http://www.coldplay.com

Since 1998, Coldplay has created heartfelt, passionate music in the stylings of their Britpop predecessors. Chris Martin, Jon Buckland, Will Champion and Guy Berryman met at the University College of London in 1996. All four have been playing music since their early teens. After stealing the band name from a friend before he could use it himself, Coldplay released an EP on their own that year. The next issue, Brothers and Sisters EP, came out on Fierce Panda a year later. Have either of those records? Lucky you - only 500 were pressed.

At their first gig in Manchester, a label scout was in the audience. He was immediately hooked and became a devout fan, along with a writer from the British music mag NME. The push of these two landed the band a deal with UK label Parlophone in 1999. Parlophone put out The Blue Room EP later that year. Critics screamed, "It's the next Travis!!"

Coldplay's first full length album, Parachutes, came out overseas early in the year 2000. It debuted at #1 on the British charts, sold over 70,000 copies the first week out and earned the band a Mercury Music Prize nomination. All these accolades and more equalled a U.S. deal with Nettwerk Records, who released Parachutes domestically in November 2000.