Linkin Park are one of the most distinctive bands of the 2000s. Their combination of hip-hop, metal, and electronica, in tandem with their wounded lyrics, appealed to thousands who felt alienated by radio pop. It resulted in a series of indelible albums and legendary live performances that make them forever missed. Last week, the band unleashed their vault song “Friendly Fire,” which was created during their One More Light sessions and features the late Chester Bennington’s extraordinary vocals. Naturally, it got us thinking about the band’s many great performances over the years, so we asked our readers to name the best Linkin Park songs of all time.
Read more: See the Used cover Linkin Park’s “Shadow of the Day” to honor Chester Bennington
They answered with a wide range of emotional tracks, but ultimately only five could make the cut. Find the top fan picks ranked below.
5. “Crawling”
Over the years, “Crawling” has taken on its own enormous life. Emerging from Hybrid Theory, their smash debut, the song is one of the few that doesn’t prominently spotlight Mike Shinoda and Bennington’s captivating back and forth. Instead, Bennington takes the lead with his phenomenal vocal chops, sending the song — especially its bleeding-heart chorus — into the stratosphere. It’s a hard listen after Bennington’s passing but one that reminds us what a talent he was.
4. “Faint”
“Faint” holds a special place in our readers’ hearts. Coming off their second album, Meteora, it’s a high-energy cut that may seem a bit short, but live, it absolutely rips. “Brad came into the studio bus, where Mike was working, to record a new idea,” the band wrote in the album’s booklet. “Brad recorded scratch guitar track for ‘Faint’ over a click track — no drums, no music — expecting the tempo to be about 70 BPM. He returned to the bus a couple of days later, and Mike had put together the beat at 135 BPM — almost twice as fast. After careful deliberation, Brad and Mike decided the faster beat was more fun.”
3. “Numb”
Surprise, another Meteora hit. “Numb” is a standout from an album brimming with them, and its explosive chorus — “I’ve become so numb/I can’t feel you there” — features a frankness that Linkin Park do best. The song would later blur more boundaries between rap and rock on their Collision Course EP. One of its mashups, “Numb/Encore,” featured Jay-Z, which ended up being a pretty iconic, powerful collaboration in its own right.
2. “Papercut”
“Papercut,” the opening track of Hybrid Theory, encapsulates some of the band’s greatest qualities. Shinoda’s raps are on fire, and the song is enlivened by an incendiary chorus, kicking off the LP on the highest note possible. There’s a ton of grove and heavy guitar riffs, too — pretty much something for everyone. Overall, it’s a total whirlwind of a song and seems to be universally loved, too, no matter what your genre allegiances are.
1. “In The End”
“In The End” is the big one, so of course our readers deemed it the greatest Linkin Park song of all time. Hybrid Theory made a deep impact — “In The End” is the third track from the album to be named here — but for good reason. This track absolutely soars and gushes with emotion — its chorus is meant to be screamed at the top of your lungs. Even if “In The End” has been overplayed to hell on daytime radio, it’s still never lost its impact.
