It all began so modestly—a musical group dreamed up by four ambitious young men on a university campus. That band, Coldplay, quickly emerged not just as chart toppers, but performers who were destined to go down in rock history. The band has grown with each album, darting into different sonic corners—like their heroes U2 and R.E.M.—to produce music that is essentially a self-contained genre all its own. They're the only rock band introduced in the current century that can reliably fill stadiums, and they pack those concerts with a steady stream of generational anthems. They have shared the stage with everyone from Jay-Z to Ed Sheeran, and they have rubbed elbows with presidents and royalty. They are truly, and legitimately, classic. This is the story of Coldplay, the band that will go down in history as the best of its time.