10 Best Rock Albums Of The 2000s
7. Meteora - Linkin Park
It's no secret that the 2000's was an era where the nu metal movement was still going strong. With bands like Deftones and Korn providing the more hard-edged tunes for metalheads, Linkin Park used their mainstream momentum to stage one of the best crossovers in hard rock history.
On Meteora, the band took a similar approach to their debut Hybrid Theory, only injected with a greater sonic punch and even more gripping melodies. This was the moment where the band went from a softer side of metal to becoming the kings of the alt-rock scene. The lyrics are also incredibly dark, with allusions to suicide and loneliness during adolescence laced through every cut. While some lyrics on their debut seem a bit corny now, the leap the band took on this record made these teenage problems seem all the more poignant.
The public was quick to take notice of the band's hard work, with nearly half the album becoming mainstream hits on rock radio from the stomp of "Numb" to the outright anger of "Faint." There may have been heavier acts out there in the 2000's, but Linkin Park was the band that opened the door for a lot of teenagers to be exposed to the heavier side of the musical spectrum.