Linkin Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Linkin Park
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Linkin Park performing in Berlin, in October 2010. From left to right: Joe Hahn, Dave Farrell, Brad Delson, Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon and Chester Bennington.
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| Origin | Agoura Hills, California, U.S. |
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Linkin Park is a famous American rock band that started in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current members are Mike Shinoda (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Brad Delson (lead guitar), Joe Hahn (DJ), Dave Farrell (bass), Emily Armstrong (vocals), and Colin Brittain (drums).
For their first seven albums, the band included lead singer Chester Bennington and drummer Rob Bourdon. After Chester passed away in 2017, the band took a break. In September 2024, Linkin Park announced they were back, with Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain joining the group.
Linkin Park is known for mixing different music styles. Their early songs combined heavy metal and hip hop, often called nu metal or alternative rock. Later, their music started to include more electronica and pop sounds.
The band became super popular with their first album, Hybrid Theory (2000). This album sold millions of copies and featured hit songs like "One Step Closer", "Crawling", and "In the End". "In the End" even reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Their second album, Meteora (2003), was also a huge success.
Linkin Park kept exploring new sounds with albums like Minutes to Midnight (2007) and A Thousand Suns (2010), which added more electronic elements. Their album One More Light (2017) had a more pop-focused sound.
Linkin Park is one of the best-selling bands of the 21st century, having sold over 100 million records worldwide. They have won many awards, including two Grammy Awards and several American Music Awards.
Contents
- The Story of Linkin Park
- How the Band Started (1996–2000)
- Becoming Famous with Hybrid Theory (2000–2002)
- The Success of Meteora (2002–2004)
- New Sounds and Side Projects (2004–2006)
- Minutes to Midnight (2006–2008)
- A Thousand Suns (2008–2011)
- Living Things and Recharged (2011–2013)
- The Hunting Party (2013–2015)
- One More Light and Chester Bennington's Passing (2015–2017)
- Hiatus and Reissues (2017–2023)
- Coming Back: Papercuts and From Zero (2023–Present)
- Helping Others: Philanthropy
- Linkin Park's Music Style
- Linkin Park's Impact
- Band Members
- Discography
- Awards and Nominations
- Concert Tours
- See Also
The Story of Linkin Park
How the Band Started (1996–2000)
Linkin Park began with three high school friends: Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon, and Brad Delson. They all went to school in Agoura Hills, California. After school, they got serious about music. They invited Joe Hahn, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, and Mark Wakefield to join their band, which they first called Xero.
They recorded songs in Mike Shinoda's bedroom studio in 1996. Their first demo album, Xero, came out in 1997. The band played their first show that same year. They met Jeff Blue, who worked for a music company. He gave them advice on how to get noticed by record labels.
However, the band struggled to get a record deal. Mark Wakefield, their singer at the time, left the band. Dave Farrell also left for a while to tour with another band.
Finding a New Singer and a New Name
After searching for a new singer, Xero found Chester Bennington in 1999. Jeff Blue had recommended him. Chester was amazing because he could sing in many different styles. With Chester and Mike Shinoda's voices together, the band felt new and excited. They changed their name to Hybrid Theory.
They still had trouble getting a record deal. Finally, Jeff Blue, who was now a vice president at Warner Bros. Records, helped them sign a deal in 1999. The record label asked them to change their name again to avoid confusion with another band. They chose "Linkin Park," inspired by Lincoln Park in Santa Monica, California. They changed "Lincoln" to "Linkin" so they could get the website name "linkinpark.com."
Warner Bros. Records was unsure about their mix of hip-hop and rock. But the band, especially Chester, stood firm and refused to change their unique style. Dave Farrell returned to the band in late 2000. That same year, they released their breakthrough album, Hybrid Theory.
Becoming Famous with Hybrid Theory (2000–2002)
Linkin Park released Hybrid Theory on October 24, 2000. This album showed five years of their hard work. Hybrid Theory was a huge success, selling over 4.8 million copies in its first year. It became the best-selling album of 2001.
Songs like "Crawling" and "One Step Closer" became popular on rock radio. "In the End" reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for "Crawling."
Linkin Park was invited to play at many big concerts and tours, like Ozzfest. They even started their own tour called Projekt Revolution, featuring other artists. In just one year, Linkin Park played over 320 concerts! They also released their first DVD, Frat Party at the Pankake Festival, in 2001.
After this, the band worked on a remix album called Reanimation. It featured remixes of songs from Hybrid Theory and other tracks. Reanimation came out in July 2002 and was also very successful.
The Success of Meteora (2002–2004)
After touring a lot, Linkin Park started working on new music for their second album. They announced their new album in December 2002. They named it Meteora, inspired by rocky monasteries in Greece.
Meteora mixed their nu metal and rap metal style with new sounds, like a shakuhachi (a Japanese flute). The album was released on March 25, 2003. It quickly became popular worldwide, reaching number one on the Rock & Metal Albums Chart.
Meteora sold over 800,000 copies in its first week. Its singles, including "Somewhere I Belong", "Breaking the Habit", "Faint", and "Numb", were played often on the radio. By October 2003, Meteora had sold almost three million copies.
The band continued their Projekt Revolution tour and also played with Metallica on the Summer Sanitarium Tour. They released a live album and DVD called Live in Texas, showing their performances from the tour. Meteora won them many awards, including MTV awards for Best Rock Video and Viewer's Choice.
New Sounds and Side Projects (2004–2006)
After Meteora's success, the band members worked on other projects. Chester Bennington worked with Dead by Sunrise. Mike Shinoda created his own side project called Fort Minor. With help from Jay-Z, Fort Minor released its first album, The Rising Tied.
In 2004, Linkin Park also teamed up with Jay-Z to create a remix album called Collision Course. This album mixed lyrics and music from both artists' songs. It came out in November 2004.
Linkin Park also helped with many charity events. They raised money for victims of Hurricane Charley and Hurricane Katrina. They also helped after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami by holding charity concerts and starting Music for Relief. The band played at Live 8, a series of concerts to raise global awareness. They performed with Jay-Z in Philadelphia.
Minutes to Midnight (2006–2008)
In 2006, Linkin Park went back to the studio to make new music. They worked with producer Rick Rubin. The band recorded many songs, and Mike Shinoda said the album was halfway done by August 2006. Chester Bennington mentioned that the new album would sound different from their earlier nu metal style.
Their third album, Minutes to Midnight, was released on May 15, 2007. The band spent 14 months working on it. The album's title refers to the Doomsday Clock, hinting at new themes in their lyrics. Minutes to Midnight sold over 623,000 copies in its first week, becoming a huge success. It also reached the top spot on the Billboard Charts.
The first song from the album, "What I've Done", came out on April 2. It was also used in the movie Transformers. Linkin Park won "Favorite Alternative Artist" at the American Music Awards. Other popular songs from the album included "Bleed It Out", "Shadow of the Day", and "Given Up".
Linkin Park went on a big world tour called the "Minutes to Midnight World Tour". They also held their fourth Projekt Revolution tour in the United States, featuring bands like My Chemical Romance. They played many shows in Europe, Asia, and Australia. The band released a live CD/DVD called Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes in November 2008.
A Thousand Suns (2008–2011)
In May 2009, Linkin Park announced they were working on their fourth album, planned for 2010. Mike Shinoda said it would be "genre-busting" and more experimental. Rick Rubin returned as producer. The album was later named A Thousand Suns.
While working on the album, Linkin Park also created the song "New Divide" for the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Joe Hahn directed the music video for the song, which included clips from the film.
On April 26, the band released a game app called 8-Bit Rebellion! for phones and tablets. It featured the band as characters and a new song called "Blackbirds."
A Thousand Suns was released on September 14. Its first single, "The Catalyst", came out on August 2. The band promoted the album with a concert tour starting in October 2010. Other singles included "Waiting for the End" and "Iridescent".
Linkin Park was nominated for six Billboard Awards in 2011. They also appeared on many Billboard year-end charts, showing their continued popularity.
Living Things and Recharged (2011–2013)
In July 2011, Chester Bennington said Linkin Park wanted to release a new album every 18 months. Mike Shinoda confirmed in March 2012 that they were filming a music video for "Burn It Down", directed by Joe Hahn.
In April 2012, the band announced their fifth album would be called Living Things. Mike Shinoda explained they chose this title because the album was more about people and personal feelings. The main single, "Burn It Down", was released on April 16.
The band promoted the album on the Honda Civic Tour with Incubus. Other songs from the album included "Lost in the Echo" and "Castle of Glass". Living Things was released on June 26 in the United States. It sold over 223,000 copies in its first week and reached number one on the US Albums Charts.
In August 2013, the band worked with musician Steve Aoki on the song "A Light That Never Comes". This song was for Linkin Park's online game, LP Recharge. The song was later included on a remix album called Recharged, released in October 2013. This album featured remixes of songs from Living Things.
The Hunting Party (2013–2015)
Mike Shinoda confirmed in May 2013 that Linkin Park had started recording their sixth album. The first song from this album, "Guilty All the Same" (featuring Rakim), was released on March 6, 2014. It quickly reached number one on the Mainstream Rock charts.
Soon after, the band announced their sixth album would be called The Hunting Party. Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson produced the album. They wanted it to sound heavier, like their earlier music. Shinoda described it as a "90s style of rock record."
The album included guest artists like rapper Rakim and guitarists Page Hamilton and Tom Morello. Other singles from the album were "Until It's Gone" and "Final Masquerade". The Hunting Party was released on June 13, 2014.
Linkin Park played at Download Festival in June 2014, performing their entire Hybrid Theory album. They also headlined Rock am Ring and Rock im Park and Greenfield Festival. In January 2015, they started a tour for The Hunting Party, but it was cut short when Chester Bennington injured his ankle.
In November 2014, MTV Europe named Linkin Park the "Best Rock" act. Revolver magazine called The Hunting Party the fourth best album of 2014. Mike Shinoda said they were ready to try something new for their next album.
Linkin Park also worked with Steve Aoki again on the song "Darker Than Blood" for his album Neon Future II in May 2015.
One More Light and Chester Bennington's Passing (2015–2017)
Linkin Park started working on their seventh album in November 2015. Chester Bennington said they had great new material that he hoped would challenge and inspire their fans. Mike Shinoda explained they were using a new process to create the album.
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The first song from the new album was "Heavy", featuring pop singer Kiiara. This was the first time the band had a female singer on an original studio album song. The song was released on February 16. The album cover showed six kids playing in the ocean.
The band's seventh album, One More Light, was released on May 19, 2017. Other songs released before the album included "Battle Symphony" and "Good Goodbye".
Sadly, Chester Bennington passed away on July 20, 2017.
On August 22, Linkin Park announced they would hold a tribute concert in Los Angeles to honor Chester. The band thanked fans for their support. The concert, called Linkin Park and Friends: Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington, took place on October 27 at the Hollywood Bowl. It was the band's first performance after Chester's passing and featured many guest artists. The event was streamed live online.
In November 2017, the band announced a live album called One More Light Live, which featured recordings from their final tour with Chester. On November 19, Linkin Park won an American Music Award for Favorite Alternative Artist and dedicated it to Chester.
Hiatus and Reissues (2017–2023)
After Chester's passing, Linkin Park took a break. Mike Shinoda said in January 2018 that he and the other members wanted to continue with Linkin Park. However, he also mentioned that they had a lot of "rebuilding to do" and it would take time.
In February 2019, Shinoda said the band was open to continuing, but they hadn't decided what form that would take. He stated he wouldn't actively look for a new singer. He said if someone joined, it would have to happen naturally.
Shinoda, Farrell, and Hahn started working on new music together around 2019. Delson later rejoined them, but Rob Bourdon chose not to participate. The band met singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain in 2019 and began working with them.
On April 28, 2020, Dave Farrell confirmed the band was working on new music. On August 13, they released "She Couldn't", a song recorded in 1999, as part of a 20th anniversary edition of Hybrid Theory.
In February 2023, the band teased the 20th anniversary of Meteora with an online game. On February 6, they released a previously unheard demo song called "Lost". This song was the main single for the Meteora reissue, which came out on April 7.
Coming Back: Papercuts and From Zero (2023–Present)
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In 2023, the band quietly asked Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain to officially join Linkin Park. They planned to record new music and perform the band's old songs.
A song from the One More Light recording sessions, "Friendly Fire", was released on February 23, 2024. This was followed by the band's first greatest hits album, Papercuts, released on April 12. This album includes their best-selling songs from 2000 to 2023, plus "Friendly Fire" and the official release of "Qwerty."
On September 5, Linkin Park officially announced their return. They introduced Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain as new members. The band performed and released "The Emptiness Machine", the first song from their upcoming album From Zero, which will be released on November 15, 2024.
Linkin Park will go on a six-show tour across four continents. Brad Delson announced he would not be touring to focus on behind-the-scenes work for the band.
Helping Others: Philanthropy
Linkin Park has always been involved in helping people. On January 19, 2010, they released "Not Alone" as part of a charity album called Download to Donate for Haiti. This was to support victims of the Haiti Earthquake.
In 2011, they released an updated version of Download to Donate for Haiti. Mike Shinoda also designed T-shirts to raise money for victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Music for Relief, the band's charity, released another album, Download to Donate: Tsunami Relief Japan, to help. The band released a song called "Issho Ni" (meaning "we're in this together") for this album.
In 2013, after Typhoon Haiyan, Linkin Park played a concert in Los Angeles called "Music for Relief: Concert for the Philippines." They raised money for the victims.
Linkin Park's Music Style
Linkin Park mixes different types of music, including metal, punk, pop, electronic, and hip hop. They are often described as alternative rock, nu metal, rap rock, and electronic rock. Even though they are called nu metal, the band never really saw themselves that way.
Their first two albums, Hybrid Theory and Meteora, combined alternative metal, nu metal, and rap rock with hip hop and electronic sounds. They used computers and synthesizers in their music.
On Minutes to Midnight, the band tried new sounds and styles. Only two songs on this album had rap vocals, and most of it was alternative rock.
The way Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda sang together was a big part of Linkin Park's sound. Chester was the main singer, and Mike was the rapper. On later albums like A Thousand Suns, both Mike and Chester sang together on many songs. This album focused more on electronic music.
Their fifth album, Living Things, also had a lot of electronic sounds but was heavier. Their sixth album, The Hunting Party, went back to a heavier rock sound. Their seventh album, One More Light, was more pop-oriented.
Linkin Park's songs often talk about feeling alone, being shy, and dealing with personal struggles.
Linkin Park's Impact
Linkin Park has sold over 100 million records worldwide. Their first album, Hybrid Theory, is one of the best-selling albums in the US (12 million copies) and worldwide (30 million copies).
In 2003, MTV2 called Linkin Park the sixth-greatest band of the music video era. Billboard ranked them No. 19 on the Best Artists of the Decade list. In 2014, Kerrang! magazine called them "The Biggest Rock Band in the World Right Now."
Linkin Park was the first rock band to get over one billion views on YouTube. Their songs "Numb" and "In the End" are among the most "timeless songs" on Spotify.
Many rock and non-rock artists have said Linkin Park influenced their music. These include Bring Me the Horizon, Steve Aoki, Billie Eilish, and The Weeknd.
In 2020, for their 20th anniversary, Linkin Park worked with the virtual reality game Beat Saber to release 11 maps based on their songs.
Band Members
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Current members
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Former members
Session and touring musicians
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Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
- Hybrid Theory (2000)
- Meteora (2003)
- Minutes to Midnight (2007)
- A Thousand Suns (2010)
- Living Things (2012)
- The Hunting Party (2014)
- One More Light (2017)
- From Zero (2024)
Awards and Nominations
Concert Tours
Headlining Tours
- Hybrid Theory World Tour (2001)
- Projekt Revolution (2002–2008, 2011)
- LP Underground Tour (2003)
- Meteora World Tour (2004)
- Minutes to Midnight World Tour (2007–08)
- International Tour (2009)
- A Thousand Suns World Tour (2010–11)
- Living Things World Tour (2012–13)
- The Hunting Party Tour (2014–15)
- One More Light World Tour (2017)
- Linkin Park and Friends: Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington (2017)
- From Zero World Tour (2024)
Co-Headlining Tours
- 11th Annual Honda Civic Tour (with Incubus) (2012)
- Carnivores Tour (with Thirty Seconds to Mars) (2014)
See Also
In Spanish: Linkin Park para niños
- List of best-selling music artists
- List of best-selling albums
- List of songs recorded by Linkin Park
