With a new contract under their belts, the band recorded yet another EP, titled The Blue Room. The single Bigger Stronger got them a lot of radio airplay, making them somewhat famous locally.
At the same time, however, cracks began to show. Apparently, Martin and Champion had a falling out, and the latter was sacked. He was reinstated after much heartache, and the band decided to adopt a more democratic approach. It was decided that profits would be shared equally. Interestingly for a rock band, it was also decided that anyone using hard drugs would be fired.
Issues sorted out, the band began work on its debut album, Parachutes. The song Shiver was their first Top 40 single, and got them airplay on MTV. Then came Yellow, which made them a fixture on MTV.
Parachutes debuted at Number One on the UK albums charts when it was released in July 2000. Comparisons to other bands like U2 and Radiohead were made by critics, but fans simply lapped up every bit of the album, no questions asked. By the end of the year, they bought 1.6 million copies in the United Kingdom.
Following concerts in America, the album took off slowly and eventually went double-platinum in the US. At the 2002 Grammies, Coldplay were awarded Best Alternative Music Album. They had arrived.
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