Battle of the Bands: Coldplay vs. U2
by Nina Rezendes Fauci, March 2022
Known as two of the world’s biggest and most successful bands for over two decades, Coldplay and U2 have gained a massive following through their energetic live shows, down-to-earth band members, and above all else, their music. Each band has its unique discography and sound, and despite how they may compete with one another, Coldplay and U2 are not as different as they may seem.
Coldplay was established in 1996 by frontman Chris Martin and guitarist Jonny Buckland. They met during their freshman orientation as students attending University College London and spent the rest of the year trying to put a band together. Martin and Buckland held auditions for a bassist and drummer to complete their band in Martin’s dorm room, where they met bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion. The four hit it off almost instantly and began playing small gigs at local pubs, going by the outrageous names of Pectoralz and Starfish.
In an early video clip in the band’s documentary “Coldplay: A Head Full Of Dreams”, a young Chris Martin in 1998 is seen naming each band member as saying, “Act of the Coldplay, they’re going to go on to be such a huge band. This will be on national television in four years’ time….We’re going to be so big” (Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams). As the band grew closer and found more success, they decided the band needed a much better name, and Coldplay was born.
In 1998, the band released their first EPs Brothers & Sisters and The Blue Room, both of which contained songs that would make it onto their first major debut album Parachutes in 2000. Since then, Coldplay has sold over 100 million copies of 14 different albums worldwide and won 220 awards with 595 nominations during their entire career to date.
U2 formed as a band in 1976 when drummer Larry Mullen posted an advertisement on a notice board at Mount Temple High School in Dublin, Ireland for anyone interested in forming a rock band. A few days after the ad was posted, Mullen was greeted by bassist Adam Clayton, guitarist Dave “The Edge” Evans, and frontman Paul “Bono” Hewson. From the beginning, it was clear Bono would be the leader of the band. In an early interview, Larry said, “From day one we were all pretty set up in those roles. Even in school, Bono was pretty much that character. He was always the leader, he wanted to be upfront while Dave was always the scientist” (Sweeney).
A year later in 1977, the band got their first gig and played under the name Feedback, and later, The Hype, in the school gym on a makeshift stage made from tables. That same year, the band changed its name a third time, this time to U2. The name was unusual to people with its vague sense of mystery, but the band did this on purpose as a marketing tool to promote themselves.
Not long after finding manager Paul McGuinness, U2 went on to release their first EP single“U2” in 1978 and became the first Irish chart success. Their first serious gig was at a local pub in Dublin where only nine people showed up. Since 1978, U2 has sold 175 million copies of 16 albums worldwide, with 146 awards won and 309 total nominations.
For years, Coldplay has been known for being a band that is not afraid to express intense emotion through their lyrics and instrumentals. Something unique to the band is that every album they release sets the tone for their identity for a few years at a time, known to fans as distinct eras. The eras of the band’s earlier albums like Parachutes (2000), A Rush of Blood to the Head (2003), X&Y (2005), and Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008) are quintessential Coldplay: these albums are composed of heartfelt, slow ballads like “Yellow” and “Don’t Panic” and more traditionally “rock” tracks like “Politik” “Clocks”, “Violet Hill”, and “Speed of Sound”, to name a few. What makes Coldplay unique from other rock bands is that they can pair intense guitar riffs with poetic and soft lyrics. Coldplay isn’t Coldplay without its introspective, gentle sound. After 2008, the band began to experiment using a more electric, pop sound with Mylo Xyloto (2012). In an album review for Pitchfork, Ian Cohen wrote “Mylo Xyloto works because the band once again manages to sound like Coldplay without sounding like any of its previous EPs” (Cohen). Then the band went back to its roots with the heartbreak album Ghost Stories (2014). After 2014, Coldplay’s sound changed once again, this time with a much more colorful, ethereal, and optimistic feel with A Head Full Of Dreams (2017) and Music of the Spheres (2021). Coldplay is a self-proclaimed band to relies more on enthusiasm than talent with a strong sense of who they are as a band. Many see Coldplay as an easy target for relentless criticism. No matter what music Coldplay puts out, they ensure that they stay true to themselves and their sound as a band, which has earned them a loyal fanbase and enough success to play sold-out stadium tours for millions across the world.
In comparison, U2 is much more of a traditional, serious rock band. Their sound is much more mature and appeals to an older audience, given that they met and started playing together twenty years before Coldplay did. Like Coldplay, U2 has gone through phases, but U2’s is much more clearly defined. The U2 from the ‘80s and ‘90s with its undeniably legendary albums like Boy (1980), The Unforgettable Fire (1984), and The Joshua Tree (1987). The album Achtung Baby (1991), has been described as “one of rock’s greatest reinventions because it was so complete.” (Dombal). The band faced negative criticism from albums Zooropa (1993) and Pop (1997) because they were two risky experimental attempts at alternative pop music with help from distorted rhythms that strayed so far from U2’s usual sound. U2 cooled down a bit and went back to their usual sound with albums like All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000), How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004), and No Line on the Horizon (2009). These albums contain some of U2’s best songs: “Beautiful Day”, “Magnificent”, “City of Blinding Lights”, and “Elevation”. After this, U2 took a long hiatus and returned with albums Songs of Innocence (2014) and Songs of Experience (2017). These two albums are U2’s most modern and sound very different than earlier releases due to more electric production, however,
like Coldplay, U2 never strays too far from its quintessential sound as one of history’s greatest rock bands. Coldplay and U2 can both confidently say that the quality of their live music and vocals matches, if not succeeds, their performances in the studio. In the music industry, this is hard to come by thanks to autotune and backing tracks. While Coldplay’s tracks are more piano-driven, with better melodies and harmonies in the vocals, U2 is more guitar-driven and has better use of creativity with riffs and instrumentals. Both bands have a lyrical, poetic finesse evident in almost every single track from the band, using themes and symbols of religion, politics, love, death, family, heartbreak, anger, happiness, and sadness to describe real events and feelings. Coldplay has admitted that “the Irish rock band [U2] is another important influence on Martin, both musically and politically” (Manaswita), which can be heard in many of Coldplay’s albums, and makes sense because Coldplay is a younger band in the same genre as U2. Additionally, Coldplay and U2 are extremely philanthropic, giving many of their earnings back to charity, and often speak and advocate for ongoing social changes in and out of the studio. Perhaps the most ironic similarity between Coldplay and U2 is that both had no intention of becoming as famous or successful as they are today. Yet, the bands are in a world where they will be remembered as the most influential, authentically talented bands in rock music history.
Works Cited
Cohen, Ian. “Coldplay: Mylo Xyloto”. Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2011,
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15953-mylo-xyloto/
Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams. Directed By Mat Whitecross, performances by Rael Jones,
Coldplay, Trafalgar Releasing, 2018.
Dombal, Ryan. “U2: Achtung Baby [Super Deluxe Edition]”. Pitchfork, 9 Nov. 2011,
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16022-achtung-baby-super-deluxe-edition/
---. “Coldplay: Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends”. Pitchfork, 16 June 2008,
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11621-viva-la-vida-or-death-and-all-his-friends/
Manaswita, Mahan. “Coldplay & Linkin Park’s Sentiment Analysis – Part I”. Medium, 23 Apr.
2019, https://medium.com/@manasm/coldplay-linkin-parks-sentiment-analysis-part-i-
cf742b4568b0
Sweeney, Ken. “U2 The Story Part 1 1976-1980”. The Irish Sun, 19 Jul. 2017,
https://www.thesun.ie/tvandshowbiz/music/227428/u2-the-story-part-1-how-it-began-
ahead-croke-park-joshua-tree-show/
