Here at the NEIU Independent, we’ve organized a tournament to determine which band ruled the mid-to-late 2000s, otherwise known as the MySpace Era. A generation that gravitated toward rock and its various subgenres, the mid-2000s were defined by the emergence of punk, pop punk, nu metal and emo, four subgenres that experienced peak commercial success. While rock and its subgenres no longer monopolize the airwaves, the bands that propelled punk and emo to the tops of charts possess a resiliency that keeps them near and dear to the hearts of listeners. This first round matchup is between Linkin Park and Paramore.

Linkin Park

Linkin Park introduced themselves with 1999’s critically acclaimed Hybrid Theory. Though their debut effort was released just after the turn of the millennium, the RIAA-certified diamond record carried incredible momentum throughout the duration of the decade, selling over 30 million copies worldwide.

2003 brought the release of the the band’s sophomore effort Meteora, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was ranked the 36th greatest album of the decade. Tasked with replicating the transcendental successes of songs like “In The End,” “Crawling” and “One Step Closer,” Meteora saw the band adopt a perceptibly somber tone, as evidenced by “Numb” and “Somewhere I Belong.”

Though 2007’s Minutes to Midnight received mixed reviews, it did feature “What I’ve Done,” the band’s third-most streamed song across digital platforms. Rolling Stone recognized Minutes to Midnight as its 25th best album of 2007.

Paramore

Paramore debuted with 2005’s All We Know Is Falling, but really hit their stride two years later with Riot!, which featured hit singles “Misery Business” and “crushcrushcrush.”

In 2009, Paramore released Brand New Eyes, featuring “Brick by Boring Brick” and the pensive “The Only Exception,” the latter being the band’s fifth-most streamed song on Spotify. Strangely enough, while Brand New Eyes didn’t enjoy the same commercial success as Riot!, it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, 13 slots higher than its precursor. Brand New Eyes also peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Rock and Alternatives Albums chart.

Which band do you prefer? Paramore or Linkin Park Paramore

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Please vote in our other first round matchups:

My Chemical Romance vs. Coldplay

Green Day vs. Simple Plan

Blink-182 vs. Mayday Parade