2008 Alt Rock Song Hit No. 1 and Made History With Digital-Only Release
"I used to rule the world, seas would rise when I gave the word..." Couldn't agree more, Chris Martin.
Hey Coldplay fans, what's your favorite song by the band? It might be hard to pick.
Back in 2008, one of their catchiest tracks was released, quickly climbing to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 that week.
"Viva la Vida" would also win Coldplay a Grammy Award for Song of the Year, but not before making history with its chart success overseas.
Monday, June 22 marks 18 years since the beloved group landed its first-ever No. 1 hit in the U.K. thanks to the alternative rock thumper. It also became the first download-only song to become a chart-topper, since "Viva la Vida" wasn't released in a physical format in the country.
Coldplay routinely performs the number at its memorable, light-filled concerts, including the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2016. "Viva la Vida" is instantly recognizable once the looping piano hook kicks off, as fans well know.
Last month, in honor of Spotify's 20th anniversary, the platform released a series of lists that detailed the most-played music in its history. Among these is the "Most Streamed Songs of All Time," which highlights 20 of the top-performing tracks that have had music fans listening billions of times.
One of the songs that made the list is "Yellow" by Coldplay. Released in 2000, the track was the British rock band's breakthrough hit, catapulting the four-piece - vocalist and pianist Martin, 49, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion - into international stardom. Since Spotify's inception, the song has been streamed over 3.7 billion times, placing it at No. 15 in the list.
"Yellow" was the second single off the band's debut album, Parachutes. While the song has become one of Coldplay's most popular songs to date, it surprisingly never reached the top spot in the charts.
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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 9:05 AM.