History of Linkin Park in Timeline
Linkin Park is an American rock band formed in 1996. They achieved mainstream success with their hybrid musical style, blending rock, hip-hop, and electronic elements. The band's core lineup for their initial seven studio albums included Chester Bennington's vocals and Rob Bourdon on drums, alongside Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave Farrell, and Joe Hahn. Bennington's death in 2017 led to an indefinite hiatus. In 2024, they announced their reformation with vocalists Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain joining the lineup.
1994: Collision Course EP
In 1994, Alice in Chains' Jar of Flies was the first EP to top the Billboard 200 before Collision Course by Linkin Park with Jay-Z.
1996: Linkin Park Formation
In 1996, Linkin Park was formed in Agoura Hills, California.
November 1997: Release of Xero Demo Album
In November 1997, Xero, the band's original name, released a four-track demo album entitled Xero.
1998: Jeff Blue Impressed by Xero
In 1998, Jeff Blue was impressed with Xero after watching them play a live show but believed the band needed a different vocalist.
March 1999: Chester Bennington Joins Xero
In March 1999, Chester Bennington joined Xero as the vocalist, recommended by Jeff Blue.
May 1999: Release of Self-Titled EP
In May 1999, the band, now known as Hybrid Theory, released a self-titled extended play and circulated it online.
October 1999: Bassists Added
In October 1999, Scott Koziol and Ian Hornbeck replaced Kyle Christner as temporary bassist and contributed to the band's recordings.
1999: Signing with Warner Bros. Records and Name Change to Linkin Park
In 1999, the band signed a deal with Warner Bros. Records and changed their name to Linkin Park to secure the domain "linkinpark.com".
October 24, 2000: Linkin Park Releases Hybrid Theory
On October 24, 2000, Linkin Park released their debut album Hybrid Theory, edited by Don Gilmore.
2000: Release of Hybrid Theory
In 2000, Linkin Park released their debut studio album, Hybrid Theory, which achieved Diamond certification by the RIAA and brought them international fame. The singles "One Step Closer", "Crawling", and "In the End" charted highly.
2000: Farrell Returns and Band Releases Hybrid Theory
In late 2000, Farrell returned to the band, and Linkin Park released their breakthrough album, Hybrid Theory.
November 2001: Founding of Linkin Park Underground and Release of Frat Party at the Pankake Festival
In November 2001, Linkin Park founded their official fan club and street team, "Linkin Park Underground", and released their first DVD, Frat Party at the Pankake Festival.
2001: Success of Hybrid Theory
In 2001, Hybrid Theory sold over 4.8 million copies, becoming the best-selling album of the year. The singles "Crawling" and "One Step Closer" became alternative rock radio staples, and "In the End" peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also won a Grammy Award for "Crawling".
2001: Best of 2001 by Record Collector
In 2001, the album Hybrid Theory was included in Best of 2001 by Record Collector.
July 30, 2002: Release of Reanimation
On July 30, 2002, Linkin Park released Reanimation, a remix album featuring tracks from Hybrid Theory and non-album songs, with contributions from various artists.
December 2002: Announcement of Meteora Production
In December 2002, Linkin Park officially announced the production of their new studio album, Meteora, inspired by the rocky region of Meteora in Greece.
March 25, 2003: Release of Meteora
On March 25, 2003, Linkin Park's second album, Meteora, debuted and gained worldwide recognition, peaking at No. 1 on the Rock & Metal Albums Chart.
October 2003: Meteora Sales and Summer Sanitarium Tour
By October 2003, Meteora sold nearly three million copies. Metallica invited Linkin Park to play at the Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003.
2003: Meteora named Third Best Selling Album in US
Although not as successful as Hybrid Theory, Meteora was the third best selling album in the United States during 2003.
2003: Release of Meteora
In 2003, Linkin Park continued their success with the release of their second album, Meteora.
2003: MTV2 names Linkin Park sixth-greatest band
In 2003, MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth-greatest band of the music video era and the third-best of the new millennium.
2003: MTV2 Ranking
In 2003, MTV2 ranked Linkin Park as 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 worked with Jay-Z to produce another remix album, titled Collision Course, which featured intermixed lyrics and background tracks from both artists' previous albums.
2004: Meteora World Tour
In early 2004, Linkin Park started a world tour titled the Meteora World Tour with Hoobastank, P.O.D., and Story of the Year as supporting bands.
2004: World Tour and European Concerts
Linkin Park spent the first few months of 2004 touring around the world, including the Projekt Revolution tour and several European concerts.
December 2005: Negotiated Deal with Warner Bros. Records
After months of feuding over trust and financial issues, Linkin Park finally negotiated a deal with Warner Bros. Records in December 2005.
2005: Raising money to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina
In 2005, Linkin Park raised money to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
2005: Hybrid Theory Included in '1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'
In 2005, Linkin Park's album, Hybrid Theory, was listed in the book '1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'.
August 2006: New album halfway completed
In August 2006, Mike Shinoda announced that Linkin Park's new album, produced by Rick Rubin, was halfway completed, with thirty to fifty songs already recorded. Bennington added that the album would stray away from their previous nu metal sound.
2006: Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
In 2006, Linkin Park reunited with Jay-Z at the Grammy Award Ceremony, during which they performed "Numb/Encore" and won a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Paul McCartney joined them on stage, adding verses from "Yesterday".
May 15, 2007: Minutes to Midnight album released
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: "What I've Done" release and American Music Award
In 2007, Linkin Park released "What I've Done" as the first single from their album; it premiered on MTV and Fuse and peaked at no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band also won "Favorite Alternative Artist" in the American Music Awards. The band also released the singles "Bleed It Out", "Shadow of the Day", "Given Up", and "Leave Out All the Rest".
2007: Minutes to Midnight Sales
In 2007, the album Minutes to Midnight had the biggest first week sales in the United States at the time, with 625,000 albums sold, and also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart selling over 50,000 copies in its first week in Canada.
June 29, 2008: Projekt Revolution gig at Milton Keynes Bowl
On June 29, 2008, Linkin Park performed at the Projekt Revolution gig at the Milton Keynes Bowl.
November 24, 2008: Release of Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes
On November 24, 2008, Mike Shinoda announced the official release of a live CD/DVD titled Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes, which is a live video recording from the Projekt Revolution gig at the Milton Keynes Bowl on June 29, 2008.
2008: Release of Busta Rhymes Collaboration
In 2008, Linkin Park collaborated with Busta Rhymes on his single "We Made It", which was released on April 29.
May 2009: Announcement of New Studio Album
In May 2009, Linkin Park announced that they were working on their fourth studio album, planned for release in 2010. Shinoda described it as 'genre-busting' and more experimental, while Bennington confirmed Rick Rubin would produce the album.
January 19, 2010: Linkin Park Releases "Not Alone" for Haiti Relief
On January 19, 2010, Linkin Park released a new song titled "Not Alone" as part of the Download to Donate for Haiti compilation to support the Haiti Earthquake crisis.
February 10, 2010: Official Music Video for "Not Alone" Released
On February 10, 2010, Linkin Park released the official music video for their song "Not Alone" on their homepage.
August 31, 2010: Announcement of "The Catalyst" Performance at MTV Video Music Awards
On August 31, 2010, Linkin Park announced that they would perform "The Catalyst" live for the first time at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.
September 12, 2010: "The Catalyst" live performance 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. The performance took place at Griffith Observatory.
October 2010: Concert Tour Launch
In October 2010, Linkin Park launched a concert tour to promote their new album, A Thousand Suns.
2010: Release of A Thousand Suns
In 2010, Linkin Park released their fourth album, A Thousand Suns, layering their music with more electronic sounds.
2010: Release of "New Divide"
In 2010, Linkin Park worked with Hans Zimmer to produce the score for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and released a single for the movie, titled "New Divide".
January 11, 2011: Download to Donate for Haiti V2.0 Launched
On January 11, 2011, Linkin Park launched an updated version of Download to Donate for Haiti, called Download to Donate for Haiti V2.0, featuring Keaton Hashimoto's remix of "The Catalyst".
July 2011: Bennington Discusses Album Production
In July 2011, Bennington told Rolling Stone that Linkin Park aims to produce a new album every eighteen months, and that he would be shocked if a new album did not come out in 2012.
September 2011: Album Development
In September 2011, Bennington revealed that Linkin Park was in the beginning phases of their next album.
2011: Billboard Award Nominations and Chart Success
In 2011, Linkin Park was nominated for six Billboard Awards. The band also charted in numerous Billboard Year-End charts.
March 28, 2012: Music Video Filming for "Burn It Down"
On March 28, 2012, Shinoda confirmed that Linkin Park was filming a music video for "Burn It Down", directed by Joe Hahn. He also spoke about the album's art.
April 2012: Album Title Announcement and Lead Single Release
In April 2012, Linkin Park announced that Living Things would be the title of their fifth album, describing it as a "return to form". The album's lead single, "Burn It Down", was released on April 16.
2012: Linkin Park Voted Greatest Artist of the 2000s
In 2012, Linkin Park was voted as the greatest artist of the 2000s in a Bracket Madness poll on VH1.
2012: Release of Living Things
In 2012, Linkin Park's fifth album, Living Things, combined musical elements from all of their previous records.
2012: Release of Living Things and Spike Video Game Awards Nomination
In 2012, Linkin Park's single "Castle of Glass" was nominated for 'Best Song in a Game' at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards. Linkin Park also played at the Soundwave music festival in Australia.
May 2013: Recording of Sixth Studio Album
In May 2013, Shinoda confirmed that Linkin Park had begun 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
On September 12, 2013, Linkin Park's online puzzle-action game LP Recharge was launched on Facebook and the official LP Recharge website.
October 29, 2013: Release of Recharged
On October 29, 2013, Linkin Park released a remix album, entitled Recharged, which features remixes of ten songs from Living Things.
March 6, 2014: Release of "Guilty All the Same"
On March 6, 2014, Linkin Park released "Guilty All the Same" (featuring Rakim) through Shazam.
June 13, 2014: Release of The Hunting Party
On June 13, 2014, Linkin Park's album The Hunting Party was released in most countries.
June 14, 2014: Download Festival Performance
On June 14, 2014, Linkin Park performed at Download Festival, where they played their debut album, Hybrid Theory, in its entirety.
November 9, 2014: MTV Europe Music Award
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 the World Right Now"
In 2014, Kerrang! declared Linkin Park "the Biggest Rock Band in the World Right Now".
2014: Kerrang! Declares Linkin Park the Biggest Rock Band
In 2014, Kerrang! declared Linkin Park as the Biggest Rock Band in the World Right Now.
2014: Release of The Hunting Party
In 2014, Linkin Park's sixth album, The Hunting Party, returned to a heavier rock sound.
January 2015: The Hunting Party Tour
In January 2015, Linkin Park embarked on a tour to promote the release of The Hunting Party, consisting of 17 concerts across the United States and Canada. The tour was later canceled due to Bennington's injury.
February 28, 2015: Steve Aoki Performance at Aragon Ballroom
On February 28, 2015, Steve Aoki previewed the song "Darker Than Blood", a collaboration with Linkin Park, during his performance at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois.
November 2015: Linkin Park Begins Work on Seventh Studio Album
In November 2015, Linkin Park started working on new material for their seventh studio album, with Chester Bennington expressing that the material would challenge and inspire their fanbase.
2015: Kerrang!'s Rock 100 List
In 2015, Kerrang! ranked "In the End" and "Final Masquerade" as the top two songs on Kerrang!'s Rock 100 list.
2016: Potential Release of Next Album
In 2016, Shinoda suggested that Linkin Park's next album would be coming.
February 2017: Promotional Videos for New Album Released
In February 2017, Linkin Park released promotional videos on their social network accounts featuring Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington preparing new material for their upcoming album, indicating a new production process for the band.
May 19, 2017: One More Light Album Released
On May 19, 2017, Linkin Park released their seventh studio album, One More Light, after releasing promotional singles such as "Battle Symphony", "Good Goodbye", and "Invisible".
July 2017: Chester Bennington's Suicide
In July 2017, lead vocalist Chester Bennington committed suicide, leading Linkin Park to enter an indefinite hiatus.
July 20, 2017: Chester Bennington Dies
On July 20, 2017, Chester Bennington died by suicide. Mike Shinoda confirmed the death via Twitter, and Linkin Park released a music video for "Talking to Myself" earlier the same day.
November 2017: Linkin Park Receives American Music Award
In November 2017, Linkin Park was awarded the American Music Award for Favorite Alternative Artist, and the band dedicated 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 Comments on Linkin Park's Future
On January 28, 2018, Mike Shinoda replied to a fan on Twitter, stating that he intended to continue with Linkin Park and that the other band members felt the same way, but acknowledged that there was a lot of rebuilding to do.
February 18, 2019: Shinoda Discusses Linkin Park's Future in Interview
On February 18, 2019, Mike Shinoda mentioned in an interview that Linkin Park was open to continuing as a band, but the form it would take was undecided, stating it wasn't his goal to replace Chester Bennington.
April 28, 2020: Dave Farrell Reveals Band Working on New Music
On April 28, 2020, Dave Farrell revealed that Linkin Park was working on new music.
August 20, 2020: Linkin Park Collaborates with Beat Saber
On August 20, 2020, to celebrate their 20th anniversary, Linkin Park collaborated with the virtual reality rhythm game Beat Saber to release 11 maps based on their songs.
January 8, 2021: Linkin Park Releases "One Step Closer" Remix
On January 8, 2021, Linkin Park released a remix of "One Step Closer" by 100 gecs, stating it was the first of many new remixes inspired by Reanimation to come.
April 2022: Shinoda Reiterates No New Album, Music, or Touring
In April 2022, Mike Shinoda reiterated that Linkin Park was not working on a new album, new music, or touring.
February 2023: Teasing 20th Anniversary of Meteora
In February 2023, Linkin Park initiated an interactive game on their website to tease the 20th anniversary of Meteora and later revealed a previously unreleased demo titled "Lost".
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 Reunion Tour and Festival Offers
On April 30, 2024, Billboard reported that Linkin Park's booking agency WME had received offers for a potential reunion tour and headlining festival dates in 2025, featuring Shinoda, Delson, Farrell, and a female vocalist.
September 2024: Views of Chester Bennington Tribute Concert on YouTube
As of September 2024, the Linkin Park and Friends: Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington tribute concert held at the Hollywood Bowl has garnered 25 million views on YouTube.
September 2024: Linkin Park Reformation
In September 2024, Linkin Park's reformation was announced, along with the addition of vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain to the lineup.
September 24, 2024: Release of "Heavy Is the Crown"
On September 24, 2024, Linkin Park released "Heavy Is the Crown" as the second single from the album From Zero, which was used as the main theme for Riot Games' 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 the third single from the album From Zero.
November 13, 2024: Release of "Two Faced"
On November 13, 2024, Linkin Park released "Two Faced" as the fourth single from the album From Zero.
November 15, 2024: Release of From Zero
On November 15, 2024, Linkin Park released their eighth album, From Zero, after the band's comeback was announced, including Armstrong and Brittain's entry into the band.
November 2024: Release of From Zero
In November 2024, Linkin Park released their eighth album, From Zero.
November 16, 2024: End of Tour
On November 16, 2024, Linkin Park's nine-date arena tour across four continents is scheduled to conclude in São Paulo, Brazil.
March 17, 2025: Announcement of "Up from the Bottom"
On March 17, 2025, Linkin Park announced a new song titled "Up from the Bottom", scheduled for release on March 27.
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