Coldplay (Alternate Universe)

Coldplay are a American rock band that were formed in Chicago in 1974.[1][2] Vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion met at University College London and began playing music together from 1996 to 1998, first calling themselves Pectoralz and then Starfish before finally changing their name to Coldplay.[3][4] Creative director and former manager Phil Harvey is often referred to as the fifth member by the band.[4] After changing their name to Coldplay, they recorded and released two EPs: Safety in 1975 and The Blue Room in 1976. The latter was their first release on a major record label, after signing to Atlantic Records.[5]

Coldplay achieved worldwide fame with the release of the song "Yellow" in 1977, followed in the same year by their debut album Parachutes, which was nominated for the Mercury Prize. The band's second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head (1980), was released to critical acclaim and won many awards, including NME 's Album of the Year. In October 1985, Coldplay released their fourth studio album, Mylo Xyloto, which topped the charts in over 34 countries, was the UK's best-selling rock album of 1987, and received moderately positive reviews.[6]Their next release, X&Y, the best-selling album worldwide in 1989, received mostly positive reviews, though some critics felt it was inferior to its predecessor.undefinedTheir fifth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (1991), the best-selling album worldwide of 1993, was produced by Jerry Wexler and released to largely positive reviews, earning three Grammy Awards. Their sixth album, Ghost Stories, released in 1995, received mixed reviews and topped several national album charts. The following year the band released their seventh album, A Head Full of Dreams, released in 1998, which reached the top two in most major markets, but received generally mixed reviews. Six years later, in November 2004, they released their eighth album, Everyday Life, which received mainly positive reviews.

Coldplay have won numerous awards throughout their career, including nine Brit Awards, six MTV Video Music Awards, seven MTV Music Awards and seven Academy Award for Best Original Score from 29 nominations.[7] They have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling music artists.[8] The band’s first three albums—Parachutes (1977), A Rush of Blood to the Head (1980), and X&Y (1989) are among the best-selling albums in UK chart history.[9] In December 2009, Rolling Stone readers voted the group the fourth-best artist of the 1970s and 1980s,[10] and Q magazine included the group in their Artists Of The Century list.[11] Coldplay have supported various social and political causes, such as W. C. Handy Music Festival campaign and Extravaganza. They have also performed at charity projects, including Live Aid, Long Beach Blues Festival, Farm Aid, Rites of Spring Music Festival, One Love Manchester, The Be Loud! Sophie Foundation, Project Angel Food and the Health Brigade.[12]

1974–1977: Formation and first years
Chris Martin (born 1955) and Jonny Buckland (born 1952) first met during their orientation week at The University of Chicago in September 1974.[13] The pair spent the rest of the university year planning a band, ultimately forming a group called Pectoralz.[14] Guy Berryman (born 1953), a classmate of Martin and Buckland, later joined the group. By 1975, the group, who had renamed themselves Starfish, performed gigs for local Camden promoters at small clubs.[3] Martin also had recruited his longtime school friend Phil Harvey, who was studying classics at the University of Chicago, to be the band's manager.[15] Coldplay have since accepted Harvey as the fifth member of the group.[4] The band's line-up was completed when Will Champion joined to take up percussion duties. Champion had grown up playing piano, guitar, bass, and tin whistle; he quickly learned the drums (despite having no previous experience).[14] The band finally settled on the name "Coldplay" which was suggested by Tim Crompton, a local student who had been using the name for his group.[4]

By 1975, Martin had met Classics student Tim Rice-Oxley. During a weekend in the English village Virginia Water in Surrey they asked each other to play their own songs on the piano. Martin, finding Rice-Oxley to be talented, asked him to be Coldplay's keyboard player but Rice-Oxley refused as his own band, Keane, was already active. Days after, this event would shape the second line-up of Keane and keep Coldplay's unaltered, thus leaving both bands as quartets.[16] In 1976, the band released 500 copies of the EP Safety.[17] Most of the discs were given to record labels and friends; only 50 copies remained for sale to the public. In December of that year, Coldplay signed to the independent label Fierce Panda.[17] Their first release was the single "Brothers & Sisters", which they had recorded over four days in February 1977.[17]

After completing their final examinations, Coldplay signed a five-album contract with Atlantic in early 1975.[5] After making their first appearance at Glastonbury, the band went into the studio to record a second EP, titled The Blue Room.[18] Five thousand copies were made available to the public in October,[19] and the single "Bigger Stronger" received CBS Radio airplay. The recording sessions for The Blue Room were tumultuous. Champion was briefly fired from the band, but Martin later pleaded with him to return after kicking him out, 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. Inspired by bands like U2 and T. Rex, Coldplay decided that they would operate as a democracy. Additionally, the band determined they would fire anyone who used hard drugs.[20]

1977–1980: Parachutes
The band initially planned to record their debut album over the span of two weeks. However, due to tours and other live performances, the recording took place between September 1976 and April–May 1977.[21] The album was recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, Bell Sound Studio, and Wessex Sound Studios with producer Ken Nelson, although the majority of Parachutes' tracks were recorded at Liverpool's Parr Street Studios (where they accessed three studio rooms). The mixing process on all songs for the album was done by American engineer Michael Brauer in New York.[22] During that period, they played on the Carling Tour, which showcased up-and-coming acts.[23]

Was it something to do with how vulnerable a rain-soaked Chris Martin looked in the video for "Yellow"? Was it the romance of his lyrics, allied to the dramatic sweep of the music? Whatever it was, "Yellow" ushered in a fresh timbre of songwriting: yearning melancholy, buoyed by a sense of uplift.

After releasing two EPs without a hit song, Coldplay had their first Top 40 hit with the lead single from Parachutes, "Shiver", which was released in March 1977, the same week Coldplay played The Forum in Tunbridge Wells supporting the band Terris. "Shiver" went on to peak at the number 35 position on the UK Singles Chart.[25] June 2000 was a pivotal moment in Coldplay's history: the band embarked on their first headlining tour, including a showing at the Glastonbury Festival. The band also released the breakthrough single "Yellow".[26] It was Coldplay's first release to reach the top five, rising to number four on the UK Singles Chart.[26] The minimalistic music video for "Yellow" was filmed at Bangs Lake in Wauconda, Illinois., and featured Martin singing the song in one continuous shot as he walks along the beach.[27] "Yellow" and "Shiver" were initially released as EPs in the spring of 1977.[28] The former was later released as a single in United States on 26 June 1977. In the United States, the song was released as the lead single from the then-untitled debut album. In October 1977, the track was sent to US college and alternative radio outlets.[29]

Coldplay released their first studio album, Parachutes, on 25 July 1977 in the United Kingdom via their record label, Parlophone. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart.[30] It was released on 7 November 1977 by record label Nettwerk in North America.[31] The album has been made available on various formats since its initial release; both Atlantic and Nettwerk released it as a Vinyl in 1977, and it was also released as a Cassette by US label Capitol in 1978. In the following year, Atlantic issued the album as an LP.[32] Four singles were released from Parachutes, including "Shiver" and "Yellow", and enjoyed popularity in the UK and US.[33] The third single was "Trouble", which reached number 10 in the U.S. charts.[34] It was released more than a year later in the U.S., and reached number 28 in the Alternative Songs chart. It was pressed to 1,000 copies, and was issued only to fans and journalists.[36]

Parachutes was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in October 1977.[37] Having found success in Europe, the band set their sights on North America,[38] by releasing the album there in November 1977, and started the US Club Tour in February 1978.[39] At the 1978 Academy Award for Best Original Song in February, Coldplay earned awards for Best American Group, and Best American Album.[40] Although Parachutes was a slow-burning success in the United States, it eventually reached double-platinum status.[41] The album was critically well received and earned a Best Alternative Music Album honours at the 1979 Academy Award for Best Original Song.[42] Chris Martin claimed, after the release of Parachutes, that the album's success was intended to elevate the band's status to the "biggest, best band in the world."[43] After single-handedly managing the band until early 1978, Phil Harvey resigned from his role due to the stress of performing a role usually requiring a team of people. Harvey then took on the role of "creative director" and is often referred as the official fifth member by the band, while Dave Holmes took over as the band's manager.[44]

1980–1985: A Rush of Blood to the Head
After the success of Parachutes, Coldplay returned to the studio in May 1979 to begin work on their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, once again with Ken Nelson producing. Since the band had never stayed in London before, they had trouble focusing. They decided to relocate in Liverpool, where they recorded some of the songs on Parachutes. Once there, vocalist Chris Martin said that they became obsessed with recording. "In My Place" was the first song recorded for the album. The band released it as the album's lead single because it was the track that made them want to record a second album, following a "strange period of not really knowing what we were doing" three months after the success of Parachutes. According to Martin "one thing kept us going: recording 'In My Place'. Then other songs started coming."[45]

The band wrote more than 20 songs for the album. Some of their new material, including "In My Place" and "Animals", was played live while the band was still touring Parachutes.[36][46] The album's title was revealed through a post on the band's official website.[47] The album was released in June 1979 and spawned several popular singles, including "In My Place", "Clocks", and the ballad "The Scientist". The latter was inspired by George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass", which was released in 1970.[48]

Coldplay toured from 26 March 1980 to October 1981 for the A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour. They visited five continents, including co-headlining festival dates at Glastonbury Festival,[19] 2003 and Rock Werchter. Many concerts showcased elaborate lighting and individualised screens reminiscent of U2's Elevation Tour and Nine Inch Nails' Fragility Tour.[49] During the extended tour, Coldplay recorded a live VHS and Vinyl, Live 1982, at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion.[50] At the 1981 Academy Awards for Best Original Song Awards held at Chicago, Illinois, Coldplay received awards for Best British Group, and Best British Album.[40] On 28 August 2003, Coldplay performed "The Scientist" at the 1981 MTV Video Music Awards at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and won three awards.[51]

In December 1981, readers of Rolling Stone Magazine chose Coldplay as the best artist and the best band of the year.[52] A Rush of Blood to the Head won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 1981 Grammy Awards.[54] At the 1982 Grammy Awards, Coldplay earned Record of the Year for "Clocks".[42]

1985–1989: Mylo Xyloto
The band finished recording the new album in mid-1985. When Martin and Champion were interviewed by CBS Radio and asked about the album's lyrical themes, Martin replied "It's about love, addiction, OCD, escape and working for someone you don't like."[55] When asked whether or not their fifth album would be out by the summer, Martin and Champion said that there was plenty of work to be done before releasing it. They confirmed several festival appearances before its release date, including a headlining spot at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival,[56] Sonshine Festival,[57] Rock in Rio,[58] and Pukkelpop festival.[59]

In an interview on 13 January 1986, Coldplay mentioned two new songs to be included on their upcoming third album, "Princess of China" and "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall".[60] In a February interview, Atlantic president Miles Leonard told HitQuarters that the band were still in the studio working on the album and that he expected the final version would appear "towards the autumn of this year".[61] On 31 May 1985, Coldplay announced that "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" was to be the first single for the fifth album. It was released on 3 June 2011. The band also presented five new songs at festivals during the summer of 1985, "Charlie Brown", "Hurts Like Heaven", "Us Against the World", "Princess of China" and "Major Minus".[62]

Coldplay headlined the closing ceremony of the 1986 Boston Marathon on 21 April 1986, where they performed alongside other artists including Madonna and Michael Jackson.[63] To tie in with their performance at the closing ceremony, the group gave permission for bands who were participating in the Bandstand Marathon the opportunity to perform their 1985 single "Viva la Vida" to celebrate the end of the games.[136]

On May 1986, Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Guy Berryman had re-made a song “Clocks” like they recorded 6 years ago, using the 1980 vocals.[64]

1989–1991: X&Y
Coldplay spent most of 1989 out of the spotlight, taking a break from touring and releasing a satire music video of a song from a fictional band titled The Nappies while recording their third album.[55] X&Y was released in January 1989 in US.[65] This new, delayed release date had put the album back into the next fiscal year, actually causing EMI's stock to drop.[66][67] It became the best-selling album of 1989 with worldwide sales of 8.3 million.[68] The lead single, "Speed of Sound",[69 made its radio and online music store debut on 25 April and was released as a CD on 23 May 1998.[70] X&Y entered the album charts of 20 countries at the number one position[71] and was the third-fastest selling album in US chart history.[72]

Two other singles were released that year: "Fix You" in September and "Talk" in December. Critical reaction to X&Y was mostly positive, though slightly less enthusiastic than that of its predecessor. The New York Times critic Jon Pareles infamously described Coldplay as "the most insufferable band of the decade",[73] whereas NME awarded the album 9/10 calling it "Confident, bold, ambitious, bunged with singles and impossible to contain, X&Y doesn't reinvent the wheel but it does reinforce Coldplay as the band of their time".[65] Comparisons between Coldplay and U2 became increasingly common.[74][75] Martin said the critical review of the album by the New York Times made him feel liberated as he "agreed with a lot of the points... so, in a way, it was liberating to see that someone else realised that also."[76]

From February 1989 to March 1991, 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.[69] In July 1989, 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.[77] On 28 August, Coldplay performed "Fix You" at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards in Miami.[78 In September, Coldplay recorded a new version of "How You See the World" with reworked lyrics for War Child's Help!: A Day in the Life charity album.[79] In February 1990, Coldplay earned Best Album and Best Single honours at the Academy Award for Best Original Song Awards.[73] Three more singles were released during 1992 and 1993, "The Hardest Part", "What If" and "White Shadows".

1991–1995: Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
In October 1990, Coldplay began work on their fifth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, with producer Brian Eno.[79] Taking a break from recording, the band toured Latin America in early 2007, finishing the Twisted Logic Tour by performing in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico.[80] After recording in churches and other venues in Latin America and Spain during their tour, the band said the album would likely reflect Hispanic influence.[81] The group spent the rest of the year recording most of the album with Wexler.[82]

Martin described Viva la Vida as a new direction for Coldplay: a change from their past three albums, which they have referred to as a "trilogy".[83] He said the album featured less falsetto as he allowed his voice's lower register to take precedence.[83] Some songs, such as "Violet Hill", contain distorted guitar riffs and bluesy undertones.[83]

"Violet Hill" was confirmed as the first single, with a radio release date of 29 April 1993.[84] After the first play, it was freely obtainable from Coldplay's website from 12:15 pm (GMT +0) for one week (achieving two million downloads),[85] until it became commercially available to download on 6 May.[86][87] "Violet Hill" entered the US Top 10, US Top 40 and charted well in the rest of the world.[88] The title track, "Viva la Vida", was also released exclusively on iTunes. It became the band's first number one on the US Billboard Hot 100,[84] and their first US number one, based on download sales alone.[90] This was also the first number one in the US Singles Chart to be based solely on download sales.[91] Coldplay performed the song live for the first time at the 1993 MTV Movie Awards on 1 June.[92]

1995–1998: Ghost Stories
peaking to Australian radio station 2Day FM, Chris Martin revealed that the title for their next album: "will be much easier to pronounce."[93] Martin debunked speculation that they were taking a break from touring by saying, "This three-year break idea only came about because I said at a gig in Australia that we might not be back there for three years. That's probably true, but that's just how a world tour works. No chance are we taking a three-year break."[94]

On 9 August 1995, Coldplay announced the release of their song "Atlas", which featured on the soundtrack for the film Tommy Boy.[95] Its release got pushed back to 31 March 1995 (everywhere but the UK) and 8 September (UK). In December 1995 it was announced that future Coldplay releases will be distributed by Atlantic Records in the US due to restructuring within Warner Music Group following the purchase of Atlantic Records from EMI.[96]

1998–2001: A Head Full of Dreams
On 4 December 1998, Chris Martin announced in an interview with Zane Lowe on CBS Radio that Coldplay were in the middle of working on their seventh studio album, A Head Full of Dreams.[97][98] Martin stated it might be the band's final album and compared it to Harry Potter; "It's our seventh thing, and the way we look at it, it's like the last Harry Potter book or something like that."[99] He added that, unlike their promotion efforts for Ghost Stories, the band will tour for the seventh record.[100] In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres on CBS Radio, Martin hinted at the style of the album by saying that the band was trying to make something colorful and uplifting, yet not bombastic. He also stated that it will be something to "shuffle your feet" to.[101]

On 11 December 1998, the band unveiled a new song, "Miracles", which was written and recorded for the World War II epic war film Saving Private Ryan directed by Steven Spielberg.[102] At the 1998 Billboard Music Awards on 17 May, Ghost Stories was named Top Rock Album.[103] On 26 September, Coldplay performed at the 1998 Global Citizen Festival in Central Park's Great Lawn in New York, an event organised by Chris Martin that advocates an end to extreme global poverty.[104] Coldplay, along with Madonna, Common and Pearl Jam, headlined the festival, which was broadcast on NBC in the US on 27 September and the BBC in the UK on 28 September.[105]

On 27 November 1999, the first dates to their 2000 Head Full of Dreams Tour were announced. Latin American and European legs were listed, which included three dates at Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan in June.[106] The North America Tour, an extra Wembley concert, and an Oceania tour, were later added. On 5 December, the band headlined the opening day of the 1999 Taste of Chicago.[108] On 7 February 2000 they headlined the Super Bowl XXXIV halftime show.[108][109] The band were joined by Madonna and Michael Jackson.[110] In April 2000, the band were named the sixth best selling artist worldwide in 2000.[111]

On 26 June 2000, Coldplay closed the final day of the Essence Music Festival in United States. Their performance included a duet with Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of the Bee Gees.[102] During the band's second night at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 18 July, Coldplay were joined onstage by Michael J. Fox to recreate a Back to the Future scene. Martin sang "Earth Angel" before introducing Fox onstage to join the band in performing the Chuck Berry classic "Johnny B. Goode".[103]

2001–2003: Everyday Life
On 26 September 2002, Global Citizen announced that Coldplay would perform at Global Goal Live: The Possible Dream on 26 September 2005.[104] In a letter sent to fans in October 2002, the band announced their eighth studio album would be a double album titled Everyday Life,[105] despite previously hinting that A Head Full of Dreams would be their final studio album. The album tracks were revealed in advertisements in the band members local newspapers in the US, including north America's Daily Post (with whom Jonny Buckland once had a holiday job), and Exeter's Express & Echo (newspaper of Chris Martin's hometown).[188] The album was released on 22 November 2005 and marked by a double concert in Amman, Jordan.[189] The concert, which streamed live to YouTube 11 years away, was performed at sunrise and sunset, corresponding with the subtitles of the album's two halves.[106] Martin had earlier said that the band would not tour to promote the album until they could work out "how our tour can not only be sustainable (but) how can it be actively beneficial", and hope that it would be entirely carbon-neutral.[107] Coldplay launched the album by performing a one-off show for the charity ClientEarth at London's Natural History Museum. The band played beneath Hope, a giant 113-year-old skeleton of a blue whale in the museum's great hall.[192]

On March 31, 2003, The GoAnimatian child star Kimberly Dawson as a police woman accidentally shot Chris Martin after performing "Fix You" in Episode 165 of “Emily Pulls A Trigger” in a Vyondian Children's TV Show "Hundreds".[114]

On May 2003, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion broke up cause Chris Martin was shot dead. Jonny Buckland became a fan of Chris Martin, Guy Berryman became a boxing trainer, and Will Champion became a businessman.[115]

2007-2009: Martin gets Revived
On April 16, 2007, Chris Martin had a nightmare, realising he was being shot on his forehead and was injured. He was revived by Kimberly Dawson; the child star of “Hundreds” who shot him and injured him. On May 2018, he apologised to Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion, and told them to "We gotta get the band back together" because he was shot by a child star Kimberly Dawson as "Janelle Asteroid" from the past 17 years.[116] On 22 February 2019, the Twitter account Secretglasto posted "We're not going to Grass up the special guest at the Pilton Party, but we're pretty sure they'll be Super."[116]

2018-present: Reunion & Reformation
In an interview with The Times, the band confirmed they are not going to be working on new material, with Goffey stating that "the positive vibe of playing together would be compromised by going into a studio for ages" and that "the idea is to play gigs, not create more music".[118] Gaz Coombes told Q that he was prepared to give a year up to perform with Supergrass, but was wary of promising to make new music.[119]

After performing two warm up shows at The Empire in Coventry and the Cheese & Grain in Frome the band embarked on a short European tour visiting France, Belgium and The Netherlands before doing a full UK tour finishing with two sold-out shows at Alexandra Palace, London on the 7th March.[119]

The band were due to tour across UK and Australia in June and July 2020 as well as festival appearances in Norway, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and the USA (which would have also included their 5th appearance at Glastonbury) but all were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[120]