Linkin Park’s Meteora has earned Diamond certification in the United States, joining Hybrid Theory at the RIAA’s highest named award tier. The certification is dated October 5, 2026, in the RIAA’s Gold & Platinum database.
Diamond recognizes a minimum of 10 million certified units. For albums, the RIAA counts qualifying album purchases alongside track sales and streaming equivalents. Ten track sales or 1,500 qualifying streams equal one album unit, so the award measures more than purchases of the complete record.
Released on March 25, 2003, Meteora was Linkin Park’s second studio album and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. “Somewhere I Belong,” “Faint” and “Numb” extended the partnership between Chester Bennington’s singing and Mike Shinoda’s rapping, while “Breaking the Habit” gave the band a different kind of single.
That difference was deliberate. In a 2023 conversation with Zane Lowe, excerpted in Apple Music’s album notes, Shinoda recalled wanting “Breaking the Habit” to carry the emotional force of a Linkin Park song without heavy guitars or screaming. Bennington handled the vocal, and Shinoda stepped away from rapping. The track became the album’s final single, putting that approach alongside the heavier material that had introduced the record.
The band returned to those sessions for Meteora 20th Anniversary Edition, released on April 7, 2023. Alongside demos and live recordings, the expanded release uncovered completed songs that had remained outside the original album. “Lost,” featuring Bennington’s vocals, led the campaign, followed by “Fighting Myself” and “More the Victim.” Shinoda mixed the latter for release while preserving the intentions of the original recording.
Warner Records announced an eight times Platinum certification for Meteora during that anniversary campaign. The October 2026 award places the album in the Diamond category alongside the debut it followed, giving both records recognition at the RIAA’s 10 million unit threshold.
