Insanely difficult due to the fact that it's near impossible to separate HT and Meteora from the nostalgia associated with an album you have growing up. That said, probably Hybrid Theory, because while I think the highlights of Meteora and Hunting Party are higher than anything on HT, while HT is flawed there's not a genuinely bad song on it and I can play it the entire way through and enjoy it all the way.
Fan since 2000. I'm someone who listens to LP 24/7/365. Not joking. Fav. LP album 1. A Thousand Suns & 2. Meteora.
Ah, Hybrid Theory vs Meteora, the classic debate. I've found myself recently listening to Meteora several times over, and I've really started to enjoy it more than Hybrid Theory, albeit only slightly. Both are phenomenal, and Hybrid Theory was far more innovative, but there's something unique about Meteora's sound. Sadly, as for The Hunting Party, that album pales in comparison. Only a few songs stand out to me.
I think it's really a matter of how many bands were in competition with LP over a very similar genre. Back in 2000 and 2003, LP were easily the best (subjective of course) "nu-metal" band producing music within that genre/sub-genre. You had a lot of bands producing similar music, but with LP appearing as the "real" and "serious" professionals amongst a sea of bands that didn't quite stack up..... e.g. Limp Bizkit, Three Days Grace, Papa Roach, KoRn, Saliva, Ill NiƱo, etc. Now? There aren't really many bands doing what LP does. So there isn't much to compare LP to on a sub-genre level. I think a lot of people enjoy what they do and the music they make, but when there aren't other commercially successfully bands that pale in comparison out there, then their music is focused on more for what it is rather than what it isn't. Which is why I believe The Hunting Party and Living Things and even A Thousand Suns are judged much more on an individual basis rather than compared to the rest of the industry like HT, Meteora, and MTM used to be. With all of that said... Hybrid Theory wins for me. It is the definition of a perfect album for me. All of its imperfections are perfections to my ears. It is timeless, and only fitting that it dropped in time for the new decade, century, and millennium.