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User
Soundoffs 3
Album Ratings 229
Objectivity 48%
Last Active 08-06-17 7:27 pm
Joined 06-09-15
Review Comments 8
| Linkin Park Albums Ranked
I've always wanted to finish this list and now this has become my own tribute to Linkin Park and especially to Chester Bennington, who has been a great voice of this generation. This is a mixture of my personal and objective opinion of how Linkin Park's albums should be ranked. As a teenager they were my favourite rock band for a pretty long time and I've to say that I played their first three (later five) records to death. They are definitely not the best band in the world but their début is really solid and they made some interesting experiments. N°1 is essential for everyone to listen to and N°2, 3 and 4 are also very good. For metal/punk fans I strongly recommend N°4, for experimental music lovers N°2 is the best you can find in their discography. Their discography can be divided into 3 phases (my own theory :P): Their first two albums are their rap/nu metal ones (what a surprise), the second phase is kind of their experimental/electronic trilogy they made with producer Rick Rubin, and the current phase is pretty weird because it sounds like they completely lost their direction and ran out of ideas. In this phase (Hunting Party and One More Light) it seems like they took their core sound and pushed it to the extreme and their boundaries to compensate that their main songwriter (Shinoda) is kinda having a writer's block (just my point of view). Nuff said, let's begin with the ranking and don’t forget to share your (constructive!) opinions in the comments. RIP Chester Bennington. | | 7 |  | Linkin Park
One More Light
It got very difficult to talk about that album. Many fans that hated on this album changed their mind after the death of LP's lead singer, as it sounds like a swan song by Benington. I was one of those fans that absolutely detested this album, when it came out. After that tragic event, as soon as I knew that this would be the last album with Chester Bennington, I came to like it a bit more. However, it is by far the least recommendable Linkin Park album. Just an average to bad pop album and it could have been executed way better. The production feels uninspired and tired and the vocals are far from amazing. Although the atmosphere feels so bright and happy, you can sense a dark undertone (not only in Bennington's vocals!). The whole album can be compared to a guy dealing with depression but pretending that everything is alright and wonderful. This is the reason why as a listener it drags you down more than it lifts you up.
Highlights: Nobody Can Save Me
Metacritic: 46% | | 6 |  | Linkin Park
Living Things
Prior to One More Light this was definitely my least favourite LP album from both my subjective and objective point of view. It's not bad but it's also not really astonishing or good. This is the last entry in the "Rubin-trilogy" and sounds like it sums up their whole sound presented in all the previous albums: pop (Burn It Down), nu/rap metal (Lost in The Echo), experimental (Until It Breaks) and of course electronic, which is the main feature of this album. Although the standouts Lost in the Echo, Burn It Down and Powerless are pretty decent, Linkin Park doesn't really bring anything new to the table but if you enjoy LP's sound and electronic music than you will definitely like it. This album could have been also simply called "Linkin Park" because it presents their core sound and is a good way to end their experimental trilogy. However, this is definitely the album I enjoy the least (after OML of course).
Highlights: Lost In The Echo
Metacritic: 60% | | 5 |  | Linkin Park
Minutes to Midnight
This and Meteora was nearly the only music I listened to, when I was 13 xD Even when I was young I, always complained about the song arrangement. Seriously, who had this insanely stupid idea: The great hits of the first half of the CD were followed by dull songs like "Hand Held High" and "In Between" (most boring LP song ever). Although Valentine's Day and No More Sorrow help to turn up the volume a bit, the second half doesn't get really more interesting to listen to as a whole. Even epic songs like In Pieces and the album closer feel boring because you've already been put to sleep by the nothingness of In Between. Overall: Strong first half, some cool songs on the second half.
Highlights: Given Up, No More Sorrow, What I've Done
Metacritic: 56% | | 4 |  | Linkin Park
The Hunting Party
I didn't really like The Hunting Party, when it was released because I expected something different from Linkin Park, when they announced it as "the real successor to Hybrid Theory". But as time passed, this record became a highlight in Linkin Park's diverse discography. The amazing and rich guitar/drum work on this album compensates the sometimes messy/repetetive songwriting. Keys to the Kingdom is a HUGE opener, a smash in the listener's face, and Guilty All The Same is one of the best and arguably the most underrated Linkin Park song ever. Final Masquerade is (to me) by far the best song on the record, as it recaptures the best of their career: the pop/electronica of Living Things, the atmosphere of A Thousand Suns, the vocal melodies of their first two albums and the guitar work from Minutes to Midnight. Same can be said about the huge album closer.
Highlights: Guilty All The Same, Final Masquerade, A Line In The Sand
Metacritic: 65% | | 3 |  | Linkin Park
Meteora
It is almost impossible for me to write/talk objectively about this album, as it was the soundtrack of my teenage years. There was also a time in my life, when I put myself to sleep to that record every evening. Although I've heard Meteora at least a million times, the album doesn't get boring. Yeah, Linkin Park recycled the style of Hybrid Theory for this album but why is that a problem? Meteora isn't as groundbreaking as its predecessor but Meteora consists almost exclusively of huge hits. Numb is my favourite LP song of all time and even my goosebumps get goosepumps, when I hear the first few notes of that song. Breaking The Habit, Don't Stay and Faint are essential Linkin Park tracks and From The Inside is also pretty intense on an emotional level. Interestingly, this is also the first LP album to include transitions between the tracks in order to link the songs together.
Highlights: Don't Stay, Breaking The Habit, Numb
Best song ever made: Foreword
Metacritic: 62% | | 2 |  | Linkin Park
A Thousand Suns
Now this will surprise MANY fans as it is a very unpopular opinion to rank A Thousand Suns over Meteora and Minutes to Midnight. This is the only album, where LP gets experimental throughout the whole record. NO song sounds like something they've made before. Blackout is the closest song to compare to their earlier records but even that one is distorted by the experimental and dark nature of A Thousand Suns. This is Linkin Park going full Nine Inch Nails. It is definitely a grower as you have to repeat listening to the FULL record if you want to enjoy it. Although not a masterpiece, this album is excellent and after Hybrid Theory the second groundbreaking record in their discography and a highlight on its own. Be patient for this record. The beginning and especially When They Come For Me are among the best moments of Linkin Park. Waiting for The End and the album's ending is also highly recommandable.
Highlights: When They Come For Me, Waiting For The End, The Catalyst
Metacritic: 66% | | 1 |  | Linkin Park
Hybrid Theory
I think I don't have to write that much about that album, as it is objectively the best album by the band and most will agree with me. I know this is a very popular opinion but it just seems false to put any other record above Hybrid Theory. Every song is solid, feels fresh and is full of unique ideas. I recommend everyone to listen to this record, as it is enjoyable for music lovers of any genre, even though the album gets mainstream and pop at times. I know the LP fan community can be very divided at times but I haven't ever heard any negative fan opinion directed at Hybrid Theory. This started it all; a pop/rock/rap/metal/electronic/alternative smash in the face of the music world. If you haven't heard anything of LP before, THIS is arguably the best record to start with and Linkin Park's masterpiece.
Highlights: Papercut, One Step Closer, In The End, A Place For My Head | |
Drifter
08.06.17 | I'm confused | Papa Universe
08.06.17 | By what? | TVC15
08.06.17 | YES YES Props for having ATS at #2 | Drifter
08.06.17 | I'm confused why metacritic scores are included
And also why rank objectively | VinerichX
08.06.17 | @Drifter In my older lists I included my own score for the album along with the metascore. In this list I excluded my own rating, so the metascore is just a little bonus thing xD
Yeeeey @TVC15 :D love that album | Rastapunk
08.06.17 | What about Reanimation? That record was freakin awesome! | CharacterMusings
08.06.17 | " This is Linkin Park going full Nine Inch Nails"
Now I'm wondering if Trent should do a cover of ATS. It'd be pretty neat. | Emim
08.06.17 | I definitely don't think ATS is that good, but at least you explained your reasoning. Missing Reanimation for sure though. | Drifter
08.06.17 | I see | Drifter
08.06.17 | Good ranking, id put LT and MTM much higher though | hasan
08.06.17 | good linkin cds are hybrid theory...... rip chester it was a good band i use to here them alot hard hits | LaughingSkull
08.07.17 | A Line in the Sand is the best LP song ever. They also kill it live! |
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