Linkin Park is an American rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California.
History[]
Formation[]
The band was founded as Xero in 1996 by high schoolers Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon, and Brad Delson. After graduating from high school, the three recruited Joe Hahn, Dave Farrell, and Mark Wakefield to perform in their band. The band began recording and producing songs within Shinoda's makeshift bedroom studio in 1996, resulting in a four-track demo tape, entitled Xero. Despite their valiant efforts, the band could not land a record deal, which led to tensions with the band members. The lack of success and stalemate in progress prompted Wakefield to resign. Farrell also left the band and toured with another band, Tasty Snax.
After spending considerable time looking for a new vocalist, Xero found Chester Bennington. Bennington previously played with a grunge band known as Grey Daze and confessed about his dynamic in singing. After hiring Bennington, the band changed its name to Hybrid Theory. In 1999, the band released an EP named after itself. The band was still in search of a record deal, but struggled to get something going out of it. Needing assistance, the band recruited Jeff Blue. They also learned that there was a British band known as Hybrid, so in order to make a cut for a label deal, the band had to change its name again, which finally settled on the title of Linkin Park.
Linkin Park presented samples of their demo recordings to Warner Bros. Records, a record label that turned them down before. The A&R team seemingly disapproved of the band's approach of hip-hop and rock genres. The band originally sought about dismissing Shinoda, but Bennington supported Shinoda in his own defense. After much debating, Warner Bros. Records reluctantly decided to sign the band.
Hybrid Theory[]
After much trouble finding a record label, Linkin Park finally landed a deal with Warner Bros. Records. Afterwards, the band entered NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California to begin development for an album. The band's first studio album, Hybrid Theory, was released on October 24, 2000. The album contained 12 tracks. 6 of those tracks became singles. "One Step Closer" and "In the End" were the most successful out of those singles. Some of the songs would be featured in movies such as Dracula 2000, Little Nicky, and Valentine. The recent release of the first album instantly garnered mainstream success, allowing Linkin Park to tour for the first time. Farrell would rejoin in late 2000. Linkin Park went on tour and performed in some high profile concerts, especially at Ozzfest, Family Values Tour, and KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas. Within the entire year of 2001, Linkin Park had 320 concerts. A documentary DVD titled Frat Party at the Pankake Festival was released on November 20, 2001. Linkin Park released a remix album titled Reanimation on July 30, 2002, which contained 20 tracks, including tracks that were originally intended for Hybrid Theory along with some remixed songs from the first album.
Meteora[]
By April 2002, Linkin Park returned to NRG Recording Studios to develop a new album. The band's second studio album, Meteora, was released on March 25, 2003. The album included 13 tracks, 6 of which became singles. "Somewhere I Belong", "Breaking the Habit", "Faint", and "Numb" were highly successful, gaining a decent amount of radio play. Seven months into the album's release, it sold 3 million copies worldwide. While going on another tour, a live album titled Live in Texas was released on November 18, 2003. The album contained 12 tracks consisting of live performances that took place at Reliant Stadium and Texas Stadium between August 2 and August 3, 2003.
Despite the album receiving numerous awards, especially for some singles having music videos being played on MTV, the band's relationship with Warner Bros. Records began to deteriorate due to several trust and financial issues. After months of feuding, the band finally negotiated a deal in December 2005. After touring extensively to promote Meteora, Linkin Park began to engage on a bulk of side projects, especially with other musical artists.
Minutes to Midnight[]
By January 2006, Linkin Park regained its form and entered a recording studio known as The Mansion in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California. Some of the material for developing the next album also took place at NRG Recording Studios. The band recorded between 30-50 songs, which sparked a lengthy delay in the upcoming album's release. A single titled "What I've Done" was featured in the movie Transformers. The band's third studio album, Minutes to Midnight, was released on May 14, 2007. The album included 12 tracks, especially "What I've Done" that spawned as a single a month prior. Other singles were "Bleed It Out", "Shadow of the Day", "Given Up", and "Leave Out All the Rest". The album's name was partially influenced by "Two Minutes to Midnight", a song by Iron Maiden, but the band opposed the theory.
By 2008, Linkin Park collaborated with the Busta Rhymes song "We Made It". The band went on another tour, especially in other continents such as Europe, Asia, and Australia. Linkin Park performed during Live Earth in Chiba, Tokyo, Japan on July 7, 2007. The band made its way into the United Kingdom during the tour, where they would play at Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester, before finishing on a double night at the O2 arena in London. After touring extensively, a DVD titled Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes was released on November 21, 2008. A total of 19 tracks were performed live, two of which featured Jay-Z.
A Thousand Suns[]
By November 2008, Linkin Park returned to NRG Recording Studios to develop a new album. A single track titled "New Divide" would be featured in the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. As the development was in session, there were some setbacks, especially with the band members engaging in some side projects again. Bennington was touring with a supergroup known as Dead by Sunrise to support the release of the supergroups recently released album, Out of Ashes. After the tour ended, development for the album resumed. It would be all the way until September 10, 2010 that the band's fourth studio album, A Thousand Suns would release. The album included 15 tracks. Another single titled "The Catalyst" was released a month before the full album.
Living Things[]
By March 2011, Linkin Park returned to NRG Recording Studios to develop another album. Development lasted 13 months. The band's fifth studio album, Living Things, was released on June 26, 2012. It included 12 tracks, 7 of which became singles. The album sold 223,000 copies within its first week of release. During the band's next tour, Linkin Park performed at the Soundwave music festival in Australia, where Metallica, Paramore, Slayer and Sum 41 were also on the bill.
On August 13, 2013, Linkin Park collaborated with Steve Aoki for his song "A Light That Never Comes". Linkin Park would do a remix of the song that would foreshadow the release of their second remix album, Recharged, released on October 29, 2013. The album contained 14 remixed tracks.
The Hunting Party[]
By May 2013, Linkin Park was planning to do new material for another album. The band recorded at three different studios; Larrabee Studios in Van Nuys, California, EastWest Studios in Hollywood, and Glenwood Place in Los Angeles. Development for the album lasted nine months. The band's sixth studio album, The Hunting Party, was released on June 13, 2014. The album contained 12 tracks. Four of the tracks featured different collaborators; Page Hamilton did the additional guitar for "All for Nothing", Rakim did the additional vocals for "Guilty All the Same", Daron Malakian did the additional guitar for "Rebellion", and Tom Morello did the additional guitar for "Drawbar".
During the band's next tour, several big name highlights came to headline. Linkin Park performed at Download Festival on June 14, 2014, where they played their debut album, Hybrid Theory, in its entirety. The headlined Rock am Ring and Rock im Park in 2014, along with Metallica, Kings of Leon, and Iron Maiden. Linkin Park would also perform at the Greenfield Festival alongside with Iron Maiden again. 17 concerts were set to take place combined in the United States and Canada, but after only three performances, Bennington suffered an ankle injury that prematurely cancelled the tour.
Linkin Park did another collaboration with Steve Aoki by doing his song "Darker Than Blood", which was featured in Aoki's next album, Neon Future II. The band performed during a special video game convention called BlizzCon, presented by Blizzard Entertainment.
One More Light[]
By September 2015, Linkin Park began development for a new album. The band began bouncing from one studio after another across the country during the development, which caused severe delays in releasing the album. It would take near 1.5 years to fully develop the album. The band's seventh studio album, One More Light, was released on May 19, 2017. The album included ten tracks. Two tracks featured collaborators outside the band, just like what occurred in the previous album. "Good Goodbye" featured Pusha T and Stormzy, while "Heavy" featured Kiiara. The band went on tour again to promote their latest release, but it would complete only 21 out of 55 planned shows. On July 20, 2017, Bennington passed away at his residence in Palos Verdes Estates, California. A housekeeper discovered Bennington hanging with a belt and a bottle of Stella Artois half-empty by his side. An investigation revealed that Bennington's death was ruled a suicide and that he had alcohol in his system. The rest of the tour was cancelled as a result. Another investigation revealed that Bennington was a close friend of Chris Cornell, the frontman of Soundgarden. Cornell also took his own life by hanging himself two months prior, which meant that Bennington died on what would have been Cornell's 53rd birthday. The band has only had a tribute concert to Chester with many bands, including Avenged Sevenfold, though as of now, with the exception of Mike Shinoda performing live with Farrell or Hahn on occasions.
Post Chester[]
As of now and post Chester's life, Linkin Park has, as a whole band been on hiatus and isn't quitting their hiatus anytime soon according to Mike Shinoda. With Chester's suicide, Mike has taken charge of the band's future, music and leadership as a whole. The hiatus at the very least applies to live performances and new albums.
Discography[]
- Hybrid Theory (2000)
- Meteora (2003)
- Minutes to Midnight (2007)
- A Thousand Suns (2010)
- Living Things (2012)
- The Hunting Party (2014)
- One More Light (2017)
Concert tours[]
Headlining[]
- 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)
Co-headlining[]
- 11th Annual Honda Civic Tour (2012)
- Carnivores Tour (with Thirty Seconds to Mars) (2014)
Gallery[]
