Every Coldplay Album Ranked Worst To Best
5. Ghost Stories
Ghost Stories stands as a harrowing document of the turmoil singer Chris Martin was going through at the dawn of the 2010's. While Coldplay was riding high, Martin was going through a horrible divorce from his wife Gwyneth Paltrow.
The sound of this record is a solemn look into the mind of a man whose life has crumbled right in front of him. Even though the single "A Sky Full of Stars" invites you into a pleasant listen, the chilliness of the music across the record is jarring when compared to the initial offering. Martin's look back at his relationship yields great ambience on songs like "Midnight" while songs like "Ink" display the love he still has for his partner.
In terms of arranging, this record leans into the electronica elements in a major way, but that's not a drawback for the record at all. In the context of a breakup, these synthetic enhancements help to strengthen the record's sullen tone. Coldplay have always been known to write emotional songs, but on Ghost Stories the band was able to tap into something much more vulnerable and came out with one of the best breakup albums of the modern age.