U2 vs. Coldplay

As I hear the title track from Coldplay's Viva la Vida for the billionth time (still a good song/album), I'm thinking about how the band aspires to be "the next U2", and in fact, is now being dubbed as such by critics.

This song convinces me that it's not going to happen.

Despite how long they've been around, and despite how much Bono's celebrity status has grown over the years, the band stayed together because they needed each other. The "other three guys" in the band aren't anonymous, faceless musicians, and in fact, bring a sound that couldn't be easily duplicated by an infusion of session musicians. Bono and his bandmates need each other, and in fact, think about this: Can you name a frontman so famous, with a band that has lasted so long, who has never done a solo project? On the other hand, as I listen to "Viva La Vida", all I hear is Chris Martin, his piano, and a big orchestra; no hint of the guitarist, the bassist, or the drummer (unless he's manning the timpani). I don't doubt that Chris is close with the other guys in his band...but as his fame continues to completely dwarf their identities, how much does he really need them in the future?

U2 is a band of four that made a difference and influenced a couple of generations of rock 'n' roll. Coldplay is a superbly talented superstar songwriter/performer and some other dudes, deftly following a road others paved for them.

My money says that Chris Martin will end up with a solo career that may or may not render the rest of Coldplay unnecessary. He'll have a lot of success, but he'll never build the legacy that U2 did.