Phil Collins had been the drummer in Genesis for ten years when he recorded this, his first, solo album. It was an immediate success, going to number one on the UK charts, and staying in those charts for over five years.
Album: Face Value
Artist: Phil Collins
Released: 13th February 1971
Weeks in UK Album Chart: 275
Number of Weeks at No.1: 3
Carole King is one of the greatest contemporary songwriters, having co-written dozens of hit singles for other artists with her husband Gerry Goffin before this, her second solo album, was issued. Tapestry topped the US album chart for fifteen consecutive weeks, went on to win four Grammys, including Best Album in 1972, as well as becoming the 81st best-selling album of all time.
Album: Tapestry
Artist: Carole King
Released: 10th February 1971
Weeks in UK Album Chart: 136
Highest Chart Position: 4
One of the greatest debut albums of all time.
Album: Parachutes
Artist: Coldplay
Released: 7th November 2000
Weeks in UK Album Chart: 193
Number of Weeks at No.1: 1
For a girl from a small market town in Dorset to feature her love affair with New York as an album theme may sound brave, but it brought her the Mercury Music Prize along with two Grammy nominations, plus a top-20 inclusion in the list of the 100 Best Albums of the 21st Century – so far.
Album: Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
Artist: P J Harvey
Released: 23rd October 2000
Weeks in UK Album Chart: 26
Highest Chart Position: 23
Coming-up through the New York punk scene, but from the more arty end of rock music, it would not have been any great surprise if this band had split-up after album number three. But they didn’t, and this, their fourth, is probably their best.
Album: Remain in Light
Artist: Talking Heads
Released: 8th October 1980
Weeks in UK Album Chart: 17
Highest Chart Position: 21