I have always been a big Linkin Park fan. The 20th Anniversary Hybrid Theory Boxed Set is really incredible. It is a reminder of how good an album that is.
In honor of the album’s anniversary, here are 10 facts you may not have known about Hybrid Theory.
1. Hybrid Theory was originally the name of the band.
Shinoda and Delson’s band Xero went through a couple of lineup changes prior to meeting Bennington. Once they settled on him as their new vocalist, they changed their name to Hybrid Theory, to describe the musical fusion they created. They eventually had to change their name again because of a Welsh electronic group called Hybrid. Thus, they settled on using the phrase for the album’s title.
2. It was originally a demo tape.
Linkin Park originally recorded a demo tape based on some songs Shinoda had written with Wakefield. While some of the tracks were renamed, the majority of the songs from the demo ended up on the album.
3. They played over 40 showcases to label representatives.
Once the demo tape was prepared, the band played over 40 different showcases to label representatives. They obviously didn’t take rejection.
4. The label tried to get rid of Mike Shinoda.
During the Hybrid Theory sessions, Warner Bros. actually tried to get rid of Shinoda. In fact, their label reps held a private meeting with Bennington to try and persuade him to kick his co-vocalist out. He obviously declined.
5. Some of the album’s aggression came from conflicts while recording.
Their producer gave them a lot of freedom. But when the label wasn’t happy with what they were hearing, it started to cause some tension in the studio.
Some of that tention made it on to the album.
6. “A Place For My Head” was one of the earliest songs Shinoda had written.
Shinoda wrote, “A Place For My Head” right after he’d graduated high school.
7. Chester Bennington wasn’t initially a fan of “In the End.”
Though it would eventually become the biggest single on the record, and one of their biggest songs overall — Bennington wasn’t initially a fan of “In the End.” He admitted to never wanting it on the record.
8. The “shut up” part of “One Step Closer” was inspired by Rage Against the Machine.
Shinoda the two tracks were inspired by Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name,” particularly the repeated “Fuck you / I won’t do what you tell me” line at the end.
9. “Crawling” and “With You” were the hardest songs for Bennington to sing.
Chester said once that “Crawling” and “With You” were the hardest songs for him to sing live.
10. It’s the best-selling debut album of the 21st century.
As of October of 2019, Hybrid Theory had sold over 32 million copies worldwide. It’s the best-selling debut album of the 21st century.
The band recently shared behind the scenes footage from making One Step Closer.
