When they first popped up at the turn of the millennium, no one could have predicted just how huge Linkin Park would grow over the course of two decades, becoming one of the biggest rock bands in the world with a deep catalog that would influence a generation. Their 2024 greatest-hits compilation Papercuts collects their biggest hits -- and that's not even all their hits, just the very best of the best -- alongside a handful of treats that elevates this collection to being more than just a playlist. Thoughtfully curated and sequenced, Papercuts kicks off with their Grammy-winning second single "Crawling" from 2000's breakthrough smash Hybrid Theory and makes its way through every studio album (except for 2014's hardcore foray The Hunting Party). "Faint," "What I've Done," "Breaking the Habit," "One Step Closer," "Numb" -- there are dozens of platinum certifications here, as well as the diamond-certified "In the End." Even with the omission of some key moments from their catalog, the assault of top-tier material makes it nearly unnoticeable. In addition to the tracks that can already be found on those worn-out copies in a general listener's collection, the band was sure to include previously released fan favorites like "Numb/Encore" from the revolutionary Jay-Z mashup set Collision Course; "New Divide" from the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen soundtrack; their 2023 hit "Lost" from the Meteora 20th anniversary collection, and "QWERTY," a brutal metal cut recorded during the Minutes to Midnight era (that wound up on the fan club-only LP Underground 6.0 release in 2006). Another unreleased studio recording was packaged with Papercuts: the bittersweet coda "Friendly Fire" (from their final sessions with Chester Bennington during the One More Light era), which went on to chart around the world upon release in February 2024. Across 20 tracks and nearly as many years, Linkin Park's emotional and stylistic evolution is succinctly captured, igniting nostalgia and long-dormant feelings through the band's enduring power and Bennington's immortal voice.
- Neil Z. Yeung - allmusic.com
