History of Linkin Park in Timeline
Linkin Park is an American rock band formed in 1996. Known for their unique blend of rock, hip hop, and electronic elements, they achieved mainstream success with their debut album *Hybrid Theory*. The band's core lineup included Chester Bennington's powerful vocals and Mike Shinoda's rapping and songwriting. Bennington's death in 2017 led to an indefinite hiatus. The band reformed in September 2024 with new members Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain.
1996: Formation of Linkin Park
In 1996, Linkin Park was formed in Agoura Hills, California.
1996: Linkin Park's Foundation
In 1996, Linkin Park was founded by high school friends Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon, and Brad Delson in Agoura Hills, California.
November 1997: Release of Xero Demo Album
In November 1997, the band, then known as Xero, released a four-track demo album.
1998: Jeff Blue's Impression of Xero
In 1998, Jeff Blue was impressed with Xero after watching them play live, but believed they needed a different vocalist.
March 1999: Chester Bennington Joins Xero
In March 1999, Chester Bennington was recruited as the vocalist for Xero, recommended by Jeff Blue.
May 1999: Release of Self-Titled EP
In May 1999, the band, then known as Hybrid Theory, released a self-titled extended play.
October 1999: Bassists Replacement
In October 1999, Kyle Christner was replaced by Scott Koziol and Ian Hornbeck as bassists.
1999: Signing with Warner Bros. Records
In 1999, Linkin Park signed a deal with Warner Bros. Records as a developing artist, after Jeff Blue became the vice president of the label. The band was advised to change their name.
October 24, 2000: Release of Hybrid Theory
On October 24, 2000, Linkin Park released their album Hybrid Theory, which became a massive commercial success.
2000: Release of Hybrid Theory
In 2000, Linkin Park released their debut studio album, Hybrid Theory, which achieved Diamond certification from the RIAA and international fame.
2000: Farrell's Return and Hybrid Theory Release
In late 2000, Dave Farrell returned to Linkin Park, and the band released their breakthrough album, Hybrid Theory, that same year.
November 2001: Founding of Linkin Park Underground
In November 2001, Linkin Park, with Jessica Sklar, founded their official fan club and street team, "Linkin Park Underground".
2001: Hybrid Theory's Success
In 2001, Hybrid Theory sold over 4.8 million copies, becoming the best-selling album of the year.
July 30, 2002: Release of Reanimation
On July 30, 2002, Linkin Park released Reanimation, a remix album featuring works from Hybrid Theory and non-album tracks.
December 2002: Announcement of New Album
In December 2002, Linkin Park officially announced the production of a new studio album, inspired by the region of Meteora in Greece.
March 25, 2003: Release of Meteora
On March 25, 2003, Linkin Park's second album, Meteora, debuted and instantly earned worldwide recognition.
October 2003: Meteora's Sales Success
By October 2003, Linkin Park's album Meteora had sold nearly three million copies.
2003: Meteora's Ranking
During 2003, Meteora was the third best selling album in the United States.
2003: Release of Meteora
In 2003, Linkin Park continued their success with the release of their second album, Meteora.
2003: MTV2 Recognition
In 2003, MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth-greatest band of the music video era and the third-best of the new millennium.
March 2004: Donation to Special Operations Warrior Foundation
In March 2004, Linkin Park donated $75,000 to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
November 2004: Release of Collision Course
In November 2004, Linkin Park and Jay-Z released Collision Course, a remix album featuring intermixed lyrics and background tracks from both artists' previous albums.
2004: Recognition for Meteora
In 2004, Linkin Park won multiple MTV awards for "Somewhere I Belong" and "Breaking the Habit", and recognition at the Radio Music Awards.
2004: Meteora World Tour
In early 2004, Linkin Park started a world tour titled the Meteora World Tour.
December 2005: Negotiation with Warner Bros. Records
After months of feuding, Linkin Park finally negotiated a deal with Warner Bros. Records in December 2005.
2005: Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
In 2005, Linkin Park raised money to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina.
August 2006: Recording of New Material
In August 2006, Linkin Park had recorded thirty to fifty songs for their new album, with Mike Shinoda stating it was halfway completed. The album, which would eventually be titled Minutes to Midnight, was initially planned for a 2006 release, but was later delayed.
May 15, 2007: Release of "Minutes to Midnight"
On May 15, 2007, Warner Bros. Records officially released Linkin Park's third studio album, titled Minutes to Midnight, in the United States. The album sold over 623,000 copies in its first week and topped the Billboard Charts.
2007: Release of Minutes to Midnight
In 2007, Linkin Park explored experimental sounds on their third album, Minutes to Midnight.
2007: Success with "What I've Done" and American Music Award
In 2007, Linkin Park's single "What I've Done" peaked at no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was featured in the movie Transformers. The band also won the "Favorite Alternative Artist" award at the American Music Awards, and released multiple successful singles from Minutes to Midnight.
June 29, 2008: Projekt Revolution Gig at Milton Keynes Bowl
On June 29, 2008, Linkin Park performed at the Milton Keynes Bowl as part of Projekt Revolution. This performance was later released as a live CD/DVD titled Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes.
November 24, 2008: Release of Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes
On November 24, 2008, Linkin Park officially released Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes, a live CD/DVD of their Projekt Revolution gig at the Milton Keynes Bowl on June 29, 2008.
2008: Release of singles from Minutes to Midnight
In early 2008, Linkin Park continued to release successful singles from their album Minutes to Midnight, following up on the success they found in 2007.
May 2009: Announcement of Fourth Studio Album
In May 2009, Linkin Park announced they were working on their fourth studio album, planned for release in 2010. The album was described as 'genre-busting' and experimental.
January 19, 2010: Release of "Not Alone" for Haiti Relief
On January 19, 2010, Linkin Park released "Not Alone" as part of the Download to Donate for Haiti compilation to support the Haiti Earthquake crisis.
February 10, 2010: Release of "Not Alone" Music Video
On February 10, 2010, Linkin Park released the official music video for the song "Not Alone" on their homepage.
August 31, 2010: Announcement of "The Catalyst" Performance at MTV Video Music Awards
On August 31, 2010, it was announced that Linkin Park would perform "The Catalyst" live for the first time at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.
September 12, 2010: Performance of "The Catalyst" at MTV Video Music Awards
On September 12, 2010, Linkin Park performed "The Catalyst" live for the first time at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, held at the Griffith Observatory.
October 2010: Launch of A Thousand Suns Concert Tour
In October 2010, Linkin Park launched a concert tour to promote their new album A Thousand Suns.
2010: Planned Release of Fourth Studio Album
In 2010, Linkin Park planned to release their fourth studio album. It was said to be experimental and "hopefully more cutting-edge".
2010: Release of A Thousand Suns
In 2010, Linkin Park released their fourth album, A Thousand Suns, layering their music with more electronic sounds.
January 11, 2011: Launch of Download to Donate for Haiti V2.0
On January 11, 2011, an updated version of Download to Donate for Haiti was launched, called Download to Donate for Haiti V2.0, with more songs to download.
July 2011: Bennington Discusses New Album Plans
In July 2011, Chester Bennington expressed to Rolling Stone that Linkin Park aimed to produce a new album every eighteen months, anticipating a new release in 2012.
September 2011: Beginning Phases of New Album
In September 2011, Linkin Park was in the beginning phases of their next album, aiming to keep the creative juices flowing.
2011: Billboard Awards Nominations and Year-End Chart Success
In 2011, Linkin Park received six Billboard Awards nominations and charted in numerous Billboard Year-End charts, highlighting their continued success.
March 28, 2012: Filming Music Video for "Burn It Down"
On March 28, 2012, Mike Shinoda confirmed that Linkin Park was filming a music video for "Burn It Down", directed by Joe Hahn.
April 2012: Announcement of "Living Things" and Release of "Burn It Down"
In April 2012, Linkin Park announced that Living Things would be the title of their fifth album, calling it a "return to form." The album's lead single, "Burn It Down," was released on April 16.
2012: Release of "Living Things", Performance at Soundwave music festival and Nomination at Spike Video Game Awards
In 2012, Linkin Park released "Living Things". The band played at the Soundwave music festival in Australia and their single "Castle of Glass" was nominated for 'Best Song in a Game' at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards.
2012: Release of Living Things
In 2012, Linkin Park released their fifth album, Living Things, combining musical elements from all of their previous records.
2012: VH1 Bracket Madness Win
In 2012, Linkin Park was voted as the greatest artist of the 2000s in a Bracket Madness poll on VH1.
May 2013: Recording of Sixth Studio Album Begins
In May 2013, Linkin Park began recording their sixth studio album.
August 10, 2013: Collaboration with Steve Aoki on "A Light That Never Comes"
On August 10, 2013, Linkin Park collaborated with Steve Aoki to record the song "A Light That Never Comes" for their online puzzle-action game LP Recharge.
September 12, 2013: Launch of LP Recharge Game
On September 12, 2013, Linkin Park launched their online puzzle-action game LP Recharge on Facebook and the official LP Recharge website.
October 29, 2013: Release of Recharged Remix Album
On October 29, 2013, Linkin Park released Recharged, a remix album featuring remixes of songs from Living Things, with contributions from various artists.
March 6, 2014: Release of "Guilty All the Same"
On March 6, 2014, Linkin Park released "Guilty All the Same" (featuring Rakim) through Shazam as the first single from their upcoming album. It debuted at No. 27 on the US Billboard Rock Airplay charts.
June 13, 2014: Release of The Hunting Party Album
On June 13, 2014, Linkin Park's album, The Hunting Party, was released in most countries. It explored elements of Hybrid Theory and the band's earlier work.
June 14, 2014: Performance at Download Festival
On June 14, 2014, Linkin Park performed at Download Festival, playing their debut album, Hybrid Theory, in its entirety.
November 9, 2014: Named "Best Rock" Act by MTV Europe
On November 9, 2014, MTV Europe named Linkin Park the "Best Rock" act of 2014 at their annual music awards ceremony.
2014: Kerrang! Declares Linkin Park the Biggest Rock Band
In 2014, Kerrang! declared Linkin Park "the Biggest Rock Band in the World Right Now".
2014: Release of The Hunting Party
In 2014, Linkin Park returned to a heavier rock sound with their sixth album, The Hunting Party.
January 2015: The Hunting Party Tour Cancellation
In January 2015, Linkin Park embarked on a tour to promote The Hunting Party, but it was canceled after three concerts due to Chester Bennington's ankle injury.
February 28, 2015: Preview of "Darker Than Blood"
On February 28, 2015, Steve Aoki previewed his collaboration with Linkin Park, the song "Darker Than Blood", during a performance at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.
May 2015: Release of "Darker Than Blood"
In May 2015, Linkin Park collaborated with Steve Aoki on the song "Darker Than Blood" for Aoki's album Neon Future II.
November 2015: Working on New Material for Seventh Studio Album
In November 2015, Linkin Park began working on new material for their seventh studio album.
2015: Performance at BlizzCon
In 2015, Linkin Park performed at the closing ceremony of BlizzCon 2015, Blizzard's video game convention.
2016: Planned Release of New Album
In 2016, Linkin Park planned to release a new album, according to Mike Shinoda.
February 2017: Promotional Videos for New Album
In February 2017, Linkin Park released promotional videos on their social network accounts, featuring Shinoda and Bennington preparing new material for the album.
May 19, 2017: Release of One More Light album
On May 19, 2017, Linkin Park released their seventh album, "One More Light". Several promotional singles were released prior to the album's debut, including "Battle Symphony", "Good Goodbye", and "Invisible".
July 2017: Chester Bennington's Death and Band Hiatus
In July 2017, lead vocalist Chester Bennington tragically died by suicide, leading Linkin Park to enter an indefinite hiatus.
July 20, 2017: Chester Bennington's Death
On July 20, 2017, Chester Bennington died by suicide. His death was confirmed by Mike Shinoda on Twitter. Earlier that day, the band had released a music video for "Talking to Myself".
November 2017: American Music Award
In November 2017, Linkin Park received an American Music Award for Favorite Alternative Artist, dedicating the award to Chester Bennington.
2017: Release of One More Light
In 2017, Linkin Park released their seventh album, One More Light, which was a more pop-oriented record.
January 28, 2018: Shinoda Confirms Intention to Continue Linkin Park
On January 28, 2018, Mike Shinoda responded to a fan, stating his intention to continue with Linkin Park, with the other band members feeling the same.
February 18, 2019: Shinoda Discusses Band's Future
On February 18, 2019, Mike Shinoda stated in an interview that the band is open to continuing, but the form it takes has yet to be decided, emphasizing not replacing Chester.
April 28, 2020: Farrell Reveals New Music in Progress
On April 28, 2020, bassist Dave Farrell revealed that the band was working on new music.
August 20, 2020: Collaboration with Beat Saber
On August 20, 2020, Linkin Park collaborated with Beat Saber to release 11 maps based on their songs for the virtual reality rhythm game.
January 8, 2021: "One Step Closer" Remix Release
On January 8, 2021, Linkin Park released a remix of "One Step Closer" by 100 gecs, signaling more remixes inspired by Reanimation were coming.
April 2022: Shinoda Updates on Band Activity
In April 2022, Mike Shinoda reiterated that the band was not working on a new album, new music, or touring at the time.
February 2023: Meteora 20th Anniversary Teaser
In February 2023, the band started an interactive game on their website teasing the 20th anniversary of Meteora.
February 23, 2024: Release of "Friendly Fire"
On February 23, 2024, Linkin Park released "Friendly Fire", a previously unreleased song from the One More Light sessions.
April 30, 2024: Report of Potential Reunion Tour
On April 30, 2024, Billboard reported that Linkin Park's booking agency WME had taken offers for a potential reunion tour and festival dates in 2025 with Shinoda, Delson, Farrell, and a female vocalist.
September 2024: Views Count for Tribute Concert
As of September 2024, the tribute concert dedicated to Chester Bennington has reached 25 million views on Youtube.
September 2024: Linkin Park Reformation and New Members
In September 2024, Linkin Park announced their reformation, along with the addition of Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain to the band's lineup.
September 24, 2024: Release of "Heavy Is the Crown"
On September 24, 2024, Linkin Park released "Heavy Is the Crown" as a single, also used as the theme for the 2024 League of Legends World Championship.
October 24, 2024: Release of "Over Each Other"
On October 24, 2024, Linkin Park released "Over Each Other" as a single.
November 13, 2024: Release of "Two Faced"
On November 13, 2024, Linkin Park released "Two Faced" as a single.
November 15, 2024: Release of From Zero Album
On November 15, 2024, Linkin Park's eight album "From Zero" was released.
November 2024: Release of From Zero
In November 2024, Linkin Park released their eighth album, From Zero.
November 16, 2024: End of Nine-Date Arena Tour
On November 16, 2024, Linkin Park's nine-date arena tour is scheduled to conclude in São Paulo, Brazil.
