Top 10 Linkin Park Songs of All-Time

“Think of it as a painter’s palette: you choose what colors to use, and what to avoid,” Linkin Park‘s Mike Shinoda told Japan Cinema earlier this year while discussing the creation process of making music. Off the heels of their latest album, ‘Living Things’, it was only fitting that we take on the monstrous task of ranking Linkin Parks top songs. See if your favorite made the cut below:

As Linkin Park’s last single off their amazing sophmore album, Meteora, Breaking The Habit is an amazing choice for a single. This song is soft, heartfelt, and beautiful. It is full of soul and heart, if you know the history of the band you will know the added meaning of this song. The video is out standing and visually brilleant, Joe has showed us once again that he will deliver the best videos, and Chester has also showed us that his song writting skills and his voice are a fource to be reckoned with.

No More Sorrow opens up in Metallica fashion. The guitar intro is definitely neat and the build up into the verses is fantastic. It’s nothing amazing in terms of technique or originality, but it’s executed well and, more importantly, sounds pretty damn cool. For us though, “No More Sorrow” wins the production award for the album. The mammoth drums at the beginning are enough to wake any body up from a deep sleep.

Here’s where Hybrid Theory really kicked off. Enter the beautifully orchestrated blend of Hahn’s sampling and Bennington’s vocals, especially on the last chorus. Superb usage of New-Age sounds, very nice melody, and lyrics that leave you thinking to yourself, yet again. Another good mixture of both Rock and Rap.

Then comes A Place For My Head, the song that definetely should’ve been a single. Fast paced, original, full of great guitar riffs and rap passages. All the qualities for a big hit. The guitar work is excellent, most obviously at the start of A Place For My Head, and Joseph Hahn is easily the best DJ any band, rock, dance or whatever has ever seen. The album had an incredible atmosphere, thanks to this very song, and excellent music and brilliant vocals it brung.

The lyrics cover the hardships of  overcoming a situation (typical, really), but the music creates a sense of hope. The reggae-ish delivery in Mike’s rapping immediately latches onto your ears. But this song, though one of their saddest musically, and lyrically, seems to have been played with the joy of being honest about doing something they like. Whether it’s be a scratch-like guitar, heavy drums that are reminiscent of Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind”, or just subtle vocal harmonies, “Waiting for the End” should not be missed.

Linkin Park have just unveiled the second single for their upcoming fifth studio album, Living Things. It features plenty of their trademark electronic production – but not so much of the guitars that the band promised during recording sessions. For my money, this is the best song on the album (it’s the only song from Living Things that made the list) and here are definitely moments of cathartic screaming, but there are other parts where it’s more about the lyrics and melody. This song is the perfect blend of those elements.

Another great thing about this album is the angry lyrics and vocals, for example, the beginning of “Forgotten”. Another song demonstrating Linkin Park’s story telling. Yet another testament to the group’s heavy string of earlier songs.

Stretchy guitars and boisterous drums followed by incompatible record scratching open the single. In the chorus, Bennington shouts that he wants to get past his depression and feel happiness. He doesn’t want to be held back by the pain anymore and vows to get to rid of it. He wants to feel like a person again and not a shell. Not only is it a good balance of rap and rock but it is an inspirational song that many fans found solace in. Shinoda’s slick raps are the opposite of self-pity. He’s composed and full of attitude. With the two opposing tones, “Somewhere I Belong” seems like two songs spliced together.

My December’ was one of those B-Sides that took off running thanks to ample radio play and a downright beautiful arrangement. Then reappearing on the not quite the next Linkin Park album, ‘Reanimation’, which was instead a remix of their entire debut album, ‘Hybrid Theory’ (actually, a remix of the Japanese version, which contained extra tracks). The 19 songs here have been reinvented by an array of alternative and hip hop musicians and producers. But boy, did this song hit me in the face like a sack of bricks. If you ever doubted Linkin Park could do a ballad, you were wrong.

This was the song that really took them over the edge. Not just a popular consensus; it really was my favorite track of theirs. Starting with a haunting yet simple piano line, the sparse electronic drums make this sound very much like a hip-hop or pop song rather than a rock song. Shinoda raps the verse while electronic drums drive the song forward. Then the song changes character to a more rock-oriented feel with live drums and guitars in the chorus. The ability to switch between these two feels may be, as far as talent goes, the best aspect of Linkin Park. In the End, in essence, shows both sides of Linkin Park in timid forms.