50 Fun Facts About Linkin Park

In which California city was Linkin Park formed?

Shinoda, Bourdon and Delson met at the local high school; the band's name came from a park in Santa Monica.

In which year did Linkin Park form?

Their four-track demo under the name Xero came out in November 1997.

What was the band originally called before it had a record deal?

The Xero demo was recorded in Mike Shinoda's makeshift bedroom studio.

After Bennington joined, the band briefly used what name, later its debut album's title?

Warner Bros. asked them to change it to avoid confusion with the Welsh electronic act Hybrid.

The band's name pays homage to a Santa Monica park named after which president?

The park is now called Christine Emerson Reed Park.

Why did the band alter the spelling of the park's name for their own?

linkinpark.com was available; the correctly spelled domain was not.

Which name did the band consider before settling on Linkin Park?

"Plear" was the other candidate.

Which A&R executive recommended Bennington and later signed the band to Warner Bros.?

Blue had watched Xero live in 1998 and decided the band needed a different vocalist.

Chester Bennington came to the band from which Arizona alternative rock group?

He later fronted Dead by Sunrise as a side project and briefly sang for Stone Temple Pilots.

Who was Xero's original vocalist before Bennington?

Wakefield left after the band failed to land a record deal.

At which West Hollywood club did the band play its first show, in November 1997?

The November 1997 gig came the same month the Xero demo was released.

In what year was the band's debut album released?

It came out on October 24 and went on to be the best-selling album of 2001.

How many copies did the debut album sell in its first year?

That made it the best-selling album of 2001; it has since been certified Diamond.

Which single peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, the band's highest placing?

A 2015 Spotify study rated it the sixth most "timeless" Billboard hit of 1950-2005.

Which song won the band its first Grammy, for Best Hard Rock Performance?

The album was also nominated for Best New Artist and Best Rock Album.

What is the name of the band's official fan club and street team, founded in 2001?

Jessica Sklar helped set it up; the song "Qwerty" first appeared on its 6.0 CD in 2006.

What was the name of the band's own touring festival, featuring acts like Cypress Hill?

Later editions carried My Chemical Romance, HIM, Placebo and Chris Cornell.

What was the title of the band's first DVD, released in 2001?

It documented the 320-plus concerts the band played in a single year.

What was the 2002 remix album featuring Black Thought and Jonathan Davis called?

It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and sold nearly 270,000 copies in week one.

Meteora is named after a rocky monastery region in which country?

The monasteries there are built on top of towering rock pillars.

Which Japanese bamboo flute was introduced on Meteora?

The album mixed nu metal and rap metal with newer effects and unusual instruments.

Roughly how many copies did Meteora sell in its first week?

It finished as the third best-selling album in the US in 2003.

Which rapper teamed up with the band for the 2004 mash-up EP Collision Course?

It became only the second EP ever to top the Billboard 200, after Alice in Chains' Jar of Flies.

Who joined the band and Jay-Z on stage at the 2006 Grammys to add lines from "Yesterday"?

"Numb/Encore" won the Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration that night.

What is the name of Mike Shinoda's hip-hop side project?

Its debut album The Rising Tied was released with help from Jay-Z.

Which producer did the band choose for Minutes to Midnight?

Rubin returned for A Thousand Suns and later contributed to the Recharged remix album.

The title Minutes to Midnight refers to what?

The band cut five of seventeen tracks after fourteen months of work on the album.

"What I've Done" appeared on the soundtrack of which 2007 blockbuster?

The single peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100, and the band returned for the sequel with "New Divide".

Which film composer did the band work with on the Revenge of the Fallen score?

Joe Hahn directed the "New Divide" video using clips from the film.

What was the band's 2010 iOS game called?

Beating it unlocked a new song, "Blackbirds", later an iTunes bonus track.

"The Catalyst" was first performed live at which Los Angeles landmark for the 2010 VMAs?

The observatory has been a Hollywood filming location for decades.

Which band co-headlined the 2012 Honda Civic Tour with Linkin Park?

Thirty Seconds to Mars was the co-headliner two years later on the Carnivores Tour.

"Powerless" played over the closing credits of which 2012 film?

It is the twelfth and closing track of Living Things.

Which DJ collaborated with the band on "A Light That Never Comes"?

The song launched the Facebook game LP Recharge; they reunited for "Darker Than Blood" in 2015.

Which rapper features on "Guilty All the Same", the first single from The Hunting Party?

The single premiered through Shazam before reaching No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

Which pop singer features on "Heavy", the first studio single with a female vocalist?

Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter co-wrote the lyrics.

Where was the October 2017 tribute concert for Chester Bennington held?

The three-hour show was streamed on YouTube and has been watched 26 million times.

Bennington sang "Hallelujah" at which singer's funeral, two months before his own death?

Bennington was godfather to Cornell's son Christopher.

Emily Armstrong, who joined Linkin Park as vocalist in 2024, previously fronted which band?

The band first met her in 2019 and quietly began writing with her soon after.

Who became the band's drummer when it reformed in 2024?

Original drummer Rob Bourdon chose not to return after the hiatus.

Which founding member declined to rejoin the band after the hiatus?

Delson returned by 2019 but later stepped back from touring to work behind the scenes.

What is the title of the band's eighth studio album, released in November 2024?

The title nods to Xero, the name the band started under.

What was the lead single of the 2024 comeback, performed at the September livestream?

It was nominated for Best Rock Performance at the 2026 Grammys.

"Heavy Is the Crown" was the main theme for which 2024 esports event?

It was later used as the theme song for WWE's 2026 Royal Rumble.

In which city did the band perform at the 2025 UEFA Champions League final?

The Allianz Arena show came a year after their comeback tour opened at the Kia Forum.

What is the title of the band's 2024 greatest hits collection?

It included the first official release of "Qwerty" and the unreleased "Friendly Fire".

What is bassist Dave Farrell's nickname?

He left early on to tour with a Christian ska band, Tasty Snax, before returning in 2000.

Who is the band's DJ and turntablist?

Hahn also directs many of the band's videos and the 2014 film Mall.

What is the name of the charity the band set up after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami?

Its Download to Donate compilations raised money for Haiti and Japan.

Which magazine called them "the Biggest Rock Band in the World Right Now" in 2014?

The same magazine later put "In the End" at No. 1 on its Rock 100 list.