Coldplay

British rock band. Formed in 1998, their sound is characterized by lead singer Chris Martin's distinctive voice backed by the atmospheric use of electric guitars laden with delay and reverb effects. They released their major hit singles ‘Shiver’ and ‘Yellow’ in 2000 before releasing their full-length album Parachutes, which rose to number one on the UK album charts the following year. They followed with the more energetic album A Rush of Blood to the Head, featuring the hit single ‘Clocks’, in 2002, which gave them considerable success in the USA. The release of their third album X & Y (2005) cemented their status as one of the world's biggest bands.

Members include vocalist and pianist Chris Martin (1977- ), guitarist Jonny Buckland (1977- ), drummer Will Champion (1978- ), and bass player Guy Berryman (1978- ). Their debut album, the self-financed EP Safety (1998), featuring the single ‘Brothers and Sisters’, was discovered by the label Parlophone, who signed them the following year. This was followed by another EP, Blue Room, in 1999. Parachutes won the Grammy award for Best Alternative Album in 2002. Martin's marriage to US actor Gwyneth Paltrow in 2003 confirmed his newfound celebrity status.

Clean-cut and low key in their image, they have been vocal in environmental and fair trade issues. Formerly named Starfish, the band took the name Coldplay from another band that no longer needed the name.