Linkin Park: Successful Rock Band

The Seeds of Linkin Park

The seeds of successful Linkin Park rock band were planted in 1996 in South California by three friends in their high school including the vocalist Mike Shinoda, drummer Rob Bourdon and the guitarist Brad Delson who decided to form the band.

The Formation of Linkin Park

After graduating from high school, they completed the group composition by recruiting three more members: the temporary lead vocalist Mark Wakefield, bassist Dave Farrell and turntable operator. The initial name they coined was SuperXero and then later was simplified to Xero. They then began recording some demos which never caught the interest of listeners. The lack of success forced Wakefield to depart from the group, but Chester Bennington arrived taking the stage as the lead singer. With his arrival, the name of the group was changed to Hybrid Theory (the combination of rap and rock) (Yang). However, the name was dropped following legal issue from a similar band. The group decided to settle for Lincoln Park as a way of honoring a group whose member had passed as they were heading for a recording session. After conducting an online search, the members of the band came across a similar name, forcing them to slightly alter the name to Linkin Park.

The Debut Album “Hybrid Theory”

Linkin Park began its journey in 2000 by releasing the first album called “Hybrid Theory” referencing on the previously rejected name after failing to impress listeners (Caramanica). The album became a massive success and turned out to be one of the greatest debuts ever recorded in the history of music. Upon gaining public interest, 10 million copies of the album were sold engendering other single hits including “Crawling” and “In the End” (Yang). In fledgling, the rap-rock movement, Linkin Park became one of the most talked-about bands in the entertainment realm. Even though, the group has faced challenges including the demise of the lead vocalist Chester Bennington whose body was found hanging at his home. He committed suicide following the loss of a close friend. The move was fueled by an extended fight with depression and heartbrokenness.

The Success and Creativity of Linkin Park

As aforementioned, Linkin Park is undoubtedly a successful band in blending the rap and rock genre into one. With much determination and commitment, the group has achieved greatness in the music industry. The two elements are inseparable in as far as success is to be realized. In Linkin Park, for example, innovation is deeply rooted in terms of audio and video compilation. Unlike other bands which existed, Linkin Park, defied the notion that singers can only stick to one line of music. The band did so by trying what no one else had tried before when it included an underground rap scene. Formidable lyrics, well-incorporated turntable, and polished beats would suffice in moving the crowd in various platforms. One of the albums which did well in the U.S. was “Meteora” which was released in 2003 (Yang). The album rose dramatically to the first position on the Billboard. By the time hit songs such as “Numb” as well as “Breaking the Habit” were released, Linkin Parked had taken a step closer to entering the system of rapper popularly known as “The Hood.” However, the group was not totally assimilated in the genre of hip-hop, but rather borrowed some ideas and transformed them into the rap-rock genre. The ability to incorporate some elements of Hip Hop was a creative move by the band. As a rapper, Jay-Z is certainly credited for contributing to the development of the new style of music (Shaughnessy). The band depends on three elements of creativity to ensure continued success. They include incorporation of innovation in all spheres of music, unquestionable and original voice and making creativity a lifestyle.

The Legacy of Chester Bennington

Admittedly, when the name “Linkin Park” is mentioned, the first thing that comes to the mind of any band fan is the late lead vocalist Chester Bennington. His monumental contribution puts the band in the position it is currently holding. Some of the most popular songs which show the mix between rap and rock is “Burn it down.” In this one, Bennington plays a major role in verses and pre-chorus while Shinoda raps in the bridge and outro. The song resembles other Jay-Z songs but in this case, the guitars differentiate it from the Hip Hop. The order of entry of one section of the song to the other show correlation between rap-rock and hip-hop music thanks to the contribution of Jay-Z who champions rap music.

The Influence of Linkin Park

Linkin Park has furthered the transformation of the music industry by putting Bennington in the forefront as the lead vocalist. Despite his death, he left a mark that will last for centuries, if not forever. In his music career, he embraced he accepted standards, winning the support of millions of fans across the world. Every subscriber to the songs sang with Bennington in the band on the forefront can tell the deeply rooted passion for singing can tell he knew his audience. Nonetheless, other forces are behind his style of singing include sexual abuse and depression from the loss of an acquaintance with whom he was strongly bonded (Yang). This tells why all along he was singing about the demons which haunted him for decades. For example, the song “My December” when Chester says he wishes there was someone at home to go to and at the same time forget he was missing something. He channels all his anger and disappointments in the song, as the only way he could express himself. The phrase “snow-covered home” means his home has become cold since his lover left. The environment looks quiet and the snowy indicative of the loneliness which is reigning. As he sings, Shinoda joins in the pre-chorus with a soft rap (Yang). The defining element of the subgenre is hip-hop beats, a rap between verses and a sung vocal.

The Legacy of Linkin Park’s Innovation

After inventing this subgenre with the help of a leading hip-hop rapper, Jay-Z, the outstanding work does not go without influence. Nothing much had been done before to blend rock or metal music with hip-hop. Therefore, the band played a great deal of significance in forever changing the perception of musicians on trying new things. Ideally, the attempt itself to develop a unique product is a form of creativity (Shaughnessy). Even when they die, singers forever leave a mark which will be propagated through generations. They embrace the idea that innovation is not confined to only what is existing but rather thinking far and wide in as far as art is concerned.

The Influence of Linkin Park on Other Artists

With influence from the Linkin Park and other bands, more groups adopted the idea of joining two types of music to form a subgenre. Few or no groups had attempted to blend rock and reggae. But following the influence of the collaboration between Linkin Park and popular Jay-Z newcomers and the already established groups, millions of listeners can try something new in their playlists (Yang). A band such as Slightly Stoopid diversified its music to cover what is presently referred to as Reggae Rock. To fit their composition, artists and bands are incorporating bass note, keyboard or the vocal snippet from other music genres. In the same line, bands and artists refrained themselves from sticking to only one line of music. When one listens to the Imagine Dragon’s albums, it is notable that the group diversified the genre and subgenre particularly pop, alternative, Indie, and electropop rocks. Doing so shows mastery of the art of combining instruments from different musical styles of the past and today.

The Conclusion of Linkin Park’s Influence

In summary, innovativeness of Linkin Park surpasses that of other groups which were conventional considering its traditional style of music failed to impress. However, blending rock with hip-hop together with the arrival of Chester Bennington revived the band. He joined the band and coined the term “Hybrid Theory” whose intent was to revolutionize the music industry. The term itself spelled creativity in the manner in which music was played and sang. Trying something totally different from the obvious ones was a great achievement not only in the band but the history of rock music. Such changes in music genre blending will continue to be widely practiced among individuals whose intent is to develop new yet attention-drawing products; worthy of nothing less than massive support from millions of fans across the world. Truly Linkin Park will always be an icon of transformation in the entertainment industry.

Works Cited

Caramanica, Jon. “Chester Bennington Brought Rock Ferocity to Linkin Park’s Innovations.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 July 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/07/20/arts/music/chester-bennington-linkin-park.html.

Shaughnessy, Haydn. ”Linkin Park On What It Means To Be Creative.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 13 Dec. 2012, www.forbes.com/sites/haydnshaughnessy/2012/12/13/linkin-park-what-it-means-to-be-creative/#3659eee42141.

Yang, Nu. ”Beyond Labels: Remembering the Influence of Linkin Park and Chester Bennington.” Speculative Chic, 16 Aug. 2017, http://speculativechic.com/2017/08/17/beyond-labels-remembering-the-influence-of-linkin-park-and-chester-bennington/