[upbeat music]
narrator: On this episode of "My Life on MTV"...
♪
[hip-hop music]
In an era where hip-hop and pop rule the world...
- U2.
- Coldplay!
[cheers and applause]
narrator: Two alternative rock bands
have not only survived,
but thrived across multiple decades.
- The hardest thing is to make it look spontaneous.
narrator: Both are products of the UK,
and transcend language,
country, and culture.
- These people think we're some sort of
major label made-up band,
but we did it all ourselves.
narrator: With dynamic frontmen,
thoughtful, hard-hitting hooks...
- I write lyrics about things that affect me.
narrator: And some of the highest-grossing
concert tours of all time.
[rock music]
[Coldplay's "Violet Hill"]
narrator: Coldplay went from low-key obscurity...
- Coldplay!
narrator: To high-key celebrity
in the blink of an eye.
- Coldplay, "Speed of Sound."
- I think we're being shut down.
narrator: U2 made its mark on the world...
- All cameras!
- What a wanker you have for president.
- Kicking politicians in the shins
and making some savage rock and roll along the way.
[rock music]
- ♪ For you, I'd blame myself
narrator: We're busting open the archives,
sharing everything they did for our cameras only.
This is "My Life on MTV."
♪
announcer: Ladies and gentlemen.
♪
Rock and roll.
[Coldplay's "Viva La Vida"]
narrator: While Chris Martin was once named
the world's sexiest vegetarian...
[Coldplay's "Clocks"]
- ♪ Never stops
[Coldplay's "Paradise"]
narrator: These four hot Brits have been
frying up bangers for decades.
[Coldplay's "Adventure of a Lifetime"]
narrator: Coldplay's fandom spans the globe,
making them one of only a handful of bands to see
a $1/2 billion in ticket sales
in a single tour.
[Coldplay's "Head Full of Dreams"]
narrator: And their story begins right here on MTV.
[rock music]
- The wave of plaintive British folk rock bands
washed up on America's shores in 2000.
The London quartet, Coldplay,
made the biggest critical splash of all.
Not bad for a group of early 20-somethings
who first started playing together
in their dorm room just two years ago.
[warm music]
- Five.
- Hello.
We're Coldplay, and this is MTV2.
- That was good, but it's not right.
[group laughing]
- That's such TV talk.
Why don't you just admit it was [bleep]?
[Coldplay's "Yellow"]
- ♪ I swam across
♪ I jumped across for you
narrator: "Yellow" soon became one of
the most requested videos on MTV.
- Hello? - How are you doing?
- Awesome.
- We heard that you requested Coldplay.
- Yeah, I'd love to hear it. That'd be awesome.
- Why? They're rubbish.
- ♪ You know
narrator: Jokes aside,
"Yellow" took them from being a band
from the local pub...
- ♪ You know I love you so
♪
narrator: To a headliner on the international tour.
But they never forgot where they came from...
- And this is MTV.
narrator: And took their dry British humor on the road.
- We all went to the Backstreet Boys auditions,
got turned down.
Just talking about it in the bar afterwards,
said that, well, why don't we do some sort of guitar thing?
[Coldplay's "Clocks"]
♪
- After their hit "Yellow,"
Coldplay almost broke up.
Why would they do something like that, you ask?
- We came to America for, what, two weeks or so
thinking that we've done most of the record back home.
And then we went home and listened to it on a train
to Liverpool, and it sounded rubbish.
- So Coldplay headed back into the studio to record
some last-minute tracks
that would completely change the album.
- We put everything into it,
and we know that we gave it our best shot,
but we don't know whether that's good enough.
[cheers and applause]
narrator: Drummer, Will Champion,
and the rest of Coldplay
would soon find out performing
unreleased tracks of their new album
at an MTV $2 Bill concert.
- Ladies and gentlemen, Coldplay!
[cheers and applause]
[Coldplay's "Politik"]
♪
- We wanted to make the most passionate,
moving, melodic,
uplifting, and sad record of all time, you know?
- ♪ Look at Earth from outer space ♪
- Our music isn't entirely melancholy,
it isn't entirely happy.
It reflects the fact that you go through
different emotions in a day.
- ♪ Tell me your own politik
narrator: Soon, bigger and bigger audiences
were feeling the band's infectious passion...
- Next up for these guys is a tour of the U.S.
to promote their new album,
"A Rush of Blood to the Head."
narrator: And opening the rise to
a wildfire of newfound fame.
- They're one of the first rock bands
to ever make me cry.
- I love Coldplay.
- They take musical risks
but maintain their integrity and their sound.
- How about those guys from Coldplay?
- Ladies and gentlemen,
\h\h\hthe greatest band in the world, Coldplay.
[cheers and applause]
[Coldplay’s "The Scientist"]
- ♪ Come up to meet you
♪ Tell you I’m sorry
♪ You don’t know
♪ How lovely you are
- The song, "The Scientist,"
was really the turning point \h\h\h\h\h\h\hfor our record,
and we recorded it in about two days.
It really saved our bacon.
narrator: Coldplay wasn’t \h\hjust there to perform.
\h\h\h\hTheir video for "The Scientist,"
shot completely in reverse,
launched the band \hstraight forward
\h\hwith nominations in three categories.
- This is a band
that has discovered gradually \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\han audience,
\hnot only in this country, but really around the world.
- Group hug.
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h- And the award for best group video goes to...
- Coldplay, "The Scientist."
\h- ♪ No one ever said it would be so hard ♪
- Thank you so much
for giving us this,
and we’ll see you again. \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBye.
- ♪ I’m going back \h\hto the start ♪
\h\h\h\h\hnarrator: Chris and the rest of the group
were so caught off guard \h\h\h\h\h\h\hby the win,
they nearly forgot \h\htheir Moonman.
[dinging]
- Life is short,
and you have to make the most \h\hdesperate, and passionate,
and melodic, and loud,
and quiet record possible, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hyou know?
[cheers and applause]
- I hope you didn’t \hslit your wrists
to that one. \h\h\h\hOkay.
[Coldplay’s "Speed of Sound"]
narrator: With their third album, "X&Y," finally out,
Coldplay gained another spot
playing at the VMAs.
- ♪ And birds go flying at the speed of sound ♪
\h\h\h♪ To show you how it all began ♪
♪
narrator: Later that year, \h\hthe band traveled back
to their side of the pond
for an EMA nomination.
- Coldplay, "Speed of Sound."
[cheers and applause]
- This means an awful lot to us,
\h\h\h\hand we’re all very, very grateful.
\h\h\h\hnarrator: 2005 was a good year for Coldplay.
- ♪ Oh!
[cheers and applause]
Thanks, everyone.
narrator: With 175 \hdifferent stops,
Coldplay’s Viva la Vida Tour
averaged a show every four days.
MTV caught up with the band \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hin Japan,
where they played \hfor an audience
of over 20,000.
[cheers and applause]
- Everything that we’re trying \h\h\h\hto do at the moment is
about not starting again \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hso much
\h\h\h\h\has breaking down what we’ve built up before
and trying to build something different,
[dramatic music]
Hopefully, as good or better
or worse in a good way.
[cheers and applause]
[Coldplay’s "Viva La Vida"]
- One of the main things \h\h\hwe try to focus on
this record is trying to change
vocal identities
\hbecause I think Chris has a very recognizable voice.
- Thank you.
- ♪ I hear Jerusalem bells \h\h\h\h\h\h\hare ringing ♪
♪ Roman Cavalry choirs \h\h\h\h\hare singing ♪
\h\h\h\h♪ Be my mirror, my sword, and shield ♪
\h\h\h\hThat song is one of our favorites because
none of us are doing anything
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hon it that we’ve ever done before.
♪ I can’t explain
The longer you go on \h\h\h\h\has a band,
\h\hthe harder it is to surprise yourself.
[cheers and applause]
- ♪ Ooh
\hnarrator: Sold out international tours
and over 10 million albums \h\h\h\h\hsold worldwide,
"Viva la Vida" had Coldplay
living the life.
[Kanye and Chris Martin’s \h\h\h\h\h\h"Homecoming"]
\h\hColdplay’s fandom in the music community
led to quite a few hit collabs over the years
with artists so big,
it’s hard to say
who is featuring who.
We’ll give this one to Kanye.
\h\h\h\h\h- ♪ I met this girl when I was three years old ♪
♪ And what I loved most, \hshe had so much soul ♪
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h♪ She said, "Excuse me, little homie ♪
♪ I know you don’t know me"
[Rihanna and Coldplay’s \h\h"Princess of China"]
narrator: And let’s not forget \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hthat time
Chris Martin and Rihanna
\h\h\h\hdefied gravity with some ninja moves.
- ♪ Once upon a time \hon the same side ♪
♪ Once upon a time on the same side ♪
♪ In the same game
[Coldplay and Beyoncé’s "Hymn for the Weekend"]
narrator: And no collab career \h\h\h\h\h\hwould be complete
without a track from Beyoncé
and a high-budget video \h\h\h\hshot in Kolkata.
- ♪ Oh-ah-oh-ah
narrator: No matter where they \h\hgo or who they sing with,
Coldplay sees the world
\h\hthrough the eyes of global citizens,
\h\hdrawing inspiration from different cultures
and artists as they continue
\h\h\h\htheir careers as global phenomenons.
- ♪ That we shoot across the
- If your TV hasn’t blown up, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hkeep watching.
- Rock and roll.
\h\h\h\h\h\hannouncer: Ladies and gentlemen.
[rock music]
Rock and roll.
[rock music]
\h\h\h\h- U2 set fire to the streets of Dublin...
[U2’s "Sunday Bloody Sunday"]
\h\h\h\h\h\hnarrator: And the world listened
to a rebel song
[U2’s "In the Name of Love"]
narrator: That would earn them \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\ha reputation
for lit live performances,
\h\h\h\h\hcausing some of the biggest venues
\h\h\h\h\hin the world to bust at the seams.
[U2’s "Beautiful Day"]
narrator: And we were there \hto watch it all go down...
- ♪ It’s a beautiful day
[U2’s "Every Breaking Wave"]
narrator: Center stage.
behind the curtain,
and everywhere in between.
[U2’s "Vertigo"]
- ♪ Hello, hello \h\h\h\h\h\h- Hola!
\h\hnarrator: But before U2 had a tidal wave of fans...
- One, two, three, four!
[U2’s "Gloria"]
narrator: They were playing \h\h\hany venue they could,
hoping success was on deck.
- ♪ I try to sing this song \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hnow ♪
- The problem with America
has to overcome in many ways
is the radio is so tightly programmed
so that there’s no room
\h\h\hfor introduction to new material really.
\h- This is why stations like this are important,
\h\h\hbecause you can actually show people
what is happening in music.
- Hi.
I’m Bono.
\h- And over here you can see MTV.
- [laughs]
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. \h\h\h\h\h\h\hWhoa, whoa.
- This is MTV’s short cable.
[U2’s "New Year’s Day"]
\h\hnarrator: Their first two albums, "Boy" and "October,"
\hsolidified U2’s European fan base.
Their third album, "War,"
was their passport to the U.S.
♪
- ♪ All is quiet
♪ On New Year’s Day
♪
♪ A world in white
♪ Gets underway
- There was a lot of rioting \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hin Britain,
\hand there was a lot of trouble in Ireland
with the hunger strikers
as regards to North and \heverything like that,
and it came through \h\h\hin the music
that we were recording \h\h\h\h\hat the time.
- ♪ Nothing changes
\h\h\h\h\hThis song is not a rebel song.
\h\h\h\h\hThis song is "Sunday Bloody Sunday."
[U2’s "Sunday Bloody Sunday"]
[cheers and applause]
It’s not a rebel song.
We’re not taking sides. \h\h\hWe’re just saying,
"How long must we sing this song?"
I’m trying to say \hthat worse than
\h\h\hthe wreckage of Northern Ireland
\his the bitterness in people’s hearts.
- ♪ Sunday, bloody Sunday
♪
♪ Sunday, bloody Sunday
How long?
How long must we sing \h\h\h\h\hthis song?
How long, how long?
\hnarrator: "New Year’s Day" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday,"
began the everlasting \h\h\h\h\hlove affair
\h\h\h\h\h\hbetween U2 and MTV’s young fans.
\h\h\h\h\h[U2’s "Pride (In the Name of Love)"]
[cheers and applause]
- For me personally,
live work is probably \hthe most rewarding
\h\h\h\h\h\hbecause it’s almost a direct contact.
- ♪ Ooh
\h\h- For Reverend Martin Luther King.
- ♪ In the name of love
narrator: After electrifying \h\h\h\h\hcrowds worldwide,
U2 was on top,
but then, they found their golden ticket
with their next album, \h\h"The Joshua Tree."
[U2’s "Where the Streets \h\h\h\h\hHave No Name"]
♪
- ♪ We’re still building
♪ And burning down love
[U2’s "With or Without You"]
♪
- ♪ My hands are tied
♪
♪ My body bruised
\h\h\h\h♪ She got me with nothing to win ♪
- ♪ And nothing left to lose
♪ And you give
♪ And you give yourself away
♪ With or without you
\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hnarrator: "With or Without You" won
over an entire generation \h\h\h\h\h\hof listeners,
and nabbed Viewers’ Choice \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hin 1987
at the VMAs.
- U2, "With or Without You."
[cheers and applause]
narrator: With over 25 million \h\h\h\hcopies sold worldwide,
"The Joshua Tree" became U2’s
highest-selling album.
Four years later in 1991...
- Go on, please.
[indistinct speech]
\h\hnarrator: U2 was releasing their long-awaited follow-up,
"Achtung Baby,"
\h\h\h\h\hand we were on location in Ireland
for the madness.
\h\h\h\h\h\hall: One. [cheers and applause]
[U2’s "Mysterious Ways"]
\h\h\hnarrator: U2 fans from all over the world
descended on Dublin \h\hto be the first
to get a copy.
narrator: "Achtung Baby" \h\h\h\h\h\h\hwas edgy,
\h\h\h\h\h\h\hexperimental, and flying off the shelves.
But the Zoo TV Tour
became a monster of its own.
- Zoo TV, this thing. \h\h\h\h\hWhat is it?
- It’s the ’90s.
It’s convergence of technologies.
It’s the future.
- Aw [bleep] off, Edge. \h\h\h\h\h\h- [laughs]
- We don’t know what it is,
[rock music]
narrator: The '90s were U2's era of experimentation.
The Zoo TV Tour
was inspired by the effect
music videos and television
had on live performances.
[cheers and applause]
- Let's see if we can find some MTV in Detroit.
[cheers and applause]
Hey.
I hear you play the drums, man.
[U2's "Even Better than the Real Thing"]
narrator: U2 was in the middle
of their sold-out Zoo TV Tour
when they did their first performance on the VMAs,
all via satellite.
- ♪ Give me one more chance
♪ And you'll be satisfied
♪
- I'm not worthy!
- ♪ The real thing
narrator: Worthy indeed,
U2's video for "Even Better Than the Real Thing"
picked up Best Group Video.
- U2.
[cheers and applause]
♪
[U2's "Last Night on Earth"]
narrator: U2 continued to push the boundaries
of who they were as a band.
- ♪ You got to give it away
- It's got pop metal,
you know, some hip-hop influences.
narrator: Trying out a variety of looks and personas.
[cheers and applause]
- Look what you've done to me.
[cheers and applause]
[rock music]
narrator: In the studio,
in arenas, and at the podium,
U2 have always been activists,
and at the 1995 EMAs...
- What a city.
What a night.
- Bono had a message for the president of France.
- What a wanker you have for president.
What are you gonna do about it?
[U2's "Beautiful Day"]
narrator: U2 always used their far-reaching voice
to speak up for injustice.
- ♪ Beautiful day
- It's not a put your hand in your pocket moment.
It's more like put your fist in the air.
♪ You can touch
♪ Me
narrator: Bono created the Red Campaign
to fight the AIDS epidemic
and helped raise millions of dollars.
- ♪ I know I'm not
We call the White House every second night,
and we asked to speak to George.
They're very cool about it,
but they don't take the call. [laughs]
[U2's "Elevation"]
- The Elevation 2001 Tour has been elevating spirits
and touching hearts across North America.
- ♪ Ooh
♪ Ooh
narrator: After a monster tour for Elevation
and at the start of a new millennium,
the world saw a new U2.
- And right now, U2's rocking out up on the roof.
They're going to take us to break.
- ♪ A star, lit up like a cigar ♪
♪ Strung out like a guitar
♪ Maybe you could educate my mind ♪
♪ Explain all these controls
narrator: They were playing stripped down songs
packed with power chords and lively lyrics.
- ♪ The goal is elevation
♪ A mole, digging in a hole
♪ Digging up my soul
♪ Going down, excavation
♪
narrator: Sometimes New York traffic
feels like a concert just let out,
and sometimes New York traffic is the concert.
[sirens wailing] - We love you!
[U2's "All Because of You"]
- ♪ Racing with your bullet train ♪
♪ Some people get squashed crossing the tracks ♪
- U2 is on a truck in Manhattan
driving down the road, and I'm watching them.
- They just drove down street, like, past school.
- Like, I can't breathe right now.
- Ah!
- 92.3, KROCK.
U2 is driving all over Manhattan.
If you see a flatbed truck
with four Irish guys on it, that's them.
They're filming their video for "All Because of You."
- ♪ All because of you
♪ I am
- We love New York, and I think New York kind of loves us too.
- It's definitely one of the coolest things
I've done in the last couple of years.
[U2's "Vertigo"]
- Hola!
- ♪ We're at a place called Vertigo ♪
narrator: To wrap things up, MTV gave a free concert
under the Brooklyn Bridge right at sunset.
- ♪ I can feel
♪ Feel
[cheers and applause]
[U2's "Get Out of Your Own Way"]
- ♪ Now you're the girl who's left with no words ♪
♪ Your heart's a balloon
- U2 changed my life.
- ♪ It doesn't take a cannon, just a pin ♪
- They teach us that it's okay
to mix art and politics,
to start a revolution,
and say [bleep] you.
[cheers and applause]
- ♪ The amorous, the glamorous ♪
narrator: From the cobbled streets of Dublin, Ireland,
to rock arenas around the globe,
U2 continues to reinvent themselves.
- ♪ Get out of your own way
- The global icons, U2.
[cheers and applause]
- People always ask,
"How have you kept your band together?"
You know, it's four
incredibly strong individuals,
but there has to be a boss,
and it's not an easy gig,
let me tell you,
but I could not have done it without these guys' support.
[cheers and applause]
narrator: They knew where they were headed
from the very beginning,
and we're not looking away any time soon.
- Thank you, king.
If you don't like it, fine, leave the room, but this is it.
We're not just another English band
over kind of playing their once off
and then taking off home again.
[cheers and applause]
- Rock and roll.
[upbeat music]
♪