Hybrid Theory

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Lore & Background

The album's lyrical content primarily touches upon the problems that Bennington encountered during his childhood, including constant and excessive drug and alcohol abuse, the divorce of his parents, isolation, disappointments, and the aftermath feelings of failed relationships. Shinoda characterized the lyrics as interpretations of universal feelings, emotions, and experiences, and as "everyday emotions you talk about and think about." Bennington later described the songwriting experience to Rolling Stone in early 2002, saying of 'Crawling': "It's about taking responsibility for your actions. I don't say 'you' at any point. It's about how I'm the reason that I feel this way. There's something inside me that pulls me down."

In Their Own Story

High school friends Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson and Rob Bourdon formed the rap rock band Xero in 1996. After their graduation, they recruited Joe Hahn, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and Mark Wakefield. The band recorded a four-track demo album, entitled Xero, released in November 1997. Frustrated with the lack of label success, Wakefield and Farrell left the band. Blue recommended Arizona-based vocalist Chester Bennington, formerly of Grey Daze. Blue called Bennington on March 20, 1999, his 23rd birthday, and sent him tapes of Xero's unreleased recordings. By March 23, Bennington was in Los Angeles auditioning for Xero. As Delson recalls, "[Bennington] really was kind of the final piece of the puzzle [...] We didn't see anything close to his talent in anybody else." After Bennington got the job, the five members renamed the band Hybrid Theory. Still unsigned, the band turned to Blue, who by that point had become vice president of Warner Bros. Records; by November 1999, the band had been signed.

Reader's Guide

Hybrid Theory was recorded at NRG Recordings in North Hollywood, California in March 2000 and lasted four months. Don Gilmore produced the album, with Andy Wallace hired as the mixer. Recording sessions mostly involved re-recording the songs off a nine-track demo tape the band had produced in 1999. Shinoda's rapping sections in most of the songs were significantly altered from the original, while most choruses remained largely unchanged. Due to the absence of Dave Farrell and Kyle Christner, the band hired Scott Koziol and Ian Hornbeck as stand-in bassists; Delson also played bass throughout most of the album. The Dust Brothers provided additional beats for the track "With You". Four singles were released: "One Step Closer", "In the End", "Crawling" and "Papercut". The album peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200, is certified 12× Platinum by the RIAA, and has sold 32 million copies worldwide.

Did You Know?

• Hybrid Theory is the band's only album in which bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell does not play, though he was credited as a band member and was a songwriter on two tracks.
• The album's title comes from the previous name of the band as well as the concepts of music theory and combining different styles.
• The music video for "In the End" won the Best Rock Video award at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.
• Stand-in bassist Scott Koziol is shown performing with the band in the music video for "One Step Closer".
• The Dust Brothers provided additional beats for the track "With You".

Origins and Evolution

The journey toward Hybrid Theory began in 1996 when high school friends Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson and Rob Bourdon formed the rap rock band Xero. After recruiting Joe Hahn, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and Mark Wakefield, the band recorded a four-track demo album in Shinoda's bedroom studio, released in November 1997. Delson introduced the band to Jeff Blue, the vice president of A&R for Zomba Music, who took interest but could not secure a record deal. After watching a Xero performance in 1998, Blue believed the band needed a different vocalist. Frustrated, Wakefield and Farrell left. Blue recommended Arizona-based vocalist Chester Bennington, calling him on March 20, 1999, his 23rd birthday, and sending tapes of Xero's unreleased recordings. Bennington wrote and recorded new vocals and sent them back. By March 23, he was in Los Angeles auditioning. The band auditioned numerous people, with Shinoda later admitting initial concerns about Bennington's image, though Bennington clearly was the best performer. After Bennington got the job, the five members renamed the band Hybrid Theory. Bassist Kyle Christner was recruited temporarily, releasing the self-titled EP Hybrid Theory. In October 1999, Christner left; Scott Koziol and Ian Hornbeck filled the vacancy. Still unsigned, the band turned to Blue, now vice president of Warner Bros. Records, and by November 1999, the band was signed, changing their name to Linkin Park.

Production Process and Sonic Identity

The music that would become Hybrid Theory was first produced in 1999 as a nine-track demo tape. The band sent this tape to various recording companies and played forty-two different showcases, but were initially turned down by most major labels and several independent record labels. The band was signed by Warner Bros. Records in 1999, due largely to the constant recommendations of Jeff Blue. Despite initial difficulties finding a producer, Don Gilmore agreed to head the project, with Andy Wallace hired as the mixer. Recording sessions began at NRG Recordings in North Hollywood, California in March 2000 and lasted four months. Shinoda's rapping sections were significantly altered from the original, while most choruses remained largely unchanged. Due to the absence of Dave Farrell and Kyle Christner, the band hired Scott Koziol and Ian Hornbeck as stand-in bassists; Delson also played bass throughout most of the album. The Dust Brothers provided additional beats for the track "With You". Shinoda and Bennington wrote the lyrics based in part on early demos with Mark Wakefield. Bennington's singing style is influenced by Depeche Mode and Stone Temple Pilots, while Delson's riffs are modeled after Deftones, Guns N' Roses, U2, and The Smiths.

Lyrical Themes and Emotional Core

The lyrical content of Hybrid Theory primarily touches upon the problems that Bennington encountered during his childhood, including constant and excessive drug and alcohol abuse, the divorce of his parents, isolation, disappointments, and the aftermath feelings of failed relationships. Shinoda characterized the lyrics as interpretations of universal feelings, emotions, and experiences, and as "everyday emotions you talk about and think about." Bennington described 'Crawling' as "about feeling like I had no control over myself in terms of drugs and alcohol." He later told Rolling Stone in early 2002: "It's easy to fall into that thing — 'poor, poor me', that's where songs like 'Crawling' come from: I can't take myself. But that song is about taking responsibility for your actions. I don't say 'you' at any point. It's about how I'm the reason that I feel this way. There's something inside me that pulls me down." 'Papercut' describes paranoia. The album's lyrical themes deal with problems Bennington experienced during his adolescence, including drug abuse and the constant fighting and eventual divorce of his parents.

Commercial Success and Enduring Legacy

Hybrid Theory became a strong commercial success. Peaking at number two on the US Billboard 200, it is certified 12× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It also reached the top 10 in 15 other countries and has sold 32 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling debut album since Guns N' Roses's Appetite for Destruction (1987) and one of the best-selling albums of all time. It is the second best selling rock album of the 21st century in the United Kingdom. Four singles were released: "One Step Closer", "In the End", "Crawling" and "Papercut", all of which launched Linkin Park into mainstream popularity. While "In the End" was the most successful of the four, all of the singles remain some of the band's most successful songs to date. At the 44th Grammy Awards, it won Best Hard Rock Performance for "Crawling". On August 13, 2020, Warner Records announced a re-release of Hybrid Theory for its 20th anniversary. A previously unreleased demo song, "She Couldn't", was released at the same time.