The Catalyst. It has better the better lyrics, instrumental, song structure, intro, outro and meaning in the context of the album it's on. Also it does not have the "Rap for the sake of rap" element tacked on.
The Catalyst. Not that I don't like Burn It Down, it's quite a strong debut single, but The Catalyst is just on another level. One of my most favorite Linkin Park songs ever. Lyrically, instrumentally, structurally - it destroys Burn It Down in every possible way. I actually think BID is a bit weak compared to what Linkin Park are capable of, but it's definitely appropriate for a lead single.
^This. It's kind of disappointing to see the band saying they went overboard on ATS and (from what I can see) being negative about it. I think it's their best album yet. The Catalyst is a lot better and more unique than Burn It Down and I'm worried that the albums will mirror their singles, ATS being a lot better than LT. I hope not, I would love to be blown away by how awesome it is. One can dream...
The Cataylst for sure, the non-standard structure is much more interesting and the way that the first half of the song just keeps on building energy is epic, and the second part doesn't need any explanation. TC also had me WAY more excited for ATS then I am currently for Living Things. I sure hope to god that BID isn't a sign of how the rest of the album sounds, but I have a bad feeling it is.
This question is hilarious because the answer is painfully obvious. The Catalyst was Linkin Park with a whole new suit of armor. It confirmed right out of the blocks that A Thousand Suns was going to be something really special. It was fearless, energetic, different and went against the grain. It explored different moods, sounds and dared to do things we rarely hear come from this band. Burn It Down, while a fun song and I do enjoy it, is an old hat trick, but with a different hat. It's not as energetic, it's not as exciting and it makes me worry about Living Things. When I listen to it sometimes my mind flounders and I lose interest in the song. But whenever I hear The Catalyst it has my full attention all the way through. I might go as far as to say The Catalyst is Linkin Park's greatest song-- How dare I? Even if it isn't, it's damn close and Burn It Down doesn't even scratch the paint that The Catalyst covers.
The Catalyst for sure BID is a fine song but The Catalyst was a true musical journey. The unpredictable song structure makes it interesting and the lyrics and vocals are beautiful.
In terms of like-ability, it will be Burn It Down for me. The Catalyst becomes boring after a few hits, Burn It Down is more replay worthy.