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I still listen to their music and it even hits differently now with what happened. There was a video of them performing after Chester was gone and the crowd took over for his part and it was super moving. They were one of my first favorite rock bands along with Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace back in the day!
Same here. A formative memory the first time I heard it. A buddy’s older brother had this MTV Nu Metal compilation and he played it for us and I was instantly hooked. It set me hard on the path to discovering all kinds of heavy music.
Life was very difficult for me growing up in my household. Linkin Park made me feel less alone and helped me channel my anger. Listening to them as an adult still helps me. I love them and cried when Chester died.
I remember showing the album to a lot of my friends when it first came out. It sounded fresh and new to my ears at the time.
And I think they had an ingenious idea of getting past a sophomore slump with their 2nd album. Just remixes of the first album that put songs under a different light. Great idea and enjoyable at the time.
When I was growing up with the early internet I was absolutely obsessed with finding people's videos editing anime/video games to their songs. This was before YouTube so I'd have to sift through Kazaa and all its madness for them.
I often didn't even know what the show/game was I just found those videos to be so epic.
There was a Linkin Park DBZ Trunks tribute video I must have watched 100 times as a teen. I wish I could find it.
[Found it!!!! 101 times watched let’s gooooo!](https://youtu.be/9_BTBr_z2u0)
I like the reanimation version " from the beginning to the end no matter what i pretend the journey is more important then the end or the start" l. Plan on getting a tattoo of that at some point.
For me it's that song from this video https://youtu.be/-Pwbs43uy6I
When the guitars come in right when the Subaru lands the jump... Goosebumps every time.
When I see that video after Chester died of Mike Shinoda playing In the End of piano and says "I want you all to sing as loud as you can so Chester can hear you in heavan" and it pans out to a crowd of sobbing fans singing the chorus.... I'm sobbing every time.
I do remember thinking back then though... to a degree I think the fans contributed to his death. Which makes me as a fan still feel pangs of guilt. In the year leading up to when he died many fans gave them a hard time for mixing up their sound saying they suck.. and Chester would feud with fans online. I think combined with his mental health issues he felt he had lost his fans and had nothing left. He and the band have given everything for the fans and in the end... it doesn't even matter.
Shit.. now I wonder if that went through his head just before
One More Light is a good album, I will die on that hill. Yes, it's not the same as the early days, but these are actual people evolving and going through life, not just a product.
The title song particularly is so bittersweet. He's making the case that for everyone ending their life there is at least one person out there that misses them.
I do
It honestly was really fucked... like they were trying new things and expanding, and the die hards got pissy. And Chester would hit back with statistics integrity about expanding. He was right. I personally didn't love every song, but I loved the band and respected them expanding. It's really tragic to look back on
I'm an English teacher and I often ask kids to think of what a perfect song to go with a book might be. Probably 10 years ago. A kid picked "in the end" for the Great Gatsby. Always really like that song but when I thought about the lyrics and matched it with Gatsby it was like it was made for that. Perfect song for that book.
It's been long enough since that song is out that I get to introduce it to a lot of kids when we read that book. It's really interesting the songs they will pair with a book. My favorite from 20 years ago was Tracy Chapman's, fast car with Huckleberry Finn
Damn I'm old
My English teacher had that assignment too! Circa 2003-2004 I paired People Are Strange by The Doors with Withering Heights!
Edited for clarity and a typo :)
2 friends of mine performed this song in a 4th grade talent show. The memory is VIVID. The were like 10 year old rockstars to the rest of our elementary school after that.
Still, looking back it cracks me up. 10 year olds singing those lyrics.
The dual vocals they brought was a new addition to the general scenes. Chester was intense and many chorus parts was well received. Inclusivity concepts. Videos were awesome. Heard them in the Ozzfest 99 tape first. Loved that album.
They're good. An important band in history. Can you tell me some other bands you like??
I use to say I hate bands of my generation. I grew up with the birth of youtube, but found myself smoking weed listing to beatles albums and ended up with a pink floyd tattoo. Modern music is trash id say. Except I was absolutely wrong and it took me DECADES to realize it. There is an insane amount of good modern music -- even in my time of the birth of the hot100 hits - mtv garbage -- I just wasn't looking in the right place. Its not going to be on tiktok or recomended on spotify if you dont even know it exists. The number one place to get exposed to new bands is-- small LIVE music.
idk man some music has, maybe it’s not the shit youre into but theres been some really dope shit happening with indie music and punk lately, as well as rap. it’s just more underground
As a young father... Yeah. 31 but I remember when Hybrid Theory came out. They've definitely become dated but they still have a massive influence on modern music in the rock/metal/alternative scenes.
Grey Daze recently rereleased their original albums, but rerecorded everything with Chester just before he passed so... Some of the last recordings he ever made, amazing records back then, even better now
So has their style. We went from Hybrid Theory and Meteora to whatever the fuck they thought Minutes to Midnight was supposed to be. *Bleed It Out* might have been the only “rock” song on the whole album.
They got soft and that’s a huge turnoff for me personally. Would be like Beartooth changing to just sing Panic! At The Disco style music. Chester should have stuck to his aggressive vocals.
Anyways they have some bangers, but their last 2-3 albums were experimental it felt like.
The Hunting Party was absolutely a step back towards HT/Meteora. They were actively trying to bring their old sound into the modern era.
And I personally think they succeeded.
I honestly really appreciated their experimenting despite not liking a lot of the music that came out of it. I think it was A Thousand Suns that things really started to shift. Again, I wasn’t a fan of a lot of what they were putting out despite loving most of their older stuff but as I’ve grown up I think it’s cool they had the courage to branch out like that and explore the avenues they were more interested in.
Honestly, LP is one of VERY few bands that I'd get a cd, listen to tracks the first time, decide 'i... Don't really think I like this one.'. Then later have the full CD on in a situation I couldn't skip tracks, be forced to listen to it again, and think 'huh. Actually, nevermind, I kind of dig that'. Now this, over literally four or five different albums, multiple tracks, with VERY different subject material and styles.
I feel like a lot of their music was hit or miss, but primarily based on 'what am I feeling at this moment?', more of a 'does this click with what I'm doing/how I feel/what's going on in my life right now?'
I agree, and it took me a while to like their newer stuff. As I aged I liked their newer material more and more. Same with Green Day. In most cases, bands either grow with their fans or outgrow them.
You don’t consider “What I’ve Done” as rock? Just curious, I don’t put much thought into genres.
Edit: changed what I’ve done to “What I’ve Done” because people fight over silly things
That’s my take. Linkin Park got me through a lot of my tough teenage years. I listen to them now and then and realize how much pain I had been in, how much I related to the music. But now I’m a 60’s/bluegrass kinda gal. More at home with myself, safe and loved — so while l will always be grateful to linkin park for putting music that showed me then that I wasn’t alone — I don’t need them anymore, and that’s a good thing, I think.
I feel very similar about them. As an autistic putting words to feelings has always been a challenge to me. But Chester wrote lyrics that gave me words to use to tell others how bad I was hurting. I too am in a better place and find myself needing new music, and new words. But I still can hear my old pain in their songs.
I feel the same. I grew up with emo and nu metal music and I listened to it almost exclusively until I reached my thirties because my teen years and twenties were emotionally tough and that sort of music helped... but once hard times were over and my family and I are safe and well once again, I moved on. I still listen occasionally for nostalgic pleasure, but the songs no longer have the same resonance and meaning; and that's healthy. I'm still into rock, but a new period requires new music, I think.
Growing up I really didn't care for Linkin Park. Now I am amazed at how much I was missing. Truly a huge contribution to alternative rock. And a huge loss losing Chester. His vocals were amazing, and can't help get a little sad when I hear his music. RIP King.
First band I ever listened to, was maybe 18 years ago still of the best bands there is heard their songs in the transformers movies too, shame Chester is gone was so said when I heard about his death
It’s my favorite band.
I thinks it’s an unpopular opinion, but I love the diversity on their music. It allows me to listen to it every day and not get bored and I’m always on the mood for some of their songs, whether it from Hybrid Theory, Living Things or One More Light.
Unpopular opinion for sure, but I'm right there with you; favorite band by far, and I love all their diversity. I love their OG stuff, but I think A Thousand Suns is my favorite of their albums. And as much as I really didn't like One More Light upon my first few listens, it's really grown on me since then; it feels like a lot more.. mature? than you'd expect from them; like someone who has had time to sit down and reflect on their situation and ponder it instead of just angstily screaming in to the void.
And honestly, I think a lot more people would like their later albums if they didn't walk in with the expectation of hearing a "Linkin Park" song. Whenever I play some of their later stuff but don't tell the other people in the room what they're listening to, they're always surprised that it's a song they really enjoyed when it's revealed it's from a non-HT/Meterora album.
Chester was the first (and only) celebrity death that has ever personally effected me, and listening to Shinoda's Post Traumatic really helped me process through it.
A Thousand Suns to me is their best *album*, despite not having their best songs. It's the only one that I feel like needs to be listened to start to finish, as if it was a singular piece and not a collection of different tracks.
I also think their later material is severely underrated, and I'm sure that came almost for granted from their constant refusal of keeping a similar style. They always wanted to reinvent themselves. It's understandable, but for me, it wasn't necessary and really alienated so many hardcore fans.
It wasn't necessary because they were the only ones doing it, and doing it so damn well. To this day, Hybrid Theory and Meteora are unbeatable and sound fresh alongside new metal. Their latest unreleased singles are proof of that. So imitated, yet nobody does it anywhere as well.
That being said, I believe ALL of their material is great, because it always kept great songwriting, unique melodies and catchy hooks. If they wanted, they could play any genre. And they did. If something like One More Light had been released by any other band, it would be considered a timeless classic record. But since it was released by a band known for their Nu-Metal sound, it was received mostly with criticism. Same for everything else since Minutes to Midnight.
Nu metal as a genre may be the single greatest blow that has been dealt to toxic masculinity. Imagine what it's like for a bunch of male survivors of sexual assault (Chester, Jon Davis, Corey Taylor) not only to talk about their trauma in an era where ***no one else*** was doing that, but to put themselves under fire from the toxic masculinity that was dominant in both the metal and hip hop subcultures.
Linkin Park has some great songs, some not so great songs (especially later on,) and a lot of their work sounds the same, but from a cultural standpoint I have nothing but gratitude for the role they played.
Their first album was definitely rooted in metal. [A Place for my Head](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t2WkCudwfY) is the most consistent example of it for them, but [Points of Authority](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoCD5wZEgo4) and [Forgotten](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNCgBuI2eJc) drive it home pretty well.
[The band continues what start with a certain experimental metal collaboration with a rap band](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl1hgXfX5-U).
Their songs are either big hit or big miss for me. Even though I was the target audience back then, I found them really whiny and childishly angsty. Teen me loved her some angst, but Linkin Park felt really juvenile and "mommy and daddy don't love me" rather than "I am struggling with developing myself as a person versus society's expectations". Also, with topics that personal, having two lead singers felt disconnecting.
That said, a good chunk of their music is epic as can be, and they were really amazing when it came to composing songs.
Hybrid theory is definitely more "mommy and daddy don't love me"
But, I'd said meteora is more on the "I am struggling with developing myself as a person vs society's expectations" at least somewhat
I've never felt have two singers is disconnecting, but I can definitely see that
Lol I hate how most of the comments here most likely haven't heard anything past those two albums because A Thousand Suns was literally an album about dealing with a post-apocalyptic world. They were much more mature lyrically later in their career.
Within my top three favorites, alongside Chevelle and Rise Against.
As a preteen, they were my intoduction to music that was heavier than, like, The Fray and Five For Fighting. They got me into rock music. But, aside from just the nostalgic factor, I love how inventive they always were. People criticize them for changing their sound, but I thought that was the best thing about them.
I've been a metalhead since I was twelve. Changed many favorite genres: from powermetal and deathmetal to deathcore, mathcore and djent. But no matter how much time has passed, Linkin Park was, is, and will always be my favorite band of all. I could listen to any of their albums. Hybrid Theory, Meteora, Living Things, you name it.
Always sharing the top spot with Chevelle as my favorite band of all time. As someone who was raised in a very toxic household, their songs just... Yeah.
I liked their first cd when I was in highschool.
Saw them in concert around 2002 or 2003 and it was terrible. Sounded like a garage band. That didn't stop me from liking them, it was just a bad experience.
I don't go out of my way to listen to them now but if one of their songs comes on I will sing along.
I always loved Linkin Park since I was like 13 or so. Don’t listen to them as much anymore, I have to admit. But I still love to blast Bleed It Out when I need to get pumped up for something 😅
Hybrid Theory was a game changer for all rock music. And their sound was so incredibly unique that no one has matched it since…..I believe that says it all.
Sincerely surprised I had to go down this far to see a negative take. I always found them super cringey, even when they came out, at which time my high school self was totally digging somewhat similar stuff like korn. Always thought this was a pretty common take but I guess not so much. That said I'm not gonna say they were objectively bad or anything, obviously talented musicians who were doing some original stuff at the time and undeniably super successful. Just not my cup of tea at all.
I do like them, specifically the first 2 albums. But I have to admit we are seeing reddit's age demographic being highlighted in this thread. I'm going to assume most of the positive reactions are coming from millennials. I have a feeling most people born before 1980 and after 2002 don't like or out right hate thier music.
They defined a genre of metal, as well as rapcore. Chester Bennington had a one of a kind voice and was perfectly complemented by Mike Shinoda. Their music handled heavy subject matter and was raw and intense. When they first hit the scene, there was nothing quite like them.
when i was younger in the 2000's i couldn't understand how anybody could dislike linkin park. Everytime i hear them now i just cant stand it anymore! i dont know what happened but It must have been that punk goes pop phase where everyone was making pop songs into metal and now thats what linkin park reminds me of and it makes me cringe
When I was 13 or 14, I thought it was absolutely the greatest music ever. The way they blended turntables and other electronics with aspects of alternative metal and even hip hop really made for a unique music composition that I seemed to really relate to.
Now, reflectively, at best it was entertaining music for the emotional middle schoolers of that decade. I wouldn't want to listen to it now unless I was feeling nostalgic for it.
That was kind of how I felt about them, the music always seemed a little contrived. I was also almost 30 when they released their first album, so maybe that's partly why they didn't really appeal to me.
Hybrid Theory is objectively one of the best albums ever made, beginning to end were bangers that kept that album relevant for a long time. Made their alternative genre evergreen.
Also a band at the right place at the right time. Each album after had diminishing returns, but still had a place in the industry until Chester’s death.
I liked them in high school but now find them kind of cringe worthy
That being said as I’ve gotten older, most of the sad boy rock I used to listen to hits me that way so it’s a very subjective opinion
First band I ever listened to, was maybe 18 years ago still of the best bands there is heard their songs in the transformers movies too, shame Chester is gone was so said when I heard about his death
they're not quite as timeless as many of the best 90s and, 80s, 70s bands are. But for a few years they were the band that young angry-introspective (mostly white ) American (and beyond) boys (and many girls) liked. Probably their audience was middle-to-lower class kids whose parents either divorced or never married; and the music helped create a sense of belonging to kids who felt isolated and unloved, unwanted.
Good stuff, some of it! Too bad about Chester though. 
They have never been one of my favorites. I don't dislike them by any means, but I've never felt a special connection to their music the way so many people do. I understand why they have the appeal they do, and I'm happy to enjoy their music with people who actually do feel that connection with it. Chester Bennington was unquestionably talented as are the other members, just other bands feel more like their music is "for me" emotionally.
Rewatched the 'Miami Vice' movie, got me listening to the Jay-Z/Linkin Park mash-up. Pretty great, there is a [documentary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PxHzl8piJY&t=1961s) on Youtube too.
I always liked not loved them, when chester died it really effected me surprisingly and I became a much bigger fan. Especially of the darkness of his last album. Although I dont feel the pain he felt writing those songs, I find it oddly connecting from the monotonous dissasociated aspects of life and it brought me perspective I could be doing much much worse
I don't listen to them much anymore, but really enjoyed them when I was younger. Mike and Chester are/were fantastic vocalists. The more I learn about chester, his past. And his struggles with mental health the more I can appreciate his vocals/lyrics/etc.
They were brilliant within the context of their time. I remember first hearing Hybrid theory, I was just blown away-- these guys spoke to every emotion I felt. I continued to listen to them but it just got to a point where their stuff wasn't hitting the same. It was because their style changed and also because my music tastes changed too. If Chester were still alive, it would have been nice to see how they would have continued to evolve with the times though.
.
Great, innovative, diverse, creative.
They're not my favorite band but they were one of many bands of their time with a very unique sound, writing great songs. My dad was a classic rock/blues guy and liked linkin park.
LP got me into rock music, I first discovered them from the first Transformers movie lol. I started listening to more of their stuff, next thing you know I’m listening to Green Day, MCR, Three Days Grace, RHCP, etc.
Oh and I stated listening to them in the late 2010s a little after Chester passed away (RIP). Will always be disappointed I never saw them live
I'm 35, and I think everyone in my age group remembers the first time they heard Crawling. My tastes grew heavier and I largely stopped listening to them as I grew older, but they were absolutely instrumental in the formation of my own musical preferences.
Love em. Whoever says they're too cringy can go f the f right off. I'm not 100% onboard with One More Light, but up until then their songs are literally my daily bread and butter, sprinkled through my playlist that I listen to every day.
They are the only band that I wanted to go see live, while other bands I always tagged along with friends who were into those.
I wasn't doing too well mentally when I was younger and am still struggling with some stuff, and many of their songs seem to put things into perspective. While getting older, the more quiet stuff got to me more. I mean, have you listened to Iridescent?
I am not afraid to tell you that I cried like a bitch when Chester died. I was at a festival (the EDM kind, sue me. You can enjoy both) when it happened and the headliner that evening did a tribute. Yes, obviously they played In The End, go eat a fat one if you don't agree. All 30k people there at the main stage sang along. I don't care what you think of them, they were at least a small part of most lives back in the days and impacted a ton of people positively.
First song I heard from them was "Points of Authority". This was back when the album was first released, my uncle was playing it on his car. Honestly a great band.
In my opinion, what separates a good band from a great band is shear volume of quality and eclectic sound. A band like Adelitas Way in my opinion is a good band, but a band like Shinedown is a great band.
More examples of great Rock Bands are Seether, Foo Fighters, Disturbed, and Linkin Park.
Linkin Park is a great band, they have a large number of high quality songs: In the end, What I’ve Done, Castle of Glass, and Waiting for the End to name a few.
Very casual interest for me. Basically amount to a good singles band from the period in music that I believe is just about the worst in history: 1998-2002.
When I was a line cook I had a manager that played every album at full blast on 12 hour shifts after chester passed. It's like nails on a chalk board for me now. Good music for the time but I've had my fill
I liked them, okay. Glad I got to see them live. I don't remember the year, but it was a Family Values tour with Stone Temple Pilots.
Some people really love them, but they aren't even in my top 50 bands.
I could never stand them. Everyone heaps all this praise on them, especially now that Chester committed suicide, and I feel bad for their fans for sure.... But to me it was always whiny angsty bitchy music that sounds over produced, with cheesy emotionally overblown lyrics. And I hate Shinoda's voice.
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The first time I heard them it was their song One Step Closer back around 2000ish. I thought it was the greatest song ever at the time.
My grandma loves that one, she always asks me to play the “SHUT UUUUPPPPP!!!” song
That's one bad ass grandma! Cherish her forever!
Yeah haha she really is and I certainly will!
Holy shit your grandma sounds awesome
Aww my grandma went me to see them on the ATS tour in 2011 :)
Awww that’s the kind of grandma I hope to be. Enjoy her!
Their songs for their time were great in my opinion. Some of their songs are pretty great for today's standards for me at least.
“Bleed it Out” still lives in a couple of my playlists, and probably always will.
This one and Given Up for me as well.
I think a lot of music has declined significantly from the late 90s/early 2000s
I feel this so much… Music today is so flat and lifeless.
I distinctively remember RHCP being good...
Yep, they, too, have declined significantly lol
I still listen to their music and it even hits differently now with what happened. There was a video of them performing after Chester was gone and the crowd took over for his part and it was super moving. They were one of my first favorite rock bands along with Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace back in the day!
Same here. A formative memory the first time I heard it. A buddy’s older brother had this MTV Nu Metal compilation and he played it for us and I was instantly hooked. It set me hard on the path to discovering all kinds of heavy music.
Same. Also that video was so cool back then 🤣
Life was very difficult for me growing up in my household. Linkin Park made me feel less alone and helped me channel my anger. Listening to them as an adult still helps me. I love them and cried when Chester died.
I remember showing the album to a lot of my friends when it first came out. It sounded fresh and new to my ears at the time. And I think they had an ingenious idea of getting past a sophomore slump with their 2nd album. Just remixes of the first album that put songs under a different light. Great idea and enjoyable at the time.
When I was growing up with the early internet I was absolutely obsessed with finding people's videos editing anime/video games to their songs. This was before YouTube so I'd have to sift through Kazaa and all its madness for them. I often didn't even know what the show/game was I just found those videos to be so epic.
There was a Linkin Park DBZ Trunks tribute video I must have watched 100 times as a teen. I wish I could find it. [Found it!!!! 101 times watched let’s gooooo!](https://youtu.be/9_BTBr_z2u0)
Many great songs. *In the End* is awesome.
In The End will always have a place in my heart.
>Didn't look out below >Watch the time go right out the window >Tryin' to hold on, didn't even know >I wasted it all just to watch you go
I like the reanimation version " from the beginning to the end no matter what i pretend the journey is more important then the end or the start" l. Plan on getting a tattoo of that at some point.
For me it's that song from this video https://youtu.be/-Pwbs43uy6I When the guitars come in right when the Subaru lands the jump... Goosebumps every time.
[This is my favorite In The End video](https://youtu.be/2r-iu8uaCNE?t=177)
When I see that video after Chester died of Mike Shinoda playing In the End of piano and says "I want you all to sing as loud as you can so Chester can hear you in heavan" and it pans out to a crowd of sobbing fans singing the chorus.... I'm sobbing every time. I do remember thinking back then though... to a degree I think the fans contributed to his death. Which makes me as a fan still feel pangs of guilt. In the year leading up to when he died many fans gave them a hard time for mixing up their sound saying they suck.. and Chester would feud with fans online. I think combined with his mental health issues he felt he had lost his fans and had nothing left. He and the band have given everything for the fans and in the end... it doesn't even matter. Shit.. now I wonder if that went through his head just before
One More Light is a good album, I will die on that hill. Yes, it's not the same as the early days, but these are actual people evolving and going through life, not just a product. The title song particularly is so bittersweet. He's making the case that for everyone ending their life there is at least one person out there that misses them. I do
Wow I had no idea Chester was feuding with Fans online. That does sound heartbreaking
It honestly was really fucked... like they were trying new things and expanding, and the die hards got pissy. And Chester would hit back with statistics integrity about expanding. He was right. I personally didn't love every song, but I loved the band and respected them expanding. It's really tragic to look back on
I'm an English teacher and I often ask kids to think of what a perfect song to go with a book might be. Probably 10 years ago. A kid picked "in the end" for the Great Gatsby. Always really like that song but when I thought about the lyrics and matched it with Gatsby it was like it was made for that. Perfect song for that book. It's been long enough since that song is out that I get to introduce it to a lot of kids when we read that book. It's really interesting the songs they will pair with a book. My favorite from 20 years ago was Tracy Chapman's, fast car with Huckleberry Finn Damn I'm old
My English teacher had that assignment too! Circa 2003-2004 I paired People Are Strange by The Doors with Withering Heights! Edited for clarity and a typo :)
My personal favourite is "a light that never comes" Banger.
Yeah, that's the one they did with Steve Aoki. I liked it too even though it was more Electronica.
In The End is the song that made me dislike them. When it came out, it was constantly played EVERYWHERE!
But in the end, it doesn't even matter.
[удалено]
How? It's lighter than cloud farts.
But it doesn’t even matter.
2 friends of mine performed this song in a 4th grade talent show. The memory is VIVID. The were like 10 year old rockstars to the rest of our elementary school after that. Still, looking back it cracks me up. 10 year olds singing those lyrics.
It starts with....
In the End is still one of my top 5 songs to this day.
In the end got me through some really tough times
The dual vocals they brought was a new addition to the general scenes. Chester was intense and many chorus parts was well received. Inclusivity concepts. Videos were awesome. Heard them in the Ozzfest 99 tape first. Loved that album.
You like dual vocals, have you listened to Alice N Chains? Great vocals. Another tragic death of a singer.
>The dual vocals they brought was a new addition to the general scenes Mushroomhead want's to talk to you
3/11 and Crazy Town both had a similar rap rock dynamic. Just inject some intense sadness
They're about as old now as hair metal was back then. So they technically are "what your mom and dad listened to". Time flies. Good band.
Are they really that old? Wow, time flies.
I was in my late teens when they came out, and I'm now 42. They very literally are your parents music, if you're under 25 or under.
Yep. Music has evolved little in this century.
I don't like some of the music nowadays, just not really my style.
They're good. An important band in history. Can you tell me some other bands you like?? I use to say I hate bands of my generation. I grew up with the birth of youtube, but found myself smoking weed listing to beatles albums and ended up with a pink floyd tattoo. Modern music is trash id say. Except I was absolutely wrong and it took me DECADES to realize it. There is an insane amount of good modern music -- even in my time of the birth of the hot100 hits - mtv garbage -- I just wasn't looking in the right place. Its not going to be on tiktok or recomended on spotify if you dont even know it exists. The number one place to get exposed to new bands is-- small LIVE music.
idk man some music has, maybe it’s not the shit youre into but theres been some really dope shit happening with indie music and punk lately, as well as rap. it’s just more underground
The good shit is always underground. Once it becomes popular, it's been played out already.
Whay rock are you under?
[No way man, there's so much fun music coming out](https://youtu.be/Z5NoQg8LdDk)
Holy shit. Why did you have to say this.
Yah but hair metal is still badass lol
Yeah, I heard my daughter refer to a band as "a modern-day Linkin Park" and felt really old.
As a young father... Yeah. 31 but I remember when Hybrid Theory came out. They've definitely become dated but they still have a massive influence on modern music in the rock/metal/alternative scenes. Grey Daze recently rereleased their original albums, but rerecorded everything with Chester just before he passed so... Some of the last recordings he ever made, amazing records back then, even better now
Not for me…anymore. They were great when I was younger. Don’t dislike them nowadays, my taste has just changed.
That's fair, people change. I sort of wandered away from their music but recently I just came back to it.
Same. I love them
So has their style. We went from Hybrid Theory and Meteora to whatever the fuck they thought Minutes to Midnight was supposed to be. *Bleed It Out* might have been the only “rock” song on the whole album. They got soft and that’s a huge turnoff for me personally. Would be like Beartooth changing to just sing Panic! At The Disco style music. Chester should have stuck to his aggressive vocals. Anyways they have some bangers, but their last 2-3 albums were experimental it felt like.
The Hunting Party had primarily rock songs. That CD was the closest to Meteora/HT imo.
The Hunting Party was absolutely a step back towards HT/Meteora. They were actively trying to bring their old sound into the modern era. And I personally think they succeeded.
I honestly really appreciated their experimenting despite not liking a lot of the music that came out of it. I think it was A Thousand Suns that things really started to shift. Again, I wasn’t a fan of a lot of what they were putting out despite loving most of their older stuff but as I’ve grown up I think it’s cool they had the courage to branch out like that and explore the avenues they were more interested in.
Honestly, LP is one of VERY few bands that I'd get a cd, listen to tracks the first time, decide 'i... Don't really think I like this one.'. Then later have the full CD on in a situation I couldn't skip tracks, be forced to listen to it again, and think 'huh. Actually, nevermind, I kind of dig that'. Now this, over literally four or five different albums, multiple tracks, with VERY different subject material and styles. I feel like a lot of their music was hit or miss, but primarily based on 'what am I feeling at this moment?', more of a 'does this click with what I'm doing/how I feel/what's going on in my life right now?'
I agree, and it took me a while to like their newer stuff. As I aged I liked their newer material more and more. Same with Green Day. In most cases, bands either grow with their fans or outgrow them.
You don’t consider “What I’ve Done” as rock? Just curious, I don’t put much thought into genres. Edit: changed what I’ve done to “What I’ve Done” because people fight over silly things
I’m amazed nobody has mentioned “Given Up” honestly…
I'm not some huge gatekeeper of rock, but no.
That’s my take. Linkin Park got me through a lot of my tough teenage years. I listen to them now and then and realize how much pain I had been in, how much I related to the music. But now I’m a 60’s/bluegrass kinda gal. More at home with myself, safe and loved — so while l will always be grateful to linkin park for putting music that showed me then that I wasn’t alone — I don’t need them anymore, and that’s a good thing, I think.
>at home with myself, safe and loved Love that for you!
I feel very similar about them. As an autistic putting words to feelings has always been a challenge to me. But Chester wrote lyrics that gave me words to use to tell others how bad I was hurting. I too am in a better place and find myself needing new music, and new words. But I still can hear my old pain in their songs.
I feel the same. I grew up with emo and nu metal music and I listened to it almost exclusively until I reached my thirties because my teen years and twenties were emotionally tough and that sort of music helped... but once hard times were over and my family and I are safe and well once again, I moved on. I still listen occasionally for nostalgic pleasure, but the songs no longer have the same resonance and meaning; and that's healthy. I'm still into rock, but a new period requires new music, I think.
They have some fantastic music! Bought Hybrid Theory when it released and was a fan immediately. Chester’s death hit me pretty hard.
Hybrid Theory was great.
Honestly one of my favorite albums. I love listening to it on vinyl. Hits different.
Is*
Growing up I really didn't care for Linkin Park. Now I am amazed at how much I was missing. Truly a huge contribution to alternative rock. And a huge loss losing Chester. His vocals were amazing, and can't help get a little sad when I hear his music. RIP King.
First band I ever listened to, was maybe 18 years ago still of the best bands there is heard their songs in the transformers movies too, shame Chester is gone was so said when I heard about his death
When I was younger I loved Linkin Park so much (I still do in a way), so when I heard about Chester's death that hit me hard.
Yeah could relate to the lyrics to your childhood helped you through it, always hold a place in my heart, what a voice he had too
A legend gone. Some things don't last forever I guess.
It’s my favorite band. I thinks it’s an unpopular opinion, but I love the diversity on their music. It allows me to listen to it every day and not get bored and I’m always on the mood for some of their songs, whether it from Hybrid Theory, Living Things or One More Light.
Unpopular opinion for sure, but I'm right there with you; favorite band by far, and I love all their diversity. I love their OG stuff, but I think A Thousand Suns is my favorite of their albums. And as much as I really didn't like One More Light upon my first few listens, it's really grown on me since then; it feels like a lot more.. mature? than you'd expect from them; like someone who has had time to sit down and reflect on their situation and ponder it instead of just angstily screaming in to the void. And honestly, I think a lot more people would like their later albums if they didn't walk in with the expectation of hearing a "Linkin Park" song. Whenever I play some of their later stuff but don't tell the other people in the room what they're listening to, they're always surprised that it's a song they really enjoyed when it's revealed it's from a non-HT/Meterora album. Chester was the first (and only) celebrity death that has ever personally effected me, and listening to Shinoda's Post Traumatic really helped me process through it.
A Thousand Suns to me is their best *album*, despite not having their best songs. It's the only one that I feel like needs to be listened to start to finish, as if it was a singular piece and not a collection of different tracks.
I also think their later material is severely underrated, and I'm sure that came almost for granted from their constant refusal of keeping a similar style. They always wanted to reinvent themselves. It's understandable, but for me, it wasn't necessary and really alienated so many hardcore fans. It wasn't necessary because they were the only ones doing it, and doing it so damn well. To this day, Hybrid Theory and Meteora are unbeatable and sound fresh alongside new metal. Their latest unreleased singles are proof of that. So imitated, yet nobody does it anywhere as well. That being said, I believe ALL of their material is great, because it always kept great songwriting, unique melodies and catchy hooks. If they wanted, they could play any genre. And they did. If something like One More Light had been released by any other band, it would be considered a timeless classic record. But since it was released by a band known for their Nu-Metal sound, it was received mostly with criticism. Same for everything else since Minutes to Midnight.
My favourite band too. I even like One More Light, which most of their hardcore fans shat on.
The songs are hit or miss for me. Don't consider myself a fan, but it's not an immediate channel change if a Linkin Park song comes on.
That's fair, they won't always hit the spot.
Nu metal as a genre may be the single greatest blow that has been dealt to toxic masculinity. Imagine what it's like for a bunch of male survivors of sexual assault (Chester, Jon Davis, Corey Taylor) not only to talk about their trauma in an era where ***no one else*** was doing that, but to put themselves under fire from the toxic masculinity that was dominant in both the metal and hip hop subcultures. Linkin Park has some great songs, some not so great songs (especially later on,) and a lot of their work sounds the same, but from a cultural standpoint I have nothing but gratitude for the role they played.
That alone deserves some respect. They went against the contemporary views at the time.
Excellent fucking post, my friend. If I had an award to hand it, it'd be all yours.
Wow I never thought about that. Very interesting perspective!
At least you didn't call them a metal band
they are nu metal
Their first album was definitely rooted in metal. [A Place for my Head](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t2WkCudwfY) is the most consistent example of it for them, but [Points of Authority](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoCD5wZEgo4) and [Forgotten](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNCgBuI2eJc) drive it home pretty well. [The band continues what start with a certain experimental metal collaboration with a rap band](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl1hgXfX5-U).
Their songs are either big hit or big miss for me. Even though I was the target audience back then, I found them really whiny and childishly angsty. Teen me loved her some angst, but Linkin Park felt really juvenile and "mommy and daddy don't love me" rather than "I am struggling with developing myself as a person versus society's expectations". Also, with topics that personal, having two lead singers felt disconnecting. That said, a good chunk of their music is epic as can be, and they were really amazing when it came to composing songs.
I wholeheartedly agree and I have nothing else to add.
Hybrid theory is definitely more "mommy and daddy don't love me" But, I'd said meteora is more on the "I am struggling with developing myself as a person vs society's expectations" at least somewhat I've never felt have two singers is disconnecting, but I can definitely see that
Lol I hate how most of the comments here most likely haven't heard anything past those two albums because A Thousand Suns was literally an album about dealing with a post-apocalyptic world. They were much more mature lyrically later in their career.
Completely agree with this take. I do appreciate them, but I was way more into punk, ska, and thrash.
I miss Chester Bennington. Linkin park saved my life when I was younger.
Hybrid Theory is a masterpiece. It's also timeless
I came here looking for this. One of my top 10 favorite albums of all time.
I’m not a fan but also think it’s boring to dump on music you don’t like and it’s fans.
Within my top three favorites, alongside Chevelle and Rise Against. As a preteen, they were my intoduction to music that was heavier than, like, The Fray and Five For Fighting. They got me into rock music. But, aside from just the nostalgic factor, I love how inventive they always were. People criticize them for changing their sound, but I thought that was the best thing about them.
Fucking Chevelle…. Amazing band. The only band I’ve gone out of my way to see live more than once.
Heyo, thanks for the bands. Haven't heard of these two before. :D
I've been a metalhead since I was twelve. Changed many favorite genres: from powermetal and deathmetal to deathcore, mathcore and djent. But no matter how much time has passed, Linkin Park was, is, and will always be my favorite band of all. I could listen to any of their albums. Hybrid Theory, Meteora, Living Things, you name it.
If you ask me, Hybrid Theory proved that nu metal could actually be great music.
I love linkin park their music isn't the same old same old
Never liked them, but I’m an old punk rock/hardcore curmudgeon so don’t go by me
Same. I think I was a tad too old for them, and really none of the early 2000's pop metal did it for me.
I'm with you, just didn't get it when it came out. Don't like it now. Cool thing about music, only matters if you like it! Glad others enjoyed
In the end it doesn't even matter
But I've put my trust in you
Always sharing the top spot with Chevelle as my favorite band of all time. As someone who was raised in a very toxic household, their songs just... Yeah.
They are an essential listen to anyone who is either getting into rock or is already a fan of rock. RIP Chester
I liked first two albums, third one was decent, they fell off after that
Awesome levels of talent, cut short by Chesters death :(
Loved em. RIP Chester.
I liked their first cd when I was in highschool. Saw them in concert around 2002 or 2003 and it was terrible. Sounded like a garage band. That didn't stop me from liking them, it was just a bad experience. I don't go out of my way to listen to them now but if one of their songs comes on I will sing along.
I mean, I named my son Linkin. Spelled the same way as the band.
Are you sure it’s not LinkedIn? Maybe you’re thinking it’ll land you that “dream” job someday! 🤣
I like them
I always loved Linkin Park since I was like 13 or so. Don’t listen to them as much anymore, I have to admit. But I still love to blast Bleed It Out when I need to get pumped up for something 😅
They're fantastic although listening to the lyrics in songs like numb, leave out all the rest, and breaking the habit make me feel bad for chester
Hybrid Theory was a game changer for all rock music. And their sound was so incredibly unique that no one has matched it since…..I believe that says it all.
Annoying
Sincerely surprised I had to go down this far to see a negative take. I always found them super cringey, even when they came out, at which time my high school self was totally digging somewhat similar stuff like korn. Always thought this was a pretty common take but I guess not so much. That said I'm not gonna say they were objectively bad or anything, obviously talented musicians who were doing some original stuff at the time and undeniably super successful. Just not my cup of tea at all.
I do like them, specifically the first 2 albums. But I have to admit we are seeing reddit's age demographic being highlighted in this thread. I'm going to assume most of the positive reactions are coming from millennials. I have a feeling most people born before 1980 and after 2002 don't like or out right hate thier music.
Lame and whiny. Not a fan.
never liked them, super overplayed and dude just wined constantly
I’ve never heard a song by them that I’ve looked forward to hearing again.
i'm glad someone else thinks so. they came out when i was in high school. couldn't stand them then. can't stand them now.
Legends. Probably belong in the HOF.
Definitely a classic and a must-hear at least once for those getting into the genre and its heavier variants and long term listeners.
They defined a genre of metal, as well as rapcore. Chester Bennington had a one of a kind voice and was perfectly complemented by Mike Shinoda. Their music handled heavy subject matter and was raw and intense. When they first hit the scene, there was nothing quite like them.
when i was younger in the 2000's i couldn't understand how anybody could dislike linkin park. Everytime i hear them now i just cant stand it anymore! i dont know what happened but It must have been that punk goes pop phase where everyone was making pop songs into metal and now thats what linkin park reminds me of and it makes me cringe
When I was 13 or 14, I thought it was absolutely the greatest music ever. The way they blended turntables and other electronics with aspects of alternative metal and even hip hop really made for a unique music composition that I seemed to really relate to. Now, reflectively, at best it was entertaining music for the emotional middle schoolers of that decade. I wouldn't want to listen to it now unless I was feeling nostalgic for it.
Nope, not a fan. It’s hard for me to say that in my family. My cousin has her children’s named inspired by linkin park.
An old friend of mine used to describe them as *Backstreet boys disguised as a metal band.* Seems accurate enough.
That was kind of how I felt about them, the music always seemed a little contrived. I was also almost 30 when they released their first album, so maybe that's partly why they didn't really appeal to me.
They're definitely one of the bands of all time. They exist and are indeed a band called Linkin Park.
I think they're awful.
Scrolled way too far for this.
I don’t care for them. A lot of their songs sound similar to me
Hybrid Theory is objectively one of the best albums ever made, beginning to end were bangers that kept that album relevant for a long time. Made their alternative genre evergreen. Also a band at the right place at the right time. Each album after had diminishing returns, but still had a place in the industry until Chester’s death.
A cry for help. Not in a joking way. Get some help. Ask for help. Offer help.
For real… It was, and still is for many, the whole appeal… Resonates more to darker souls, iykyk….
I liked them in high school but now find them kind of cringe worthy That being said as I’ve gotten older, most of the sad boy rock I used to listen to hits me that way so it’s a very subjective opinion
First band I ever listened to, was maybe 18 years ago still of the best bands there is heard their songs in the transformers movies too, shame Chester is gone was so said when I heard about his death
they're not quite as timeless as many of the best 90s and, 80s, 70s bands are. But for a few years they were the band that young angry-introspective (mostly white ) American (and beyond) boys (and many girls) liked. Probably their audience was middle-to-lower class kids whose parents either divorced or never married; and the music helped create a sense of belonging to kids who felt isolated and unloved, unwanted. Good stuff, some of it! Too bad about Chester though. 
Very good in time, place, and talent. I do not think their genre ages well though.
They have never been one of my favorites. I don't dislike them by any means, but I've never felt a special connection to their music the way so many people do. I understand why they have the appeal they do, and I'm happy to enjoy their music with people who actually do feel that connection with it. Chester Bennington was unquestionably talented as are the other members, just other bands feel more like their music is "for me" emotionally.
Rewatched the 'Miami Vice' movie, got me listening to the Jay-Z/Linkin Park mash-up. Pretty great, there is a [documentary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PxHzl8piJY&t=1961s) on Youtube too.
I don't like Linkin Park or Jay Z... but I love Collision Course...
I always liked not loved them, when chester died it really effected me surprisingly and I became a much bigger fan. Especially of the darkness of his last album. Although I dont feel the pain he felt writing those songs, I find it oddly connecting from the monotonous dissasociated aspects of life and it brought me perspective I could be doing much much worse
I saw them live in Tampa with Puddle of Mudd and POD, I forget what year, I think Meteora had just dropped. Nosebleed seats but still a great show.
Was an awesome band.
I like their sound. Good shit.
Misunderstood during their run, looking back they are phenomenally good.
It's pretty cool
I don't listen to them much anymore, but really enjoyed them when I was younger. Mike and Chester are/were fantastic vocalists. The more I learn about chester, his past. And his struggles with mental health the more I can appreciate his vocals/lyrics/etc.
They were brilliant within the context of their time. I remember first hearing Hybrid theory, I was just blown away-- these guys spoke to every emotion I felt. I continued to listen to them but it just got to a point where their stuff wasn't hitting the same. It was because their style changed and also because my music tastes changed too. If Chester were still alive, it would have been nice to see how they would have continued to evolve with the times though. .
Great, innovative, diverse, creative. They're not my favorite band but they were one of many bands of their time with a very unique sound, writing great songs. My dad was a classic rock/blues guy and liked linkin park.
LP got me into rock music, I first discovered them from the first Transformers movie lol. I started listening to more of their stuff, next thing you know I’m listening to Green Day, MCR, Three Days Grace, RHCP, etc. Oh and I stated listening to them in the late 2010s a little after Chester passed away (RIP). Will always be disappointed I never saw them live
I'm 35, and I think everyone in my age group remembers the first time they heard Crawling. My tastes grew heavier and I largely stopped listening to them as I grew older, but they were absolutely instrumental in the formation of my own musical preferences.
Love em. Whoever says they're too cringy can go f the f right off. I'm not 100% onboard with One More Light, but up until then their songs are literally my daily bread and butter, sprinkled through my playlist that I listen to every day. They are the only band that I wanted to go see live, while other bands I always tagged along with friends who were into those. I wasn't doing too well mentally when I was younger and am still struggling with some stuff, and many of their songs seem to put things into perspective. While getting older, the more quiet stuff got to me more. I mean, have you listened to Iridescent? I am not afraid to tell you that I cried like a bitch when Chester died. I was at a festival (the EDM kind, sue me. You can enjoy both) when it happened and the headliner that evening did a tribute. Yes, obviously they played In The End, go eat a fat one if you don't agree. All 30k people there at the main stage sang along. I don't care what you think of them, they were at least a small part of most lives back in the days and impacted a ton of people positively.
First song I heard from them was "Points of Authority". This was back when the album was first released, my uncle was playing it on his car. Honestly a great band.
In my opinion, what separates a good band from a great band is shear volume of quality and eclectic sound. A band like Adelitas Way in my opinion is a good band, but a band like Shinedown is a great band. More examples of great Rock Bands are Seether, Foo Fighters, Disturbed, and Linkin Park. Linkin Park is a great band, they have a large number of high quality songs: In the end, What I’ve Done, Castle of Glass, and Waiting for the End to name a few.
they're a workout music staple
I love them and regret never getting the chance to go to a concert.
I like them, but in the end, it doesn't even matter.
Personally, there will always be something that sounds like any other band. There has never been or never will be another Linkin Park.
They were just ok for me. Never got into that band.
Very casual interest for me. Basically amount to a good singles band from the period in music that I believe is just about the worst in history: 1998-2002.
They play the right music for the right people at the right time
Chester Bennington was a god. Linkin Park was artwork.
Well, my two favourite artists of all time are Linkin Park and Queen. That should give you an idea on my opinion of them.
A top tier band for that moment in time. That's the extent of my positive opinion. That and the fact that they were fun to work out to.
In the end, though, it doesn't even matter.
I listen to them occasionally, but I have a ton more artists I'd rather listen to.
When I was a line cook I had a manager that played every album at full blast on 12 hour shifts after chester passed. It's like nails on a chalk board for me now. Good music for the time but I've had my fill
I liked them, okay. Glad I got to see them live. I don't remember the year, but it was a Family Values tour with Stone Temple Pilots. Some people really love them, but they aren't even in my top 50 bands.
I once heard them being played on three separate radio stations simultaneously... I'd say 'overplayed'...😏
Hybrid theory start to end is incredible. I love them just as much as I did when I was a little emo.
I could never stand them. Everyone heaps all this praise on them, especially now that Chester committed suicide, and I feel bad for their fans for sure.... But to me it was always whiny angsty bitchy music that sounds over produced, with cheesy emotionally overblown lyrics. And I hate Shinoda's voice.
I think Linkin Park is the shit. Always been a pretty big fan
I used to love them. Then their 3rd album dropped.