Coldplay
Coldplay at Wembley Stadium in 2025. From left to right: Jonny Buckland, Chris Martin, Guy Berryman and Will Champion.
Background information
Also known as	Big Fat Noises (1997) Starfish (1998) Los Unidades (2018)
Origin	London, England
Genres	Alternative rock pop rock post-Britpop pop
Works	Discography songs videography live performances
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Fierce Panda Parlophone Nettwerk Capitol Atlantic
Publishers	BMG Universal
Spinoffs	Apparatjik
Awards	Full list
Members	Chris Martin Jonny Buckland Guy Berryman Will Champion Phil Harvey
Website	coldplay.com

Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion; manager Phil Harvey is also credited as a full member. The group are known for their live performances and have had a significant impact on popular culture.

The band initially went by the names Big Fat Noises and Starfish. Following the independent release of the EP Safety (1998), they signed a record deal with Parlophone in 1999 and issued their debut album, Parachutes (2000), which included the breakthrough single "Yellow"; the album won a Brit Award for British Album of the Year and a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. The follow-up, A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), earned the same accolades. X&Y (2005) concluded what Coldplay viewed as a trilogy, and its successor, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), secured a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album; both releases topped the charts in over 30 countries, becoming the best-sellers of their respective years worldwide. Viva la Vida's title track was the first song by a British act to reach number one in the United States and United Kingdom simultaneously in the 21st century.

The albums Mylo Xyloto (2011), Ghost Stories (2014), A Head Full of Dreams (2015), Everyday Life (2019), Music of the Spheres (2021) and Moon Music (2024) drew from genres such as electronica, R&B, ambient, disco, funk, gospel, blues and progressive rock. A documentary directed by Mat Whitecross, Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams, was released in 2018, Coldplay's 20th anniversary. Their 2021 single "My Universe" was the first song by a British group to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and their Music of the Spheres World Tour is the most-attended and second-highest-grossing concert tour of all time. Coldplay are involved in philanthropy, politics and activism, supporting numerous humanitarian projects and donating 10% of their profits to charity.

With over 160 million records sold worldwide, Coldplay are one of the best-selling music acts of all time. They are also the first group in Spotify history to reach 90 million monthly listeners. Fuse listed them among the most awarded artists, including holding the record for most Brit Awards won by a band. In the United Kingdom, they have three of the 50 best-selling albums, the most UK Albums Chart number ones without missing the top (10),^[1] and are the most played group of the 21st century on British media. The British Phonographic Industry called them one of the world's most "influential and pioneering acts",^[2] while the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame added A Rush of Blood to the Head to the 200 Definitive Albums list and "Yellow" to the Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll exhibit.^[3] In 2023, the group featured on the first Time 100 Climate ranking. Despite their popularity, they are considered polarising cultural icons.^[4]