Love Them or Hate Them, enough people loved them for this page.
Safety
- "Easy to Please"
, from their second ever public release (an EP by the name Brothers & Sisters) may well be the most beautiful song they've ever done.
- "Sparks" is both truly depressing and beautiful.
- Some hold that there is no better Coldplay track than "Everything's Not Lost", an almost jazz like song with great falsetto.
- "Shiver" comes a close second to "Everything's Not Lost," with an outstanding guitar part and a beautiful melody.
- "Yellow", as it (deservedly) is the song that first brought the band to world recognition. The crunching guitar riff also fits in the song well.
- "Don't Panic". The lyrics are kind of sad, but it's done in a way that makes it a beautiful song nonetheless.
- "Clocks" has a catchy, dreamy piano riff, a bouncing beat to go along with it, and a strange mix of electrifying energy and entrancing peacefulness that just makes it amazing.
- "The Scientist", a melancholy, introspective piano ballad. It's wonderful right from the beginning, but it only gets better as it gradually introduces some lovely strings, uplifting guitar, and finally, bright distorted guitar. The end result is just beautiful.
- "Amsterdam" can be used for a pick-me-up whenever stuff gets real. As long as you ignore the lyrics.
- "God Put a Smile on Your Face". Guaranteed to get your head nodding, or your toes tapping, or something.The live remix mashes it up with "Talk", adds some dance elements, and pretty much pushes the whole thing up to eleven. There's also the other live remix they played for the Unstaged concert, and at some others, which adds a slow, beautiful intro, speeds up the tempo and dials up the song's general intensity, and most awesomely of all, adds an insane, off-the-wall guitar solo at the end.
- "A Rush of Blood to the Head" is a quiet-awesome type of song. In a way, it's the sound of self-justified madness.
- "Warning Sign" is awesome and the final lines just stay in your head.
- "In My Place". Especially the intro. It even gets away with ripping off Ride, because that beat is so fat.
- "Politik", likely the fastest, hardest track Coldplay's ever done. It's bursting with energy from the start, which is contrasted well with still, quiet verses. Then, in the last verse, the chords change and take a touching turn, Chris sings a beautiful melody, and it erupts one last time into an epic, emotional finale. It might be even better live, when Chris joins in with the second half of the outro, adding a beautiful falsetto line in.
- "Green Eyes". Sometimes, Coldplay doesn't need unusual instruments or fancy time signatures to be awesome. Sometimes, it just needs gentle acoustic guitar, Chris's crooning voice, and sweet lyrics expressing Chris's love for Gwyneth Paltrow.
- "Speed of Sound" might be very similar to "Clocks" off the last album, but if anything it brings even more energy and wistfulness to the board, making the song possibly even better.
- "Fix You" will make anyone want to cry. And if it by some miracle doesn't, listen to this incredible rendition by an old man. A dying old man. You'll never hear this song again without tearing up.
- The frequently ignored "Twisted Logic" has one of their most absurd and yet most brilliant lyrics, backed up by instrumentals that will make you shiver inside.
- "White Shadows" is an unusually bombastic song with a great guitar part and a strong message about the shallowness of commercial culture.
- The B-side to "Speed of Sound", "Things I Don't Understand".
- "Talk". A space-rock tune with a riff borrowed from one of Kraftwerk's best tunes?note Totally awesome. Its B-side, "Sleeping Sun", is worth a mention too.
- "What If" has a great melody that starts with sad piano and Chris's impressive falsetto before getting more intense in the chorus.
- Another hidden closer track, the sweetly melancholic "Til Kingdom Come" starts with just Chris and an acoustic guitar, but the when piano and organ hit in the chorus, it's surprisingly soaring for such a stripped down song.
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
- "Viva La Vida" is a great standout, with an insanely catchy chorus, a gorgeous string arrangement that varies from tense and hushed to huge-sounding and dramatic, and one of Chris Martin's most beautiful vocal performances.
- It's even better live, especially with the guaranteed Moment of Awesome of the crowd joining in during the last chorus.
- Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends is probably the most magical thing Coldplay created.
- It's even better live
- "Yes", a dark, dissonant and almost Middle Eastern-sounding number with lots of strange time-signature changes (in likely tribute to the band of the same name).
- "Cemeteries of London", the album's first vocal track, is an unorthodox but enchanting mix of rock, electronic production (courtesy of Brian Eno) and medieval-sounding melodies. Also, like a surprising number of the album's tracks, it has a great guitar solo.
- "Violet Hill" is a stomping, roaring anti-war anthem and one of Coldplay's heaviest tracks. It's got a really hard-hitting groove, lots of layers of fuzzed-out guitars, and the eerie final chorus lends the whole song a tragic edge.
- "Life in Technicolor" is a beautiful way to start the album, making great use of Jon Hopkins' "Light Through the Veins" before segueing into the sitar-tinged instrumental.
- "Lovers in Japan" does not get nearly enough love for what an upbeat, catchy pop song it is. Probably doesn't help that is was overshadowed by "Viva la Vida".
- "Reign of Love", the "part 2" of "Lovers in Japan", is also beautiful to the point where you start wondering why it doesn't get its own track on the album.
- "Lost!" has earth-shaking African-style drums, an epic church organ riff, a powerful guitar solo, and very passionate singing.
- "Death and All His Friends", the other title track. It's far less famous and much quieter than "Viva la Vida", but the melody in the first part is dreamy and beautiful, and the ending is dramatic, inspiring and a truly satisfying way to end the album.
Prospekt's March
- "Life in Technicolor II" and its hilarious video. The mix everyone really wants: "The Escapist" dissolving right into Life I/II. "This is how it should be." And should it ever.
- "Glass of Water" is possibly the most complex song Coldplay has ever made, with a 7/4 time signature in the chorus. It also has great singing from Chris and a strong message about focusing on the positive things in life.
- "Rainy Day" has a fantastic violin part.
- Take the already awesome song "Lost!", and imagine Jay-Z rapping over it. Sounds unlikely, right? Check out "Lost+".
- You may not recognize "Spanish Rain", which is okay, because it wasn't on the final release of the album. This needs to change.
- "Charlie Brown". Quite possibly the most Epic Riff in a discography full of them. It was already being used in British advertising before the album was even released.
- "Paradise", to the point that it's became an Audience Participation Song before the release. It also goes really well with Life of Pi to the point that one commentator called the trailer "the best music video that Coldplay has ever done".
- "Don't Let It Break Your Heart" is one of the most whimsical beautiful songs ever.
- "Us Against the World". Just. All the feelings.
- "Princess of China". That song is EPIC, once you get past the pop (over)production, it's frickin' awesome. The acoustic version that appears on the Princess of China EP is SUBLIME.
- "Mylo Xyloto"/"Hurts Like Heaven". Yes, it's necessary to listen to the leading Title Track first; it's a gorgeous beginning that hints to a bygone time of innocence, then "WHAM!" comes "Hurts Like Heaven".
- "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall". The sheer joyous and incredibly happy mood of the song alone cements this as an amazing song from Coldplay. It's impossible to not at least tap your foot to. "Moving to Mars", its B-side, is also a thing of beauty.
- "A Sky Full of Stars" is an awesome EDM-inspired climax to an album that's otherwise very low-key and calm.
- "Midnight" is a straight-up ambient pop song, and commits fully to creating a serene atmosphere with its lush electronics and Chris' soft, Bon Iver-esque vocoded vocals meshing perfectly.
- "Fly On" is absolutely beautiful. It's a softer piano piece, with quieter vocals and a gorgeous melody, and it's a perfect song to end the album with.
- The hidden track "O" is no slouch either. It's an absolutely gorgeous ambient track with choral warblings and lead vocals by Chris' own children that are reverberated to give off an eerily beautiful ghost effect.
- "Another's Arms", with its swaying synths and trip hop-like beat. The start of the song is amazing by itself, led by piano with female singing on top of it.
- The opening Title Track is an overwhelmingly epic dance anthem, and the way Chris shouts "A HEAD FULL! A HEAD FULL OF DREAMS!" at the end of the chorus is quite relieving.
- "Birds" is their fastest-paced song since "Hurts Like Heaven", and is every bit as intense.
- "Adventure of a Lifetime". That guitar riff alone has set a new standard for this band's composition skills.
- The opening lick on "Fun" has this atmospheric feel to it.
- "Amazing Day". Leave it to Coldplay to write an EDM ballad in 6/8.
- "Up&Up", their most upbeat album closer since "Death & All His Friends", featuring an awesome guitar solo from Noel Gallagher.
- "Everglow" is a slow, emotional, and utterly beautiful ballad about losing someone you love, striking just the right balance between heartbreaking and heartwarming. The single version dials up the beauty a notch by removing the percussion and synths, lending the song a bit of simplicity.
- "Hymn for the Weekend", featuring Beyoncé is quite the majestic song.
- "Arabesque" is a heartwarming call for unity between the West and the Islamic world enhanced by Arab-style percussion, saxophones, and unusually angry signing by Chris.
- "Guns" is short and sweet at a little under two minutes. A guitar-led track with powerful vocals by Chris once more. Being a political song, you can feel the fiery passion coming from Chris.
- "Coloratura" is a whopping 10 minutes long and is the longest song in Coldplay's discography to date. It's an immersive piano-led prog-rock anthem and it will take you on a journey. And don't forget the epic guitar solo in the middle.
- "People of the Pride" is one of Coldplay's hardest songs, with an infectious beat and an epic guitar lick in the chorus.
- "Human Heart", a collaboration with Jacob Collier, is a beautiful, largely acapella ballad with excellent harmonies and a great use of reverb effects.
Other
- LeftRightLeftRightLeft, the free live album formerly available on the Coldplay website can make any fan happy. In some of the songs, the audience's clapping becomes a part of the song.
- "Christmas Lights," the band's 2010 Christmas single, is utterly beautiful, and the music video features, among other things, Elvis impersonators playing violins, a self-playing piano, fireworks, and fish puppets. Hell, this song is the musical equivalent of An Ass-Kicking Christmas. Bravo, Coldplay.
- May 4, 2012: The band pays tribute to Beastie Boys member Adam "MCA" Yauch by performing "Fight for Your Right".
- "Ladder to the Sun", an unreleased track that was performed live throughout the "Rush of Blood to the Head" Tour. Damn shame too, it's such a beautiful song, hitting all the feelings of love, loss and longing.
- "Atlas", written for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. A long, tantalizing build-up that climaxes midway through into an epic orchestral theme.
- July 2016: Michael J. Fox shows up to play "Earth Angel" and "Johnny B. Goode" with the band.
