Coldplay jumped into the British alternative rock scene in 1996, inspired by bands such as R.E.M, Radiohead and U2. Their international breakthrough would come in 2000 with their first studio album, Parachutes, which became an instant classic. Throughout their 20-year long career, the British band has graced us with a good amount of great tracks, but not all of them made it to the top of the charts. Here are our top 9 most underrated Coldplay songs!
Number Nine: Atlas
Atlas fell in the unjust land of forgotten movie soundtracks. We all loved it when The Hunger Games: Catching Fire came out in 2013, and simply disregarded it afterwards. The exquisite slow piano build-up (which carried us back to their Parachutes origins) earned it a spot on this list.
Number Eight: Lost
Often regarded as one of Coldplay’s worst tracks ever, we actually think it’s not that bad. It might not be the most outstanding attempt at thought-provoking wordplay/song-writing (“Just because I’m hurting doesn’t mean I’m hurt”? Really, Chris? Really?) but the beat is pretty catchy, so we’ll give it a thumbs up.
Number Seven: Animals
Does anyone even remember this song? It’s not surprising since it doesn’t appear on any official studio albums. “Animals” was issued as a b-side for “Clocks.” If it were up to us, however, we would definitely squeeze it into the album somehow.
Number Six: Warning Sign
The ultimate post break-up song; “Warning Sign” was released as part of Coldplay’s 2002 album A Rush of Blood to the Head. Totally overshadowed by the hit singles “Clocks,” and “The Scientist,” “Warning Sign” went somehow unnoticed. The band hardly ever plays it live, but it’s one of the most cherished songs by their fans—especially the ones who are heartbroken.
Number Five: Amsterdam
The poignant piano ballad, also from A Rush of Blood to the Head, provides a flawless, dramatic ending to the album with Chris Martin’s sweet, high-pitched, sentimental voice. Fans do love it, but it remains an obscure gem to those who are not very familiarized with the British ensemble.
Number Four: We Never Change
“We Never Change” follows the style and pattern of the songs we have previously discussed: soft, slow, piano-charged, and heavy on falsetto vocals. It’s often skipped and neglected by the band itself, but we just love it.
Number Three: A Message
“A Message” is, possibly, the most Coldplay-ish song in X&Y. Coming right after the much faster (and better marketed) hit track “Speed of Sound” in the album, most people feel like “A Message” never really takes off. As much as we understand the complaints, it´s still a very nice, depressing song. And we are all about nice, depressing songs.
Number Two: One of the Most Underrated Coldplay Songs – Always in My Head
The band’s last album is nothing like anything they have ever done before. With a downbeat vibe and light electronic touches (borrowed from their previous album), Ghost Stories appears to be a transitioning work. “You’re Always in My Head” feels just like taking a glimpse into Martin’s aching soul after “consciously uncoupling” Gwyneth Paltrow. And it’s a beautiful song!
Number One: A Rush of Blood to the Head
You´d think that sharing a name with the album in which it is contained, the song would be quite popular—but it really isn´t. As simple and modest as it is, “A Rush of Blood to the Head” is actually one of the most beautiful, powerful and dramatic tracks Coldplay has ever released. Simply extraordinary. Thanks for reading!