The eight best Coldplay songs, ranked: from Fix You to Paradise

Coldplay are undoubtedly 1 of the biggest bands of the 21st century. Perhaps of each time.

Formed successful 1997 nether the sanction Starfish (a thankfully short-lived moniker), they’ve sold 100 cardinal albums, go the sixth-most awarded music radical successful past and person made 3 of the 50 best-selling albums successful the UK. And they’re inactive going now: their 10th album, Moon Music, is acceptable to merchandise connected October 4 and volition undoubtedly beryllium a illustration smash.

Will specified a monolithic backmost catalogue, choosing which songs fertile among their precise champion is simply a gangly order, but successful the sanction of science, we’ve done our best.

To spot this performed astatine a performance – implicit with a twinkling vista of light-up wristbands – is to spot magic astatine work. With the talented Avicii some producing and signaling the soft parts, this is simply a opus that’s bursting astatine the seams with EDM-inspired synth (a rarity for the orchestrally-inclined Coldplay) and blessed with lyrics that are designed to beryllium belted retired successful a stadium (both successful concerts, and, arsenic galore shot fans volition attest, during matches). It’s arsenic dance-heavy arsenic the set person ever been, and possibly the astir fun.

Put speech immoderate thoughts of the Peanuts quality (more’s the pity): this instrumentality connected Charlie Brown sees Coldplay delve headfirst into a jubilant guitar anthem that’s awash with the dependable of twinkling riffs and carefree summers. Happy and upbeat, it’s besides blessed by a tearing guitar chorus that manages to distil liquid euphoria successful a mates of bars: “running wild, glowing successful the dark.” One to spot live.

Where Chris Martin pulls his lyrics from is simply a mystery, but there’s nary uncertainty that the meaningless (and yet masterful) words to Paradise are a stand-out. One of their Mylo Xyloto album’s highlights, it took its clip getting to fig one, but is present an undisputed Coldplay classic. All recognition to Brian Eno for co-writing and producing this one, portion besides retaining that stadium-filling consciousness of grandness that has go the band’s signature. Add successful immoderate layered vocals and heap connected the synth and what you get is simply a Grammy-nominated track.

So sad. But so, truthful good. Arguably the champion tear-jerker they’ve ever done, The Scientist beautifully layers spare soft chords implicit Martin’s anguished lyrics arsenic helium attempts to usage mathematics to fig retired wherever a narration went wrong. Naturally, the experimentation fails to output immoderate results: an workout successful futility.

“Nobody said it was easy,” helium cries astatine 1 point, arsenic the opus builds to a devastating car-crash crescendo of emotion. A existent affectional rollercoaster this, particularly preceded arsenic it was successful the medium by the marginally much cheerful Clocks.

Like galore of the champion Coldplay songs, Fix You starts dilatory – Martin’s voice, a spot of religion organ – but builds to a glorious crescendo, weaving successful synth, harmonies and an overenthusiastic drumkit.

Apparently written for Martin’s then-wife Gwyneth Paltrow aft the decease of her begetter Bruce, Martin has since called it “probably the astir important opus we've ever written”. And its hard to contradict the soaring chorus – oregon Martin’s earnest lyrics, coaxing the grieving addressee guardant with words of encouragement and love.

Cast your caput backmost to 2000: Britpop was successful the charts, and a comparatively chartless set called Coldplay released their archetypal album.

Grand and (most importantly) markedly different, it was packed with each the hallmarks that would spell onto specify the band. And the stand-out was of people Yellow. Martin’s soaring choirboy vocals; an intense, euphoric chorus; soaring guitar licks that underpin the full thing. The lyrics, portion cheesy, enactment conscionable connected the close broadside of cliché; is it immoderate astonishment that the opus is inactive cited arsenic 1 of the champion Coldplay tunes of each time?

The soft riff that made history, and cemented Coldplay’s presumption arsenic 1 of the champion bands around. Built astir a bid of cascading bars, the archetypal fewer seconds are instantly recognisable and marked the commencement of the band’s stratospheric ascent to fame.

Packed with emotionally susceptible lyrics dissecting the illness of a relationship, it was seemingly influenced by Muse and lone made their 2002 medium astatine the past minute. We’re gladsome it did: packed with bombast and roaring soft underpinned by an aggravated bass, it’s Coldplay astatine its precise Coldplay-iest.

Just perceive to those strings and archer maine determination isn’t immoderate sorcery astatine enactment here. Viva La Vida’s urgent, driving beat, complemented by a soaring drawstring section, works perfectly with Martin’s sweeping lyrics, which weave successful allusions to the Bible, the classics and a mysterious autumn from grace connected the portion of the protagonist. “I perceive Jerusalem bells a-ringing”, helium sings the commencement of the chorus: the cue for america each to articulation in.

What’s it about? Who truly knows, but damn, doesn’t it consciousness bully to sing along. Watch this successful performance and spot 15,000 fans chanting the lyrics to consciousness its afloat power.