10 Hard Rock Albums Critics Were Completely Wrong About
7. A Thousand Suns - Linkin Park
Bands making a transition are always difficult for the music press to grasp. Whenever an artist undertakes a genre pivot, you can bet your ass that it'll be noted by music critics if you come up with something lackluster. However, for as drastic a change that Linkin Park made in 2010, the results have actually held up pretty well that many might remember.
A Thousand Suns does admittedly suffer from a few too many interludes, but the different approach on songs like "Robot Boy" and "Waiting For the End" still have that same energy that they did when they were first released. Sure, the conceptual side of the album may have been a tough sell, but when talking about something like war and destruction, the pain in these songs is definitely palpable.
Even though the fans were definitely not having any of these new electronic soundscapes, the band's ability to firmly embrace the synthetic side of their sound ended up paying off in the long run. As the 2010's unfolded, many artists would be using the model of A Thousand Suns and bringing that electronic approach to their own songs.
Linkin Park may have gotten a mixed reception for their grand vision, but even when they had mixed reviews, they were still ahead of the curve.