Linkin Park’s Struggle for a Record Deal: The Challenge of Breaking Through Nü-Metal Norms

Securing a record deal for Linkin Park was initially quite challenging, largely due to the state of nü-metal at the time. In an interview with Vulture, Linkin Park’s multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Mike Shinoda revealed that record labels struggled to grasp the band’s more heartfelt lyrical approach. According to Shinoda, Linkin Park didn’t “identify with [the] tough-guy shit” of the late ’90s, which posed a significant problem.

Shinoda explained, “Here’s what I assume they thought: Our combination of elements was too esoteric. We loved DJ Shadow, Fatboy Slim, Moby, Aphex Twin, and Portishead. I’m missing a ton … the Prodigy. With that stuff in the music, labels were like, ‘Who’s going to listen?’ And then on top of it, we were more introspective.

“What we didn’t like about what was going on in the scene was that it was very frat rock. It was toxic masculinity. We didn’t know the term yet. We just didn’t like how everything was about tough-guy shit, and we didn’t identify with tough-guy shit. So nobody wanted to sign us because we didn’t fit. They couldn’t see us onstage. Somebody said to me, ‘If you guys were to open up a show with Kid Rock or Limp Bizkit, you’d get beat up.’ It was a joke, right? But probably true, at least for me. I would’ve gotten beat up. [vocalist Chester Bennington] wouldn’t have gotten beat up. He’d fuck somebody up, too.”

The difficulties didn’t end there. Bennington revealed in a 2017 interview with Alternative Nation that Warner Bros. actually tried to persuade him to fire Shinoda and record a rock album solo. This further complicated the band’s efforts to secure a record deal.

Shinoda also touched on the deeper emotional themes in songs like “One Step Closer” and “Crawling,” emphasizing that they were meant to explore more complex emotions than just anger. He credited bands like Deftones and Korn, particularly Korn vocalist Jonathan Davis, for influencing Linkin Park to write more sentimental lyrics.

“I think that was the point. It was always the point. While I loved and I grew up on very macho hip-hop, I was also, at that phase in my life, finishing college, more in tune with a more complex palette of subject matter in what I was listening to. I wanted to put that into my songs, like bands like Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails did.

“I was listening to a lot of U2. None of those are, like, ‘Hey, I’m going to kick your ass’ songs. Those are all, ‘Oh, I got my ass kicked. This isn’t fair or this feels bad or maybe it’s my fault.’ We weren’t hearing those emotions as much in music that was out there. And when we did hear it, I liked what I was hearing. I should give groups like Deftones and Korn more credit. They were doing that. I liked how Jonathan Davis was just an open book putting all of his most fucked-up stuff right out there in the lyrics.”

Looking ahead, Linkin Park is set to release the Meteora 20th Anniversary Edition on April 7. This special edition includes a treasure trove of unreleased music from that era, featuring:

Six additional unreleased songs, plus demos, b-sides, live shows, and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage on five LPs – Meteora, Live in Texas for the first time on vinyl, the previously unreleased Live in Nottingham 2003

Four CDs – Meteora, LPU Rarities 2.0, Live Rarities 2003-2004, and Lost Demos

Three DVDs, including four previously unreleased concerts – The Making of Meteora/The Art of Meteora/Work In Progress, Veterans Stadium (2003), Live in Seoul (2003), Live In Manila (2004), and Live in Denver – Projekt Revolution 2004

A 40-page book, 36” x 24” poster, litho, sticker sheet, stencil, and hi-res download card

For avid fans, there’s also a Deluxe Vinyl Box Set featuring the aforementioned LPs and CDs, as well as various standalone configurations. Don’t miss out on this collector’s dream.