How is Coldplay bigger than Taylor Swift? The answer is simple

How is a band that hasn’t released a great album in more than 20 years bigger than Taylor Swift? For Coldplay, the answer is simple.

COMMENT

When it comes to Coldplay, fans are usually split into two groups: Those who loved their old stuff, and then drifted away. And those who discovered them later to help make them one of the world’s biggest bands.

As you’d expect, the latter group is far far bigger. So I’m sure Chris Martin won’t mind that he’s lost a few indie fans, when he’s picked up millions and millions of new ones.

I sit firmly into the group who love their early stuff. Coldplay’s first two albums were part of a post-Brit Pop era that saw a rise in British bands that didn’t have the attitude of Oasis or the Britishness of Blur, that broke through into America.

They’re fantastic albums that still hold up now. And it’s no surprise that songs from those albums still feature heavily in Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour that’s in Sydney right now.

Chris Martin from Coldplay on stage at Accor Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park for their Music Of The Spheres World Tour concert. Picture: Jonathan Ng

But Coldplay’s albums have hardly got better since Parachutes (2000) and A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002), so how have they gone from a British indie band to one of the biggest in the world?

They have more monthly listeners on Spotify than Taylor Swift, which is hard to believe if you think back to the hype when she toured in February.

They’ve sold out Accor Stadium for four nights - with 70,000 people at each concert - same amount as Taylor had. (To be fair, TayTay would have sold out far more shows if she had wanted).

\Coldplay have sold out four shows at Accor Stadium. Picture: Jonathan Ng

But how?

And this is no slight on Coldplay. Countless bands never match the heights of their early albums. In fact, you could argue all bands get worse as the years go on.

But unlike most bands, Coldplay has gotten bigger and bigger.

How they’ve continued to get bigger could be easily answered by any of the 280,000 people who see Coldplay play in Sydney on this tour (myself included).

Any shortcomings their later material may have is more than made up for by the show they put on.

Lasers, fireworks, light up wristbands, 3D glasses, giant balloons and dancing security guards - there’s no shortage of things to keep you entertained.

Plus Martin has always been a charismatic frontman, who seems to be loving every moment.

It’s a long way from the band I saw at the Hordern 20 odd years ago.

It’s easy for people to slag off Coldplay, the indie band that sold out and did songs with Beyonce, or Rihanna or K-Pop band BTS. But not me.

Their new stuff isn’t for me, but they’ve gained plenty of new adoring fans - with the live show no doubt being a big part of that.

I’m sure Chris won’t mind that he’s lost a few old indie fans like myself along the way.