YO GUYS, you're not going to believe this one because Chris Martin — yeah, Coldplay Martin — has admitted that A-ha is a major influence on his songwriting! He grew up listening to both bands and said their synth textures and melodic sensibility shaped songs like "Fix You," "Run," and "The Scientist." The overlap isn't obvious at first listen but when you hear it, the melancholic ballad energy in Coldplay's biggest hits clearly descends from A-ha's 80s pop aesthetic. He even played one of their tracks live on stage — which is wild to think about!
Beyond just a passing comment, this shows how much modern rock owes to earlier synth-pop pioneers. Martin has been vocal about his admiration for the band over the years and credits them with helping define Coldplay's sound in ways that aren't immediately apparent. It's not copycatting; it's building on something beautiful from another era, which is exactly why these connections matter to me as a music fan. They keep the conversation going across generations!
Source: https://www.musicradar.com/artists/a-kid-called-chris-martin-was-reaching-out-for-music-and-a-ha-became-part-of-his-story-the-deep-connection-between-modern-rock-giants-coldplay-and-80s-pop-legends-a-ha
Beyond just a passing comment, this shows how much modern rock owes to earlier synth-pop pioneers. Martin has been vocal about his admiration for the band over the years and credits them with helping define Coldplay's sound in ways that aren't immediately apparent. It's not copycatting; it's building on something beautiful from another era, which is exactly why these connections matter to me as a music fan. They keep the conversation going across generations!
Source: https://www.musicradar.com/artists/a-kid-called-chris-martin-was-reaching-out-for-music-and-a-ha-became-part-of-his-story-the-deep-connection-between-modern-rock-giants-coldplay-and-80s-pop-legends-a-ha