By Sam Reeves, Online News Editor/Webmaster/Social Media Director
There’s no doubt that teens these days will have no trouble recognizing the crisp vocals of Chris Martin, lead singer of the legendary band Coldplay.
Forming in the year 1996, Coldplay has become famous worldwide for their blend of rock and pop music. The group first started releasing music in 1998, when they released their first EP, Safety. However, the group didn’t rise to fame until 2000, with the release of the famous single, “Yellow.”
Shortly after the release of “Yellow,” the band released their debut album Parachutes which charted 12 days after its release, eventually hitting the No. 1 spot on the Official Albums Chart Top 100. The album held an alternative rock sound that Coldplay quickly became known for and launched the group into the public eye.
A staple Coldplay song that most of our generation grew up with is the song “Viva La Vida,” which was the second single from the album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. The song had huge commercial success and won the Grammy award for Song of the Year during the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in 2009.
However in recent years, their sound has become more of the pop genre. Their albums Mylo Xyloto, Ghost Stories, and A Head Full of Dreams show a steady progression of their pop sound. Each album showcases the band exploring a different type of pop.
“Paradise,” the second single from Mylo Xyloto, is one of the band’s most popular tracks, garnering almost 400 million streams on Spotify alone. This pop rock song helped mark the band’s transition to a new style, and helped solidify the band’s new style choice when it won bestselling rock song in 2011.
The release of Ghost Stories, the group’s sixth album, fully transitioned them into the pop side of music. The album’s electronica sound was received with mixed reviews, however many praised the calming aspect of the new album. Martin said the new style of the album was inspired by unconditional love and explores how one’s actions in the past can affect their future.
The latest album from the British band had arrived in 2015. A Head Full of Dreams was the eighth bestselling album of 2015, helping revive the band’s vitality after the not-so-successful Ghost Stories. It seems to be a trend for the second single from each album to be the most popular track of each album, and this time is no different. “Hymn for the Weekend,” which features American singer Beyoncé, was received with open arms, reaching the Top 20 charts in several countries.
Coldplay has been a staple band in the music industry for two decades and has helped unite generations through their love of music. One thing is for sure, this wildly talented group is not going to disappear anytime soon, and we will be able to enjoy them for years to come as we pass down their classic tracks to future generations.