One of the bestselling albums released in 2000 is getting revisited in a big way this year: Linkin Park's debut album Hybrid Theory.
The first album from the California rap/rock combo will be reissued October 9 in three rarity-packed editions for its 20th anniversary. A 2CD version pairs the original album with a bonus disc featuring a dozen B-sides, demos, live tracks and remixes from various European-only CD singles. A bigger 4LP box set features those albums alongside a 2LP reissue of Reanimation, the group's 2002 album of remixes from Hybrid Theory. And biggest of all is a super deluxe edition, totaling 5 CDs, 4 LPs, 3 DVDs and a cassette among other ephemera and collectibles.
The super deluxe Hybrid Theory features:
- The original album and Reanimation on CD and vinyl
- The band's self-released 1999 EP for the first time on vinyl - issued when the band was called Hybrid Theory
- Three bonus discs: one of the released B-sides, one of 18 Hybrid Theory-era demos and outtakes released on various Linkin Park Underground fan club discs, and a dozen more previously unreleased demos
- Three DVDs featuring four concerts: the out-of-print Frat Party At The Pankake Festival, the unseen Projekt Underground 2002 ("the sequel to the DVD with the worst name we've ever come Up with," the band jokes in their announcement) and 2001 sets at The Fillmore in San Francisco, CA and Germany's Rock Am Ring Festival
- A replica of a two-track cassette pressed for members of the band's street team
- An 80-page book of liner notes featuring contributions from the band and unseen photos
- An oversize poster of the band's late vocalist Chester Bennington; three lithographs featuring artwork from band members Mike Shinoda, Joe Hahn and original album artist Frank Maddocks; and a replica tour laminate
- A download card for all the audio in the box
A hit with fans and critics on initial release, Hybrid Theory introduced Linkin Park's distinctive, genre-blending style after four years of pounding the pavement as a band. High school friends Mike Shinoda (vocals), Brad Delson (guitar) and Rob Bourdon (drums) first started working together under the name Xero, later recruiting bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and turntablist Joe Hahn. The group initially known as Hybrid Theory came together with the addition of singer Chester Bennington, whose versatile voice - inspired by the likes of Stone Temple Pilots and Alice In Chains - formed a powerful counterpoint to Shinoda's rapped verses.
Changing their name to play off a Santa Monica hangout spot, Linkin Park represented the best of both worlds in a pop music scene dominated by both nu-metal acts like Korn, Limp Bizkit and System of a Down and expanding hip-hop dynasties like Eminem or Jay Z (who famously collaborated with Linkin Park for the Collision Course EP in 2004). The album's themes of angst and alienation combined with hooky melodies and a rough-edged musical onslaught.
Though it never topped an album chart, it was 2001's biggest selling album - moving almost half of its 10 million copy sales mark in that first year alone - and spinning off rock radio hits in "One Step Closer," "Crawling," "Papercut" and "In The End," which massively crossed over into the pop charts around the world, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 8 on the U.K. singles chart. "Crawling" also took home a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance, while the band themselves scored a Best New Artist nomination. Five of Linkin Park's next six studio albums since 2003 were chart-toppers, and the group remained a powerful live draw through 2017, when Bennington (who'd become the frontman of Stone Temple Pilots between 2013 and 2015) took his own life.
While fans wait to see what, if anything, Linkin Park will do without their late bandmate, the deluxe Hybrid Theory seems to be a fitting tribute to their first big break. Pre-order the sets below and check out the full track list as well.
Hybrid Theory: 20th Anniversary Edition (Warner, 2020)
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
4LP Deluxe: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
5CD/4LP/3DVD Super Deluxe: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
CD/LP 1: Original album (Warner Bros. 47755, 2000)
- Papercut
- One Step Closer
- With You
- Points Of Authority
- Crawling
- Runaway
- By Myself
- In The End
- A Place For My Head
- Forgotten
- Cure For The Itch
- Pushing Me Away
CD 2/LP 2-3: Reanimation (Warner Bros. 48326, 2002)
- Opening
- Pts. OF. Athrty
- Enth E Nd
- [Chali}
- Frgt/10
- P5hng Me A*wy
- Plc.4 Mie Haed
- X-Ecutioner Style
- H! Vltg3
- [Riff Raff]
- Wth>You
- Ntr\Mssion
- Ppr: Kut
- Rnw@y
- My<Dsmber
- [Stef]
- By_Myslf
- Kyur4 th Ich
- 1Stp Klosr
- Krwling
LP 4 (super deluxe only): Hybrid Theory EP (self-released, 1999)
- Carousel
- Technique (Short)
- Step Up
- And One
- High Voltage
- Part Of Me
CD 3/LP 4 (deluxe only): B-Side Rarities
- One Step Closer (Rock Mix)
- It's Goin' Down - The X-ecutioners feat Mike Shinoda & Mr. Hahn
- Papercut (Live from the BBC)
- In The End (Live BBC Radio One)
- Points Of Authority (Live BBC Radio One)
- High Voltage
- Step Up (1999 Demo)
- My December
- A Place For My Head (Live at Docklands Arena, London)
- Points Of Authority (Live at Docklands Arena, London)
- Papercut (Live at Docklands Arena, London)
- Buy Myself (Marilyn Manson Remix)
Track 1 from "One Step Closer" promo CD single - Warner Bros. PRO-CD-100323, 2000
Track 2 from Built From Scratch - Loud CK 86410, 2002
Track 3 from "Crawling" U.K. CD single - Warner Bros. W556CD, 2001
Tracks 4, 7 and 9-10 from "In The End" U.K. CD singles - Warner Bros. W569CD/CDX, 2001
Track 5 from "Papercut" U.K. CD single - Warner Bros. W562CD, 2001
Tracks 6 and 8 from "One Step Closer" U.K. CD single - Warner Bros. W550CD, 2000
Track 11 from In The End: Live & Rare - WEA Japan WPCR-11210, 2002
Track 12 from "Pts. OF. Athrty" European CD single - Warner Bros. 9362-42471-2, 2002
CD 4: LPU Rarities
- In The End (Demo)
- Dedicated (1999 Demo)
- With You (Live at Docklands Arena, London)
- High Voltage (Live at Docklands Arena, London)
- Points Of Authority (Demo)
- Stick and Move ("Runaway" Demo 1998)
- Esaul ("A Place for My Head" Demo)
- Oh No ("Points Of Authority" Demo)
- Slip (1998 Unreleased Hybrid Theory Demo)
- Grr (1999 Demo)
- So Far Away (Unreleased 1998)
- Coal (Unreleased Demo 1997)
- Forgotten (Demo)
- Sad ("By Myself" Demo 1999)
- Hurry (1999 Demo)
- Blue (1998 Unreleased Hybrid Theory Demo)
- Chair (1999 "Part Of Me" Demo)
- Pts.Of.Athrty (Crystal Method Remix)
Tracks 1, 7, 9 and 16 from Underground Eleven (Machine Shop, 2011)
Tracks 2-4 and 18 from LP Underground V2.0 (Machine Shop, 2002)
Tracks 5, 11 and 13 from Underground 12 (Machine Shop, 2012)
Tracks 6 and 14 from Underground 9: Demos (Machine Shop, 2009)
Tracks 8 and 12 from Underground X: Demos (Machine Shop, 2010)
Tracks 10, 15 and 17 from Underground 15 (Machine Shop, 2015)
CD 5: Forgotten Demos (previously unreleased)
- Dialate (Xero Demo)
- Paperboard (Demo)
- She Couldn't (Demo)
- Could Have Been (Demo)
- Reading My Eyes (Xero Demo)
- Rhinestone (Xero Demo)
- Esaul (Xero Demo)
- Stick N Move (Demo)
- Carousel (Demo)
- Points Of Authority (Demo)
- Crawling (Demo)
- SuperXero (By Myself Demo)
DVD 1: Frat Party At The Pankake Festival (released as Warner Reprise Video 38592-2, 2001)
DVD 2: Projekt Revolution 2002 (previously unreleased)
DVD 3: The Filmore 2001 / Rock Am Ring 2001 (previously unreleased)
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