Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997 by vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion. The group developed from a friendship between Martin and Buckland at University College London, where they began writing together in 1996. After early names including Big Fat Noises and Starfish, the band settled on Coldplay. Their longtime manager and creative collaborator Phil Harvey is also widely regarded as an important fifth member.
Coldplay's first releases, the independent EPs Safety (1998) and The Blue Room (1999), introduced a band built around Martin's expressive voice, Buckland's atmospheric guitar work and a restrained, melodic approach to alternative rock. Their signing with Parlophone led to Parachutes in 2000. The album's breakthrough single, "Yellow," became an international hit, while songs such as "Shiver" and "Trouble" established Coldplay as one of the most prominent new British bands of the period. Parachutes earned the group its first Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.
Coldplay expanded its sound on A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), combining intimate piano ballads with more forceful arrangements. "In My Place," "The Scientist" and "Clocks" became enduring parts of the band's catalog, with "Clocks" winning the Grammy Award for Record of the Year. The album's success transformed Coldplay from a respected alternative act into a global arena band. X&Y (2005) continued that progression with a larger, more polished sound and successful singles including "Speed of Sound," "Fix You" and "Talk."
A significant change arrived with Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), produced in part by Brian Eno. The album incorporated orchestral textures, unusual rhythms and more adventurous production, moving Coldplay beyond the straightforward guitar rock of their early work. Its title track became the band's first UK number one single and won the Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The accompanying music videos, especially "Viva la Vida" and "Lovers in Japan," reinforced the band's growing interest in visual presentation and art direction.
The group embraced brighter colors and more overt pop influences on Mylo Xyloto (2011), which included "Paradise," "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" and "Princess of China," a collaboration with Rihanna. Ghost Stories (2014) took a more subdued, electronic direction, while A Head Full of Dreams (2015) returned to expansive, celebratory pop-rock. Its singles included "Adventure of a Lifetime," "Hymn for the Weekend" and "Up&Up," the latter noted for its surreal, collage-like video.
Coldplay's later work has increasingly connected music with spectacle, technology and themes of global inclusion. Everyday Life (2019) balanced intimate songwriting with gospel, folk and world-music influences. Music of the Spheres (2021) moved toward synth-pop and a science-fiction-inspired concept, producing the hits "Higher Power," "Coloratura" and "My Universe," recorded with BTS. The album Moon Music followed in 2024, extending that celestial concept while emphasizing the band's environmental ambitions and large-scale live production.
Coldplay are known as much for their concerts and music videos as for their recordings. Their shows combine elaborate lighting, wristband effects, animated screens and audience participation, helping make the band one of the defining stadium acts of the 21st century. Every one of their ten studio albums has reached number one on the UK Albums Chart, while their career has earned multiple Grammy Awards and sustained international popularity across changing musical trends.