Parachutes (1LP)

By the turn of the millennium, Brit-pop had pretty much run its course when a new band emerged to pick up the U.K. music torch: Coldplay. Following a handful of independent E.P.s, the quartet signed to Parlophone and their full-length debut, Parachutes, arrived in 2000. A wistful and atmospheric brand of alternative rock led by frontman Chris Martin's high, aching vocals, the album spun off four singles: “Shiver,” “Trouble,” “Don't Panic” and the hit that introduced the group to American audiences, “Yellow." The collection would eventually go double-platinum in the States, and earned critical plaudits as well, including a Best Alternative Music Album Grammy and a Brit Award for Best British Album. Twenty years after Parachutes landed, Coldplay has grown into one of the world's top bands, and that success sounds inevitable on this fine set.