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Coldplay’s Contributions to the Rock Music Industry
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Introduction
Coldplay s one of the greatest rock bands that has ever performed on earth. This rock band formed in 1996 at University College London has become a legendary group ever since and continues to shock the airwaves to date. The group has been able to stay on top of the game for that long, based on their ability to produce music that resonates with different generations over time. Coldplay has also been recognized the world over for its dedication to society through charity (Leahey, n.d.). The work of Coldplay is historically significant because they were able to set the direction for modern rock. Their contributions to the music industry are characterized by their ability to try something new and make it perfect.
Background Information
Coldplay started mainly as a boys band bringing together four friends in 1996. The original members of the group were Chris Martin, who was the main vocalist and pianist. It included Jonny Buckland the guitarist, Will Champion the drummer, and Guy Berryman, the bassist. By this time, they used to call themselves the Pectoralz and would play music mostly around the campus and attend gigs around the school. It was until the year 1998 when the group met Phil Harvey, who would become their creative director and manager when the group’s prospects changed for the better (Empire, 2011). It is at this time that they changed the group’s name to Coldplay, and it went on to release its first single known as “safety.” Phil’s involvement with the group was exceptional because he not only believed in them but also financed their productions. By the year 1999, the group had become popular around the UK, and that led to them signing a major record deal with Parlophone before they could release another single “The Blue Room” (Dillon, 2019). Since then, Coldplay has been able to perform to people all over the world and inspire generations with their creative and captivating music.
Coldplay may have started in the year 1996, but they started receiving worldwide fame in 2000 with their debut album “Parachutes.” The collection would open up two decades of success to the rock group. The next two decades were the most successful era to the group, with several awards and nominations to their name. They have been able to sell over 100 million copies of their music over the same period. The rock band currently has 7 Grammy awards with 29 nominations (Leahey, n.d.). Other awards included MTV Video Music Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Brit Music Awards, World Music Awards, and several others. Coldplay’s most album was the “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends” album released in 2008, and their most successful year was 2009 when they won three Grammy’s for the same music album.
Coldplay’s influence on culture
Coldplay has been known as an influential rock band due to its ability to influence culture during the years they have been active. Coldplay started at a time when British rock music popularly known as Brit Pop was at its knees. This is a type of music that had been popular in Britain from the 80s up to the early 90s. Popular Rock artists and Rock bands like Travis and Radiohead were significant acts in the UK. However, their music not as successful beyond their borders as their predecessors (Leahey, n.d.). Coldplay in a bid to gain both local and international fans came up with a unique type of rock music that fused both Brit Pop and Anthemic rock. It is a strategy that worked magic as Coldplay gained fans both at home and abroad. Their unique type of rock music was more attractive to the fans who were ready to adopt this new breed of rock music at the time.
The Influence of Coldplay on the rock was first experienced with their debut album “Parachutes.” The new album was a massive success due to its unique sounds, which were louder and fresh compared to the Brit Pop that was there before. The artists led by Chris Martin offered the UK fan base and around the world, a new breed of rock music that was not only authentic but also relevant (Empire, 2011). The fans at this time may have grown tired of the Brit Pop produced by Radiohead and other British rock bands. The fact that they understood their audience was highlighted by the success of “Parachutes,” which gained fame not just in the UK charts but in the US charts and other major charts across the globe.
The success of the “Parachutes” set Coldplay on a successful path in the music industry. Their second album was even more inspiring to fans around the world. The album titled, “A Rush of Blood to the Head” cemented their legendary status and also confirmed their unique rock tunes. They were introducing to the scene what is called “alternative rock” due to the fact it was both meditative and romantic. They were using music to reflect on their emotions and also examine their feelings. As Chris Martin once said, they regarded their music as “Limestone rock” as compared to the most common type of rock known as a hard rock (Dillon, 2018). All these show how much they were able to change the culture of rock music by leading people to a new type of rock they referred to as limestone rock.
Coldplay not only in...