Linkin Park

Linkin Park formed in 1996 and distinguished themselves when their debut album achieved diamond certification for sales of over ten million copies.

Initially forming under the name Xero and later Hybrid Theory, the band went through a number of line-up changes until eventually settling on lead singer Chester Bennington, while founding member Mike Shinoda was the band's MC. At this point they finalized their name as Linkin Park. Finally they signed with Warner Bros and released their debut Hybrid Theory in 2000. The album did well in its first year, becoming the best selling album of 2001, reaping two Grammy awards and featuring the hit singles "Crawling" and "One Step Closer". Fame beckoned and they toured hard to claim it.

In 2002 they released a remix album Reanimation which featured the talents of Jonathan Davis (Korn) and Aaron Lewis (Staind). It, too, sold extremely well.

The fans were ready for the release of 2003's Meteora which sold more than 800,000 copies in the first week and three million within six months. Singles included "Somewhere I Belong", "Breaking the Habit" and "Numb".

After Meteora the band decided to spend a little time recharging their batteries by collaborating on various side projects, including charitable works (for the Tsunami of 2004, Live 8, and Hurricane Katrina), a collaboration with Depeche Mode, and the creation of the band Fort Minor. But by 2004, they were ready to release another remix album: this time they collaborated with Jay-Z on Collision Course, which they released in 2004.

Minutes to Midnight was the result of their return to the studio in 2006 and when it was released in 2007 it was clear that they had shifted somewhat from their original nu-metal sound, with only two of the songs featuring rapping. Nonetheless, enough of the fans proved their continuing love for the band, buying over 600,000 copies in the first week alone. Minutes to Midnight has spawned a number of hit singles, among them "What I've Done", "Bleed It Out", "Shadow of the Day", and "Leave Out All The Rest"