Coldplay named the UK's most played British group of the 21st century

Coldplay are the most played British group of the 21st century, the UK's music licensors PPL have revealed. 

The band's most played song, their 2008 Number 1 Viva La Vida, is played an average of 27 times a day in the UK. And in total, Chris Martin and bandmates Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion have racked up 400,000,000 seconds – or 13 years – of airplay this century.

Queen are named the second most played British group of the century by PPL, which licenses the use of recorded music on radio, TV and in public places such as shops, bars, restaurants, gyms, offices and warehouses.

PPL shared the full Top 20, which also includes Take That, Little Mix and comeback kings Oasis, to celebrate National Album Day 2024 on 19th October.

MORE: See where every Coldplay single and album charted in the UK

PPL's CEO Peter Leathem OBE said of the Top 20: "Including groups from across the last 60 years, this list is a reminder of the strength and depth of British music through the decades. Coldplay are fitting owners of the number one spot – few artists can claim to have had such a presence on UK radio and TV since 2000.”

Meanwhile, Coldplay's 10th studio album Moon Music is due on 4th October. It has already sent two songs into the Official Singles Chart: Feelsikeimfallinginlove at Number 16  and We Pray at Number 26.

Check out the full Top 20 below.

The most played groups of the 21st century

1. Coldplay
2. Queen
3. Take That
4. Little Mix
5. The Beatles
6. Oasis
7. Bee Gees
8. Stereophonics
9. Eurythmics
10. The Rolling Stones 
11. Clean Bandit
12. Duran Duran
13. Sugababes
14. The Police
15. Simply Red
16. Snow Patrol
17. Electric Light Orchestra
18. Keane
19. Wham!
20. Texas