Chester Bennington dead at 41

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

Their record sales nosedived around that time, and they stopped getting awards noms too. They might have sold out arenas but lots of legacy acts do. Motley Crue still does and they haven't been relevant for thirty years.

Calling or even inferring that they are a legacy act is ridiculous. Lunacy actually.

[DownInFlames]

I did neither; I implied it.

How many decades past their peak does a band need to be to become legacy? More than two?

[devo22]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

I don't like Linkin Park and had no idea they were as huge as they were until the singer died. I figured they were a joke like Limp Bizkit and Creed. Sounds like he was a good guy, musical ability notwithstanding.

It's healthy not to take people's opinions of things you like personally. You probably hate what I listen to and that's perfectly fine with me.

they were absolutely huge back in the early 2000s. There's a good chance that "Hybrid Theory" and "Meteora" was your soundtrack if you were a teenager at the time. Hugely influencial for a lot of other bands as well. Personally, they kind of lost me after "Minutes to Midnight", but those first two records still hold an extremely special place in my heart and I know it's the same for many people.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Irrelevant to you, is what you mean.

Unsure where the irrelevancy of Linkin Park comes from but I assure anyone who thinks that. They're wrong.

I HATE Linkin Park. Always have, never was my particular cup of tea. Right at the top.of my do not listen to list along side Nickelback, Megadeth and Mudvayne. But that does not mean they're irrelevant. In fact their comeback kind of states the opposite. There's obviously enough interest to release new music and tour.

Know who else sSHOULD be irrelevant? Creed. They're not, and Gen Z has breathed life into the once sun-dried ego of scott stapp. Now we have that back into the ether.

Linkin Park Never left.

I'm not the biggest Megadeth fan but Rust in Peace is arguably the greatest heavy metal album ever. I still listen to it monthly after all these years as it's so timeless.

[Ozy_Flame]

If you think Linkin Park is back, check out the crowds Limp Bizkit is drawing these days.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

If you think Linkin Park is back, check out the crowds Limp Bizkit is drawing these days.

both Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach were among the bands with the biggest crowds at festivals that I have attended. Early 00 nostalgia is a thing for sure.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by VANFLAMESFAN

No. They were doing all that well after Hybrid Theory/Meteora days. Just because you didn’t like or didn’t know about what they did after 02-03 doesn’t make what they were doing irrelevant.

I really do think we have different definitions of the word. So be it.

My definition is “not relevant.” I have no idea what yours is.

It’s also not a bad thing, so I really have no idea why you take this almost personally. I listen to plenty of artists that are either no longer relevant or never were, and it makes literally zero difference to my enjoyment. In fact, Linkin Park’s highest popularity predates my teenage years by quite a bit, I discovered them a lot later when they were already kind of a has-been band (they were fine, but I definitely wouldn’t have labelled them relevant at the time).

Legacy acts like this that put out really big records, did really big tours, and were totally ingrained in the cultural lexicon for a few years are of course going to have a fan base that never left and will still buy a few albums and concert tickets.

You called the term “legacy” lunacy. Honest question: based off the song they released, do you honestly think people are going to see them for anything but to hear the old stuff? Hell, how many people are going to hear anything after Minutes to Midnight?

Look at the conversation around Metallica’s concert, people just wanted them to get the new stuff over with and were pining for songs that were 40 years old. That’s legacy.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Like with most bands, the best/most inspired work was in the first 2-3 albums.

"Adapting" to the times made their music less interesting or noteworthy. Less/no rap from the member that was supposedly there to provide the hip hop element, recycled sounding singles and kind of bland over the last decade or so.

Those first two albums though? Monster records. Whether you think the nu metal rap sound has aged well or not, at the time it was fresh and hit with a lot of people.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

You called the term “legacy” lunacy. Honest question: based off the song they released, do you honestly think people are going to see them for anything but to hear the old stuff? Hell, how many people are going to hear anything after Minutes to Midnight?

Are their casuals who are going to see Numb/In The End/One Step Closer etc? Of course.

But their catalog goes way beyond the hits in terms of what people want to see.

So yes, I honestly do think lots of people who go to the upcoming shows are going for way more than stuff post Meteora. Amongst diehard Linkin Parks fans, who make up a big portion of those audiences, A Thousand Suns is their favorite album by a long shot. Songs like Waiting for the End, The Catalyst, Castle of Glass, One More Light(those are from 3 different post Meteora albums) and others are reasons why people go to their shows.

People for the upcoming sold out shows are also buying tickets to see the new singer, to hear the new songs. Look at what their streaming numbers were for the new song since it was released a couple days ago. They are clearly relevant.


Just because you didn't like or know of what they were doing post Meteora(or Minutes to Midnight) doesn't make it irrelevant.

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Look at the conversation around Metallica’s concert, people just wanted them to get the new stuff over with and were pining for songs that were 40 years old.

This is where I will never agree with you. Yes, Metallica concert goers are one million percent going for the older hits. But they are playing to 50k stadium crowds. I have a hard time calling an act drawing that kind of crowd across the planet irrelevant. This is where we clearly have different definitions of the word.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Like with most bands, the best/most inspired work was in the first 2-3 albums.

"Adapting" to the times made their music less interesting or noteworthy. Less/no rap from the member that was supposedly there to provide the hip hop element, recycled sounding singles and kind of bland over the last decade or so.

Those first two albums though? Monster records. Whether you think the nu metal rap sound has aged well or not, at the time it was fresh and hit with a lot of people.

If they put out more albums like their first two, they get labelled as a one trick pony in terms of style.

They didn't adapt to the times, they explored what they could do. It certainly didn't make things less interesting.

But yeah, it did turn people off who wanted them to make more Meteora-style albums.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

If you think Linkin Park is back, check out the crowds Limp Bizkit is drawing these days.

Limp Bizkit has reached a new younger audience. Fred always asks the crowds who is seeing them for the first time at these shows and the reaction is always massive.

So while there is a nostalgia factor to them drawing these crowds these days, the new audience who has recently discovered their past hits can't be overlooked either.

It's a mix.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

I don't know, maybe I'm of the school of thought of when you're really good at something, lean into it.

It's fine to experiment a bit. That thousand suns album was a fun one off. They didn't hold back on the experimentation and some of it worked.

After that I don't think they knew what Linkin Park music was any more and settled for bland/mid music that was neither here nor there.

If they wanted to no longer do nu metal then hang up the mics and retire the band name. LP has an association with a particular sound and the fans were more excited for the unreleased old tracks coming out than their last album because that sound is why they became fans in the first place.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by VANFLAMESFAN

Are their casuals who are going to see Numb/In The End/One Step Closer etc? Of course.

But their catalog goes way beyond the hits in terms of what people want to see.

So yes, I honestly do think lots of people who go to the upcoming shows are going for way more than stuff post Meteora. Amongst diehard Linkin Parks fans, who make up a big portion of those audiences, A Thousand Suns is their favorite album by a long shot. Songs like Waiting for the End, The Catalyst, Castle of Glass, One More Light(those are from 3 different post Meteora albums) and others are reasons why people go to their shows.

People for the upcoming sold out shows are also buying tickets to see the new singer, to hear the new songs. Look at what their streaming numbers were for the new song since it was released a couple days ago. They are clearly relevant.


Just because you didn't like or know of what they were doing post Meteora(or Minutes to Midnight) doesn't make it irrelevant.

You keep saying “just because you didn’t like or know” doesn’t make it irrelevant. I would actually suggest that just because you and some other diehard fans are excited doesn’t make them relevant.

We’re talking relevant on a wider scale here, not “relevant” to diehard fans. It seems like you’re missing the point entirely because you’re attaching some personal stakes to whether Linkin Park matters to mainstream culture or the greater musical landscape. Can I ask why?

You’re also still confused. Linkin Park got a bump in sales when Chester died. This does not mean they became “more relevant,” just as the bump from a new singer and new song after nearly a decade doesn’t mean they’re “clearly relevant.”

And if your argument is that these new numbers mean they are relevant again, aren’t you arguing that they haven’t been relevant since Minutes to Midnight? Since the numbers don’t really back up the idea that really anyone was listening or really cared during the nearly decade of time before their singer died.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by VANFLAMESFAN

Limp Bizkit has reached a new younger audience. Fred always asks the crowds who is seeing them for the first time at these shows and the reaction is always massive.

So while there is a nostalgia factor to them drawing these crowds these days, the new audience who has recently discovered their past hits can't be overlooked either.

It's a mix.

New fans, but for the old music.

The point is they're celebrated for what they made 25 years ago, not what they've made recently.

[cavalera403]

The fact that Mike Shinoda is trotting this out there and slapping the full Linkin Park name on it is gross.

You want to go make new music and move forward and take on playing the back catalog go do it. But don't water down the legacy of Chester with this project.

Dave Grohl has never got Krist Novoselic to go out with someone like the lead singer of Seether and slapped that Nirvana name on it.

Heaven & Hell
Prophets of Rage
Dead and Co.
Sublime with Rome

Maybe call it A thousand suns.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

We’re talking relevant on a wider scale here, not “relevant” to diehard fans. It seems like you’re missing the point entirely because you’re attaching some personal stakes to whether Linkin Park matters to mainstream culture or the greater musical landscape. Can I ask why?

Me replying to posts doesn't mean I'm taking this personally. I couldn't care less. I'm just having a discussion.

And yes, we are talking about relevancy on a wider scale. Like I mentioned before, their massive respect amongst their peers in the industry makes them relevant. Their numbers/tours/awards over the years make them relevant. Their music inspiring other artists makes them relevant.

They aren't some artist clinging on to past hits playing at state fares for a fast buck.

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

And if your argument is that these new numbers mean they are relevant again, aren’t you arguing that they haven’t been relevant since Minutes to Midnight? Since the numbers don’t really back up the idea that really anyone was listening or really cared during the nearly decade of time before their singer died.

I never said the phrase "relevant again". I've always maintained in this discussion they were always relevant.

Irrelevant acts don't headline big festivals across the planet and they were doing this in the recent years before Chester died.

It's funny because they were a main stage band during Meteora times, when they were massive for album sales, but often weren't the final act on a lot of those festivals.

I saw them as the 5th or 6th band on Ozzfest 01(supporting Hybrid Theory). I saw them as the third band in 03 behind Limp Bizkit/Metallica(supporting Meteora).

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Shinoda should've just resurrected Fort Minor.

I'll never understand why he didn't after Chester passed.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by cavalera403

The fact that Mike Shinoda is trotting this out there and slapping the full Linkin Park name on it is gross.

You want to go make new music and move forward and take on playing the back catalog go do it. But don't water down the legacy of Chester with this project.

Dave Grohl has never got Krist Novoselic to go out with someone like the lead singer of Seether and slapped that Nirvana name on it.

Heaven & Hell
Prophets of Rage
Dead and Co.
Sublime with Rome

Maybe call it A thousand suns.

Mike Shinoda started Linkin Park with the other band mates before Chester. They had another original singer.

Linkin Park was never about one person. Mike did the majority of writing/mixing of their albums.

They got the blessing of Chester's wife before moving forward.

They waited more than seven years since his passing. They aren't watering down his legacy and this isn't "gross". Get real.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

New fans, but for the old music.

The point is they're celebrated for what they made 25 years ago, not what they've made recently.

That's not lost on me.

I think it's kinda funny how a new generation is rocking out to Nookie and Rollin' while Fred has taken on this "old man" persona at their shows.

[Monahammer]

I get when some bands change out a member they keep the name and brand, but I never got when a band kept going after they change out the front man. Chester is basically Linkin Park to me. I don't mind listening in to the former members of linkin park + new singers, but something in me has problems thinking that this is still linkin park. It's like when Queen toured after freddy mercury. Great- but not really Queen.