Music | “Sincerity and sentimentality”: This is how singer Ellinoora and other professionals explain the reasons for Coldplay’s popularity

Coldplay is one of the best-selling and most awarded bands of all time. It makes music that is listened to at home evenings, at parties, on bus trips and of course at gigs, which have already grown into a phenomenon in themselves.

Debut album Parachutes-debut album turned 24 this year. Tenth album Moon Music is scheduled to be released in October of this year.

On Saturday, the band’s tour reaches Finland and Helsinki for the first time.

HS asked three music professionals what makes Coldplay’s music so popular decade after decade.

Ellinora, artist

“About me it is based a lot on the emotional side of people and how they experience music. Some things have such an inexplicable magic factor, thing x, that cannot be explained by reason. And they have pretty good sea etiquette.”

“Coldplay is kind of a popular oddball. It’s been together for a long time – and if you think about the fact that pop music is a constantly changing field and formats and sounds change, the formula for a good song hasn’t changed. The language of music works – it doesn’t matter if the year is 2004 or 2024.”

“If you think about it in a universal way, the characteristics that appear in music are, for example, sincerity and sentimentality. They are things that arouse a lot of emotions in people nowadays. Even though the level of operation is perhaps the most successful in the world, I sense that they are still doing what they want and that resonates with people. They have countless good songs – the catalog is masterful and large.”

Jonas Olsson was chosen as producer of the year 2023. He has worked with, among others, Bessi, the Kuumaa band, Robin and Jannika B. Picture: Pete Aarre-Ahtio / IS

Jonas Olsson, producer (including Bess and Kuumaa)

“I fancy, that one factor is that their music fits many situations in people’s lives. They also have exceptionally good pop melodies.”

“Chris Martin is really charismatic and has a trademark falsetto sound that comes through with a lot of emotion. He has a captivating singing voice. As a band, Coldplay is suitable quite naturally from small gig venues to ice rinks and stadiums.”

“They have reformed many times in their career: from the British pop after-wave they were part of Yellow and Clocks, to stadium pop and from there to edm. They have not only made music themselves, although they know how to make hit songs: they have collaborated with different producers and songwriters.”

PhD researcher Anna-Elena Pääkkölä was already listening to Coldplay before her career focused on popular music. Picture: John Richardson

Anna-Elena Pääkkölä, popular music researcher, Åbo Akademi

“Coldplay is a special band in that it combines both mainstream pop and the sounds of a slightly smaller audience from the post-rock genre in its sound. It refers to a style that uses rock instruments to make music that doesn’t sound like traditional rock. If in rock you play as loud as possible, then in post-rock you also think about the long line and silence.”

“Post-rock is represented by Sigur Rós and Radiohead. There is a culture war over whether Radiohead or Coldplay is better. Radiohead focuses more on the artistic and experimental side. Yes, Coldplay also tries, but not so radically. They know their own brand and sound. They also know what can be done within it without alienating the audience.”

“Coldplay goes in a different direction also in that it takes the sound and takes it to the side of optimism. Post-rock is easily world pain and anxiety, but Coldplay wants to spread a message that believes in a better future and pours hope and joy on people. It appeals to listeners.”