Which Coldplay song was the lead single from their album X&Y?

“Speed of Sound” was the lead single from Coldplay’s third studio album, X&Y. It was released digitally on 19 April 2005 after premiering on BBC Radio 1 the previous day, then received physical CD and vinyl editions in the United Kingdom on 23 May.

The song was written by all four Coldplay members and built around a prominent piano-and-guitar idea that expands into a synthesizer-heavy, arena-sized chorus. Chris Martin said the band had been listening to Kate Bush during the writing process, and the track’s drum pattern is often linked to the rhythm of Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” Critics also compared its piano-driven atmosphere with Coldplay’s earlier hit “Clocks.”

“Fix You,” “Talk” and “The Hardest Part” were later singles from X&Y, which explains why they are plausible wrong options. “Speed of Sound” became Coldplay’s first United States Billboard Hot 100 top-ten hit, debuting at No. 8. In the United Kingdom it peaked at No. 2, held off the top spot by the novelty hit “Axel F” by Crazy Frog.