Coldplay Live 2014.jpg

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, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University College London and began playing music together from 1996 to 1998, initially calling themselves Starfish.

After independently releasing an extended play, ''Safety'' (1998), Coldplay signed with Parlophone in 1999. The band's debut album, ''Parachutes'' (2000), included their breakthrough single "Yellow" and received a Brit Award for British Album of the Year, a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album and a Mercury Prize nomination. Their second album, ''A Rush of Blood to the Head'' (2002), won the same accolades and included "Clocks", which earned a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. In 2005, they released '' X&Y''; the album was marked by a troubled production and various delays, completing what the band considered a trilogy as well. Coldplay's fourth effort, ''Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends'' (2008), received a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album and their first Album of the Year nomination, while its title track was the first British group song to reach number-one in the United Kingdom and United States simultaneously in the 21st century. Both ''X&Y'' and ''Viva la Vida'' were the best-selling albums of their respective years, topping the charts in more than 30 countries each.

Since then, Coldplay further diversified their sound with the subsequent releases ''Mylo Xyloto'' (2011), ''Ghost Stories'' (2014), ''A Head Full of Dreams'' (2015), '' Everyday Life'' (2019) and ''Music of the Spheres'' (2021). Each album presented a unique theme and added new musical styles to the band's original repertoire, including electronica, ambient, pop, R&B, funk, classical, jazz fusion, and progressive rock. They are also known for "euphoric" live performances, which ''NME'' said are when the band "come alive and make the most sense". To celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2018, a career-spanning documentary directed by Mat Whitecross was premiered at selected cinemas, featuring previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage.

With 100 million albums sold worldwide, Coldplay are the most successful band of the 21st century and one of the best-selling music acts of all time. According to Fuse, they are also the sixth-most awarded group in history. Other notable achievements include the seventh-highest-grossing tour of all time, three of the 50 highest-selling albums ever in the United Kingdom, the most number-one records in the country without ever missing the top, most nominations and wins for a band in Brit Awards history, and becoming the first British group to debut at number-one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Coldplay are considered one of the most influential bands of the 21st century as well, with ''Forbes'' describing them as the standard for the current alternative scene. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included ''A Rush of Blood to the Head'' on their " 200 Definitive Albums" list and the single "Yellow" is part of their "Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" exhibition for being one of the most successful and important recordings in the industry. In spite of their popularity and impact, Coldplay have earned a reputation as polarizing music icons.

History

1996–1999: Formation and first years

Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland first met each other during their orientation week at University College London in September 1996. The pair spent the rest of the year planning a band and began to write their first songs together in 1997, practising every night. That same year, Martin met Tim Rice-Oxley, who was invited to be Coldplay's keyboard player but declined, since Keane was already active. The meeting was ultimately responsible for shaping both bands as quartets. During the following months, Guy Berryman joined the group and their name was changed to Big Fat Noises. Will Champion would then complete the line-up in 1998, when the band renamed themselves Starfish "in a panic" after he scheduled their debut live performance at The Laurel Tree only a few days after becoming a member.

Weeks later, the band finally settled on the name Coldplay, which was suggested by Tim Crompton, a local student who had been using it for his own group. In May 1998, they released ''Safety'' independently. The extended play was financed by Phil Harvey for £1500 and only about 500 copies were pressed, most of them were given away to record labels, friends and family. After Martin complained to Harvey about the "vice-like grip" one of the Camden promoters had on Coldplay, Harvey suggested the group book their own concert at Dingwalls, and they subsequently sold their first copies of ''Safety'' at the venue. The event is generally considered the time when he was first known as their manager. Harvey then dropped out of his Classical Studies degree at Trinity College, Oxford to work with the band. They signed a brief contract with Fierce Panda Records at the end of the year and as part of the deal released a debut single " Brothers & Sisters" in April 1999.

After completing their final examinations at university, Coldplay signed a five-album contract with Parlophone. They went into the studio to record a second extended play, '' The Blue Room'', after making their first appearance at the Glastonbury Festival. Five thousand copies were made available to the public in October, with "Bigger Stronger" receiving BBC Radio 1 airplay. The recording sessions for the extended play 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 they worked out their differences and put in place a new set of rules to keep the group intact. Inspired by bands like U2 and R.E.M., Coldplay decided to operate as a democracy. The band determined to fire anyone who used hard drugs.

2000–2001: ''Parachutes''

The band first planned to record their debut album, ''Parachutes'', over the span of two weeks. However, due to tours and other live performances, the recording took place between September 1999 and April–May 2000. The album was recorded at Rockfield Studios, Matrix Studios, and Wessex Sound Studios with producer Ken Nelson, although the majority of ''Parachutes'' tracks were recorded at Liverpool's Parr Street Studios (where they used three studio rooms). American engineer Michael Brauer in New York mixed all of the songs for the album. During that time they played on the Carling Tour, which showcased up-and-coming acts.

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 2000, the same week Coldplay played The Forum in Tunbridge Wells supporting the band Terris as part of the NME Premier Tour. "Shiver" peaked at the number 35 position on the UK Singles Chart. June 2000 was a pivotal moment in Coldplay's history: the band embarked on their first headlining tour, including a performance at the Glastonbury Festival. The band also released the single "Yellow"; it was Coldplay's first release to reach the top five and rose to number four on the UK Singles Chart. The minimalistic music video for "Yellow" was filmed at Studland Bay in Dorset, and featured Martin singing the song in one continuous shot as he walked along the beach. "Yellow" and "Shiver" were initially released as EPs in the spring of 2000. The former was later released as a single in the United Kingdom on 26 June 2000. In the United States, the song was released as the lead single from the then-untitled debut album. In October 2000, the track was sent to US college and alternative radio outlets.

Coldplay released ''Parachutes'' on 10 July 2000 in the United Kingdom via their record label, Parlophone. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. It was released on 7 November 2000 by record label Nettwerk in North America. The album has been made available on various formats since its initial release; both Parlophone and Nettwerk released it as a CD in 2000, and it was also released as a Cassette by US label Capitol in 2001. In the following year, Parlophone issued the album as an LP. Four singles were released from ''Parachutes'', including "Shiver" and "Yellow", and enjoyed popularity in the UK and US. The third single was "Trouble", which reached number 10 in the UK charts. It was released more than a year later in the US, and reached number 28 in the Alternative Songs chart. In December 2001, the band released a limited-edition CD, ''Mince Spies'', featuring a remix of "Yellow" and the Christmas song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". It was pressed to 1,000 copies, and was issued only to fans and journalists.Moss, Corey (18 December 2001)
"Coldplay Ready Second Album As 'Trouble' Heats Up"
MTV. Retrieved 22 September 2008.

''Parachutes'' was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in September 2000. Having found success in Europe, the band set their sights on North America, by releasing the album there in November 2000, and started the ''US Club Tour'' in February 2001. At the 2001 Brit Awards in February, Coldplay earned awards for Best British Group, and Best British Album. Although ''Parachutes'' was a slow-burning success in the United States, it eventually reached double-platinum status. The album was critically well received and earned a Best Alternative Music Album honours at the 2002 Grammy Awards. Chris Martin said after ''Parachutes'' was released that the album's success was meant to elevate the band's status to the "biggest, best band in the world". After single-handedly managing the band until early 2001, Harvey resigned due to the stress of having to perform duties that typically require a team of people. He became the group's creative director and is often referenced as their fifth member; Dave Holmes replaced him as manager.

2002–2004: ''A Rush of Blood to the Head''

After the success of ''Parachutes'', Coldplay returned to the studio in September 2001 to begin work on their second album, ''A Rush of Blood to the Head'', once again with Ken Nelson producing. They had trouble focusing in London and decided to relocate to 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."

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 were still touring ''Parachutes''. The album's title was revealed through a post on the band's official website. The album was released in August 2002 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.

Coldplay toured from 19 June 2002 to 8 September 2003 for the A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour.
They visited five continents, including co-headlining festival dates at Glastonbury Festival, V2003 and Rock Werchter. Many concerts showcased elaborate lighting and individualised screens reminiscent of U2's Elevation Tour and Nine Inch Nails' Fragility Tour. During the extended tour, Coldplay recorded a live DVD and CD, '' Live 2003'', at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion. At the 2003 Brit Awards held at Earls Court, London, Coldplay received awards for Best British Group, and Best British Album. On 28 August 2003, Coldplay performed "The Scientist" at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and won three awards.

In December 2003, readers of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine chose Coldplay as the best artist and the best band of the year. At that time the band covered the Pretenders' 1983 song "2000 Miles" (which was made available for download on their official website). "2000 Miles" was the top selling UK download that year, with proceeds from the sales donated to Future Forests and Stop Handgun Violence campaigns. ''A Rush of Blood to the Head'' won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 2003 Grammy Awards. At the 2004 Grammy Awards, Coldplay earned Record of the Year for "Clocks".

2005–2007: ''X&Y''

Coldplay spent most of 2004 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. '' X&Y'' was released in June 2005 in UK and Europe. This new, delayed release date had put the album back into the next fiscal year, and the late release was blamed for a drop in EMI's stock. It became the best-selling album of 2005 with worldwide sales of 8.3 million. The lead single, " Speed of Sound", made its radio and online music store debut on 18 April and was released as a CD on 23 May 2005. ''X&Y'' entered the album charts of 20 countries at the number-one position and was the third-fastest-selling album in UK chart history.

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", 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". Comparisons between Coldplay and U2 became commonplace. 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", adding that "in a way, it was liberating to see that someone else realised that also".

From June 2005 to March 2007, 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. In July 2005, 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. On 28 August, Coldplay performed "Speed of Sound" at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards in Miami. 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. In February 2006, Coldplay earned Best Album and Best Single honours at the Brit Awards. Three more singles were released during 2006 and 2007, " The Hardest Part", "What If" and "White Shadows".

2008–2010: ''Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends''

In October 2006, Coldplay began work on their fourth studio album, ''Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends'', with producer Brian Eno. Taking a break from recording, the band toured Latin America in early 2007, finishing the Twisted Logic Tour while performing in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. 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. The group spent the rest of the year recording most of the album with Eno.

Martin described ''Viva la Vida'' as a new direction for Coldplay; a change from their past three albums, which the band felt was a "trilogy" that they had finished. He said the album featured less of his falsetto as he allowed his voice's lower register to take precedence. Some songs, such as "Violet Hill" contain distorted guitar riffs and bluesy undertones.

"Violet Hill" was confirmed as the first single, with a radio release date of 29 April 2008. After the first play, it was freely obtainable from Coldplay's website from 12:15 pm (GMT +0) for one week until it became commercially available on 6 May. "Violet Hill" entered the UK Top 10, US Top 40 and charted well in the rest of the world. The title track, "Viva la Vida", was also released exclusively on iTunes, it became the band's first number-one on both the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and the UK Official Charts. Coldplay performed the song live for the first time at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards on 1 June. "Viva la Vida" became iTunes' best-selling song of 2008.

Upon release, ''Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends'' topped the album charts worldwide and was the world's best-selling album of 2008. It hit number-one on the UK album chart despite having come on the market only three days previously. In that time, it sold 302,000 copies, being "one of the fastest-selling albums in the country's history". By the end of June, it had set a new record for most-downloaded album ever. In October 2008, Coldplay won two ''Q'' Awards for Best Album for ''Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends'' and Best Act in the World Today. On 9 November, Coldplay were named the World's Best-selling Act of 2008 at the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo. They also picked up two other awards: World's Best-selling Rock Act and Great Britain's Best-selling Act. The band followed up ''Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends'' with the ''Prospekt's March'' EP, which was released on 21 November 2008. The extended play features songs from the album sessions and was originally made available on its own, while the album got re-issued with all EP tracks included on a bonus disc. "Life in Technicolor II" was the only single released.

Coldplay began their Viva la Vida Tour in June with a free concert at Brixton Academy in London. This was followed two days later by a 45-minute performance that was broadcast live from outside BBC Television Centre. Released in late 2008, "Lost!" became the third single from the album, featuring a new version with Jay-Z called "Lost+". After performing the opening set on 14 March 2009 for Sound Relief at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Coldplay headlined a sold-out concert later that same night. Sound Relief is a benefit concert for victims of the Victorian Bushfire Crisis and the Queensland Floods. On 4 December 2008, Joe Satriani filed a copyright infringement suit against Coldplay in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Satriani's suit asserted that the Coldplay song "Viva la Vida" includes "substantial original portions" of the Satriani song "If I Could Fly" from his 2004 album, ''Is There Love in Space?s for "Song of the Year". The band denied the allegation. An unspecified settlement was ultimately reached between the parties.

Coldplay were nominated for four awards at the 2009 Brit Awards: British Group, British Live Act, British Single ("Viva la Vida") and British Album (''Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends''). At the 51st Grammy Awards in the same year, Coldplay won three Grammy Awards in the categories for Song of Year for "Viva la Vida", Best Rock Album for ''Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends'', and Best Vocal Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for "Viva la Vida". A live album titled ''LeftRightLeftRightLeft'' was recorded at various shows during the tour. ''LeftRightLeftRightLeft'', released on 15 May 2009, was to be given away at the remaining concerts of their Viva la Vida Tour. It was released as a free download from their website. Following the Viva la Vida Tour, Coldplay announced another "Latin America tour" to take place in February and March 2010, in which they were to visit Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia. In October 2009, Coldplay won Song of the Year for "Viva la Vida" at The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Awards in London. In December 2009, ''Rolling Stone'' readers voted the group the fourth best artist of the 2000s, they were also included in '' Q'' list of artists of the century. In December 2010 the band released "Christmas Lights". The song received very positive reviews, and the music video features a cameo from actor Simon Pegg, a close friend of Chris Martin, who plays a violin-playing Elvis impersonator in the background.

2011–2012: ''Mylo Xyloto''

The band finished recording the new album in mid-2011. When Martin and Champion were interviewed by BBC 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." 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 2011 Glastonbury Festival, T in the Park, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Rock in Rio, and Lollapalooza festival.

In an interview on 13 January 2011, Coldplay mentioned two new songs would be included on their upcoming fifth album, "Princess of China" and "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall". In a February interview Parlophone 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". On 31 May 2011, Coldplay announced that "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" was the first single for the fifth album. It was released on 3 June 2011. The band presented five new songs at festivals during the summer of 2011, "Charlie Brown", "Hurts Like Heaven", "Us Against the World", "Princess of China" and "Major Minus".

On 12 August 2011, Coldplay announced via their official website that ''Mylo Xyloto'' was the new album title, and that it would be released on 24 October 2011. On 12 September the band released "Paradise", the second single from their upcoming album ''Mylo Xyloto''. On 23 September 2011, tickets for Coldplay's European tour officially went on sale. Demand proved to be very high with most venues selling out in seconds. ''Mylo Xyloto'' was released on 24 October 2011, it received mixed to positive reviews and topped the charts in over 34 countries.

On 19 October 2011, Coldplay performed songs at Apple Inc.'s private memorial for Steve Jobs, including "Viva la Vida", "Fix You", "Yellow" and "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall". On 26 October their "Amex Unstaged" concert at the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas in Madrid, Spain, was streamed by YouTube as a live webcast directed by Anton Corbijn. On 30 November 2011, Coldplay received three Grammy Award nominations for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards which took place on 12 February 2012 in Los Angeles, and the band performed with Rihanna at the ceremony. On 12 January 2012, Coldplay were nominated for two Brit Awards. On 21 February 2012, they were awarded the Brit Award for Best British Group for the third time. The album was the best-selling rock album in the United Kingdom, selling 908,000 copies. The album's second single, "Paradise", was also the best-selling rock single in the UK, selling 410,000 copies. At the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, "Paradise" won the Best Rock Video award. ''Mylo Xyloto'' has sold over 8 million copies worldwide.

Coldplay headlined the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games on 9 September 2012, where they performed alongside other artists including Rihanna and Jay-Z. 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 2008 single "Viva la Vida" to celebrate the end of the games.

In October 2012, the music video for Coldplay's song "Hurts Like Heaven" was released. The video was based on the story of Mylo Xyloto, a boy who grew up in tyranny ran by Major Minus. The fictional comics titled ''Mylo Xyloto'' continued on the story portrayed in the music video when the series was released in early 2013. A concert documentary film and live album ''Coldplay Live 2012'' chronicles their tour in support of the ''Mylo Xyloto'' album. The film premiered theatrically for one night only, 13 November 2012, and was released on CD and home video on 19 November 2012.

On 21 November, after a concert in Brisbane, Australia as part on the group's Mylo Xyloto Tour, Coldplay hinted they were set to take a three-year break from touring. Coldplay performed two shows with Jay-Z in the Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, on 30 December and New Year's Eve which ended the Mylo Xyloto Tour. The Mylo Xyloto Tour was named the fourth-highest-grossing tour worldwide of 2012 with more than $171.3 million earned in ticket sales.

2013–2014: ''Ghost Stories''

In an interview with Australian radio station 2Day FM, Chris Martin revealed that the title for the band's next album would be "much easier to pronounce". 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."

On 9 August 2013, Coldplay announced the release of their song "Atlas", which featured on the soundtrack for the film '' The Hunger Games: Catching Fire''. Its release got pushed back to 6 September 2013 (everywhere but the UK) and 8 September (UK). In December 2013, it was announced that future Coldplay releases would be distributed by Atlantic Records in the US due to restructuring within Warner Music Group following the purchase of Parlophone Records from EMI.

On 25 February 2014, the band unveiled " Midnight", a track from their yet-to-be released album. In early March 2014, it was announced that the band's sixth album, ''Ghost Stories'', would be released 19 May 2014. ''Ghost Stories'' is a spiritually driven album that revolves around two major themes mentioned by Chris Martin. The album explores the idea of past actions, and the effects they can have on your future and one's capacity for unconditional love. The band took a different approach for their sixth studio album in contrast to their previous studio albums, with Martin inviting the band to contribute original songwriting material for the album, as opposed to building songs off his ideas as they had done during previous recording sessions.

From April to July, Coldplay embarked on a six-date Ghost Stories Tour in support of the album, playing 'intimate' shows in six cities: the Beacon Theatre in New York City on 5 May, Royce Hall in Los Angeles on 19 May, Casino de Paris in Paris on 28 May, Tokyo Dome City Hall in Tokyo on 12 June, Enmore Theatre in Sydney on 19 June, and closed the tour at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 2 July 2014. The album was made available for pre-order on iTunes, alongside new single "Magic". Two more singles from the album, "A Sky Full of Stars" and " True Love", have since been released. ''Ghost Stories'' received mixed to positive reviews. The album topped the charts in the UK, the US and most major markets. It received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album, and "A Sky Full of Stars" was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. In December 2014, Spotify named Coldplay the most-streamed band in the world for 2014, and third most-streamed artist behind Ed Sheeran and Eminem.

2015–2018: ''A Head Full of Dreams''

On 4 December 2014, Chris Martin announced in an interview with Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1 that Coldplay were in the middle of working on their seventh studio album, ''A Head Full of Dreams''. Martin remarked 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." He added that unlike their promotion efforts for ''Ghost Stories'', the band will tour for the seventh record. In an interview with Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 2, Martin hinted at the style of the album by saying that the band were trying to make something colourful and uplifting, yet not bombastic. He also stated that it will be something to "shuffle your feet" to.

On 11 December 2014, the band unveiled a new song, "Miracles", which was written and recorded for the World War II drama film '' Unbroken'' directed by Angelina Jolie. At the 2015 Billboard Music Awards on 17 May, ''Ghost Stories'' was named Top Rock Album. On 26 September, Coldplay performed at the 2015 Global Citizen Festival in Central Park's Great Lawn in New York, an event organised by Chris Martin advocating for an end to extreme global poverty. Coldplay, along with Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, 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.

Speaking on Nick Grimshaw's '' Radio 1 Breakfast Show'' on the BBC on 6 November, Coldplay confirmed 4 December as the release date of ''A Head Full of Dreams'', and a new song from the album, "Adventure of a Lifetime" premiered on the show. The album has guest appearances from Beyoncé, Gwyneth Paltrow, Noel Gallagher, Tove Lo and Barack Obama. The album reached number-one in the UK, and number two in the US, Australia and Canada among others where it was kept in second place by Adele's '' 25''. The music video for "Adventure of a Lifetime" featured the band performing as chimpanzees. They were provided consultation with renowned performance capture actor Andy Serkis.

On 27 November 2015, the first dates to their 2016 A Head Full of Dreams Tour were announced. Latin American and European stops were listed, which included three dates at Wembley Stadium, London in June. 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 2015 Jingle Bell Ball at London's O₂ Arena. On 7 February 2016 they headlined the Super Bowl 50 halftime show, being joined by Beyoncé and Bruno Mars. In April 2016, the band were named the sixth best-selling artist worldwide in 2015.

On 26 June 2016, Coldplay closed the final day of the Glastonbury Festival in England. Their performance included a duet with Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of the Bee Gees. 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".

The band performed a full set in India for the first time as part of the Global Citizen Festival in Mumbai on 19 November 2016. This performance was attended by 80,000 people and also featured many Bollywood stars during the concert. The same month, Coldplay announced in interviews with Absolute Radio and Magic Radio in London that they would be releasing new songs in a new EP called the ''Kaleidoscope EP''. Described as being made from a leftover "bag of ideas" from the recording of ''A Head Full of Dreams'', Martin stated that it would be released in "a couple of months". The band officially announced that the EP was released on 14 July 2017.

On 22 February 2017, the band released a long-awaited and teased collaboration track with EDM duo The Chainsmokers called "Something Just Like This". Reaching number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and number 3 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, it was the lead single from Coldplay's thirteenth extended play ''Kaleidoscope'', released on 14 July 2017. Together, they debuted the song live at the 2017 Brit Awards with Chris Martin also performing a tribute song to the late George Michael. On 2 March, Martin's birthday, the band released a track from the EP, " Hypnotised". Two further releases from the EP, "All I Can Think About Is You" and " Aliens", came out on 15 June and 6 July 2017 respectively. On 15 August 2017, Coldplay announced that a live album covering the A Head Full of Dreams Tour would be released.

On 8 October 2017, Coldplay debuted live their new song called "Life Is Beautiful" at SDCCU Stadium in San Diego, California. It was written in support after the earthquake that affected Mexico on 19 September. Part of the band's show was broadcast at the end of Estamos Unidos Mexicanos, a benefit concert taken place at Mexico City's Zócalo, which included "Fix You", "Viva la Vida", "Adventure of a Lifetime" and their new song. Martin stated that the proceeds from the song and concert would be donated to relief efforts for Mexico and other countries.

The A Head Full of Dreams Tour was finished in November 2017. Grossing over $523 million, in 2017 it was listed as the third-highest-grossing concert tour of all time. The promised live album, which is titled '' Live in Buenos Aires'', came out on 7 December 2018. Its footage covers the final concert of the tour in La Plata and a second release named ''Love in Tokyo'' was made available at the same time exclusively for the Japanese market. On 30 November 2018, Coldplay released '' Global Citizen – EP 1'' under the name Los Unidades. It includes "E-Lo", a song with Pharrell Williams featuring Jozzy. Proceeds from the EP was donated towards efforts to end global poverty.

2019–2020: ''Everyday Life''

On 26 September 2019, Global Citizen announced that Coldplay would perform at Global Goal Live: The Possible Dream on 26 September 2020. On 18 October 2019, mysterious black-and-white posters began appearing in various countries around the world, with the band in vintage-style clothing and a date showing 22 November 1919. The band also changed their profile pictures on social media to a sun and moon, making fans speculate an imminent release of new material. On 19 October 2019, a cryptic 5 second teaser was released on social media with orchestral music in the background. On 21 October 2019, in a letter sent to fans, the band announced that their eighth studio album would be titled '' Everyday Life'' and that it would be a double album, with the first half titled ''Sunrise'' and the second half titled ''Sunset''.

On 23 October 2019, the album tracks were revealed in advertisements in the band members local newspapers in the UK, including north Wales' '' Daily Post'' (with whom Jonny Buckland once had a holiday job), and Exeter's ''Express & Echo'' (the newspaper of Chris Martin's hometown). "Orphans" and "Arabesque" were then released as the album's lead singles on 24 October 2019 on the Annie Mac show on BBC Radio 1, with the latter song being the first Coldplay song to feature profanity. The album was released on 22 November 2019 and marked by a double concert in Amman, Jordan. The concert, which streamed live to YouTube, was performed at sunrise and sunset, corresponding with the subtitles of the album's two halves.

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. However, Coldplay performed a one-off show on 25 November 2019 for the charity ClientEarth at London's Natural History Museum. The band played beneath Hope, a giant 128-year-old skeleton of a blue whale in the museum's great hall. The album debuted at number-one on the UK Albums Chart with 81,000 copies sold, making it the band's eighth consecutive UK number-one album. It was also the third fastest-selling album of 2019, behind '' No.6 Collaborations Project'' and '' Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent''. On 24 November 2020, Coldplay received two nominations for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, with one of them being Album of the Year, their first nomination in the category since ''Viva la Vida''. On 21 December 2020, "Flags" was released internationally, the song was originally included as a Japanese bonus track of ''Everyday Life''.

2021–present: ''Music of the Spheres''

On 29 April 2021, Coldplay announced a new single called "Higher Power" to be released on 7 May 2021 with a video livestream coinciding with the release of the single to be aired from the International Space Station. Chris Martin stated in an interview with Zane Lowe that the band would be working with Max Martin and his team on both the song and the new album. He said, "Max is our producer right now for everything we do". On 4 May 2021, Coldplay were announced as the opening act for the 2021 Brit Awards, where they would be performing "Higher Power".

On 22 May 2021, their pre-recorded performance at Glastonbury Festival was broadcast online. The band also showcased a new song called "Human Heart", featuring R&B duo We Are King. On 8 June 2021, the "official" music video for "Higher Power", directed by Dave Meyers, premiered on YouTube, following a simpler music video featuring the band performing the song while dancing with CGI alien holograms that premiered on 7 May 2021. On 20 July 2021, Coldplay announced that their new album ''Music of the Spheres'' would be released on 15 October 2021, and also announced a track titled " Coloratura", which was released 23 July 2021.

On 13 September 2021, they announced with South Korean pop group BTS the second single, " My Universe", which was released on 24 September 2021. The song debuted at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, being their highest-peaking single since "Something Just Like This" and later went on to debut at number-one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. A short documentary about the collaboration with BTS was later released on 26 September 2021 on the official BTS YouTube channel.

''Music of the Spheres'' debuted at number-one the UK Albums Chart, becoming the fastest-selling album in the country since Ed Sheeran's 2019 '' No.6 Collaborations Project''. The album debuted at number four on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, and reached number-one on both the Top Alternative Albums and the Top Rock Albums charts. On 14 October 2021, Coldplay announced their eighth concert tour, the Music of the Spheres World Tour, which will begin in San José, Costa Rica, in March 2022 and will visit three continents, with more tour dates to be announced in the future. The tour is part of an ongoing effort to reduce the band's carbon footprint; Chris Martin explained in an interview with BBC that the tour would feature "kinetic flooring" that powers the concerts through the movement of concertgoers, as well as bicycles that do the same thing, meaning that "the whole show is powered from renewable energy". Martin said the band's goal is that they will have "slightly shifted the status quo of how a tour works". On 23 November 2021, "Higher Power" was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. In December 2021, Martin said Coldplay would release three more albums until 2025 during an interview for BBC
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