… it’s as simple as that. Linkin Park’s debut album gatecrashed the mainstream, redefining heavy music and capturing the minds of a generation

They seemed to appear out of nowhere. Fronted by the unlikely tag team of rapper Mike Shinoda and unassuming-yet-ferocious screamer Chester Bennington, Linkin Park fused together cutting-edge electronics, gleaming pop melodies and riffs slung lower than a pair of baggy jeans. Their debut album, Hybrid Theory, cut across genres so confidently that it became a runaway mainstream success following its release on October 24, 2000, racing up the charts and launching the band to fame in spectacular fashion. The following year, it would be the biggest-selling record in the world, defining a generation and introducing countless people to the world of heavy music. Recounted by those who were there, and including archive interview quotes from Chester, this is the incredible story of Hybrid Theory.

Linkin Park started in the bedroom of Los Angeles resident Mike Shinoda. He wrote the bones of Hybrid Theory while he was still in his teens, and his band, Xero, would spend weeks and weeks writing and demoing to perfect their new blend of hip hop and rock. With an ambitious streak, a strong work ethic and some good connections, they were steadily moving towards their goal. But they were missing something: a defining voice.

Over in Arizona, Chester Bennington had been fronting much-loved local band Grey Daze. During his 23rd birthday party, he received a call from a contact who knew A&R man Jeff Blue. Jeff asked Chester to lay down some vocals over Xero’s demos, and when he heard the results, he immediately flew the singer out to meet the band.

Mike Shinoda: “The very earliest incarnations of the songs from Hybrid Theory were written at my parents’ house when I had just finished high school. A Place For My Head was one of those first songs, but I wasn’t thinking of writing an album - I was barely considering starting a band! I had a four-track recorder,

a guitar that we plugged directly into a tiny little amp, and a vocal mic. The whole set-up was maybe worth $300. We actually sent out a bunch of tapes of those recordings, including to a guy who we knew had signed Korn. Amazingly, he called us back! When I told him about my set-up, he was like, ‘That doesn’t make any sense - these songs sound really good!’ And even though he was never in the position to sign us, that was really the start of it.”