Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Linkin Park have been announced as special guest performers for the season finale of America’s Got Talent, airing today (September 23) on NBC, as per theprp. The announcement comes alongside a major streaming achievement for the nu metal giants, as “Bleed It Out“—the second single from their third studio album, “Minutes To Midnight” — officially became their ninth track to surpass 1 billion streams on Spotify earlier this month. The song, which was last certified 4x platinum in May 2022, is the second track from “Minutes To Midnight” to hit the 1-billion-stream mark, joining lead single “What I’ve Done.” The other tracks that have had the same privilege are:
Looking ahead, the soundtrack for the band’s upcoming live film and documentary, “UNSHATTER”, is scheduled for release this Friday, September 25. Recorded during their November 15, 2024 performance at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil, the feature film will premiere in theaters nationwide on September 30.
Linkin Park was originally founded by Agoura High School classmates Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon, and Brad Delson in Agoura Hills, California. Following high school graduation, the trio pursued music more aggressively, expanding the lineup with Joe Hahn, Dave “Phoenix” Farrell, and lead vocalist Mark Wakefield under the original name Xero. Working with limited resources out of Shinoda’s bedroom studio, the group recorded and produced a four-track cassette demo titled “Xero”, released in November 1997. That same month, Xero played their live debut opening for SX-10 and System of a Down at the iconic Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood.
Delson eventually connected the band with Jeff Blue, then vice president of A&R at Zomba Music, for whom Delson had previously interned. Blue offered constructive feedback to help the band refine their pitch to record labels, and after attending a live performance in 1998, he saw immense potential in Xero — though he believed a new lead vocalist was necessary for a breakthrough. As rejection from labels mounted, internal frustration grew, prompting Wakefield to quit the group to pursue other opportunities. Around the same time, Farrell temporarily exited the lineup to tour with the Christian punk and ska outfit Tasty Snax.
