10 Most Influential Hard Rock Albums

At the turn of the century, there was a clear disconnect between the heavier and lighter sides of MTV. Whereas grunge acts of the early '90s were staples all over the map, the dark subject matters behind their tunes were bound to fly over the average listeners' head. In an era where there was a clear line between the Korns and Hansons of the world, Linkin Park found a way to bridge the gap on Hybrid Theory.

That's not to say that this album is inherently a pop release though. Across songs like Papercut and Place for My Head, there are plenty of moments that metalheads can appreciate, be it Brad Delson's licks or Chester Bennington's screams. Besides the heavier elements, this album offered a little something for everyone, from Bennington's amazing clean pipes to the hip hop style flow of Mike Shinoda to even the electronic soundscapes provided by Joe Hahn.

Though some people might consider this general appeal to be a bit of a flaw, Hybrid Theory helped expose this new era of heavy music to a wider audience. In 2000, mild mannered kids who liked Linkin Park used them as the gateway drug to other forms of heavy music, from nu metal to thrash to hip hop and everything in between. While still keeping their core identity, Linkin Park's debut is a musical Swiss Army Knife that any music fan can find some merit in.