Coldplay: Say Something, I’m Giving Up on You


Flash back - Fall 2007 

Mega-billion seller band RADIOHEAD releases long-awaited CD "In Rainbows". The band takes control of its own distribution and sales, and makes the CD available directly from the band's website (i.e., no distributor), at a cost of…. whatever you can afford.

It was an experiment, certainly at the chagrin of the band’s previous corporate label and distribution partners, to support their fans and all music lovers / participants with more affordable music by eliminating middlemen corporate structures. It also was an effort to establish a new distribution model - to be used by other bands as an independent alternative to relying exclusively on the traditional, highly limiting, corporate music industry.

Other artists have also ventured, with limited success, to establish independent labels and distribution. Prince may be the most notable example of a major artist who has shunned the traditional corporate industry structure once he became successful, seemingly placing a higher priority on supporting new artists and artistic integrity than on corporate-driven profits.


Flash to present: May 2014

Mega-billion seller band COLDPLAY releases long-awaited CD “Ghost Stories” by announcing that the band will not offer the CD to internet streaming services, such as Spotify, in an effort to avoid any free downloads.  This, concurrent with the band’s signing of huge exclusivity contracts in marketing, distribution and sales with two of the largest communications and music retail corporations in the world, iTunes and Target. The band is now featured in a popular music video it made as a Target television ad (view it, above.)

I’ve been a huge fan.  But perhaps, in recognition of the band’s evolution, it’s time for an official name change. I suggest “Oldplay”.

I find myself directing the following plea, taken from another current popular song, towards Mr. Martin and the Coldplay boys:  "Say Something, I'm Giving Up on You."