I’m sorry but this can’t be correct. I live within 30 minutes of two minor cities with plenty to do and me and my wife combined make around 100k. We live comfortably and have 50k in the bank in addition to retirement. We also have one kid. This is highly dependent on where you live. I am not saying the cost of housing,etc is not a problem but some of these numbers need to be put in context.
I was really into them when I was younger, and I still enjoy music from their first few albums. They are way more pop-oriented now though. Chris Martin is very corny, but is actually a pretty talented and creative pop musician. I don’t get the comparisons to Nickelback. I like them when I just want something low key, and easy to listen to. I also listen to a bunch of other “real” music as well, but for me it’s not an either or thing, but just depends on mood.