10 2000s Albums That Are Practically Flawless
6. Meteora - Linkin Park
Half of the battle with sophomore records is trying to measure up to what you did before. Since you only have a limited timeframe to work with, it's kind of tough to write lots of songs so quickly and make them all be the greatest that you've ever made. And it gets about ten times harder when you have a Diamond certified album breathing down your neck.
When taken as a whole though, Linkin Park blew everyone out of the water with Meteora, capitalizing on the momentum of Hybrid Theory and going even higher. From the opening glass shatters on Foreword, there isn't one moment where this album doesn't go for the throat, with songs like Breaking the Habit contrasting some of the more harsh moments like Faint and Hit the Floor.
You don't just have to look at the track list either. The raw numbers are enough to cement LP's legacy, with over half of the record being released as singles and each of them going to No.1 on the alternative rock charts. Outside of the raw execution, this also seemed to buy Linkin Park the freedom to do whatever they wanted. This was more than just music for angry kids to mosh to. This was the kind of music that you could hold on to for the rest of your life.