Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland, consisting of Gary Lightbody, Nathan Connolly, and Johnny McDaid; Lightbody is the band's sole remaining original member.
After briefly using the name Polarbear, releasing the EP Starfighter Pilot and losing Morrison as a member, the band became Snow Patrol in 1997 and added Jonny Quinn to the lineup as drummer. Their first two studio albums, Songs for Polarbears and When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up, released by independent record label Jeepster Records, were commercially unsuccessful. The band signed to Polydor Records, in 2002 and Connolly joined as lead guitarist.
Their major-label debut album, Final Straw, was released the following year. "Run", the record's biggest hit, saw the band rise to national fame as part of the post-Britpop movement. The album was certified 5× platinum in the UK. In 2005, McClelland left the band and was replaced by Paul Wilson. Their next studio album, Eyes Open, and its hit single "Chasing Cars"—reported in 2019 to be the most-played song of the 21st century on UK radio—propelled the band to greater international fame.