The U2 vocalist Bono was interviewed by BBC Sounds as part of a series called “Music Uncovered: The Genius of Coldplay“. The musician talked about the band and explained why, in his opinion, they are not a Rock and Roll band.
For the Irish vocalist, they should not be judged by Rock rules, because they are something different, like the Isley Brothers, for example.
Bono explained why Coldplay is not Rock and Roll
Bono first praised the track “Clocks”, from their second studio album “A Rush of Blood To The Head” (2003). “It just sort of sticks to you, tighter than time itself.” Then he started to talk about the band, saying: “I should mention Coldplay are not a rock band. I hope that’s obvious. There is something much more interesting going on there like the Isley Brothers or something. They should not be judged by rock rules. Rage is the river running under most rock formations. Coldplay’s music has a different source, and I think it’s best revealed in this song ‘Clocks,'” Bono said.
Coldplay was formed in London, England in 1997 and they have had the same line-up since 1998. The group is formed by Chris Martin (Vocals, keyboards, piano, guitar, harmonica), Jonny Buckland (Guitar, keyboards), Guy Berryman (Bass, keyboards, synthesizers) and Will Champion (Drums, keyboards, piano, guitar).
Over the decades they became one of the most successful bands in the world, selling an estimated amount of more than 100 million records worldwide. Coldplay have two of the 15 highest-grossing tours of all time as well. Some of their most famous tracks are “Yellow”, “Viva La Vida” and “Sparks”. Their most recent album is “Music of The Spheres”, released in 2021.