Coldplay\u00a0are a British\u00a0rock\u00a0band formed in London in 1996. They consist of vocalist and pianist\u00a0Chris Martin, guitarist\u00a0Jonny Buckland, bassist\u00a0Guy Berryman, drummer\u00a0Will Champion\u00a0and creative director\u00a0Phil Harvey.\u00a0They met at\u00a0University College London\u00a0and began playing music together from 1996 to 1998, first calling themselves Pectoralz and then Starfish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After releasing\u00a0Safety EP<\/em>\u00a0independently in 1998, the band signed with\u00a0Parlophone\u00a0during the next year. Their debut album,\u00a0Parachutes<\/em>\u00a0(2000), included the breakthrough hit \u00ab\u00a0Yellow\u00a0\u00bb and received a\u00a0Brit Award for British Album of the Year, a\u00a0Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, as well as a\u00a0Mercury Prize\u00a0nomination. Their second album,\u00a0A Rush of Blood to the Head<\/em>\u00a0(2002), won the same accolades while also spawning the singles \u00ab\u00a0Clocks\u00a0\u00bb and \u00ab\u00a0The Scientist\u00a0\u00bb, with the former winning a\u00a0Grammy Award for Record of the Year. The band’s third album,\u00a0X&Y<\/em>\u00a0(2005), was the\u00a0best-selling of the year\u00a0worldwide, topping the charts of over 30 countries. On\u00a0Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends<\/em>\u00a0(2008), Coldplay achieved the distinction once again and explored new musical territory following the completion of what they considered a trilogy. It earned them a\u00a0Grammy Award for Best Rock Album\u00a0and their first\u00a0Album of the Year\u00a0nomination, while title track \u00ab\u00a0Viva la Vida\u00a0\u00bb marked the first time a British group went number-one in both the United Kingdom and United States in the 21st century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n