Coldplay Albums Ranked

With a new album on the horizon (possibly their last) and after just smashing a humongous set at Glastonbury headlining for the fifth time here are my Coldplay album rankings! 

 

10) Ghost Stories - 2014 Paul Epworth, Dan Green, Rik Simpson

I'd imagine it isn't a surprise that Ghost Stories is at the bottom of my list. Sandwiched in-between Mylo Xyloto and A Head Full Of Dreams it sits weirdly within the bands discography at a time they were creating records that are defiantly more upbeat and leaning towards pop. Rumoured to be a break up album, perhaps I'm being a little harsh here but maybe it should of been a solo project? There's electronica influences here especially with the track Midnight plus lead singles A Sky Full Of Stars and Magic are solid tunes that still get performed live but on the whole this album lacks enough good tracks for it to be any further up my list.  

 9) Music For The Spheres - 2021 Max Martin, Oscar Holter and many, many more

On first listen I really, really didn't like this record. Where have MY Coldplay gone? The four piece guitar band that took the music world by storm in the early noughties. These album just feels so manufactured, so overly produced, so poppy and it's like Chris Martin is just lending his vocals so any DJ that's willing to lay down a backing track! I get that bands progress and change their style and sound. The Beatles are a obvious one and in recent times the Arctic Monkeys (a new sound that I've been able to get on board with) and I DO like change and bands to take different directions which Coldplay have done successfully on other records but for me this kind of sound is just a genre too far. I'm not saying I don't enjoy parts of this record. Higher Power is a very catchy radio friendly track that I'd imagine is great live and I enjoyed Human Kind but on the whole this isn't the kind of album I want to hear from Coldplay. 

8) Moon Music - 2024 Bill Rahko & many more

Coldplay's tenth and final (?) album dropped last Friday October 4th and I have to say I'm not particularly impressed. In fact on first listen I got bored! I know we are in a era of collaborations I just feel like every song the band are putting out now either has a rapper or a guest producer on which makes for the album as a whole to become somewhat disjointed. Don't get me wrong there are some good tracks here. Jupiter is interesting and on second listen I really enjoyed while All My Love is rather quite beautiful I just feel the band are trying so hard to be something they're not. Take this as a concept album? Brilliant, but are they really finishing we this?! Maybe I'm just a stick in the mud preferring their older classic indie stuff but I'd just love to hear one more record without drum machines, synths, rappers, fade in and outs and just four very talented musicians playing their instruments. This record although not bad is just too much at times and I've not doubt the songs will sound great live I just feel like the band have gone so far down the pop route they've lost their identity. 

7) X&Y - 2005 Danton Supple, Ken Nelson

If you're surprised that X&Y is so far down my ranking then join the club. It's been a while since I properly listened to it and I assumed it would be in and around the top four but the trouble is it's just not that good of a album. Even though it's only got twelve tracks it feels very laborious, maybe because of the double album thing and only really has a couple of tracks in the middle section of the record that stand out. There defiantly should of been some fat trimming here to create a more rounded album that doesn't get lost towards the back end, quality over quantity. The band have taken a different turn musically on this record, moving on from the nerdy indie vibes of the first two with heavy organs at the start of Square One and the iconic Fix You while the excellent Talk showcases Jonny Buckland's guitar skills. As a album in my eyes it's not well rounded enough and even though some of my favourite Coldplay songs are on here there's still way too much filler.  

6) Mylo Xyloto - 2011 Markus Dravs, Dan Green, Rik Simpson

This was the record where Coldplay took musically their biggest steps. Moving out of the Viva La Vida era Chris Martin was starting to write songs that he knew would be sung within massive arena's around the world and I believe he started writing to encompass this. Tracks like Paradise and Charlie Brown were probably their most commercially radio friendly tunes to date (perhaps apart from Yellow) and a cameo from Rhianna in the excellent Princess of China really put Coldplay on the map with a different genre of fans. Brian Eno's influence on this record is not to be understated but again I feel like the album needs trimming, there's a lot of filler here and it somewhat loses it's focus towards the end of the record. I saw Coldplay live for the first time while they were touring this they were superb. Still nailing the older tracks whilst the more recent ones were a breath of fresh air within the setlist. 

5) Everyday Life - 2019 Rik Simpson, Dan Green and many more

Probably the bands most experimental record which starts of really strong and unfortunately fades away towards the end. Again maybe a album that's too long? It sits strangely in their discography between A Head Full Of Dreams and  Music of The Spheres two records that are leaning towards the more pop/dance genre. This album would logically come after MX. The album opens with beautiful orchestral piece Sunrise. I'm a big fan of instrumental tracks on albums as I feel it helps set the tone and it turn takes us on a journey that isn't complicated or confused by lyrics. Trouble in Town a gritty, snarly track that soundtracks a fake (?) police interrogation. This is clearly Martin's way of trying to figure out a world that's become dirtier, and crueller under a Trump regime. If only he knew what was to come? Broken my favourite track of the record pairs Martin's falsetto with a beautiful gospel choir like they were made for each other while the trumpet instrumental in Arabesque wins my vote for coolest part of this diverse interesting record. 

4) Parachutes - 2000 Chris Allison, Ken Nelson

The debut album seems a lifetime ago but this is where it all started for the band. Looking back on some reviews the record didn't go down massively well with critics but there was enough substance here for people to take interest in this new indie band from London. This record encapsulates the early noughties for me and brings to mind some of the other bands that were around at the time like Snow Patrol and Travis, kind of middle of the road stuff and that's where I think this album is if I'm being honest as I don't think it's aged well. On a recent listen most tracks are ok, Shiver is a stand out on the early part of the album and of course Yellow is one of those tunes that will never, ever die but apart from that it's pretty easy to go through this record nonchalantly without getting over excited. It's fair enough for a debut it's solid and obviously we've found out there's much more to come from the band I just think I admire this record for what it is but it's not as astounding as it was maybe twenty years ago. Everything's Not Lost is a great finisher, possibly their strongest of all albums but unfortunately Parachutes doesn't quite do enough to enter my top three. 

3) A Head Full Of Dreams - 2015 Rik Simpson

Are Coldplay now a pop band? Music of the Spheres definitely felt more pop/dance then anything else they've ever done and collaborations with The Chainsmokers and Selena Gomez suggest the same. A Head Full Of Dreams came four years after Mylo Xyloto and it kind of feels like it's big brother in many way. As I talked about previously I feel like CM and the band changed how they made records after Viva La Vida. Everything feels bigger and brighter. Production, lyrics, even the album title suggests something infinite. They knew they'd be playing big arenas and upped the anti with their tour production and lighting etc so it's only fitting they produce a record that can replicate that. Where I can't abide Music of the Spheres I really, really love this record. It's so feel good, so summer (why was it released in December?) and so vibrantly colourful. Up and Up and Fun are right up there with my favourite Coldplay songs while the title track and Hymn for the Weekend are deservedly still played live to abundance of applause and cheering. This is how you do indie pop.   

2) Viva La Vida - 2008 Brian Eno, Markus Dravs, Jon Hopkins, Rik Simpson

This record was so close to being my number one. I'll never forget being a 18 year old student working my summer job in Next air drumming to Will Champion's big beats from the title track Viva La Vida. Musically this is miles ahead of it's predecessor X&Y. It's experimental within it's own right, the lingering, haunting organ on Lost for example, continuous throughout creating a sense of dread, of war which is a big theme within this album. Whilst experimental the band still keep their structured, sturdy melodies evident in the title track and other single Violet Hill. I think at the time of release this record was a brave move in direction for the band. There's probably only two tracks that are radio friendly but the presence of Brian Eno is noticeable with the album structure and quality. Viva La Vida moved Coldplay from "that moody indie band" into a collective that are capable of creating records that are thought provoking, dynamic and expansive.  

1) A Rush Of Blood To The Head - 2002 Ken Nelson

A Rush Of Blood To The Head has been and will always be one of my favourite ever records. The band got themselves a bit of a reputation for being a tad dreary, something that they've almost gone out of their way to amend in later years but for me this record is very close to perfect to me THIS is Coldplay. There's nothing too OTT here just the four guys playing their instruments and Chris Martin's falsetto range is at it's finest. Following up Parachutes was a tall order but not only did they refine their sound they matured as a band both musically and lyrically cementing themselves as one of the biggest bands in the world. Almost twenty five years later the melody of The Scientist is still now instantly recognisable as is Clocks. Numerous tracks from the record have been used in movie soundtracks including the haunting Warning Sign and In My Place. I've enjoyed numerous Coldplay records over the years but A Rush Of Blood To The Head  is a beautiful, wholesome organic album that encapsulates everything I love about the band. 

Believe it or not it's so, so hard to rank these records. There's clearly a couple I'm not favourable of but the rest all have their special unique qualities. I'd like to give a special shout out Christmas Lights which is a absolute staple in my house around Christmas time and is an amazing single! Please let me know your thoughts, conversation is good and of course I hope and expect people to disagree with my opinions - that's what life's about but please be respectful. All the best

AB