the Brit Awards (nine victories from 30 nominations). They are the first act in history to win British Album of the Year thrice and British Group four times, scoring the most nominations for both categories. Coldplay have also won seven Grammy Awards from 39 nominations, receiving Song of the Year and Record of the Year once, while being nominated for the Album of the Year category three times. In January 2009, they received a NRJ Award of Honour in recognition of their career accomplishments and impact. The band were then named Songwriters of the Year at the ASCAP London Music Awards in the following year, having previously received the same honor from the Ivor Novello Awards in 2003. Their single "Atlas", which was released as part of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) soundtrack, it was nominated for the 19th Critics' Choice Awards and shortlisted at the 87th Academy Awards. In 2014, Coldplay were ranked as the sixth most awarded group of all time by Fuse. Two years later, the band were chosen for NME Awards' Godlike Genius Award, which honors "careers of music icons who have been pioneers in the industry". They have won two American Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, seven MTV Video Music Awards, three Juno Awards, two silver prizes at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and established 10 Guinness World Records, currently holding six of them. In May 2022, it was reported the band's estimated combined wealth (without Harvey) has surpassed £471 million.
They appeared on Saturday Night Live as the musical guests eight times on the following dates:
- April 7, 2001, the sixteenth episode of Season 26, hosted by actor Alec Baldwin, which they made their musical guest (and SNL) debut they performed "Yellow" and "Don't Panic" from their debut album Parachutes.
- May 21, 2005, which is the season finale of Season 30, hosted by actress Lindsay Lohan. They made their 2nd musical guest stint on SNL. They performed" their singles "Speed of Sound" and "Fix You" from their third album X&Y.
- October 25, 2008, the sixth episode and the Halloween show of Season 34, hosted by actor Jon Hamm. They returned to made their 3rd musical guest stint on SNL and performed "Viva La Vida", "Lost!", "Yellow", and "Lovers in Japan" (which was cut off) from their fourth album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends.
- November 12, 2011, the sixth episode of Season 37, hosted by actress Emma Stone. They making their 4th musical guest appearance on SNL. They performed "Paradise" and "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" from their fifth album Mylo Xyloto. Chris Martin also appeared with Garth and Kat during the Weekend Update segment.
- May 3, 2014, the nineteenth episode of Season 39, hosted by British and American actor Andrew Garfield. They returned to Saturday Night Live for their 5th musical guest appearance, thus making the British pop rock band a former five-time musical guest. They performed "Magic" and "A Sky Full of Stars" from their sixth album Ghost Stories.
- November 2, 2019, the fifth episode of Season 45, hosted by actress Kristen Stewart. They returned to Saturday Night Live for their 6th musical guest appearance and making their first appearance in half a decade. They performed "Orphans" and "Everyday Life" to promote their eighth studio album Everyday Life that was released a few weeks after their performance.
- April 11, 2020, the sixteenth episode later in the season, hosted by actor Tom Hanks. An honorable mention bandleader Chris Martin served as the musical guest for the first SNL at Home episode. He performed a cover of Bob Dylan's "Shelter from the Storm".
- February 4, 2023, the twelfth episode of Season 48 of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Chilean-American actor and comedian Pedro Pascal, star of the HBO's post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us and the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian. They returned to Saturday Night Live again for their 7th musical guest appearance. They performed "The Astronaut" and a medley of "Human Heart" and "Fix You" with Jacob Collier and the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers.
- October 5, 2024, the second episode of Season 50, hosted by stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze. They returned to Saturday Night Live once again to made their 8th musical guest appearance. They performed "All My Love" and "We Pray" with Elyanna and Tini from their tenth album Moon Music.