Top 20 Coldplay Songs
These are the best Coldplay songs of all time! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most iconic tunes by this genre-defying British five-piece.
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00:00Never in all this world, that was when I ruled the world.
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most iconic tunes by the genre-defining British five-piece Coldplay.
00:14The birds go flying at the speed of sound, to show you how it all began.
00:22Number 20. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.
00:25I turn the easy cuff, I got my records on, I shut the world outside until the lights come on.
00:33Perhaps most notable for its springy, elastic guitar riff, Every Teardrop finds Coldplay at their most joyful.
00:39Its infectious vibes are highly contagious, and we can't imagine not leaping to our feet every time the aforementioned riff pops up.
00:45The never ends inside.
00:50Based on Peter Allen's I Go to Rio, and partially inspired by the score of the 2010 Spanish-language film Beautiful,
00:56the song is about persevering in the face of adversity and hardship,
00:59and a welcome reminder that something beautiful can grow even in darkness.
01:03A top ten hit on the UK Singles Chart, Every Teardrop illustrates the band's gift for churning out anthems.
01:09This is a waterfall, it's a waterfall.
01:14Number 19. Charlie Brown.
01:16Stole a key, took a car downtown where the Lost Boys meet.
01:24Compared by Rolling Stone magazine to the anthemic works of U2, Bruce Springsteen, and Arcade Fire,
01:29Charlie Brown bears the distinctive stamp of propulsive 2010s indie rock, while still sounding uniquely like Coldplay.
01:36All the boys, all the girls, all the baddest in the world.
01:42Over a crashing, invigorating instrumental, Chris Martin encourages the song's listeners to live life out loud,
01:48to carpe that diem without abandon.
01:50Simply put, Charlie Brown is one of those songs that makes you feel alive when it comes on shuffle.
01:55The titular cartoon character, who isn't name-dropped in the song, could probably take a page or two from Martin's book.
02:01We'll run wild, we'll be glowing in the dark.
02:10Number 18. Midnight.
02:12Hear the darkness, hear the dawn.
02:18Ever masters of the moody and atmospheric, this promo single from the 2010 album Ghost Stories
02:23takes on a twinkly, starry vibe that's well-suited to its title.
02:27Martin's evocative, heavily-processed vocals are reminiscent of the work of not only Enya,
02:32but Justin Vernon and his band Bon Iver.
02:34Hear the answer, knows from whom.
02:40Over the course of five suspenseful minutes, Midnight builds from a whisper to a rather pleasant, thumping roar.
02:46It is satisfying, but at the same time, leaves the listener wanting more.
02:50Since Coldplay has thought about making a 10-minute version a la Taylor Swift's All Too Well...
03:00Number 17. A Sky Full of Stars.
03:03I don't care if you do.
03:11How many EDM bangers have you heard that name both Katy Perry and Nirvana as influences?
03:16That description probably only applies to A Sky Full of Stars, co-produced by the late Swedish DJ Avicii.
03:23The two artists' creative sensibilities are a shockingly good match that might not seem obvious on paper,
03:28but in execution, feels entirely natural.
03:31Cause you're a sky, cause you're a sky full of stars.
03:37Far from a publicity stunt on Coldplay's part, A Sky Full of Stars deftly combines Coldplay's stirring sentimentality
03:44with Avicii's trademark bombast to thrilling effect, with the latter taking over Chris Martin's piano playing duties on the song.
03:51After Avicii's tragic 2018 passing, this song serves as a fitting tribute to the house music giant's considerable legacy.
03:58Cause you're a sky, you're a sky full of stars.
04:03So never leave me.
04:10Number 16. Sparks.
04:12I drive you away.
04:17Well, I know what you'll say.
04:20As you'll see, the further we go, Coldplay not only does rousing piano ballads to perfection,
04:25they're also masters of cozy, intimate acoustic pieces.
04:29This fan-favorite deep cut is a plainly expressed cry for redemption on Martin's part,
04:33begging a lover to take him back after a deep heartbreak.
04:37I know I was wrong.
04:42But I won't let you down.
04:46Calling to mind the works of the late, great Elliot Smith, the song was almost entirely recorded live,
04:51and captures the band in a completely different mode than what fans are used to.
04:56Not that that's a bad thing. Restraint sounds good on them.
04:59I saw a spark.
05:04Yeah, I saw a spark.
05:08Number 15. Paradise.
05:10When she was just a girl, she expected the world.
05:16A certified smash hit inherently meant to be belted by music festival attendees,
05:21Paradise is Coldplay at their poppiest.
05:23Intended by the band as a winner song for the singing competition reality show The X Factor,
05:28Coldplay drummer Will Champion, well, championed the song,
05:31insisting to Chris Martin that they had a hit on their hands that would be foolish to give away.
05:35Paradise. Paradise.
05:42It's a good thing that Martin clearly respects Champion's opinion.
05:46Paradise became yet another belt notch for the band.
05:49The song reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100,
05:51and was warmly received by critics,
05:53who compared its genre-spanning sound to acts as disparate as Rihanna
05:57and British indie rockers Friendly Fires.
06:00Paradise. Paradise.
06:07Number 14. Let Somebody Go.
06:09Had a kind of love I thought that it would never end.
06:16This collaboration with pop icon and Only Murders in the Building star Selena Gomez
06:20is proof that sometimes we get by with a little help from our friends.
06:24In their nearly 30 years as a band,
06:26Coldplay has never stopped daring to switch up their sound,
06:29as evidenced by this ballad.
06:31All the storms, we weathered everything that we went through.
06:37While it has all the bones of a classic Coldplay song,
06:40low-key piano, an unabashedly sentimental vibe, and Chris Martin's patented falsetto,
06:44it also seamlessly incorporates 21st century pop songwriting and techniques.
06:48Case in point, the American producer Metro Boomin,
06:51better known for his hard-hitting collaborations with rappers like Future and Young Thug,
06:55has a songwriting credit on Let Somebody Go.
06:58It hurts like so, to let somebody go.
07:05Number 13. Strawberry Swing.
07:07We were sitting, we were sitting on the strawberry swing.
07:14This isn't the first example of Coldplay employing world music influences
07:18that will be going over on this list.
07:20However, it's definitely one of the most striking.
07:23If you didn't know this song was by Coldplay,
07:25you might think it was a forgotten Paul Simon or Peter Gabriel tune.
07:33That's due to the song's pronounced African influences,
07:36which Chris Martin has attributed to time spent in Zimbabwe.
07:39The singer's mother hails from there.
07:41Comfortingly nostalgic and heartbreaking in a way that's more felt than spoken,
07:45Strawberry Swing conjures up memories of an idyllic childhood,
07:48as well as the bittersweet realization that we can't go back there.
07:51It's such, it's such a perfect day.
07:58Number 12. God Put a Smile Upon Your Face.
08:01Where do we go, nobody knows.
08:06While Coldplay is perhaps best known for their tear-jerking ballads,
08:09this grunge-tinged, unsettling stomper is a wonderfully welcome exception to the rule.
08:14As per Chris Martin, the band was looking to move their sound in a heavier direction,
08:18influenced by musicians like PJ Harvey and fellow British rock band Muse.
08:31The result of Martin and Coldplay bassist Guy Berryman jamming it out in the studio,
08:36the song also evokes nirvana and early Radiohead
08:39before exploding into classic Coldplay for its chorus,
08:42a deep cut beloved by fans.
08:44God Put a Smile Upon Your Face is a perfect example of the band zigging when you expect them to zag.
09:02Coldplay's dominance of the mid-2000s alternative rock scene was emphasized with this song,
09:07which builds on the 80s influences common in the genre
09:10by interpolating the riff of Computer Love by Kraftwerk.
09:13What results is a dusty, atmospheric barn burner that bears similarities to The Killers,
09:18the band's contemporaries.
09:24Talk most clearly demonstrates, however, Coldplay's ability to wear their influences on their sleeve
09:29without it sounding derivative or reheated.
09:32Stressing the need for communication in an ever-fragmenting society,
09:35Talk is the sound of a rock band simply trying to make sense of it all.
09:40It's not really making any sense at all. It's Talk.
09:51It probably goes without saying at this point that Coldplay is pretty well known for their penchant
09:56for experimenting with their sound.
09:58Arabesque is tangible proof of that.
10:00It somehow combines disparate elements of world music that shouldn't work together,
10:04nor should they sound like Coldplay,
10:06but pulls this off in a way that seems totally effortless.
10:11One of only two singles from the album Everyday Life,
10:16Arabesque could play on pretty much any radio station around the world without sounding out of place.
10:22We challenge you not to get out of your seat and dance once that climactic, hypnotizing crescendo starts up.
10:41The final single from Parachutes, the band's debut album,
10:44proved that they had the goods right from the get-go.
10:47Case in point, Don't Panic is one of Coldplay's earliest written songs,
10:51and it is a clear showcase of all the elements that fans would come to love about the lads.
10:56A subtle but gorgeous guitar line, lightly psychedelic vibes,
11:00and heartfelt lyrics that were allegedly inspired by an awkward date that Martin went on.
11:05We live in a beautiful world.
11:09Interestingly enough, Don't Panic is the rare Coldplay song
11:12that features a lead vocal contribution from someone other than Martin.
11:16In this case, guitarist Johnny Buckland.
11:18It's both too short and the perfect length.
11:21In most places we've grown, all of us are done for.
11:36Leave it to Chris Martin of all people to write the Gen X to Carly Simon's You're So Vain.
11:40Since the song's 2000 release, speculation has endured as to the song's subject,
11:45which Martin has confirmed is indeed about a real person and not a fabrication created for Shiver.
11:58Whatever his inspiration might have been,
12:00the Parachutes single is definitely universal in the themes it tackles,
12:03particularly unrequited love and the pitfalls of modern romance.
12:07As if Martin wasn't bummed out enough in the writing of the song,
12:10he's described it as Coldplay's quote most blatant ripoff song.
12:13In this case, late singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley.
12:16Don't be so hard on yourself, Chris.
12:18We think Shiver would have made Buckley proud.
12:34We will be talking about Yellow a bit more later on,
12:37but after that song's massive global success,
12:40Coldplay was cast with the Herculean effort of trying to follow it up.
12:43With this song, it's pretty clear that they succeeded.
12:46In My Place swaps out the distorted guitars of Yellow
12:49with Will Champion's pounding, instantly memorable drums.
12:53Although those drums come crashing in,
12:55the rest of the band subverts the listeners' expectations
12:58by delivering another yearning, Oasis-esque alt-rock ballad.
13:02Martin's poetic lyrics hint at a relationship that he must salvage through his pleading cries.
13:07It's quite literally classic Coldplay.
13:23The first single from Coldplay's sixth album,
13:26Magic succinctly shows off the band's knack for adapting to the times.
13:30A sweet, deceptively simple ballad with light R&B influences,
13:34Magic burns slowly over the course of five minutes,
13:37drawing the listener in without them ever realizing it.
13:53The song takes all the things we've known the band to excel at over the years
13:57and adjusts them for the 2010s,
13:59serving as a mellow, healing bomb to Coldplay's more dramatic, explosive epics.
14:04Magic draws from every era of their sound,
14:06from the guitar-focused sound of their earlier albums
14:09to the experimental, psychedelic electronics of Viva La Vida.
14:23Speaking of which...
14:33Coldplay's first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100
14:36not only sounded unusual when compared to the band's output at the time,
14:39but compared to anything else on the radio even to this day.
14:43Instead of their usual guitar-based-drums-vocal dynamic,
14:46the song is famously driven by that unforgettable string section riff,
14:50with only minimal contributions from the band's traditional lineup.
15:00Listeners were won over, however, by the band's boldness
15:03and willingness to explore unfamiliar sonic territory.
15:06This is, of course, in addition to the song's epic subject matter,
15:09which Chris Martin has said was inspired by the turbulent life of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.
15:14Take note, rock musicians, taking creative risks pays off.
15:21But that was when I ruled the world.
15:32Has such an iconic rock song ever developed
15:35out of a bunch of dudes just messing around in the studio?
15:37Fittingly inspired by A Beautifully Starry Night,
15:40Chris Martin improvised that now-famous vocal melody.
15:43You know I love you so.
15:45Oh, and this was while doing an impromptu Neil Young impression,
15:49which Martin attributed to the inclusion of the word stars.
15:51According to him, it, quote,
15:53"...seemed like a word you should sing in a Neil Young voice."
15:56Furthermore, Martin has publicly admitted that the word yellow
15:59has no inherent meaning within the song,
16:01and was simply what sounded good at the time.
16:04Powered by Johnny Buckland's churning guitar riff,
16:06yellow arose from inconspicuous origins to help put Coldplay on the map.
16:20Number three, Clocks.
16:28Be honest, the second you heard the title song,
16:31that famous propulsive piano riff immediately started playing in your head.
16:35Clocks serves as an important lesson to listen to your friends slash creative collaborators.
16:39Phil Harvey, the band's manager and officially credited fifth member,
16:43ensured Chris Martin didn't discard the song due to his own dissatisfaction.
16:49Tides go out and I can't be saved
16:52Tides that I tried to swim against
16:55Harvey also contributed the song's outro guitar melody by whistling it to Johnny Buckland,
17:00as Harvey doesn't play the instrument himself.
17:02Reworked and re-recorded just two months before the album's release,
17:06Clocks showcases the band's natural talent for perfectly coordinated emotional build-ups.
17:11Home, home, where I want it
17:17Number two, The Scientist.
17:26Coldplay is renowned for their skill in crafting powerful piano ballads.
17:30An ode to the trials and tribulations that come with becoming close to another person,
17:34The Scientist beautifully details the challenges, both big and small,
17:38that come as part and parcel with love.
17:47Asked to comment on the song's meaning,
17:49Chris Martin explained that despite its expansive sound,
17:52The Scientist was inspired by the all-too-common feeling that despite, quote,
17:56whatever else is on your mind, the thing that always gets you most is when you fancy someone.
18:01Never has being vulnerable and opening your heart to someone sounded like a more appealing choice.
18:06I'm going back to the start
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18:28Number one, Fix You.
18:30When you try your best but you don't succeed
18:36Arguably Coldplay's signature song, Fix You is an emotional roller coaster
18:40with a lifetime's worth of feeling packed into five all-too-brief minutes.
18:44Reportedly inspired by Martin's ex-wife, the Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow,
18:48Fix You resonates with themes of loss and healing.
18:51For context, Gwyneth's father, filmmaker Bruce Paltrow, had passed away three years prior,
18:56just weeks before Martin and Paltrow first met.
18:59Nights will guide you home
19:05While Fix You is straightforwardly about helping someone else to process their grief,
19:09its ringing guitars, plaintive piano, and almost choral harmonies
19:13elevate the song's already moving message into a modern-day hymn.
19:17Fix You implores listeners to, in the wake of tragedy,
19:20get up, shake off the rust, and press on forward.
19:23We're not crying, you are.
19:25I will try to fix you
19:31What's your favorite Coldplay song? Let us know in the comments below.
19:35Yeah, you could be
19:39Someone special
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19:55What's your favorite Coldplay song? Let us know in the comments below.