Linkin Park has an enthusiastic but polarized fanbase. Which makes sense, considering the various stylistic changes the rock band has experienced.

Many LP devotees still see the group's 2000 debut, Hybrid Theory — usually along with its 2003 follow-up, Meteora — as their best work. And the impact those two albums had on nu-metal is undeniable.

But nearly every subsequent Linkin Park album has been equitably assessed by fans. From the more commercial Minutes to Midnight (2007) to the enjoyable but possibly less affecting Living Things (2012) and The Hunting Party (2014) — not to mention 2017's vexingly poppy One More Light — there's a lot to get into.

Linkin Park pose for a band portrait.
Michael Buckner, Getty Images
loading...

But then there's 2010's A Thousand Suns, an explosive artistic statement. In many ways, it's a radical departure from its predecessors. The record's atypical structure, themes and sounds made for a contentiously fragmented and esoteric experience that plenty of listeners and music publications – including Loudwirenever seemed to warm up to.

Yet, it's precisely those bold and enduring attributes that allow A Thousand Suns to shine so brightly. Not just as Linkin Park's crowning achievement, but as a bona fide masterpiece in several respects. So let's dig into 10 reasons why the album is so great.

10 Reasons Why Linkin Park's 'A Thousand Suns' Is Better Than You Remember

Here are 10 reasons why Linkin Park's fourth album, 2010's A Thousand Suns, is better than you remember

50 Rock + Metal Albums Turning 10 in 2022

A decade has passed since these albums first graced our ears.

More From WRRV-WRRB