I was thinking the other day how much the music of Coldplay has been synoymous with the current decade.

 

Not just in the sense of the band's huge commercial success and critical acclaim, but how much the songs reflected the mood of the moment.

 

For me, I look at the songs Yellow (the song that got me hooked on their music) to Viva La Vida (the song that made me a real fan) as bookends for the current decade:

 

Yellow, 2000: start of the decade. An optimistic, upbeat song that reflected the mood of the year 2000. Everyone was so optimistic about the new Millenium, the song really reflected the prevelant mood at the time and our aspirations for the future. Coldplay were new, young, fresh and upbeat, just like the shiny new decade.

 

Viva La Vida, 2008 - a deeply melanchony song about analysis of a past life, a great loss, and a kingdom based upon deceit. It reflected the mood of the world too: we'd been lied to by our leaders - we had a kingdom (an economic boom) based on "pillars of sand" (debt) and we know that "St Peter won't call" their names

 

Perhaps unwittingly or deliberately, or skillfully, Coldplay's songs captured or reflected the mood at the time.

Interesting thought..... :thinking:

I like your argument, but I think Radiohead's music reflect the mood of the 2000's even more. The paranoid confusion of the electronic Kid A perfectly reflected the world's insecurity about the new millenium (and the shift into the digital age)

Hail to the Theif's angst and sadness and political undertones really reflected post-9/11 America.

I like your argument, but I think Radiohead's music reflect the mood of the 2000's even more. The paranoid confusion of the electronic Kid A perfectly reflected the world's insecurity about the new millenium (and the shift into the digital age)

Hail to the Theif's angst and sadness and political undertones really reflected post-9/11 America.

 

Yeah, I never thought it about it from Radiohead's point of view.. then again they seem paranoid then (2000) and paranoid still