Image: Linkin Park - Official Press Photo
Linkin Park: This name is known to anyone even remotely familiar with music. One of the biggest Nu-Metal and Alternative bands of our time, touching millions of people around the world. We take a look at the band's background, their history, and their new era.
Whether on Rock festivals or the radio, Linkin Park are simply unavoidable. They are regarded as one of the defining bands of Nu-Metal, although various other influences later emerged in their music. With the tragic death of Chester Bennington in 2017, the era of an icon came to an end. But Linkin Park as a band keeps going. Here, we will highlight their formation and their most successful years, but their future too.
Formation: Where Does The Band Name Linkin Park Come From?
In the beginning, Linkin Park had a completely different band name, and for a short time, there was even a different singer. The band was formed in 1996 in LA, California, under the name Xero. The idea for the band came from Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson; the two school friends attended an Anthrax concert together in 1991 and were inspired. Brad Delson - aka Phoenix - became the guitarist and Mike Shinoda the rapper, although he also took on background vocals, rhythm guitar, bass, and keyboard. Their school friend Rob Bourdon joined as the drummer. Joe Hahn became their DJ, and Dave Farrell their bassist. At the time, Mark Wakefield was chosen as their singer, but that didn’t last long. Their first demo didn’t sell well, and Wakefield left the band when no record deal was in sight.
However, Brad Delson had a connection to Jeff Blue from the Warner Music Group, who introduced them to Chester Bennington. Chester, who was singing for the band Grey Daze at the time, locked himself in a studio for three days and worked on the demo, impressing the band with the result. Once he joined, he quit his job and moved to California to focus entirely on music. Afterward, the band changed its name to Hybrid Theory, reflecting the combination of Mike’s rapping and Chester’s singing. With Jeff Blue’s help, they finally landed a record deal, but due to legal issues, they had to change their name again as there was already another band called Hybrid Theory.
The name Linkin Park was chosen because of a park in Santa Monica called Lincoln Park. When the group wanted to get a domain for their website, they had to go with a different spelling and settled on Linkin Park, which in the Californian accent sounds the same as Lincoln Park. Their debut album was then named Hybrid Theory.
Interestingly enough, there are many Lincoln Parks across the US, so the band was often mistakenly described as being newcomers from that area, which was not the case.
"There's been radio stations in Chicago that have said, 'Here's this local band, from Chicago, Linkin Park' - and that's actually been happening all over the country," - Phoenix
What Does The Linkin Park Logo Mean?
The band logo shows the bands initials L and P, and the outer lines represent each of the six band members. After the death of Chester Bennington, only five lines remained in their logo.
Image: Linkin Park logo before and after Chester Bennington's death
The logo underwent a little more change in 2024, when an entirely new era was announced. The initials are just barely discernible and are enclosed in a cicle.
Image: Linkin Park Logo after the new era in 2024 was announced
Hybrid Theory: The Debut As The Most Successful Album
Even before the famous debut album, the Hybrid Theory EP was released in 1999. The album of the same name came out in 2000 and catapulted the band straight into the charts worldwide. Singles like “One Step Closer” and “Crawling” are still played on the radio today, but especially “In The End” is the song that has left a lasting impact on the audience. And this wasn’t something that Mike, the songwriter, expected.
“It didn’t feel big to me. It didn’t feel like a hit song. I wouldn’t know what a hit song felt like.”
Mike wrote most of the song overnight, and although their drummer considered it their best work, Chester might have chosen a different song as the single.
The overwhelming success of this album couldn’t be surpassed by later releases. Today, Hybrid Theory has received diamond certification and sold over 30 million copies. It won numerous music awards, including a Grammy, an Echo Pop, and two MTV Music Awards. As expected, many successful live shows followed, including support for Deftones.
The early songs of Linkin Park focused on personal issues, reflecting anger and emotional struggles. One of their defining trademarks was the catchy interplay between Mike’s rapping and Chester’s singing. However, the following albums would stylistically and thematically move beyond this.
Band History: Meteora And Follow-up Albums
After releasing a remix album called Reanimation in 2002, Linkin Park followed up with new music on Meteora in 2003. Despite not reaching the same success as Hybrid Theory, the album still outperformed artists like Celine Dion in sales.
In the following years, both Chester and Mike pursued side projects. Chester wrote music that he released with Dead by Sunrise, as he didn’t want to burden Linkin Park with his darker themes. Mike Shinoda, on the other hand, worked with Depeche Mode and formed the band Fort Minor.
Linkin Park performed the songs “QWERTY” and “Reading My Eyes” live for the first time while supporting Metallica. They were later released on the Underground EP.
Their third studio album, Minutes to Midnight, was released in 2007 and brought more political themes. The album title references the Doomsday Clock, which in 2007 was moved to five minutes before midnight. However, Shinoda said the title can also metaphorically represent themes like death and even the music industry. The album included well-known singles like “What I’ve Done,” also featured in the first Transformers movie, and has been certified five times platinum. Legendary producer Rick Rubin, known for his work with bands like AC/DC, Slayer, and Metallica, was chosen to produce the album. He worked with Linkin Park all the way through to Living Things.
In 2009, the EP Songs from the Underground was released, along with the new single “New Divide,” which became the theme song for the next Transformers movie, Revenge of the Fallen. Transformers 3 also featured a Linkin Park song: “Iridescent.”
In 2010, A Thousand Suns, Linkin Park’s first concept album, was released. Like its predecessors, it reached #1 in several countries, including Germany and the US. Living Things, released in 2012, continued this trend, while The Hunting Party, released in 2014, "only" reached #3 in the US. This album was produced by Mike Shinoda himself and featured a harder sound, with guest musicians from System of a Down, Rage Against the Machine, and more!
The Death Of Chester Bennington
On May 19, 2017, the seventh Linkin Park album, One More Light, was released. It was the band’s last album with Chester Bennington, who tragically took his own life just four months later, at the age of 41. The day of his death was the birthday of his close friend Chris Cornell, who had also committed suicide earlier that year.
Mike Shinoda confirmed the heartbreaking news on Twitter:
“Shocked and heartbroken, but it's true. An official statement will come out as soon as we have one.”
The tour was, of course, canceled, but on October 28, a tribute concert was held, featuring many different bands, including Blink-182, Korn, Sum 41, System of a Down, and more. "Looking For An Answer" was performed live for the first time at this event. A live album of One More Light was released afterward in memory of Chester.
Fans and musicians around the world mourned the loss of Chester Bennington. His music, lyrics, and entire personality were a huge inspiration and even a source of help for many people. At the same time, Chester had a difficult childhood, coming into contact with drugs at an early age, and he struggled with these experiences throughout his entire life.
Linkin Park did not disband, but they didn’t actively search for a new lead singer. Mike Shinoda didn’t rule it out for the future, but the new singer would have to come to the band in a natural way. All in all, the band needed a break to process the enormous loss of Chester Bennington.
Here You Can Find Help
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or are in a mentally challenging situation, you can get free help here.
If you are seeking help in the UK, you can reach out to the following support service:
The National Suicide Prevention Helpline is open from 6pm until midnight: 0800 689 5652
Or visit their website: www.spuk.org.uk
If you are seeking help in the USA, you can reach out to the following support service:
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is open 24/7 and free: 988
Or visit their website: 988lifeline.org
If you are seeking help in Australia, you can reach out to the following support service:
The Lifeline Australia is open 24/7 under: 13 11 14
Or visit their website: www.lifeline.org.au
2024: Linkin Park's Return With A New Lead Singer
Seven years later, the band returned with new music, new plans, and new faces. On September 6, 2024, after weeks of anticipation, Linkin Park finally revealed the mystery behind the countdown they had been teasing on social media. The wait was worth it, as the band announced not only a new lead singer and drummer but also a new album set for release that year, along with a tour starting the same month. Emily Armstrong joined the band as the new lead singer, while Colin Brittain took over the drumsticks. The new album: From Zero - a completely fresh start.
While there was an outpouring of enthusiasm from fans excited to see Linkin Park back in action, many also shared heartfelt messages remembering Chester Bennington. At the live comeback performance, Mike Shinoda symbolically passed Chester’s role to the audience. Included in the setlist was the new single “The Emptiness Machine”.
Image: Linkin Park [Official Press Photo 2024]
Music For Relief: A Foundation By Linkin Park
The foundation Music for Relief was established by Linkin Park in the early 2000s. In December 2004, the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered devastating tsunamis that affected the coastal regions. Linkin Park founded the organization to donate to local relief efforts. Music for Relief contributes to disaster preparedness, provides immediate relief in emergencies, and focuses on long-term recovery in affected areas.
You can find Music for Relief’s Instagram page here. Every donation helps!
Sound: From Nu-Metal To Pop?
In the ’90s, the two big pioneers of Nu-Metal, Korn and Limp Bizkit, emerged. Alongside them, a completely new genre grew, and Linkin Park was instrumental in its development. Along with bands like Slipknot, Linkin Park became one of the biggest Nu-Metal bands in the world. However, later albums featured far less of this raw sound. While Hybrid Theory and Meteora still shined in their original style, Linkin Park began experimenting with new elements and musical influences like electronic drum beats and poppy melodies. This trend was evident as early as Minutes to Midnight but became even more pronounced from A Thousand Suns onwards.
In 2017, we asked Linkin Park what their personal favorites among their own songs were. Mike said that at the time, his favorite songs were “Waiting For The End” from A Thousand Suns, “Leave Out All The Rest” from Minutes to Midnight, and “Nobody Can Save Me” from One More Light. Chester’s picks were “Sharp Edges” from One More Light, “Breaking The Habit” from Meteora, and “Papercut” from Hybrid Theory. The band stayed true to their early songs as well as their fans, while still embracing new musical directions.
Here you can watch the full Top Three interview with Linkin Park:
