Coldplay's first

The band reach the top of the singles chart for the first time ever

23 June 2008 - It is official, Coldplay have claimed two number one positions in the charts for their new single Viva La Vida and their fourth studio album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends .

Despite the band’s history of four number one albums this is the first time that they have had a number one single in the UK.

Their success was also measured with the single reaching the top spot on download sales alone.  It is also the first time the band have reached number one with the single and album at the same time.

Released today by The Official Charts Company, this news makes Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends the band’s fastest selling album ever.

HMV's Gennaro Castaldo says the reason they have not had a number one before is because they are not a singles band.

He told 6 Music: “Many people would probably imagine that for such a big band they will already have had number one singles but in truth they’ve never had them. All their albums have gone to the top of the charts and they are really an albums band, that’s how most people tend to enjoy and access their music.”

Castaldo went on to say that this proves how much downloads are increasingly shaping the charts as well as highlighting the impact Coldplay’s new album has been having since its release.

“But I guess this time around there has been such an impact of Viva La Vida and of course a lot of people are downloading individual tracks from the album that it has actually been able to get that single out to the top of the charts even though it’s not actually out in physical form.”

"Many people would imagine that they will already have had number one singles but in truth they’ve never had them."
HMV's Gennaro Castaldo

Castaldo explained why it may come as a surprise that this is the band’s first number one single.

“You think of brilliant songs like Speed Of Sound and you think, ‘that’s bound to have been number one,’ but sometimes they’re just up against other tracks which are even more singles orientated and will always get to the top of the charts,” he said, “so possibly they’ve been a little bit unlucky with the timing on some of their releases in the past.”

Giving the first single away for free meant that Violet Hill was not counted in the charts despite being downloaded by in excess of two million people.

Castaldo explained: “Most of us would also have thought that when Violet Hill was released recently as a download that that would have gone in at number one but of course it was a free download which meant that it was disqualified from the charts.

“So technically they’d never had a number one single - but they now do.”

Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends is now in its second week at the top and has also been certified double platinum by the BPI.


Georgie Rogers