Coldplay’s 2000 single “Yellow” has been named the 15th most streamed song of all time on Spotify, with more than 3.7 billion plays, the platform has said, per parade.com.
The track achieved the milestone despite never reaching No. 1 in the UK or United States.
Spotify released the data on May 23 to mark its 20th anniversary, publishing a list of the 20 most played tracks in its history. “Yellow” was the only song from 2000 to feature in the top 20.
“Yellow” was the second single from Coldplay’s debut album Parachutes and became the British band’s breakthrough hit. It peaked at No. 4 on the UK’s Official Singles Chart and No. 48 on the US Billboard Hot 100 after its initial release.
The song has found a new audience in recent years. Forbes reported that “Yellow” reached No. 5 on Billboard’s TikTok Top 50 after going viral among Gen Z users on the video platform.
Frontman Chris Martin wrote the track in roughly 10 minutes during a break from recording the single “Shiver”. Speaking to Guitar Player, Martin said the band stepped outside at night when producer Ken Nelson said, “Look up there, lads! Look at the stars.” The line became the song’s opening lyric.
Coldplay comprises Martin on vocals and piano, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion. The group formed in London and released Parachutes in 2000.
Spotify’s most streamed list reflects two decades of listener data since the platform’s launch. Inclusion is based on cumulative plays across all territories. Chart performance and streaming totals often diverge, with catalogue tracks frequently gaining streams years after release through social media and playlisting.
•Featured image: Chris Martin in 2008/George Pimentel/WireImage
