10 Artists Who Released Their Best Album First

Mere whispers of the west coast band's name immediately conjures an image of brash thrashings, oversized jeans and plentiful piercings, with Linkin Park's meteoric* success at the turn of the millennium wrapped in a cultural movement that most 80's and 90' babies would rather forget.

Linkin Park, much like Cindi Lauper, is synonymous with a time. The early 2000's is so frequently categorised by the video game you were wasting valuable homework time on and the band you had plastered all over your bedroom wall. The latter was surely occupied by Shinoda, Bennington and co, which is due in large part to the band's first outing, Hybrid Theory.

The sub-40 minute album was packed with quality, and granted us iconic tunes like Papercut and the utterly unforgettable In The End before ushering in a few more solid years of success before the band --and our hearts-- were shattered by the passing of Chester Bennington.

Hybrid Theory is still the best selling debut album of the 21st century. Sure, glancing back with a critical eye will reveal some drawbacks, but if you dust off your baggy jeans, reapply your guyliner and let yourself be immersed in the 2000's cheese, you'll be reminded of why it succeeded so greatly.

*- No pun intended.