Which code is shown on the X&Y cover?

Baudot code, used by teleprinters

What personal story inspired Fix You?

Gwyneth Paltrow's grief after her father's death

Why did X&Y take a long time to make?

The band scrapped much early work and started again

Coldplay X&Y Quiz: The Coded Cover and the Songs

Coldplay's third album sold faster than any other in Britain in 2005, and this Coldplay X&Y quiz decodes its songs and its puzzling artwork. Play 10 interactive questions on Baudot code, Speed of Sound, Fix You and its organ, Talk's Kraftwerk melody, the four members, the long recording process and the album's worldwide sales.

Start Coldplay X&Y Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Cover
Which code is shown on the X&Y cover?
Year
When was X&Y released?
Lead
Which song was the lead single?
Fix You
What personal story inspired Fix You?
Organ
Whose keyboard was used to start writing Fix You?
Kraftwerk
Which band's melody does Talk borrow?
Sales
What record did X&Y set in 2005?
Members
Who is Coldplay's guitarist?
Singer
Who is Coldplay's lead singer?
Recording
Why did X&Y take a long time to make?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which code is shown on the X&Y cover?
Answer: Baudot code, used by teleprinters
The colored blocks spell X&Y.
Q2: When was X&Y released?
Answer: 2005
It was the band's third studio album.
Q3: Which song was the lead single?
Answer: Speed of Sound
It followed the success of Clocks.
Q4: What personal story inspired Fix You?
Answer: Gwyneth Paltrow's grief after her father's death
Chris Martin wrote it to comfort her.
Q5: Whose keyboard was used to start writing Fix You?
Answer: Bruce Paltrow's
It had belonged to Gwyneth Paltrow's father.
Q6: Which band's melody does Talk borrow?
Answer: Kraftwerk
Chris Martin wrote to Kraftwerk to ask permission.
Q7: What record did X&Y set in 2005?
Answer: Best-selling album worldwide that year
It also sold fastest in the UK that year.
Q8: Who is Coldplay's guitarist?
Answer: Jonny Buckland
Guy Berryman plays bass and Will Champion drums.
Q9: Who is Coldplay's lead singer?
Answer: Chris Martin
Martin also plays piano and guitar.
Q10: Why did X&Y take a long time to make?
Answer: The band scrapped much early work and started again
Producer Danton Supple helped finish it.

Coldplay X&Y Quiz – Coldplay's Coded Album

X&Y, Coldplay's third album, was released in 2005. The cover uses Baudot code, an old teleprinter code, shown as colored blocks that spell the title.

The band scrapped much early material before finishing the album with producer Danton Supple. Speed of Sound was the lead single, Fix You was written to comfort Gwyneth Paltrow after her father's death, using a keyboard that had belonged to him, and Talk borrows a Kraftwerk melody with permission.

Coldplay are Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion. X&Y was the fastest-selling album in the UK in 2005 and the best-selling album worldwide that year.

What This Quiz Teaches

Music fans will enjoy these questions on a hit album.

What the cover means
Which songs stand out
What inspired Fix You
Who is in the band
How the album performed

Did You Know?

The Hardest Part was another single.
Square One opens the album.
Coldplay formed at University College London.
The tour that followed was called the Twisted Logic Tour.
Fix You often closes Coldplay concerts.