What was special about the single's chart run?

It was their first number one in both the US and UK

Viva la Vida Quiz: Coldplay's Delacroix Cover and Hit Song

This Viva la Vida quiz looks at Coldplay's crowning hit and the revolution painting on its cover. Play 10 interactive questions on Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, the title borrowed from a Frida Kahlo painting, producer Brian Eno, strings and bells, a fallen king in the lyrics, Coldplay's first number one single in the US and UK, and Song of the Year.

Start Viva la Vida Quiz

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

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Band
Which band released Viva la Vida?
Painting
Which painting appears on the album cover?
Painter
Who painted it?
Title
Which artist's painting gave the album its title?
Meaning
What does viva la vida mean?
Producer
Which producer worked with Coldplay on the album?
Sound
What instruments drive the song?
Story
Who narrates the song's lyrics?
Chart
What was special about the single's chart run?
Grammy
Which Grammy did the song win?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which band released Viva la Vida?
Answer: Coldplay
It came out in 2008.
Q2: Which painting appears on the album cover?
Answer: Liberty Leading the People
It shows a revolution.
Q3: Who painted it?
Answer: Eugène Delacroix
It dates from 1830.
Q4: Which artist's painting gave the album its title?
Answer: Frida Kahlo
She painted it on watermelons.
Q5: What does viva la vida mean?
Answer: Long live life
It is Spanish.
Q6: Which producer worked with Coldplay on the album?
Answer: Brian Eno
He pushed them to experiment.
Q7: What instruments drive the song?
Answer: Strings and bells
Timpani pound underneath.
Q8: Who narrates the song's lyrics?
Answer: A king who has lost his power
He used to rule the world.
Q9: What was special about the single's chart run?
Answer: It was their first number one in both the US and UK
Digital downloads helped.
Q10: Which Grammy did the song win?
Answer: Song of the Year
It won in 2009.

A Fallen King and a Revolutionary Cover

Viva la Vida, from Coldplay's 2008 album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, was produced with Brian Eno, who pushed the band to experiment. Instead of guitars, the song is driven by strings, bells and pounding timpani.

The lyrics are sung by a king who has lost his power, remembering when he used to rule the world. The title, Spanish for long live life, comes from a painting by Frida Kahlo, who painted the words on watermelons near the end of her life.

The album cover uses Eugène Delacroix's 1830 painting Liberty Leading the People, with the words Viva la Vida brushed in white. The single became Coldplay's first number one in both the US and UK, and it won the Grammy for Song of the Year.

What This Quiz Teaches

Music and art fans will enjoy these questions.

Who made the song
What the lyrics describe
Where the title came from
What the cover shows
Which records it set

Did You Know?

Chris Martin wore military-style jackets.
Crowds sing the oh-oh chorus.
Lovers in Japan is on the album.
Violet Hill was the first single.
The tour featured colorful lights.