The music that would ultimately become the Hybrid Theory album was first produced by Linkin Park in 1999 as a nine-track demo tape. Throughout 1999, Linkin Park was a regular act at the Los Angeles club, The Whisky. Legal complications with Welsh electronic music group Hybrid prompted a second name change, thus deciding on 'Linkin Park'. As Delson recalls, ' really was kind of the final piece of the puzzle We didn't see anything close to his talent in anybody else.' After Bennington joined, the group first renamed itself to Hybrid Theory and released a self-titled EP. Bennington wrote and recorded new vocals over the instrumentals and sent the tapes back to Blue. Blue sent Bennington two tapes of Xero's unreleased recordings - one with vocals by former Xero member Mark Wakefield, and the other with only the instrumental tracks - asking for his 'interpretation of the songs'. Bennington's previous band, Grey Daze, had recently disbanded, so his lawyer recommended him to Jeff Blue, vice president of A&R coordination for Zomba, who at the time was seeking a lead vocalist for Xero. In 1999, after Wakefield's departure, lead vocalist Chester Bennington joined the five members of Xero and the band was renamed Hybrid Theory. Linkin Park was founded in 1996 as the rap rock band Xero: lead guitarist Brad Delson, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mike Shinoda, drummer Rob Bourdon, turntablist Joe Hahn, lead vocalist Mark Wakefield and bassist Dave Farrell (who subsequently left to tour with Tasty Snax). A previously unreleased demo song, ' She Couldn't', was put out at the same time. On August 13, 2020, Warner Records announced a re-release of Hybrid Theory for its 20th anniversary. The sound of later Linkin Park albums would involve experimentation with classical instruments such as strings and piano, both of which, along with the same elements of electronica from Hybrid Theory, are prominently included in the band's second studio album, Meteora. Contributors to the album included Black Thought, Pharoahe Monch, Jonathan Davis, Stephen Carpenter, and Aaron Lewis. It included the songs of Hybrid Theory remixed and reinterpreted by nu metal and underground hip hop artists. In 2002, Linkin Park released the remix album Reanimation. At the 44th Grammy Awards, it won Best Hard Rock Performance for 'Crawling'. It also reached the top 10 in 15 other countries and has sold 27 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling debut album since Guns N' Roses's Appetite for Destruction (1987) and the best-selling rock album of the 21st century. Peaking at number two on the US Billboard 200, it is certified 12x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Generally receiving positive reviews from critics upon its release, Hybrid Theory became a strong commercial success.

Although ' Runaway', ' Points of Authority', and 'My December' from the special edition bonus disc album were not released as singles, they were minor hits on alternative rock radio stations thanks to the success of all of the band's singles and the album 'Runaway' has also made several appearances on radio stations.

While 'In the End' was the most successful of the four, all of the singles in the album remain some of the band's most successful songs to date.

This is also the only album where bassist Dave Farrell does not play on.ДЇour singles were released from Hybrid Theory: ' One Step Closer', ' In the End', ' Crawling' and ' Papercut', all of them being responsible for launching Linkin Park into mainstream popularity. Hybrid Theory takes its title from the previous name of the band as well as the concept of music theory and combining different styles. Recorded at NRG Recordings in North Hollywood, California, and produced by Don Gilmore, the album's lyrical themes deal with problems lead vocalist Chester Bennington experienced during his adolescence, including drug abuse and the constant fighting and divorce of his parents. Hybrid Theory is the debut studio album by American rock band Linkin Park, released on October 24, 2000, through Warner Bros.

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