# Meteora (album)
**Meteora** is the second studio album by the American rock band [Linkin Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/linkin-park), released on March 25, 2003 by Warner Bros. Records and produced by the band with Don Gilmore, who had also produced their debut *Hybrid Theory*.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/meteora-mr0000867856) • [2](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2003/BB-2003-04-05.pdf) It debuted at number one on the [Billboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-magazine) 200 with first-week sales of over 810,000 copies, a chart debut the band's 2000 debut had never achieved despite being the highest-selling album of 2001.[3](https://dspace.sunyconnect.suny.edu/bitstreams/5e1ff9d7-d820-4b26-84fb-d70d4d76b980/download)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | March 25, 2003, Warner Bros. Records (catalog 48186)[1](https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/meteora-mr0000867856) |
| Production | Linkin Park with Don Gilmore[2](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2003/BB-2003-04-05.pdf) |
| Length | 36:43 across 13 tracks[1](https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/meteora-mr0000867856) |
| Singles | "Somewhere I Belong", "Faint", "Numb", "Breaking the Habit", "From the Inside"[4](https://linkinpark.warnerrecords.com/en-gb/products/meteora-20th-anniversary-edition-deluxe-cd) |
| US sales | Over 8 million copies; certified multi-platinum, platinum, or gold in 15 countries[4](https://linkinpark.warnerrecords.com/en-gb/products/meteora-20th-anniversary-edition-deluxe-cd) |
| Chart peaks | No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (over 810,000 first-week copies) and No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart[3](https://dspace.sunyconnect.suny.edu/bitstreams/5e1ff9d7-d820-4b26-84fb-d70d4d76b980/download) • [5](https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/linkin-park-meteora/) |
| Anniversary reissue | Meteora 20th Anniversary Edition (2023), including the previously unreleased 2002-session track "Lost"[4](https://linkinpark.warnerrecords.com/en-gb/products/meteora-20th-anniversary-edition-deluxe-cd) |
## Background
Following *Hybrid Theory*, which sold 14 million copies and became the best-selling debut album since [Guns N' Roses](https://www.edgepedia.org/guns-n-roses)' *Appetite for Destruction*, the band faced questions about how to follow such success.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/mar/28/popandrock.artsfeatures4) • [7](https://www.nme.com/news/music/linkin-park-20-years-of-meteora-interview-mike-shinoda-3428506) Singer Chester Bennington said the band would not worry about outselling the debut: "You just have to go in and write songs you like and do things that make you happy. If you can do that, then you've succeeded."[8](https://www.kerrang.com/linkin-park-meteora-chester-bennington-mike-shinoda)
The title refers to the [Meteora](https://www.edgepedia.org/meteora) rock formation in central Greece, site of clifftop monasteries; the band said they hoped to recreate the site's "timelessness and expansiveness".[9](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-linkin-park-113705.html)
## Writing and recording
Songwriting began while the band was still touring *Hybrid Theory*, using a makeshift studio at the back of their tour bus. At one point the band had more than 80 songs in various states of completion; by the time they entered NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood in August 2002 with the returning Don Gilmore, they had narrowed this to 13 close-to-complete demos.[10](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/meteora-showed-linkin-park-were-152443820.html) Recording took about a year, with the band crafting each song, breaking it down, and building it back up again.[8](https://www.kerrang.com/linkin-park-meteora-chester-bennington-mike-shinoda) AllMusic lists the recording locations as Mike's House and MRG Studios in North Hollywood.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/meteora-mr0000867856)
Bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, back in the band, made his first appearance on a Linkin Park studio album with *Meteora*; the lineup was Bennington, Mike Shinoda, Farrell, guitarist [Brad Delson](https://www.edgepedia.org/brad-delson), drummer [Rob Bourdon](https://www.edgepedia.org/rob-bourdon), and turntablist [Joe Hahn](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-hahn).[11](https://www.kerrang.com/linkin-park-meteora-mike-shinoda-brad-delson-dave-farrell-nu-metal-numb-lost-interview-cover-story/) Near the end of the process Bennington fell sick for five weeks and had to record his vocal parts while the rest of the album was being mixed.[12](https://www.loudersound.com/features/linkin-park-meteora-story-behind-album) Shinoda described the final stretch as chaotic: the chorus of the first single, "Somewhere I Belong", was still being changed during mastering.[7](https://www.nme.com/news/music/linkin-park-20-years-of-meteora-interview-mike-shinoda-3428506)
Two songs have well-documented origins. "[Breaking the Habit](https://www.edgepedia.org/breaking-the-habit-song)" was a song Shinoda had tried to write since 1998, scrapping some twenty attempts; revisited for *Meteora*, it came together in about two hours, and it became the album's fifth and final single.[13](https://www.loudersound.com/features/linkin-park-the-story-behind-breaking-the-habit) "Numb" was one of the last songs written for the album, coming together a week before the band entered NRG Studios; Shinoda described it as being about "those times when you've got no feeling left or you just don't care".[14](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/linkin-park-numb-story-jay-z)
## Music and singles
The album continues the debut's combination of alternative metal, electronic production, and hip-hop, expanded in scope.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/meteora-mr0000867856) The Guardian's review described the formula as "rap + metal + Depeche Mode", magnified and perfected, with occasional flourishes such as the manipulated string sample on "Somewhere I Belong" and the drum'n'bass pulse of "Breaking the Habit".[6](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/mar/28/popandrock.artsfeatures4) "Breaking the Habit" stands out within the album as an exception to the band's usual distorted guitars, rap hooks, and screaming.[15](https://press.warnerrecords.com/sites/g/files/g2000014901/files/2023-07/Mike%20Shinoda%20on%20crafting%20Meteora%20.pdf)
Five singles were released: "Somewhere I Belong", "Faint", "Numb", "Breaking the Habit", and "From the Inside".[4](https://linkinpark.warnerrecords.com/en-gb/products/meteora-20th-anniversary-edition-deluxe-cd) The week *Meteora* entered the Billboard 200 at number one, "Somewhere I Belong" was simultaneously at number one on both the Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts.[16](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2003/BB-2003-06-28.pdf) The awards followed: "Somewhere I Belong" won Best Rock Video at the 2003 [MTV Video Music Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/mtv-video-music-awards), "Breaking the Habit" took the Viewer's Choice award in 2004, and "Numb" was named Song of the Year at the 2004 Radio Music Awards.[17](https://riffology.co/posts/the-making-of-meteora-by-linkin-park/) The instrumental "Session", composed entirely of scratching and sampling, received a Grammy nomination.[12](https://www.loudersound.com/features/linkin-park-meteora-story-behind-album)
## Commercial performance
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 810,000 copies in its first week.[3](https://dspace.sunyconnect.suny.edu/bitstreams/5e1ff9d7-d820-4b26-84fb-d70d4d76b980/download) It reached number one in the UK, first charting on April 5, 2003, and spent 35 consecutive weeks on the UK top 100 that year.[5](https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/linkin-park-meteora/) It finished 2003 as the third best-selling album in the United States.[17](https://riffology.co/posts/the-making-of-meteora-by-linkin-park/) Altogether, US sales exceed 8 million copies, and the album has earned multi-platinum, platinum, or gold certifications across 15 countries.[4](https://linkinpark.warnerrecords.com/en-gb/products/meteora-20th-anniversary-edition-deluxe-cd)
## Critical reception
Reception at release was mixed. Metacritic assigned a metascore of 62 based on 13 critic reviews, while user ratings were far warmer, at 8.8 out of 10 from 749 ratings.[18](https://www.metacritic.com/music/meteora/linkin-park/user-reviews?dist=positive&page=1) Common criticisms held that the album repeated the debut's blueprint: [The Observer](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-observer) wrote that much of it "feels like Hybrid Theory, Part Two".[19](https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2003/mar/23/features.review107) The Washington Post called it 36 minutes of "juvenile furor" that "risks nothing".[20](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2003/03/26/linkin-park-refusing-to-grow-up/151f3726-8e98-462a-8c27-3c197c55ab72) Later assessments have been more favorable; Brad Delson has noted that many people call the album "basically 'Hybrid Theory 2'", while arguing it foreshadowed the band's desire to keep changing direction.[7](https://www.nme.com/news/music/linkin-park-20-years-of-meteora-interview-mike-shinoda-3428506) Retrospective features credit the record with proving the band were no one-hit wonder and securing their longevity.[10](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/meteora-showed-linkin-park-were-152443820.html) • [12](https://www.loudersound.com/features/linkin-park-meteora-story-behind-album)
## 20th anniversary edition
For the album's 20th anniversary in 2023, it was reissued in multiple formats, including a Limited Edition Super Deluxe Box Set, a 4 LP Deluxe Vinyl Box Set, a 3-disc Deluxe CD, and digital editions, all containing previously unreleased or rare material such as *LPU Rarities 2.0* and *Live Rarities 2003-2004*.[4](https://linkinpark.warnerrecords.com/en-gb/products/meteora-20th-anniversary-edition-deluxe-cd) Among the unreleased tracks is "Lost", a fully realized song from the 2002 album recording sessions featuring vocals from [Chester Bennington](https://www.edgepedia.org/chester-bennington).[4](https://linkinpark.warnerrecords.com/en-gb/products/meteora-20th-anniversary-edition-deluxe-cd)
## References
1. [Meteora – Linkin Park, Release Info, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/meteora-mr0000867856)
2. [Linkin Park Enjoys Meteoric Opening, Billboard, April 5, 2003](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2003/BB-2003-04-05.pdf)
3. [Linkin Park's Meteoric New Album (student press review, 2003)](https://dspace.sunyconnect.suny.edu/bitstreams/5e1ff9d7-d820-4b26-84fb-d70d4d76b980/download)
4. [Meteora 20th Anniversary Edition Deluxe CD – Linkin Park, Warner Records](https://linkinpark.warnerrecords.com/en-gb/products/meteora-20th-anniversary-edition-deluxe-cd)
5. [METEORA – LINKIN PARK, Official Charts Company](https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/linkin-park-meteora/)
6. [Linkin Park: Meteora, The Guardian, March 28, 2003](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/mar/28/popandrock.artsfeatures4)
7. [Linkin Park on 20 years of 'Meteora' and unheard music, NME](https://www.nme.com/news/music/linkin-park-20-years-of-meteora-interview-mike-shinoda-3428506)
8. [The story of Linkin Park's Meteora, Kerrang!, February 10, 2023](https://www.kerrang.com/linkin-park-meteora-chester-bennington-mike-shinoda)
9. [Album: Linkin Park – Meteora, The Independent, April 4, 2003](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-linkin-park-113705.html)
10. [How Meteora showed Linkin Park were no one-hit wonder, Louder via Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/meteora-showed-linkin-park-were-152443820.html)
11. [Linkin Park: "We were out to prove this was our band", Kerrang!](https://www.kerrang.com/linkin-park-meteora-mike-shinoda-brad-delson-dave-farrell-nu-metal-numb-lost-interview-cover-story/)
12. [Linkin Park's Meteora: the story behind the album, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/features/linkin-park-meteora-story-behind-album)
13. [The story behind Breaking The Habit, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/features/linkin-park-the-story-behind-breaking-the-habit)
14. [The story behind Linkin Park's "Numb", Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/linkin-park-numb-story-jay-z)
15. [Mike Shinoda on crafting Meteora, Warner Records press (PDF)](https://press.warnerrecords.com/sites/g/files/g2000014901/files/2023-07/Mike%20Shinoda%20on%20crafting%20Meteora%20.pdf)
16. [Rock Keeps Reaching The Pole Position, Billboard, June 28, 2003](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2003/BB-2003-06-28.pdf)
17. [Meteora by Linkin Park: The Complete Story, Riffology](https://riffology.co/posts/the-making-of-meteora-by-linkin-park/)
18. [Meteora – Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/music/meteora/linkin-park/user-reviews?dist=positive&page=1)
19. [That Linkin feeling, The Observer, March 23, 2003](https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2003/mar/23/features.review107)
20. [Linkin Park, Refusing to Grow Up, The Washington Post, March 25, 2003](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2003/03/26/linkin-park-refusing-to-grow-up/151f3726-8e98-462a-8c27-3c197c55ab72)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Albums and recorded releases › Studio albums › Metal and hardcore albums › Nu metal and alternative metal albums*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license