Bet You Didn’t Know : Linkin Park
As a band who has redefined nu-metal and rock in the music industry, the name Linkin Park is no stranger to the ears of rock fans, both underground and mainstream. From what started as a bedroom studio music that later grew into massive international stages, Linkin Park has definitely tasted the ups and downs during the seventeen years of their musical career. Below are some facts about the band that you might not have heard of, exclusively compiled by our local LP soldiers.
1. For three years, Linkin Park was constantly rejected by numerous major labels; they were even rejected three times by Warner Bros. Records. After performing 40 different showcases for different labels, Warner Bros. Records finally signed them up in 1999. Little did they know that the band would bring immense success and a worldwide sale of 60 million albums.
2. Music-wise, the band went through a lot of hard work to create amongst one of the best-selling albums in a decade. They wrote 80 different songs to accomplish the 13-tracks platinum-certified album, Meteora. The band engineered another 100-150 songs to create the album Minutes to Midnight.
3. Besides their diamond-certified music career, Linkin Park has a heart of gold when it comes to charities and social awareness. Music for Relief is a charity founded by the members of the band, designed to provide help for disaster victims. Involved in the Indian Ocean, Haiti and Tohoku earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, Sandy and Rita, California wildfires and other natural disasters, the charity has raised almost $4 million in total, by donating 100% of the funds through benefit concerts, song compilations and on-going support campaigns.
4. The members of the band each have their own musical influences and inspirations. Some of them include Depeche Mode, The Beatles, U2, Metallica, Youth Infatuation, Anthrax, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Bjork, N.W.A., Public Enemy and a lot more.
5. The band started out with the name of Xero, with the formation of Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon and Brad Delson. The post-high school band then later searched for a vocalist, who later became a great asset to the band, Chester Bennington. The band renamed again into Hybrid Theory. The final rename of the band was Lincoln Park, but due to internet domain issues, the band settled with the name Linkin Park.
6. Despite their undisputed success, the band faced many bitter moments during the seventeen years of their career and restless gigs. From bottling, controversies with religious groups, unfriendly signs and crowds, being spit on, and even being thrown with ordure, yikes!
7. Linkin Park is known not only for their music’s maturity, the band is also never afraid to experiment with new materials. The first two studio albums, Hybrid Theory and Meteora, interpreted their definition of nu-metal and a hybrid of rap and rock. Minutes to Midnight revealed a more alternative side of the band, the shift of genre invited various reactions from critics. The next album, A Thousand Suns, an album with a strong social message along with a layered cutting-edge electronica influence, is followed by their latest release, Living Things, in which the sound was described as ‘familiar territory’ and a fusion of previous experiments.
8. Breaking the Habit was a hard song to perform for Chester, due to the intense emotional connection he could relate with. Crawling was next, because of its long note throughout the song.
9. Brad Delson almost gave up the band over law school, after graduating with a summa cum laude from UCLA with a degree in communication studies. He is admitted to be the heart of the band, and the very reason that Linkin Park doesn’t ‘get lost in the shuffle of rap-metal bands.’
10. Most of the members have had a strong arts and music background. Rob started playing the piano, but fell in love with drums in the 4th grade. Mike studied classical piano for a decade, but shifted to jazz then hiphop. Brad’s first instrument was the trumpet. Joe started deejay-ing in high school, studied illustration in college and pursued film-making. Phoenix does not only play bass, he was taught guitar by his Mom and even played the violin. Chester started singing at young age, and dreamt of being the fifth member of Depeche Mode.
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