Linkin Park is an American band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries. Its following studio album, Meteora, continued the band's success, topping the Billboard 200 album chart in 2003, and was followed by extensive touring and charity work around the world. In 2003, MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth greatest band of the music video era and the third best of the new millennium behind Oasis and Coldplay.

Having adapted the nu metal and rap metal genres to a radio-friendly yet densely layered style in Hybrid Theory and Meteora, the band explored other genres in their next studio album, Minutes to Midnight, which was released in 2007. The album topped the Billboard charts and had the third best debut week of any album that year. The band has collaborated with several other artists, most notably with rapper Jay-Z in their mashup EP Collision Course, and many others included on Reanimation. The band's most recent studio album, A Thousand Suns, was released on September 8, 2010. Linkin Park has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and has won two Grammy Awards.

Current members:

Chester Bennington – vocals (since 1999)
Rob Bourdon – drums, percussion (since 1996)
Brad Delson – lead guitar (since 1996)
Dave Farrell – bass (1996–1998, 1999, since 2001)
Joe "Mr. Hahn" Hahn – turntables, programming, samples (since 1996)
Mike Shinoda – vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard (since 1996).

Former members:

Mark Wakefield - vocals (1996–1998)
Kyle Christener - bass (1999)
Scott Koziol - bass (2000–2001).

Discography:

Studio albums:

1. Hybrid Theory (2000)
2. Meteora (2003)
3. Minutes to Midnight (2007)
4. A Thousand Suns (2010).

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