Linkin Park
Biography
Linkin Park is an American band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996 as Xero by Mike Shinoda and Mark Wakefield, the lineup quickly expanded to include guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, drummer Rob Bourdon and DJ Joe Hahn. After Wakefield’s departure in 1998, Chester Bennington became the lead singer in 1999; the band briefly used the name Hybrid Theory before adopting the name Linkin Park in 2000.
Their debut album, Hybrid Theory (2000), certified Diamond in the United States, brought them immediate global success: the singles One Step Closer, Crawling and especially In the End dominated the charts. Their second album, Meteora (2003), confirmed that success.
Over their career Linkin Park evolved stylistically, exploring more experimental and electronic sounds on Minutes to Midnight (2007) and A Thousand Suns (2010), combining earlier elements on Living Things (2012), returning to a heavier rock sound on The Hunting Party (2014), and moving decisively toward pop on One More Light (2017).
The band went on hiatus after the death of frontman Chester Bennington in July 2017. Following several anniversary reissues, Linkin Park announced their return in September 2024 with a new album, From Zero, and a new lineup.
The current lineup features founders Mike Shinoda (vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards), Brad Delson (lead guitar), Dave "Phoenix" Farrell (bass) and Joe Hahn (turntables, synthesizers), joined by new lead singer Emily Armstrong (also the vocalist of Dead Sara) and new drummer Colin Brittain. Former members include Mark Wakefield, Chester Bennington and Rob Bourdon.
Linkin Park is one of the best-selling bands of the 21st century, with over 100 million records sold worldwide. Their accolades include two Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, ten MTV Europe Music Awards and three World Music Awards. They have been recognized as one of the major bands of the music video era and were ranked among the top artists of the decade by Billboard.