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COLDPLAY Biography (Brief) :
Indeed Coldplay's sound — dulcet, largely mid-tempo, melodic, and very dramatic — bore plenty of similarity to mid-1990s Radiohead. Indeed, when Coldplay issued its debut, Parachutes (Number 51, 2000), the success of the album's easeful sound  was widely chalked up to the group's having stepped into the breach Radiohead had left with the release of the experimental Kid A. But Coldplay's penchant for melodic hooks and ability to pull heartstrings proved them no flash in the pan as they became one of the most commercially successful acts of the new millennium.
Coldplay formed at the University College of London in 1998 by guitarists Chris Martin, a pianist from childhood and also a singer, and Jon Buckland; they were later joined by drummer Will Champion and bassist Guy Berryman. (Tim Rice-Oxley was asked to join on keyboards, but was too busy with his own group, Keane.) They played their first shows as "the Coldplay," and in 1998 self-issued an EP, Safety; the following year, U.K. indie Fierce Panda released the Brothers and Sisters EP, the group performed its first sessions for the BBC Radio 1 presenter Steve Lamacq, played Glastonbury, and signed to Parlophone.
Though Parachutes' lead single, "Shiver," didn't make much impact, the follow-up, "Yellow" (Number 48, 2001), was omnipresent on radio and one of the first power-ballad hits of the new decade. The group's follow-up, A Rush of Blood to the Head (Number 5, 2002), consolidated Coldplay's position as the go-to band for melodically sturdy guitar-rock weepers, as it spun off a fistful of big hits: "In My Place" (Number 17 Modern Rock, 2002); "The Scientist" (Number 18 Modern Rock, 2003); the piano-driven "Clocks" (Number 29, 2003), which won the 2004 Grammy Award for Record of the Year; and "God Put a Smile on Your Face."
In Rush's wake, Martin became an outspoken advocate of fair trade (he appeared with the phrase "Make Trade Fair" written on his hand on a magazine cover) and spoke in favor of John Kerry's presidential bid, though Martin doesn't have an American vote. (His wife, the Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow, does.) The band gives ten percent of its profits to charity.
 Those profits went way up in 2005, when Coldplay released its third album, X & Y, which went straight to Number One in 22 countries, including the U.S. and U.K. Despite critical pans (including a high-profile drubbing in the New York Times), the album spun off the radio tracks "Speed of Sound" (Number Eight, 2005), "Fix You" (Number 59, 2005), "Talk" (Number 86, 2006), and "The Hardest Part" (Number 37 Adult Contemporary, 2006). Martin became a tabloid fixture thanks to his marriage, but his appeal, and his band's, remained relatively down to earth.
On 2008's Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends (Number One, Top 200) Coldplay's sound became more overtly experimental and political as the band worked with boundary-pushing producers like Brian Eno who helped bring the band both critical and commercial acclaim. ... Source ...
More About COLDPLAY
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in London, England in 1998. The group comprises vocalist/pianist/guitarist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer/backing vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Will Champion. Coldplay has sold 50 million albums, and are also known for their hit singles, such as "Yellow", "The Scientist", "Clocks", "Speed of Sound", "Fix You" and "Viva la Vida".
Coldplay achieved worldwide fame with the release of their single "Yellow", followed by their debut album, Parachutes (2000), which was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Its follow-up, A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), won multiple awards such as NME's Album of the Year. Their next release, X&Y (2005), received a slightly less enthusiastic yet still generally positive reception. The band's fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), was produced by Brian Eno and released again to largely favourable reviews, earning several Grammy nominations and wins. All of Coldplay's albums have enjoyed commercial success.
Coldplay's early material was compared to acts such as Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, U2, and Travis. Since the release of Parachutes, Coldplay have drawn influence from other sources, including Echo and the Bunnymen, Kate Bush and George Harrison on A Rush of Blood to the Head, Johnny Cash and Kraftwerk for X&Y and Blur, Arcade Fire and My Bloody Valentine on Viva la Vida. Coldplay have been an active supporter of various social and political causes, such as Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign and Amnesty International. The group have also performed at various charity projects such as Band Aid 20, Live 8, Sound Relief, and the Teenage Cancer Trust. ...Source...
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