Influences
Martin's and Coldplay's main influence is the Scottish rock band Travis, with Martin crediting the band for the creation of his own group. U2 has been another important influence on Martin both musically and politically, on whom he wrote for Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time", in the section on U2, saying: "I don't buy weekend tickets to Ireland and hang out in front of their gates, but U2 are the only band whose entire catalogue I know by heart. The first song on The Unforgettable Fire, "A Sort of Homecoming", I know backward and forward – it's so rousing, brilliant, and beautiful. It's one of the first songs I played to my unborn baby." Martin also comments on Bono's effect on his own charity and political involvement he is even known to joke with friends referring to himself as "Crono".
Martin is very vocal about his love for Norwegian new wave/Synthpop band a-ha. In 2005 he stated the following in an interview: "I found myself in Amsterdam the other day and I put a-ha's first record on. I just remembered how much I loved it. It's incredible songwriting. Everyone asks what inspired us, what we've been trying to steal from and what we listened to as we were growing up – the first band I ever loved was a-ha." Martin has also performed live together with Magne Furuholmen of a-ha. In November 2011, he stated that "back when we didn't have any hits of our own we used to play a-ha songs."
He is also known to be a fan of artists such as English alternative rock bands Oasis and Muse, Irish pop group Westlife, English band Radiohead, British pop groups Girls Aloud and Take That, and Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire. Solo artists Martin likes include Leona Lewis, Noel Gallagher, Kylie Minogue, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Hank Williams.
Coldplay performed R.E.M.'s "Nightswimming" with Michael Stipe on their Austin City Limits performance. During the show, Martin called "Nightswimming" "the greatest song ever written".
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