brian hiatt of "rolling stone" magazine has said that the song was a career-making record. roach has claimed in his book, "coldplay: nobody said it was easy", that although "shiver" earned the band their first uk top 40 single, it was "yellow" that has changed "everything", and that it "exemplifies so much of what had made coldplay so popular". in the us, after it was being used in promos of abc, the band grew in popularity which continued in 2001. according to barry walters in his review of coldplay's second album, "a rush of blood to the head", for "spin" magazine, the band is still known in the united states for their "surprise smash 'yellow'". a "billboard" magazine review said, "after one single ('yellow') and its accompanying album ("parachutes"  ... ), coldplay have already been anointed heir to the brit-rock throne." the song has since been regarded as the centerpiece track on the album.