Since I did a top 10 countdown of Demon Hunter's songs before their new album came out this year, it would only make sense to do one for one of my top 15 favorite bands of all time, Linkin Park! This band has deserved every bit of their mainstream success in my opinion, because they're one of the few bands out there who isn't afraid to take risks with their albums. It's not all that easy to narrow down my favorites, as they have so many good songs, but here they are! (Note: There will be songs from "Minutes to Midnight" in honorable mentions, but none in top 10, as no song from that album has really connected with me in comparison to the rest of LP's releases. Also none will be from their upcoming album "One More Light", as I'm not anticipating any making this list).
Honorable Mentions: "No More Sorrow", "In the End", "Figure.09", "Lost in the Echo", "When They Come for Me", "Rebellion", "The Little Things Give You Away"
10. "In My Remains" (Living Things)
Easily one of LP's most underrated songs out there, this track stands out in an album full of superb tracks. This is one of the most enjoyable synth rock songs I've ever heard; simply everything about it works. Chester's typically raspy vocals have a more unique soft tone on this one that hasn't been present on many other songs he leads. The driving synth beat in this song immediately makes you want to nod your head along, and the piano medley that is used is effective. Mike Shinoda also shines in this song with one of the few moments where he sings rather than raps. He delivers some of the most compelling lyrics I've heard in an LP song to date: "Like an army, falling/One by one by one". The theme of this track is also interesting in discussing broken promises and letting a friend down. Chester's honesty bleeds out in this track as he admits that he left a friendship in wreckage because of how he never lived up to the promises he made. This track deserves way more recognition than what it gets, as it's an easily singable track with a super catchy chorus as well as a message that is actually very powerful.
9. "Wretches and Kings" (A Thousand Suns)
"A Thousand Suns" is certainly LP's most polarizing album to date (though I think "One More Light" will probably end up being even more polarizing). You either love that they went this completely electronic/dubstep route or you absolutely hate it; I've never heard any in between. I find the album absolutely genius, and this track is easily one of the best off it. We've seen LP go political before in songs like "Hands Held High", but they end up taking politics much more effectively in this track. This song just seethes anger in every moment. It begins with an impassioned speech about how we are all part of the government's machine before exploding with this huge dubstep rock beat that should get your head banging. Mike's rapping in this song is superb, as he sounds vicious in how he talks about how the government has taken control of us. Chester almost screams out the chorus, which is a very interesting idea, since it contrasts against the more sleek production of the electronic sounds backing him; it works very well though. The highlight of the song is the ending, where Joe Hahn gets to shine on some sweet turntable riffs. This song is all around one of the most unique tracks LP has done, showing a perfect combination of rock and electronic/dubstep.
8. "Until It's Gone" (The Hunting Party)
"You don't know what you got til it's gone". This lyric seems like a pretty simple truth, but in the context of this song it feels a lot more weighty. This was the lead single from "The Hunting Party", and it's what instantly interested me in this album. It's still easily one of the best, an amazing sounding rock track that only gets better as it goes along. This song has a lot of unpredictable shifts, with Chester sounding subdued in the verses with some subtle electronic/acoustic flares, but when the chorus comes around his voice really comes to life, and there are some huge guitar riffs present. I just love how dynamic this song is in only about 4 minutes. I particularly enjoy the ending of the track in which the guitar and drum work starts going all over the place, and Chester's vocals keep on growing and growing until he lets loose one of the best screams he's over done. This song was done in such a way that it could have success on the radio, but it also shines above pretty much everything else that was circulating on the radio at the time. If you don't find yourself singing along to this song, then I'm honestly not sure what's wrong with you.
7. "Breaking the Habit" (Meteora)
Who knew that only by their second album LP would already be discussing issues pertaining to things like drug addiction and suicide? They do in this song, and it still stands out as one of their most lyrically mature to date. This song is one of LP's best ballads to date as well, effectively using hints of electronic work, but being smart in putting quiet guitars in the forefront. This song really belongs to Chester though, and it is a great vocal performance. He really lets his emotion show in his voice, keeping it soft where necessary, but also letting his passion naturally show when he almost screams out "I'll paint it on the walls/Cause I'm the one at fault/I'll never fight again". This song thematically is interesting, because you can look at it as redemptive or as not necessarily having a happy ending. Chester repeats how he's "breaking the habit tonight", which could mean that he's going to stop taking drugs, or it could also allude to him committing suicide. I personally choose the more redemptive ending, as there are points in the song where it seems like Chester is tired of being addicted, and is willing to stop. This song is not an emo song like so many people paint it to be. It's emotions are very much warranted and feel like they connect to a large audience.
6. "Lying From You" (Meteora)
This was always one of my first favorites when I first heard "Meteora", and I might love it even more now. The guitar work on this song is just superb, and the LP formula of Mike rapping and Chester singing/screaming is utilized incredibly well. I love how in this song the vocalists both acknowledge how easy it is to put up a facade for other people in order to fit in. It's interesting to show how though the person they're talking about thinks that they're getting closer, Mike and Chester's facade is actually disconnecting them with this friend. The lines in this song are very memorable, especially in the chorus which leads up to the very important acknowledgement that "The very worst part of you/Is me". This song especially works in the bridge where Chester lets loose some great screams while Mike spits out the bridge over and over, making it feel more intense every time he says it. This makes for a fast paced and fun ending to a track that is all around still one of the most fun songs to listen to from this band.
5. "Points of Authority" (Hybrid Theory)
I overall don't understand why so many people like Hybrid Theory the best out of all of Linkin Park's discography (more on that when I rank all of LP's albums in another post), but "Points of Authority" is still an excellent song and easily the best track from the band's debut. It's easy to see why this one is such a fan favorite, as it has everything you could want in an LP song: Mike's fast paced and memorable rapping, Chester's gruff and angry singing, fast-paced guitar work, as well as interesting usage of turntables in the background. This song just screams of all the stuff that people loved out of the nu-metal genre, and it's executed to perfection. The thematic arc of this track is actually pretty serious in talking about an abusive relationship. The bitterness in the song is clear, especially in the still powerful lyrics "Forfeit the game/Before somebody else takes you out of the frame/Cover up your face/You can't run the race/The pace is too fast/You just won't last". The song is ultimately redemptive and feels like a battle cry, as Mike and Chester stand up for people who are abused.That's why this song is so fun to sing along to at concerts, as it is inspirational and defiant in all the right ways.
4. "Wastelands" (The Hunting Party)
This is my personal favorite from "The Hunting Party", and a lot of that is how it amps up the classic LP formula a bit. Mike's rapping and Chester's singing are present, but they feel a bit more intense. The guitar riffs feel bigger, and the drum work is a more prominent. The lyricism of this track is also pretty interesting in painting the U.S. as a corrupt dystopia: "In the wastelands of today/When tomorrow disappears/When the future slips away/And your hope turns into fear/
In the wastelands of today". This band has certainly shared their distaste about the political and social landscape of the U.S. before, but I think the way they do it in this song is interesting and very compelling. It just feels like a foreboding track from beginning to the end, as Chester's voice is filled with this sense of bittersweet distaste, and the way Mike raps implies that he hates that the words coming out of his mouth are an actual reality. This song wants to convince you that you should be angry rather than disillusioned at the state of our world, and it does for me to this day. The intensity of this track also isn't typical for this band, so that aspect of it makes me extremely happy.
3. "Castle of Glass" (Living Things)
Easily the best song on "Living Things", no competition. This track received a lot of radio success, and that is certainly well-deserved. But I still wonder if people fully comprehend how powerful it is. This song highlights the story of someone who is going through a loss of a friend or family member, and you can really feel the sorrow as both Mike and Chester sing in solemn and subtle ways that don't detract from the emotion of the song. The lyrics feel realistic for someone who is going through such a heavy loss: "I'm only a crack in this castle of glass/Hardly anything there for you to see/For you to see". These lyrics powerfully highlight how this individual feels like they don't belong in the world they live in now that this close friend of theirs is gone, and they are also as fragile as glass. Fortunately the song does have a beautiful ending where the character realizes that they are never going to be the same again, and that is ok. This person they lost was a huge part of their life, and now that they are gone nothing will be the same. With the more upbeat feel of the guitars in the ending, as well as Mike and Chester's vocals hitting some higher octaves, it feels like there is an implication that this individual will be able to move on from this point in their life.
2. "Burning in the Skies" (A Thousand Suns)
This song is so understated in Linkin Park's discography. Despite it being a single from "A Thousand Suns", I still don't think it really got the attention it deserved, instead being undeservedly outplayed by "Waiting for the End" and "Iridescent". This song really embodies the thematic arc of this album, which is the fear of war. This fear is highlighted in a very abstract way, as proven in some of the most visually interesting lyrics LP has created: "I used the dead wood to make the fire rise/The blood of innocence burning in the skies/I filled my cup with the rising of the sea/And poured it out in an ocean of debris". That imagery is so striking, especially with the disturbing imagery of the "blood of innocence" contradicting the beautiful nature imagery. Everything about this song feels dark and foreboding, as if there is a storm coming, perhaps the nuclear war in the context of this album. This song certainly feels a little fearful, as Chester's vocals are soft and hesitant until the end of the song where his voice really unleashes and he delivers some of the most powerful singing I've heard from him. I love how this song takes its time in terms of musical progression, building up to a climax, and man that climax is a wonderful payoff. This song is an epic by every means, and it deserves that title with its serious subject matter. I'm not sure if LP will ever be able to make a song like this again.
1. "Hit the Floor" (Meteora)
The first time I heard this song, I knew that it would become one of my favorite songs of all time, and it certainly has. It is also easily Linkin Park's best song. No song of theirs matches what this track does. Right from the beginning this song is interesting, starting with these menacing and quiet sounding guitar riffs. Then they explode into a huge riff that has some metal influence. The way the guitars jolt feels like an electric shock, and it should be a shock, because those riffs are just gigantic. I also can't help but smile at just how much Mike kills it in the lyrical department, just annihilating this person who has betrayed him: "Too many things that you've said about me when I'm not around
You think having the upper hand means you gotta keep putting me down/But I've had too many standoffs with you it's about as much as I could stand/So I wait till the upper hand is mine". Those words are just laced with anger and disgust, and he did it all without having to let out any curse words. That makes the word play feel all the more effective. The chorus of this song is where it really gets good though, as we are treated to Chester screaming out every word. You don't usually get to hear him scream so much in a song, and it just makes this song all the more enjoyable to listen to. This song is so unique to LP, as they've never made a track like this, and it's even more impressive when you think they made a song like this on only their second album. It proves that Linkin Park is a band that will always remain a favorite band of mine!
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