Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 110 Best Albums of the 2010s, representing a varied cross-section of artists, genres, and styles. Click “Next Album” below to explore each album in the list or for easier navigation, view the full introduction & album index here.
LINKIN PARK | A Thousand Suns
Warner Bros. (2010)
Selected by Mark J. Marraccini
I’m unable to listen to Linkin Park’s cerebral dystopian concept album A Thousand Suns without shedding a tear at some point. The historical audio clips from political activists like Mario Savio on “Wretches and Kings” and Martin Luther King, Jr. on “Wisdom, Justice, and Love” always choke me up. And when I hear Chester Bennington, on “Waiting For The End,” sing the line “All I wanna do is trade this life for something new,” I can’t help but think of how he took his own life in 2017. But, most of all, A Thousand Suns is a decade standout for me because of Linkin Park’s lofty ambition to write a politically-charged album about our fears and disillusionments, while still reminding us of the regenerative power of hope. It’s not only one of my favorite albums of the decade, but of all time.
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