7. Linkin Park
Linkin Park is a band I was quite unsure of whether to include or not but I ultimately decided that their catalogue and impact is way too impressive to not warrant a place. Linkin Park stormed the industry in 2000 when they released their debut album Hybrid Theory, an album which is still considered amongst the greatest records of all time. With such incredible singles like Papercut, In The End, Crawling and One Step Closer its no wonder why they were such an immediate hit. In the late 90s and early 2000s there was a myriad of nu metal bands gracing the scene, the popular genre of the period, and Linkin Park stood head and shoulders above the rest. The reason they were better than the majority was due to the mix of Chester Benningtons great singing and screaming and Mike Shinodas rapping, and the overall high quality of their music. Made all the more impressive when considering it was their first album. Four albums later and Linkin Park have drastically changed their sound, alienating many fans in the process. Their sound initially changed with their third album, Minutes to Midnight, which was very experimental and had no traces of their early metal sound. However Minutes to Midnight was still a very good album and, most importantly, it was still a rock album. Since then theyve released two albums, A Thousand Suns and Living Things. Neither of which could really be considered rock albums.
Honestly when I first heard A Thousand Suns I was far from a fan. I wanted to like it but it took me a long time and quite a few listens to find anything I did like about the album. Now I can say I do enjoy it and while its very different, it is a good album, just not what I consider Linkin Park. It was the same case with Living Things, Bennington had said prior to the albums release that they had gone back to their roots and the new record would sound more like Hybrid Theory, this couldnt have been further from the truth. It was exactly like the previous album with minimal guitar riffs and screaming, things that made the original LP albums so great. I have since came to terms with the fact that this is Linkin Parks sound now and it probably wont return to what it used to be. Which is disappointing but I still enjoy their new music, so Ill always buy their latest produce. Many fans have stopped buying or listening to their music, obviously the majority have not, but theyve also gained many new fans with their new sound. Regardless of all that, Linkin Park deserve a place on this list for being one of the greatest bands of the 21st century. All five of their albums have been impressive and successful, irrespective of the varying sound. Bennington is up there with M. Shadows and Myles Kennedy for having the best voice in rock, be it with Linkin Park or his side project Dead By Sunrise. Runaway, Given Up, Lost In The Echo, New Divide, Blackout, What Ive Done, By Myself, Iridescent, Points Of Authority, Breaking The Habit, Ill Be Gone, Waiting For The End, From the Inside, Valentines Day and Burn It Down, these are some of Linkin Parks best songs, chosen from each of their albums. Linkin Park changed the rock industry and left a massive impact, and even though they may not sound the way they used to, they most certainly are rock gods of the modern era.