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Linkin Park's Earliest Albums Remain The Band's Biggest — Even Decades Later
Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory and Meteora climb Billboard's Top Hard Rock Albums chart, while newer ... More release Papercuts trails behind at No. 22. AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 12: Photo of LINKIN PARK; Linkin Park, Livid Festival, Melbourne - Australia (Photo by Martin Philbey/Redferns)
Linkin Park appears across a variety of Billboard albums rankings this week, with several titles charting at the same time. That's not unusual for one of the most successful acts in the hard rock genre, though some fans may be surprised to learn that the group's most successful projects at the moment are its earliest releases, not its most recent.
Linkin Park's comeback full-length From Zero, which arrived in the fall of 2024, is nowhere to be found on any tally in the United States. Papercuts, which arrived just months prior, is only present on one ranking. Meanwhile, the group's first two albums are riding high, though not uniformly.
Linkin Park manages to push three distinct projects north on the same chart at the same time, as consumption of the Grammy-winning act's catalog continues to grow.
Linkin Park Fills a Trio of Spaces
The Top Hard Rock Albums chart is the only Billboard list where Linkin Park occupies a trio of spaces. Hybrid Theory, Meteora, and Papercuts manage not only to find space on the ranking of the most consumed hard rock collections in the U.S., but also to rise from where they sat last frame.
Linkin Park's debut full-length Hybrid Theory leaps from No. 9 to No. 7. Follow-up Meteora returns to the top 10, pushing up two spaces and settling at No. 9. Papercuts increases its standing by three spots, landing at No. 22.
Papercuts Is the Newest of the Three Releases
Between the three, Papercuts is the newest, as it was only released in 2024. Since then, it has racked up 63 stays on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart – significantly fewer than the 350-plus that both Meteora and Hybrid Theory have managed. All three bestselling titles have spent time at No. 1 in the past.
Hybrid Theory and Meteora Continue
While Papercuts is only present on the Top Hard Rock Albums list, Hybrid Theory and Meteora can also be located on the Billboard 200, Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Top Alternative Albums charts.
Hybrid Theory is a non-mover on the Billboard 200 and the Top Alternative Albums list, while Meteora declines slightly on the all-encompassing ranking of the biggest full-lengths and EPs in the country. Otherwise, Linkin Park's music is largely on the rise, at least when it comes to albums – though the group's singles that still find space are also largely on the downswing.
