Parachutes

This album achieved notable commercial success and was well received by critics. Following its release, it quickly reached number one on the Official Charts Company charts and has been awarded seven platinum discs. In the United States, it reached number 51 on the Billboard 200 and received two platinum discs. In 2002, it won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album, which earned the group numerous additional accolades. Parachutes is ranked 12th among the best-selling albums of the 21st century in the United Kingdom and is included in the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", where critic Paul Stokes describes it as an album full of surprising moments. It was also awarded Best British Album at the 2001 Brit Awards.

Ken Nelson was primarily responsible for the production of the album, with the exception of one song. He met Coldplay through their manager, who gave him a copy of the band's debut single, «Brothers & Sisters». Nelson commented that upon hearing Chris Martin's voice on «Bigger Stronger», he knew there was something special. He was offered the job after Coldplay played in Liverpool alongside indie rock band Gomez, whose debut album, Bring It On, he had produced.

The band began working on the album in 1999, after having released an EP with Chris Allison as producer, but they were not satisfied with the result. They sought greater control over the process, and Nelson's philosophy — which consisted of helping bands realize their own ideas rather than imposing his own — seemed appropriate to replace Allison. According to Nelson, the album was a co-production between himself and Coldplay.

Initially, Coldplay planned to record Parachutes in two weeks, but tours and live concerts extended the recording process from September 1999 through April and May of 2000. They worked at Rockfield Studios in Wales, Matrix Studios and Wessex Sound Studios, although most of the tracks were recorded at Parr Street Studios in Liverpool. At the latter, the band used three rooms, and many songs were recorded in one that Nelson described as "basically, a demo room". The song produced by Allison, «High Speed», was also included on the album, though it originated in separate sessions at Orinico Studios in London. The album was mixed by American sound engineer Michael Brauer in New York. Initially, Parlophone, Coldplay's record label, intended to hire another engineer to mix the singles, but Brauer ultimately handled the entire process.