10 Most Underrated Albums In Rock Music History
5. A Thousand Suns - Linkin Park
Not every album that is considered underrated necessarily has to be a bad album either. Sometimes you have to make the best with what you have and it doesn't really register with the public as much as your more accessible stuff does. In the case of Linkin Park though, A Thousand Suns just felt like the right album at the wrong time.
After moving away from the sounds of nu metal on Minutes to Midnight, this was the kind of art rock experience that no one was really ready for just yet, with Joe Hahn bringing in weird soundscapes to conjure up feelings on nuclear fallout. In a sense, this could be considered Linkin Park's answer to something like Kid A or Dark Side of the Moon, as they grapple with a full concept album with various ambient tracks to get you into the world.
Granted, you can see why the people that come to this band for songs like Given Up and Crawling would be upset here, since the concept drags on for a little bit. It's not like this album doesn't have some standout moments on it, like the amazing build of Waiting for the End or the anger in Chester's voice on Wretches and Kings. You might have to do your homework on an album like this, but once you get on that level, there's an absolute treasure trove to sift through.