Coldplay are like marmite, whilst some hate it but some love it, I love it! Coldplay that is not marmite that stuff is disgusting.
Every time I mention the name Coldplay to some “music” fans it looks like they either want to vomit on me or that I have just insulted them and their entire family.
Of course being a Coldplay fan I don’t understand the hate they get except for Ghost Stories that album was awful! But today for all you unapologetic Coldplay fans like me this list is for you.
This is our picks for the top ten tracks by Britain’s finest alternative rock band.
10. Yellow
Ah yes Yellow, Coldplay haters will say it sounds like whiney excrement, but I like the “whiney excrement” that is so common in Coldplay’s early tracks.
Taken from their first album Parachutes, Yellow has poetic vocals mixed together with some pretty nice guitar not to dissimilar of other bands of the early 2000s like Travis and Keane. Plus it’s all pinned together with a backing track of violins.
Beautiful stuff and definitely not a song about the colour of piss!
9. Shiver
Track number two from Parachutes, this song much like Yellow merges guitar with poetic melody but the rifts are much heavier than those in Yellow.
Why’s it on the list though if it’s pretty similar to Yellow? One simple answer Guitar Hero World Tour!
Most Coldplay fans known to me have tried like me to sing this record some would have given Chris Martin a run for his money, but some like me would have butchered the track but hey we had fun pretending to be Coldplay’s front man for a bit.
8. Clocks
From Coldplay’s second album ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head’ Clocks is undeniably not just one of the greatest songs Coldplay songs, but one of the best songs by a British band! (Yes I went there)
Whether it’s that hypnotic piano mixed with insatiable guitar riffs or it’s minimalist atmospheric approach, it’s a record to sit back to and just enjoy the experience.
And for all you Coldplay hater’s fun fact this won record of the year at the 2004 Grammys and your going to tell me the Grammys are wrong?
7. A Sky Full of Stars
The only good track from Ghost Stories, this track is redeemable not because of anything Coldplay bring to the track more the genius that was the late Tim Bergling (Avicii).
This is Coldplay’s first Dance track and whilst they don’t suit this particular genre and no club would ever play this record unless it was the end of the night and wanted everyone to leave.
Maybe it’s one for Coldplay fans to put their headphones on and dance in the kitchen pretending you’re in a club.
Lyrically this might be the most Coldplay song ever but as stated it’s from Ghost Stories which is the most forgettable album they’ve made well it’s between Ghost Stories and Everyday Life.
6. Paradise
The song take from Coldplay’s fifth studio album Mylo Xyloto, it continues Coldplay’s departure from what made some of us fall in love with them sounding a little to modern.
The track itself though is classic melody lyrics, however it contained new tricks to freshen it up with boiling strings, rattling synthesizers, and bass-heavy-beats not to disimlar to the successful chart music of the time.
Fun fact about this song, it was originally written for the 2010 X Factor winner however drummer Will Champion convinced Chris Martin that this song should be on the album. Great work Will.
5. Adventure of a Lifetime
The lead single from A Head Full of Dreams (2015) this track charted as high as 7 although it could be argues that it could and probably should have been in the top 5 at the very least.
Whilst much attention for this track will be placed on the music video which some might describe as “excellent” is really just an advert like all music videos in the mid 2010’s for Beats products.
Adventure of a Lifetime was ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as the 41st best song of 2015 although there were only 50 entries so take from that what you will.
4. God Put a Smile Upon Your Face
Coming about because front man Chris Martin wanted a track with a little more bounce on it for live shows, it features on ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head’. This is a track that could have sounded very different.
Initially the band felt there was something off with the track, then basis Guy Berryman started messing around with his bass and he and Christ Martin worked out “the groove” of the track.
The track was well received, heck even NME liked and that’s saying something about how good this tune is.
3. Fix You
The first entry from 'X&Y' commonly referred to as ‘that song everyone has at a funeral’ yes it’s a sad song but the story behind it is very interesting.
Coldplay going for an Elbow sounding track the common story is that the song was written about Chris Martin’s father in law, this assertion is wrong however Bruce Paltrow does have a huge hand in the composition of the track.
The story of the song is that Bruce Paltrow had bought his daughter Gwyneth Paltrow a keyboard before he died that no one had plugged it in, Martin did that and out came Fix You.
It’s a powerful ballad of hope and encouragement in the face of all evidence to the contrary, this is a funeral song however I wouldn’t say it was a sad one.
2. Talk
Reworking the brilliant ‘Computer Love’ by Kraftwerk which is a great tune in itself!
Another entry from 'X&Y', this track like ‘God Put a Smile Upon Your Face’ this record could have sounded very different, with the band initially sceptical about adding it to the album at first. An early version of the track with different lyrics was leaked online and I must say I sort of prefer it. This early version of the song was originally going to be a B side to ‘Speed of Sound’ but they sound very similar lyrically.
Critically praised as having “one of the albums (X&Y) most memorable melodies”. Talk is one of those track that you can roll down the windows of your car and just blare out of the speakers.
1. In My Place
Our pick for the greatest Coldplay track may have never been, originally written for their debut album ‘Parachutes’ the song was left alone.
The band had apparently already completed A Rush of Blood to The Head before the absolute genius that’s guitarist Johnny Buckland started to play the song on his guitar, that was the moment when Chris Martin realised they should record the song.
Critically well received with one critics stating that “it’s a fantastic pop tune that justifies Coldplay’s status as one of the UK’s most exciting bands”. But what makes it so great? The sing along poetic lyrics, the string arrangement, the chiming guitar and so much more.
This track was kept off top spot by Pop Idol’s Darius with ‘Colourblind’ however this was by far the better of the two tracks.
If you haven’t done so do checkout Coldplay’s performance of this song at Glastonbury 2011
That’s our list, what’s your favourite Coldplay track? Leave them in the comments below and remember don’t hate on Coldplay!
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