Linkin Park, the nu-metal group that rose to fame at the turn of the century, can seem like one of the most polarizing bands of its era. They were brash, voluminous, gritty, and perhaps to some, even grating. But they also bridged genres, pushed boundaries, and gave the world the banshee singer Chester Bennington.
Videos by American Songwriter
Here below, we wanted to explore a trio of songs from the California-born rock group. Three tracks that could sway even the most dubious of music listeners. Indeed, these are three songs for people who say they don’t like Linkin Park.
[RELATED: Is Linkin Park Making a Comeback with a New Vocalist?]
“In the End” from Hybrid Theory (2000)
When the nu-metal craze hit mainstream music around 2000 it was an effort that combined genres, from rock to metal to rap. A true hybrid. So, it makes sense the genre’s biggest band, Linkin Park, would use that same word for their breakout debut album Hybrid Theory. The song “In the End” showcased the group’s penchant for big electric guitar riffs, screeching choruses, and rap. On the song, which is about nihilism and pointlessness, Bennington sings over pianos and crashing drums,
I tried so hard and got so far
But in the end it doesn’t even matter
I had to fall to lose it all
But in the end it doesn’t even matter
“Crawling” from Hybrid Theory (2000)
Another from Hybrid Theory, this song earned a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2002. On it, Bennington growls like lightning bolts trapped in jars filled with gravel. The song is about not feeling comfortable in your own skin. But what’s incredible about the group’s singer is he can float on the melody just as much as he can scratch his way through it. Sings Bennington, combining a sense of depression with a sense of rage,
Crawling in my skin
These wounds, they will not heal
Fear is how I fall
Confusing what is real
There’s something inside me that pulls beneath the surface
Consuming, confusing
This lack of self control I fear is never ending
Controlling
I can’t seem
To find myself again
My walls are closing in
“Numb” from Meteora (2003)
One of the band’s most popular tracks, this tune was later remixed to feature Jay-Z on the Grammy-winning crossover collaboration Collision Course. The original song itself is about rebellion against the American suburban norm. But instead of a rageful rebellion, it’s one of reclusiveness. Of just feeling numb to the world. Sings Bennington about leaving the world and becoming more personally introspective,
I’ve become so numb, I can’t feel you there
Become so tired, so much more aware
I’m becoming this, all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you
Can’t you see that you’re smothering me?
Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control
‘Cause everything that you thought I would be
Has fallen apart right in front of you
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Photo by Junko Kimura/Getty Images
