Big hits for Coldplay

600,000 downloads in the first 24 hours

30 April 2008 - Despite a few initial hitches on their website, Coldplay's new single has been downloaded more than half a million times.
 
Violet Hill is the first track to be taken from their new album Viva La Vida, and that figure is only for the first 24 hours.

HMV's Genarro Castaldo says it'll go a long way to help shifting the album when it comes out next month:

"It's just good old fashioned promotion really, 'cos if 600,000 people have downloaded the track that's 600,000 people that know there's an album on the way, and have a good sense of what it sounds like already."

"It's just good old fashioned promotion really."
Genarro Castaldo, HMV

La Vida or Death And All His Friends is released in the UK on 12 June, and if the Radiohead In Rainbows example is anything to go by this will work well for Chris Martin and Co.

The band revealed another live date this week, and as well as London's Brixton Academty on 16 June, and New York on 23 June, they will play Barcelona as well, though no word yet on when.

Violet Hill is still available to donwload until next week from their official website.

Jo Youle