Bono thinks Coldplay is not a rock band.
During a recent episode of BBC Sounds’ eight-part series ‘Music Uncovered: The Genius of Coldplay,’ U2’s lead singer told the following about Coldplay:
“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.”
According to the rocker, Coldplay’s music is not about typical rock standards:
“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 Spoke About Coldplay And ‘Clocks’ Before
The song is from Coldplay’s album ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head,’ which won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album the next year. Bono loved ‘Clocks.’ He said he felt it was the best song around at the time. The vocalist’s fondness for Coldplay is not new. When he turned 60 in 2020, he made a playlist of his 60 favorite songs ever, calling them the ones that ‘saved my life.’ ‘Clocks.’ was one of the songs he picked. He also wrote a letter to the band:
“You’re unspeakably great here. I could have chosen ‘Yellow’ as I like the folky roots of your first album ‘Parachutes.’ I could have chosen ‘Viva La Vida’ which is a great lyric about why England never had a revolution like France or wherever (I’d say it was the tea drinking… coffee would have done it.).”
Then he reflected on ‘Clocks’:
“I chose ‘Clocks’ because I can hold onto it tighter than time… I think it might hold onto me. ‘Clocks’ arrived in the nick of time with its Phillip Glass-type arpeggiation and ecstatic exhortation… I just punched the air in a manly, but not aggressive way.”
Coldplay will headline Glastonbury this year, making it their fifth time at the festival. Fans are unsure about the band’s future since Chris Martin said they’d stop making music by 2025. Coldplay added more dates to their Music of the Spheres Tour until 2024. It starts on June 8 in Athens, Greece, and goes to Rome, Dublin, Vienna, and Auckland, New Zealand. It ends on November 16.