Linkin Park is one of the most influencial bands of the 2000’s. I must admit that I’m not the biggest fan of the last albums they’ve released, but I simply can’t ignore their musical genius. I remember hearing their song Crawling (which was released in 2000) for the first time.
In a way I feel that they’ve moved away a little bit from their hardcore style on the first 2 albums (Hybrid Theory and Meteora), which has made their music a little less desirable to me. The fact that I’m not a huge fan of rap might have something to do with that.
They have released some really good songs over the years though. Their musical success and renowned live performances (which South Africans experienced in 2012) simply makes them one of the most influential and popular rock / nu-metal / rapcore bands of all time. I’m particularly fond of their song Somewhere I belong (which was released in 2003 if I can recall correctly).
Here are 24 facts about Linkin Park you might not have known:
1. Linkin Park were formed in 1996 in Los Angeles, California in the United States.
2. The current members of Linkin Park are Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Joe Hahn, Dave Farrell, Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain,
3. The formers member of the band are Mark Wakefield (who was a vocalist in the band from 1996 to 1998), Chester Bennington (who tragically passed away in 2017), Rob Bourdon and Kyle Christner.
4. Linkin Park has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Their debut album Hybrid Theory has sold more than 27 million copies worldwide.
5. Over the years the band have won 2 Grammy Awards and 21 MTV Awards in total.
6. The band got their name from California’s Lincoln Park named after president Lincoln. They changed the spelling of their band (‘Lincoln’ to ‘Linkin’) so they could purchase the domain name without it costing them a great amount of money.
7. Warner Brothers rejected the band 3 times before they finally signed them. In facts, the band were rejected for 44 record deals before they were signed to Warner Brothers.
8. The band started off with the name “Xero”, then “Hybrid Theory”, and finally settled on Linkin Park.
9. Linkin Park collaborated with Jay-Z because they were requested to do so by MTV.
10. In 2001 Linkin Park played 324 shows. That’s a crap load of shows if you ask me. They were the highest-selling music act of that year.
11. The band don’t swear in most of their songs because they feel there are better ways to get their message across.
12. To protect his hearing, Brad Delson wears headphones when he plays at concerts.
13. Chester Bennington didn’t like “In The End.” He thought fans would absolutely hate it. Instead, “In The End” has become one of—if not the most—iconic songs by Linkin Park.
14. Linkin Park was the first rock band in history to achieve more than 1 billion YouTube views. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen theme “New Divide” accounts for more than 10% of total views.
15. In 2001, while touring for Ozzfest, Chester Bennington was bitten by a recluse spider. He also pulled out his back picking up baggage, tore a ligament in his hand while playing basketball at Chuck E. Cheese, and broke a wrist during a stage dive in 2007.
16. If you play “Announcement Service Public” backwards, you can hear Chester sing: “you should brush your teeth and you should wash your hands.”
17. Rob Bourdon started to play the drums after watching an Aerosmith concert. His mother was friends with Aerosmith’s drummer, Joey Kramer, and Kramer actually gave Rob a kick pedal.
18. On July 20th of 2017, Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington committed suicide at the age of 41. The singer’s cause of death was suicide by hanging.
19. The band released a new music video on the day of Bennington’s death, before learning the tragic news.
20. Chester Bennington actually worked at a Burger King in 1996. Brad Delson, meanwhile, was a bouncer at The Roxy during the early days of the band.
21. In September 2024 Linkin Park surprised fans with news of a reunion, a new album, and a new lead vocalist. Emily Armstrong (of the group Dead Sara).
22. Emily Armstrong has faced significant backlash following her appointment. The controversy primarily stems from her past connections to convicted rapist Danny Masterson and her alleged ties to the Church of Scientology.
23. The announcement of Armstrong joining Linkin Park was met with mixed reactions. While some fans expressed excitement about the band’s return and new music, others voiced their discomfort and disappointment, suggesting that hiring Armstrong disrespects the legacy of late frontman Chester Bennington. Notably, Chester’s son publicly criticized the decision, stating it felt like an erasure of his father’s legacy.
24. Notable figures in the music industry, such as Cedric Bixler-Zavala from Mars Volta, have publicly called out Armstrong regarding her past support for Masterson. Bixler-Zavala’s comments highlighted concerns about Armstrong’s judgment and associations.
There you have it, 24 facts about Linkin Park. If you have anything else that you can add to this list, please comment on this post. I’m sure the readers of this blog would like to know about it
Watch this space for updates in the Music category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
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