Chester Bennington, the lead singer of Linkin Park, passed
away on Thursday, the 20th of July 2017, leaving behind a legacy of
music and passion that will be remembered in every grieving fans heart. Linkin
Park represents everything unconventional and rebellious. It was a band that
defied norms by bringing the musical genres of rap, alternative rock and metal
together in a fusion that revolutionized and rocked the 2000’s.
It was the lyrics, however, that truly shaped the band’s
legacy. Every youngster during this time related to the lyrics which dealt with
social and psychological issues. Their music, fueled with Chester’s powerful
vocals, provided an escape to every listener who was going through a tough or
confusing time in their lives. Linkin
Park’s music shaped us, here is how a generation grew up with Linkin Park:
1) The beginning: The world is introduced to Linkin Park and Hybrid Theory:
When Linkin Park graced the world in 2000 with their debut album, Hybrid
theory, the music industry changed. Receiving an overwhelming reception from
fans and critics alike, the album went on to sell 30 million copies worldwide.
It wasn’t long until the band became a household name and ran on the CD
players of every teenager around the globe. They sold out concerts and the band
elevated into mainstream media. Songs like ‘Crawling’ and ‘New Divide’ caught
fan’s attention due to the strong heartfelt lyrics: “ To find myself again, my
walls are closing in, (without a sense of confidence I’m convinced that there
is just too much pressure to take), I’ve felt this way before, so insecure.”
The adolescents of this time did not have music that openly talked about
mental issues while being extremely enjoyable and something they can rock out
to. Linkin Park’s in your face style combined with impassioned lyrics were
exactly what made the teenage generation of the time gravitate towards their
music.
2) Growing up: Meteora, Minutes to Midnight and A Thousand Suns:
Linkin Park continued its journey with millions of loyal. For
Millennials, or whatever you want to call them, the band’s music was gospel
because of the emotional connection everyone had with it. Songs from the
ultra-popular Meteora like Numb and Faint were shared by Bluetooth on our Sony
Ericcsson and Motorolla phones and downloaded via LimeWire (brings back the
good old days doesn’t it?).
Linkin Park was famous for their passionate and engaging concerts which
were fueled by Chester’s soulful and loud vocals. The lyrics from songs like ‘Leave
Out All The Rest’ from their album Minutes to Midnight connected straight to
the soul of all fans: “When my time comes, forget the wrong, that I’ve done,
help me leave behind some, reasons to be missed.” This song in particular talks
about departure after death and indeed, Chester gave us every reason to miss
him.
The
2000’s ended with the release of their fourth studio album, A Thousand Suns,
which took their music to a different direction which had clearly evolved
through the times. Ever since then, Living Things, The Hunting Party and the
most recent album One More Light have been released. What these new albums
brought with them was a sense of nostalgia for all of us who had now moved on
to either higher education or professional lives. Just like we had grown up, so
had their music and we learned from Linkin Park that you must change and learn
to let go of all the bad memories in order to do what you want with your own
life. Linkin Park taught us life! We will miss you Chester.
To Read More About Linkin Park Click Here.
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