1. Minutes To Midnight- Just a beautiful record. Mellow production, great melodies, and some very introspective songs. Some of the best songs they've penned. 2. Meteora- Lyrics might have aged like milk, but this is such a high-energy album. The production is a huge step up from Hybrid Theory, better hooks, and better songwriting. 3. One More Light- It's hard to get through this album after Chester, but remembering that time between May-June 2017, this was the most optimistic record LP has ever done. Instead of LP wallowing in sorrow, it was LP trying to find something better within themselves. Some lyrics are quite bland, but at their best, they are the most reflective tracks I could relate to after several records that felt impersonal. Nobody Can Save Me is absolutely amazing. 4. The Hunting Party- I felt this record was the high-energy album LP needed since moving on from nu metal. It's not amazing and this is the only LP album where none of the songs make my top 10, but I liked most of the songs unlike LT. This was the album that really got me back into the band. 5. A Thousand Suns- Arguably their best album. Definitely their most ambitious. Lyrics, songwriting, and melodies are all on point. However, some interludes (Empty Spaces) ruin the flow of the album, and some songs drag a bit, overstaying their welcome (The Catalyst). 6. Hybrid Theory- A pretty decent record for the time. Better lyrics than Meteora that add some metaphorical subtlety, and a nice change of pace from the aggro lyrics of other nu metal acts. Add in Shinoda's signature conscious raps, and the album is an entertaining, if not always engaging, start. In The End, Forgotten, and Papercut will always be bangers. 7. Living Things- A really disappointing follow up to A Thousand Suns. While not a bad album lyrically, the lyrics are the most unengaging they have written. Between the battle raps and the metaphorical word salad thrown in with vague feelings of being lost, the album feels like a compilation more than a cohesive project. However, the album has Lost In The Echo. So, ill cut it some slack.
Very well written and objective. I like your explanations and the pros and cons of each album. This is the best list in the thread - not because I agree with it but because of how thoughtful and balanced it is.
1. A Thousand Suns 10/10 2. The Hunting Party 9/10 3. Hybrid Theory 9/10 4. Minutes To Midnight 8/10 5. Meteora 8/10 6. Living Things 7/10 7. One More Light 6/10
A Thousand Suns Living Things Minutes to Midnight The Hunting Party One More Light Meteora Hybrid Theory I haven't listened to OML in full since a long time. it's sad to say but the album lost its appeal to me really quickly. ATS is still my favorite album ever!
A Thousand Suns Reanimation The Hunting Party Minutes to Midnight Living Things Hybrid Theory One More Light Meteora I will forever consider Reanimation as an 8th studio album because it's just that damn good.
These responses are wild to me to be honest lol. Nice to see the A Thousand Suns love! Always strange to see Meteora out of a top 3 1. HT / Reanimation 2. Meteora 3. ATS 4. M2M 5. THP 6. LT 7. OML SIDENOTE Google forms could run this poll without the 100 response cap if you wanna move it https://docs.google.com/forms
2024 Update: 1. Hybrid Theory 2. Meteora 3. Minutes To Midnight 4. A Thousand Suns 5. Living Things 6. From Zero 7. The Hunting Party 8. One More Light
A Thousand Suns Hybrid Theory Minutes to Midnight From Zero LIVING THINGS The Hunting Party One More Light Meteora
Time for an update: 1. A Thousand Suns 10/10 2. Hybrid Theory 9/10 3. The Hunting Party 8,5/10 4. Minutes To Midnight 8,5/10 5. From Zero 8/10 6. Meteora 8/10 7. Living Things 7/10 8. One More Light 6/10
1. A Thousand Suns 10/10 2. Living Things 9.5/10 3. Minutes to Midnight 9/10 4. The Hunting Party 8.5/10 5. From Zero 8.5/10 6. Hybrid Theory 8.5/10 7. Meteora 8/10 8. One More Light (7.5/10)
What was I smoking to put OML that high??? Must have been recency bias. If I had to assign ratings, I guess I'd do it this way in order to tier them: A Thousand Suns (10/10) Hybrid Theory (9/10) Minutes to Midnight (8/10) Meteora (7/10) From Zero (7/10) The Hunting Party (6/10) One More Light (6/10) Living Things (5/10)
A Thousand Suns (9.5/10) Minutes to Midnight (9/10) From Zero (9/10) Hybrid Theory (8/10) One More Light (8/10) Meteora (7/10) Living Things (7/10) The Hunting Party (5/10) The post-context FZ impressions are setting in, but it still feels like I thought. It beats HT and Meteora for me only out of maturity and the artists benefit of hindsight. Honestly, I’ll probably split the eras in my mind as things go.
The dust is finally settling. A Thousand Suns The Hunting Party Living Things Minutes to Midnight From Zero Meteora Hybrid Theory One More Light I think From Zero's greatest strength is its consistency. While it may not have the same number of peaks as the rest of the discography, there are no lows to be found which is commendable for any band's eighth studio record. Chester's performances are undeniable on Hybrid Theory and Meteora, but I think the maturity and modernity of From Zero give it a razor's edge.
I've actually been trying to brainstorm a similar thread for this exact reason. A time capsule of sorts where we'd travel back in time and rank the discography upon each studio release based on our opinions at the time and how they shifted over the years. I'm sure I wouldn't be alone with having A Thousand Suns near or at the bottom of my list in 2010. When I saw someone quoted me I was worried it was with pitchforks and torches because I ranked the classics so low. Happy to see our tastes are almost identical!
1. A Thousand Suns 2. Reanimation 3. Minutes To Midnight/One More Light/From Zero 6. Second half of Living Things 7. Hybrid Theory 8. First half of Living Things Being friends with Blake 9. The Hunting Party 10. Meteora
1. Meteora 2. Hybrid Theory 3. The Hunting Party 4. From Zero 5. Minutes to Midnight 6. Living Things 7. A Thousand Suns (Keep in mind this list is purely how much I like each album and does not reflect how high quality I consider them) 8. One More Light