Aspects That May Have Contributed to Coldplay’s Incredible Success
For close to 20 years, Coldplay has been the music industry’s wonder child that a lot of younger bands have tried to emulate. You would come to think, that after awhile a band usually reaches a point where its audience does not get any bigger than it already is. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case with the British band whose front man candidly stated in an interview on Canada’s CBC, that his group realized that they couldn’t get any bigger, so they had to get better. Well, maybe at the time Chris Martin was probably right. As a consequence however, their concept of better resulted in a massive fan following, transcending boundaries worldwide.
I’ve been a fan for about half the number of years they’ve been around. It clearly hasn’t stopped me from finally having the courage to conjure up my thoughts on what makes them immensely popular, courtesy the internet of course.
Was striking the right chords really all that the band has ever done? Or, Is there more to their story than meets the eardrum? Let me analyse some aspects that might have contributed to their success.
Musicality
Many articles have criticized the band’s music, even classifying it as average. In my view, a bias exists that singles out the technical complications in their compositions. Musicality on the other hand, is really the ability to be sensitive to or have enough knowledge about music to strike a balance between the qualities that define it like melodiousness, harmoniousness, etc. Something that this band has truly mastered. The members here, are multi-talented musicians shifting between guitars, keys and various percussion instruments throughout a concert.
The introduction of a Church Bell in the song Viva La Vida gives it a unique touch, similar to what Pink Floyd did with High Hopes. They even used a laser type instrument that substituted Berryman’s bass for a song giving it a type of futuristic vibe. Even with the all their skills, Coldplay relies greatly on their enthusiasm to perform. As a performer myself, I’ve noticed it’s the energy you put into a performance that gets the crowd going more than the performance itself, and they are no strangers to the idea!
Just like an individual musician, the band has seen an evolution in technique. Johnny Buckland’s guitar riffs are a lot more richer, Will Champion is a better anchorman, drummer and backup vocalist, bass player Guy Berryman’s riffs are melodious even leading the song Magic, and of course Chris has acquired better control over his vocal pipes, his genius really shines on piano.
They are tight, in-sync group on stage trying hard to make the world a wonderful place with their music. The ability of all 4 musicians to effectively combine technique to produce a rich sound is testament to the number of hits they have in the first place.
Band Dynamics
“Share money and credit!” — CM. This is what Chris said when asked about their secret to longevity, while most bands are barely sticking around for a decade.
You cannot avoid disagreements or arguments in a team, and a band isn’t any different. You just avoid irreparable damage by building a lot of trust, that your fellow members intend good outcomes and are focused on the same goal as you. There is no doubt that the band members here have genuine respect for each other.
Another noticeable secret is not everyone here is interested in hogging up the limelight. Sure, Martin is the face of the band and a class A paparazzi target, but that’s their dynamic and it works! The other 3 members and their secret 5th member Phil Harvey, are quite happy to take a back seat on the fame wagon. There are perks on both ends, but the compliance of all members holds the band together where most have succumbed.
Staying Relevant
Music is volatile, constantly being reinvented and restructured leaving some of it aged like a good bottle of wine, or associated to a period of time in history gone by. Artists like Coldplay are constantly taking up new sounds and formats to hold/grow their audience. This exploratory attitude can be risky if the core essence of a band is lost while trying. One cannot deny a vast difference in sound between their first and last album.
They now have a song for almost every person, moment or TV commercial! Being open-minded to several genres, Coldplay has collaborated with artists across the world, learning a little something from each of them. Artists like Noel Gallagher, U2, Michael Stipe, AVICII, Beyonce, Rihanna, etc and even brushing their Coldplay touch onto genres like EDM and other unexpected formats of music you wouldn’t normally associate them with — the original group (rock group) that they once were. This has let them find more fans and grow their audience. Lot of newer fans have taken up to songs like Sky Full of Stars, Hymn for The Weekend, etc when previously have never heard of or liked the band before.
From Hungarian Throat Singing to a Dark Chill-Step like song called Midnight this band tries it all, credit to their mentors like the infamous Brian Eno. The band can now boast of a wide audience (which they don’t normally do ofcourse) spanning different age groups and musical tastes.
Humility & Being Down to Earth
Fame is a double edged sword, it can make you feel loved and disconnected from the world at the same time. A lot of people undergo a personality change the more famous they become. If change makes you a better person then that’s a great thing, but most of the time human nature makes it a difficult task.
Once dubbed “The nicest guys in rock!”, Coldplay have always lived up to it. The band is all about spreading love and togetherness. Let me highlight one of the many instances, when they recently gave Viola Beach — a young band whose members tragically lost their lives in an accident, this beautiful tribute at Glastonbury.
In almost every interview of them that I’ve seen, they are very respectful of other artists and their genres. Chris who attends most of them is humorous, down to earth, modest and highly philosophical about the world. Never trying to admit complacency with what they have achieved. No wonder they have made so many friends in the industry.
Hard Work
Do you love your job? Not all of us can say yes! For the band however, they treat their act like the best job one can have. With 7 studio albums, 42 singles and counting, Coldplay never stops working on music. Doing over 120 concerts on their Mylo Xyloto tour and with an even bigger Head Full of Dreams tour planned for this year and 2017, they seldom ever call off a concert. This sort of dedication to the task stems from their core ideology as entertainers. They constantly remind themselves of the struggle people put themselves through to watch them perform live.
Chris says that he thinks about the person at the back, on the last seat before a gig, like what would they like to see? Then, they just give it their 100% leaving the crowd dazzled and happy in the end. The band constantly reworks the intensity of their songs too with spin-offs, added notes and excellent improvisations, that makes their performance all the more exciting.
Their concerts are a real treat to watch! One of the few good things to witness in a person’s lifetime. Coldplay constantly tries to take it one step further and practices hard on their pieces all the time. The most exciting thing they introduced which worked out well for them, was the Xyloband — a radio controlled band with LED’s that could sync up with the song they play live, a modern replacement to the conventional lighters people used to use in rock concerts. Each band costs them roughly 4 dollars to make.
The introduction of the unplugged C-Stage (mostly at the back of a venue) on this tour shows how much the band really cares for its fans, irrespective of how much they pay to see them.
Endorsing The Right Things
Fans are easily influenced by the people they admire, often copying their lifestyle choices and ideologies. Coldplay has always stood for the right stuff, turning down many multi-million dollar endorsement opportunities that have no real social impact to offer. Famously known for endorsing Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair Campaign, Chris drew an equal sign representing the campaign on the back of his hand. Coldplay have also been involved with Amnesty International, Kids Company, Teenage Cancer Trust, etc and raised money for numerous charities across the world.
When it comes to drugs and alcohol, Coldplay are relatively clean and completely silent about it. Many great musicians have fallen prey to bad habits at the peak of their career, while combating their struggles with fame. The infamous 27 club is a perfect example of this phenomena. The band sets a great example for new musicians that you don’t have to take up these habits to make music or gain wide acceptance.
The band is currently actively involved with the Global Citizen campaign organised by the United Nations. Chris Martin being the brand ambassador and lead curator of the artists for the GC concerts that happen at select places across the world, is very dedicated to the task. I’m personally, very excited to be attending one this year.
You can find more interesting stuff I have found about them all over the internet that inspired me to write this, on my knott (collection) on Interknott. It’s a new tool that’s in its beta phase, that I use to curate and keep information that is relevant to something I find interesting. Gonna be sharing a whole lot more on it! Fans can send me a collaboration request so that we can share more stuff about the band with each other. Till then, in the words of Chris Martin — “ Please eat more chocolate, and please listen to more Coldplay”. Cheers!!
