Linkin Park

Linkin Park
Origin:	Los Angeles, California
Years active:	1999-Present
Associated acts:	Relative Degree Xero Hybrid Theory
Members:	Mike Shinoda Brad Delson Joe Hahn Dave "Phoenix" Farrell Emily Armstrong Colin Brittain
Past members:	Chester Bennington Rob Bourdon

Band Background

Linkin Park is an alternative band from Los Angeles, California. As of September 2024, Linkin Park has released seven studio albums, their most recent being One More Light, released in July 2017. Their eighth studio album, From Zero, will be released on November 15, 2024.

Officially formed in 1999, the band has roots that go back to 1996 and prior. Before Linkin Park, all of the members in the band except Chester Bennington were in Xero, which existed from 1996 to 1998 with a different singer Mark Wakefield. At the time, Chester was serving as lead singer in Arizona band Grey Daze. After it didn't work out with the singer in Xero, the band reformed under the name Hybrid Theory in 1999. On his 23rd birthday on March 23rd, 1999, Chester recorded a demo for Hybrid Theory and as some say, the rest is history. After recording their Hybrid Theory EP, releasing it in 1999, and touring, the band changed their name to Linkin Park in May 2000 in anticipation of their label debut album, now called Hybrid Theory.

With the release of Hybrid Theory on October 2000, Linkin Park soon skyrocketed to being a household name worldwide, with multiple platinum-certified albums and singles (including a diamond-certified single in 'In The End'), dozens of world tours with sold-out shows throughout all six continents, and a dedicated and passionate fanbase in the LP Underground building behind them.

The band and the world itself met tragedy when Chester Bennington tragically passed away by suicide on July 20, 2017. Celebrities and musicians from all walks of fame paid their tributes to Chester online, alongside millions of posts from mourning fans. The remaining five band members performed a final show in tribute to Chester at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California on October 27, 2017 before going on an indefinite hiatus, uncertain about their own future. In that time, Mike Shinoda released his Post Traumatic album and embarked on a subsequent world tour, while the other band members went on separate endeavors with their other interests outside of music. During this time, Rob Bourdon decided to step away from the band.

On September 5, 2024, the band performed a special show for LP Underground members, appearing together as a band for the first time since 2017. New co-vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer/co-producer Colin Brittain were revealed as the new members of Linkin Park.

Previous Bands

Before Linkin Park, the original five members of Linkin Park were in other bands around the Los Angeles area.

The Pricks

The Pricks was a band Brad Delson played in before Relative Degree and Xero. Mark Wakefield is rumored to have been a member of the band. Mike Giangreco (Brad's boss at The Roxy and Whisky A Go Go) also mentioned Rob Bourdon being in the band. The Pricks played several shows during its existence, many of them taking place at college frat parties.

In June 1995, The Pricks opened Hoobastank's (spelled Hoobustank at the time) very first show in the summer of 1995 at Doug Robb's (lead singer of Hoobastank) parents' backyard. Members of both bands had been friends since long before The Pricks was formed and to prepare for the show they stole stages from their local high school in the middle of the night, set them up in Doug's backyard and hired security, charging a dollar for admission. Around 150 people were in attendance. Mike Shinoda mentioned in August 2020 that he was at this show.

Relative Degree

Relative Degree was a band that performed just one show, May 17, 1996 at The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, CA. The band consisted of Brad Delson, Rob Bourdon, Mark Wakefield, and an unknown bass player (from the band Karma).

In the LPU 1.0 Newsletter, Rob said, "Brad and I, along with the bass player from Karma and some other high school friends started our own band called Relative Degree. Mike was making beats for a lot of local MCs at this time, but would come by and watch us practice sometimes. He never joined the band but would occasionally put his samples into our songs. Relative Degree sounded a lot like the band 311- it was rock with a funky incorporation of hip hop and rap elements. Our dream for the band was to play a gig at The Roxy, a popular club for up and coming bands, located on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, CA. When the goal was reached, the band just stopped practicing and lost focus, eventually leading to a break up and a separation of ways."

-An MTV article from 2002 said, "It all began when Bourdon and Delson were in high school and played together in a band called Relative Degree. "We set a goal to play one show at the Roxy [in West Hollywood]," Bourdon said. "That was our big goal, so we wrote 12 songs, rehearsed for a year, played that show at the Roxy and then broke up. That was the end of Relative Degree." Shinoda, a classmate of Delson's and Bourdon's, crashed a few Relative Degree practices and fostered a strong friendship with Delson. He created a few samples for them but was more interested in making beats for local MCs. "We always just figured we were in two different worlds," said Delson, whose head looks naked when not wrapped in his signature headphones."

In a 2011 LPU chat, Rob said, "Relative Degree played 1 show and then finished, their goal was to sell out the Roxy so when they accomplished that goal they stopped."

Evolution

Members

Previous Members

Ian Hornbeck

Ian Hornbeck, a musician from Seattle, was asked to play bass on Hybrid Theory, but didn't join the band because of drug issues. His bass lines, however, were used on three songs on the album - "Papercut", "A Place For My Head", and "Forgotten". Ian would hear himself on the radio for the first time at the age of 20 during his first visit to rehab. "That was a bit of a surreal experience; one that kicked off a sometimes seemingly endless stream of "what if's" over the years. What if I hadn’t had only four days to learn an entire albums worth of songs? What if I hadn’t chosen to stay up for several days on methamphetamines trying to learn them all, before popping enough Valium to neutralize a stampeding rhinoceros and hopping on a flight to Los Angeles to go meet the rest of the band for the very first time? What if they hadn’t decided to try and mend their relationship with their original bass player? What if they hadn’t seen me as being a talented, nice guy, but “too much of a liability?” What if I had taken things just a little bit more serious? Sure, I got the job done, but what if? More importantly, what if I screwed up my only chance at truly being able to pursue my passion in life: music? While they would go on to become one of the biggest bands in the world, I was left behind, contemplating the if's."

Scott Koziol

Scott Koziol was the band's touring bassist in 2000 when they began touring across the United States for Hybrid Theory and was the last bassist the band performed with before Dave returned to the band. Scott had only been in Los Angeles for about six months when he met the band. He was referred to them by Barry Squire who runs a Los Angeles musician referral service. Rob gave Scott a call, they chatted for a bit then he sent Scott a CD of a few tracks to learn. He had a few auditions with the band before they started rehearsing in Hollywood six days a week for about eight hours a day in preparation for live performances and the recording of Hybrid Theory. The only song Scott recorded bass for on the album was "One Step Closer". Due to Scott not fitting in with the rest of the band personality-wise, the band asked Dave to return continuously before he finally accepted in October 2000.

Discography

Full article: Linkin Park Discography

Up to now Linkin Park have released seven studio albums:

• Hybrid Theory (2000)
• Meteora (2003)
• Minutes To Midnight (2007)
• A Thousand Suns (2010)
• Living Things (2012)
• The Hunting Party (2014)
• One More Light (2017)
• From Zero (2024)