I believe there would be no argument that Linkin Park's "Hybrid Theory" deserves its place in music history. However, for it to arrive on this countdown it has to have a place in my personal history. And that time period was high school.
Though it's release actually came out when I was in 8th grade (I remember seeing the video for "One Step Closer" on a Honor Society trip to Atlanta in middle school), "Hybrid Theory" was a huge part of my four years that people either love or hate.
Since I'm almost out of college, I truly feel like it goes like this. High School is the time period where you start to branch out on your own musically. You no longer listen to what the radio tells you nor do you only listen to just what your friends listen to. College is a whole different ball game, but that's for a different post.
I entered high school in 2001, a time when a lot of important things were happening. For one, I will never forget that my freshman year is when 9/11 happened. Weirdly, it makes me remember the music I was listening to at that time (a strange of combo of System of a Down and Jay-Z). But musically something else was happening: Napster.
I got caught up and that's how I got a majority of the songs off of the "Hybrid Theory" release. I started listening so much that eventually I bought the actual cd (a process I feel is still used with file-sharing today).
This cd had everything. Hard rock mixed with some rap mixed with some turntable beats. I didn't know it at the time, but it was almost like an angrier, a much angrier, Incubus. Seriously, go back and listen to "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." and add a little bit more anger and try to tell me that these sounds aren't at least in the same unexplored category.
I'm sure I don't need to talk about "One Step Closer," "Crawling," or "In My Head." It's a contradiction to my earlier statement about not exactly listening to what we are told to listen to as these songs are what catapulted the band. It's what got you to show up, but "Papercut," "With You," and "Pushing Me Away" are what made you stay.
I think one of my favorite tracks has to be "A Place for My Head." 2001 was also a big year in my life because it was a year that my dad was divorced and then re-married, causing me to say goodbye to one family and hello to another. When my sister and I could convince her mom to take us to school instead of taking the bus, we would play this song and jam out.
Enjoy the following videos, but don't close this window just yet...
While their latest release, "Minutes to Midnight," didn't hold a lasting impact with me, their second album "Meteora" did. It's rare in the music industry that a band will come out with a debut release to critical acclaim and follow up with something equally as good. But they did it with "Meteora" that came close to getting its own spot on this countdown. Below are a couple of my favorites.
Do you even know how badly I want to see Linkin Park live? I would sell my boobs to go. Fo sho. I loved Hybrid Theory more than Meteora, but both are good enough to hold their own in my mass collection. (Which my cousin Rhonda can know vouch that my cd collection? FUCKING INSANE.) Anyways.
ReplyDeleteThe thing about Linkin Park is that when you do listen to their cd all of the songs kind of blend together. Liek they are all a part of a musical experience. They all sound kind of similar but are so different at the same time. Plus, Chester is hot. No lie.
I never bought or downloaded any Linkin Park - but it's a band that I like to turn up load when it's on the radio when I'm driving. It's good driving music.
ReplyDeleteFunny how huge historical events effect memory...I think everyone remembers where they were when 9/11 happened. I was in grade 12.
minutes to midnight was a kind of different sound. if you heard "shadow of the day" out of context you probably wouldn't think it was linkin park at all.
ReplyDeletei promise ill get on my guest post today! facebook me your email so i can send it to ya :)
Hybrid Theory was the first album I ever bought. I played the hell out of it. It will always occupy a special place in my heart, even if I've moved onto more sophisticated music. Still, the songs on this develop really naturally, and showcased a band that left a huge mark on our generation.
ReplyDeleteI could go on and on about Linkin Park but their old stuff just gets me!! I was still on board when they did the first Transformers theme, but I was a little disturbed when they did the second and it sounded almost the same haha. I can't wait to hear the new stuff!
ReplyDeleteI will always love One Step Closer though... seriously I used to be so Angst-y