A Tribute to Chester Bennington (Top 10 Linkin Park Songs)

It’s been nearly a week since the unfortunate truth was released. Linkin Park have canceled their highly anticipated North American leg of their “One More Light” World Tour, the future of the band hangs in the balance, and most importantly a family has been broken in two. Chester Bennington helped many like myself come to grips with their feelings of loneliness, sorrow, and anger. His battle, even though he lost, was a beacon of hope for many. We could look at Chester Bennington and see the truth —

We aren’t done yet.

While he is gone he left a legacy of honesty and power in his music. Linkin Park truly was the voice of the millenial generation as we grew into our place in this world. No band from the early 2000’s really encapsulates the raw energy and feeling of displacement that comes with growing up through the founding of the internet, the war on terror, and the great recession. Chester, while you lost your fight with your demons I can only hope that your fight isn’t forgotten and we can do better to love each other.

In his memory, I want to take this moment to go back and look at some of my personal favorite moments of the Linkin Park story. A story that he helped write with his friends. Not to lessen his death, but to celebrate his life and the music that he used to express just how powerful those demons were.

R.I.P Chester

My December

While ‘My December’ may not be one of their more technically impressive songs this song has been one of my favorites. Maybe its just because my birthday is in December. It could be the somber reflective nature that exists in every word. In reality, it’s probably just because I can relate to the regret.

Hands Held High

‘Hands Held High’ is by far the most powerful, poignant, and timely song on Minutes to Midnight. That album was a departure from the sound everyone had grown accustomed to on Meteora, Reanimation, and Hybrid Theory; but this song particularly captures the energy and reinvention that Linkin Park found themselves in by their 3rd LP. While this song is very Chester lite I feel like we can’t honor Chester without noticing the songs that were true encapsulations of who Linkin Park was, a sum of her parts.

Leave Out All The Rest

‘Leave Out All The Rest’ was the second song that came to mind after I was told about his suicide. I think the voice of this song comes very clearly looking at everything he was going through at the time; and in some ways its prophetic. I hope the overall power of this song finds people in its ultimate request. “Don’t remember me for all the wrong I’ve done, please remember me for all the good times.”

Rebellion

Rebellion is one of their strongest songs post ‘Minutes to Midnight’ (Of course this is due to some help from SOAD guitarist and vocalist Daron Malakian. This song speaks for itself. If you’ve ever played it on Rock Band you hate yourself a little afterwards.

The Catalyst

The song that gave ‘A Thousand Suns’ its name is just an overall solid track. I wasn’t a giant fan of the album but couldn’t help get caught up in this song.

Halfway Right

A song with some raw staying power. It’s honesty about addiction and the destructive power of bad friends and a prideful attitude. Even the songs chorus can be looked not as an admission of truth but a reflection on the prideful attitude that someone can have when they think they know what’s right and won’t listen to those who care about them.

One More Light

This is the song that broke me. The first song that came to mind after Chester’s demise. This song has a lot of power in its vocals, its instrumentation, and most importantly in the lyrics. You are so deeply reminded that life is short and that we matter.

KRWLING

I’m sorry, this version is just straight up tight. It’s well produced a great mix and seriously — what’s not to love about having Aaron Lewis on a Linkin Park song?

A Place for My Head & Don’t Stay

I don’t have a lot to say about these songs, but while I was making this list I couldn’t help but keep bringing them up. Maybe at one point I had a really deep emotional connection to these songs. Maybe it’s how Don’t Stay is the first full song on Meteora and those first few seconds just grab you — and maybe its just because overall their early years were my favorite. Nostalgia is a powerful thing.

So what about you?

Are you a fan of Linkin Park? What are your favorite tracks? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.