Preceden

History of Parachutes Timeline

(1485 – Present)

The history of parachutes spans centuries, beginning with conceptual designs like Leonardo da Vinci's pyramidal sketch in 1485. The first successful parachute descent is credited to André-Jacques Garnerin in 1797, using a frameless canopy from a hot air balloon. Over the 19th and 20th centuries, parachutes evolved for military use, aviation safety, and recreational skydiving, becoming essential life-saving equipment in both war and peace. Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Recording and Production

Coldplay releases The Blue Room EP with Chris Allison

1999

Before work began on their debut album, Coldplay produced and released The Blue Room EP with British record producer Chris Allison in 1999. The EP helped establish the band's early sound and reputation, setting the stage for the creation of Parachutes.

Image source: The Blue Room (EP)

Coldplay releases The Blue Room EP with Chris Allison

Producer receives Coldplay's Fierce Panda debut single

1999

In 1999, the band's future album producer was given a copy of Coldplay's Fierce Panda-distributed debut single, providing his first exposure to the group's music and paving the way for his later involvement with the band.

Image source: Parachutes (Coldplay album)

Producer receives Coldplay's Fierce Panda debut single

Manager Pete Byrne introduces producer to Coldplay

1999

In 1999, Pete Byrne, the manager of the producer who would shape Parachutes, introduced him to Coldplay after giving him a copy of the band's debut single. This introduction proved pivotal in assembling the team behind the album.

Production begins on Parachutes

Oct 1, 1999 - Dec 31, 1999

The band began production on Parachutes in late 1999, following the release of The Blue Room EP with British record producer Chris Allison. This marked the official start of the creative process behind what would become their landmark debut album.

Recording sessions stretch across six months

Nov 1999 - May 2000

Due to tours and other live performances, the recording of Parachutes spread out between November 1999 and May 2000. The extended schedule meant the album was crafted over an elongated period rather than in one concentrated block of studio time.

Sara Champion dies of cancer

May 2000

In May 2000, drummer Will Champion's mother, Sara Champion, died of cancer, just two months before the release of Parachutes. Her loss deeply affected the band during the final stretch before the album's debut.

Release

Coldplay embarks on the Parachutes Tour

2000 - 2001

In support of the album, Coldplay embarked on the Parachutes Tour, which ran from 2000 to 2001 and took the band around the world performing songs from their newly released debut record.

Image source: Parachutes Tour

Coldplay embarks on the Parachutes Tour

Album dedicated to Sara Champion

Jul 2000

The album was dedicated to drummer Will Champion's mother, Sara Champion, who had died of cancer in May 2000, two months before the release of Parachutes. The tribute gave the record a deeply personal dimension for the band.

Parachutes released by Parlophone in the United Kingdom

Jul 10, 2000

Parachutes was first released on 10 July 2000 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom, which was part of EMI. The release marked the arrival of Coldplay's debut full-length album and launched the band toward international fame.

Record made available in the United States

Nov 7, 2000

Following its summer UK release, the record was made available in the United States on 7 November 2000 through Nettwerk, extending the album's reach to American audiences four months after its British debut.

"Yellow" serviced to American radio stations

Jan 2001

After the album's November 2000 US release, radio stations were served "Yellow" in January 2001, helping propel the song and the album up the American charts and introducing Coldplay to a mainstream US audience.

Image source: Yellow (Coldplay song)

"Yellow" serviced to American radio stations

Critical Reception

Uncut praises the band's debut album

2000

James Oldham of Uncut felt that the album "more than justifies the plaudits heaped upon [the band] by the weekly music press," adding to the wave of positive reviews that greeted Parachutes upon its release.

Melody Maker hails Parachutes as a masterpiece

2000

Melody Maker hailed Parachutes as a "masterpiece" and "a defining musical statement of 2000," cementing the album's status as one of the most acclaimed records of its year and boosting Coldplay's critical standing.

Image source: Melody Maker

Melody Maker hails Parachutes as a masterpiece

Champion compares album lyrics to Lou Reed's "Perfect Day"

2000

As a nod to the moods created by the album, drummer Will Champion compared the song lyrics to the 1972 song "Perfect Day" by American rock singer-songwriter Lou Reed, stating that the "lyrics are beautiful and they're really, really happy, but the music is really, really sad."

NME ranks album among greatest of all time

2013

In 2013, NME ranked Parachutes at number 272 on their "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list, further affirming the record's enduring critical esteem more than a decade after its release.

Image source: NME

NME ranks album among greatest of all time

Chart Performance and Sales

Penultimate-week sales surge of 170,642 copies

Dec 2000

The album's biggest sales period came during the penultimate week of 2000, when Parachutes sold 170,642 copies in a single week, demonstrating its rapid ascent up the charts during the holiday shopping season.

Parachures surpasses one million total sales

Dec 2000

During the penultimate week of 2000, boosted by sales of 170,642 copies in that week alone, Parachures surpassed one million total sales, a remarkable milestone achieved less than six months after its initial release.

Debut at number 189 on the US Billboard 200

Dec 30, 2000

On the US Billboard 200, Parachutes debuted at number 189 with 14,672 copies sold on the week ending 30 December 2000, five weeks after its American release, marking a modest start that would grow considerably over time.

Image source: Billboard 200

Debut at number 189 on the US Billboard 200

Certified 2× Platinum in Canada

2003

In 2003, the record received a 2× Platinum certification in Canada from the Canadian Recording Industry Association, reflecting strong and sustained Canadian sales three years after the album's original release.

Image source: Music Canada

Certified 2× Platinum in Canada

Album climbs to number 48 in its 318th charting week

Jul 2011

In July 2011, nearly eleven years after its release, the album climbed from number 184 to number 48 in the UK charts during its 318th charting week, showcasing its extraordinary longevity.

Remains Coldplay's third-biggest album in the country

Jan 2018

As of January 2018, the album remained Coldplay's third biggest in the United Kingdom, behind A Rush of Blood to the Head (2.9 million) and X&Y (2.7 million), underlining its lasting commercial significance within the band's catalogue.

Over 2.7 million units sold in the United Kingdom

2020

With over 2.7 million units sold in the United Kingdom, Parachutes established itself as one of the most commercially successful albums released in the country during the 21st century.

Ranked 22nd best-selling UK album of the 21st century

2020

Thanks to its massive UK sales, Parachutes ranked as the 22nd best-selling album of the 21st century and the 45th best-selling album of all time in the United Kingdom.

Image source: List of best-selling albums in the United Kingdom

Ranked 22nd best-selling UK album of the 21st century

Worldwide sales exceed 13 million copies

Jul 2020

As of July 2020, Parachutes had sold over 13 million copies around the world, making it one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century and confirming its status as a global phenomenon.

Cassette sales reach 31,922 copies in the UK

Jul 2020

As of July 2020, Parachutes had sold 31,922 cassettes in the UK, making it the 33rd best-selling cassette since 2000, an unusual distinction reflecting the format's niche revival.

Awards and Legacy

Wins British Album of the Year at the Brit Awards

2001

In 2001, Parachutes won the British Album of the Year award at the Brit Awards, recognizing the record as the finest British album of the preceding year and confirming Coldplay's arrival as a major force in UK music.

Image source: Brit Awards

Wins British Album of the Year at the Brit Awards

Wins Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album

2002

In 2002, Parachutes won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, bringing the band international recognition and adding to the many other accolades the record accumulated following its release.

Image source: Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album

Wins Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album

Included in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

2010

In 2010, Parachutes was included on the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die book, cementing its reputation as an essential listening experience and a landmark of early 21st-century music.

Image source: 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

Included in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

20th anniversary edition released on yellow vinyl

2020

In 2020, Coldplay released a 20th anniversary edition of Parachutes in transparent yellow vinyl, celebrating two decades since the album first captured listeners and offering fans a collectible reissue.

Named 10th most successful UK debut album in chart history

2022

In 2022, Parachutes was named the 10th most successful debut album in UK chart history, securing the record's legacy as one of the greatest and most impactful debut albums ever released in Britain.

Key Facts

  1. Leonardo da Vinci sketched a pyramidal parachute design in 1485, though there is no evidence it was built or tested during his lifetime.
  2. André-Jacques Garnerin made the first recorded successful parachute descent in 1797, jumping from a hot air balloon over Paris using a frameless silk canopy.
  3. During World War I, observation balloon crews used parachutes as emergency escapes, and by World War II, parachutes were widely used by airborne military forces.
  4. In 1919, Georgia 'Tiny' Broadwick became the first woman to perform a free-fall jump without being attached to the aircraft by a static line.
  5. Modern parachutes have diversified into ram-air canopies that allow steerable gliding flight, making skydiving a popular recreational sport worldwide.

Source

This History of Parachutes timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

Want a timeline like this one?

Generate yours with AI or build it from scratch, for free.

Try It for Free