Linkin Park’s singles often inspire the question “haven’t they already written this song?” An mp3 that does the rounds from time to time mixes Numb (on the left) and Pushing Me Away (on the right) to illustrate this with almost comical effect: All Linken Park Songs Sound Exactly The Same.
As shown below, and forgive the hyperbole, much more than they sound the same all Linkin Park songs look the same. And while it’s easy to criticize the band for their overuse of a formula that’s by now cliche, the similarity between their tracks at least holds a lesson on the importance of song arrangement in pop music production.
The Linkin Park Formula
The standard Linkin Park structure looks like this:
- Quiet intro: Each song has a relatively quiet two-measure intro.
- The instrumental kicker: The full band come in together on the down-beat, and play two or four high energy measures, usually instrumental.
- Quiet verse: The song eases off for a verse or two, heightening the dynamic contrast between the song’s sections.
- Heavy chorus: Usually the same chords established in the kicker, with Chester screaming over top for added emotion.
Here’s how it “looks” in practice. Each image below shows the audio level in (roughly) the first 90 seconds of a Linkin Park song. Note that I adjusted the tempo of a few tracks for better visual alignment:
If the pattern isn’t clear to you, mouse-over each image to highlight the 4 sections: Intro, kicker, verse, chorus. And click the title to hear the song on Youtube.
There’s nothing particularly surprising or innovative about the structure. But its repeated use by Linkin Park is clearly successful: They’re one of a few acts still selling lots of CDs.
Why It Works
There are several reasons why this song formula works, and whether or not you record pop music, understanding the reasons will make you a better producer:
Dynamic contrast: Our senses are drawn to change (remember why we listen to reference tracks while mixing?) so we find dynamic, evolving sounds more interesting. The up-and-down of a typical Linkin Park song grabs listeners’ attention on an instinctive level.
Memorable hooks: Because it’s often jarring, the kicker at the start of Linkin Park’s songs is memorable, and makes for a great hook. Pop songs hit or miss mainly on the effectiveness of their hooks.
Familiarity: For lovers, it breeds contempt. For pop music artists, familiarity breeds fans. It’s a truism in the traditional music industry that to succeed, a band needs a “sound.” Linkin Park’s re-use of the same basic song structure makes their music instantly recognizable, and lets their listeners feel immediately comfortable with new material.
Again, you may not write or record pop music. You may even despise the stuff. But knowing why a band would choose to re-use a formula like this will help you make better decisions about your own song arrangements (even if only to avoid having your music compared to Linkin Park.)
Cheap Gimmick?
What does this say about Linkin Park’s music?
On one hand, the band and their producers deserve kudos for finding and exploiting a successful formula. They’re in the entertainment business, after all, and appealing to fans is any entertainer’s number one job.
On the other hand, it’s hard not to view the six images above as a statement on the music industry. The major labels decry the actions of listeners who download music from free sources. But this is the alternative they offer: The same song, repackaged six different ways. The vast majority of music listeners who aren’t Linkin Park fans ask the same question I did in the first sentence, “Haven’t they already written this song?” And the obvious follow-up question, “Why would I pay for it more than once?”
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247 comments
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No, Jason. They all *look* the same. RTFA before ranting, ya?
huh! but the quality of songs still capture a lot of fans!
i dunno what u r tryin to prove
but linkin park is proved to be a succesful band
I don’t really care if they’re look the same. What important to me about music is they’re sound great, that’s all. :)
I think your observation holds true for their first 2 albums (Hybrid Theory and Meteora). If you listen to their third effort, Minutes to Midnight, you’ll see that they’ve almost completely discarded their “formulaic sound” and gone in a new direction. Apart from 1/2 songs, all have very different structures.
They’ve grown as a band a lot. With the 4th album, A Thousand Suns, they are even taking the risk of making it a concept record (about the atomic bomb). So yeah, they aren’t the same old “nu-metal” group they once used to be.
Jason Kay, better known as Jamiroquai, has admitted of writing variations of exactly the same song in every successful album he’s ever released; in an interview he said he will continue to do so until people buy his album. And why not?
This is to say that Linkin Park are not alone, at the end is up to what people want to listen and buy.
Well, Linkin park is not alone.
A lot of musicians these days sound like their record is cracked. Every song skips to the same old piece over and over and over and over again.
I am wondering how this sells?
And by the way:
I want to puke about these female singers with their trying-to-be-sexy-just copying-Madonna-stuff.
Singers of all genres, please QUIT THE SHIT: And start making videos again!!!
Pro painstaking phase, I’m searching a good release enjoy this situation. Now My spouse and i bear found the idea. Data informed ones berbagi, chap!
m frm india n i love linkin park, love their songs n the way they are, cool young guys with free spirit n energy, they are like us, its like u can talk to them anytime, i find a connection with them. n even if they fail , m with them cuz their songs were with me in my hard time. u can say m young n knw nothing bout rock music, u may b true, their songs have meaning n msg in them. i like the way chester n mike sings. n dont forget they work hard , so ppl who says they are for teenagers or dont knw music , its their opinion. lps may b nt gud as rock legends but they reach out our hearts n thats what matters above all as far as music is concerned.
Thank you Dr. Spoke…you have proven what I always expected. LP sucks and just plays top 40 formula based music while trying to act “alternative”…
What did you expect? Everything about Linkin Park is formulaic. Aside from their clear use of the same exact song structure just look at the band members. They use the same exact punk rock look used by every MTV “punk rock” artist (actually i shouldnt call them artists, lets say bands) on mainstream TV today. It looks like they put Dead Kennedys, the Ramones, a few goatee’s and some black dye in a blender. They threw on a few instruments, learned a couple of power chords and with a little luck, stumbled upon a very attractive song structure and decided their work was done. Point is, linkin park music is not art, nor are their members artists. Punk rock used to be about expressing discontent about society and expelling the senseless rage of youth. Now its about looking cool, acting tough and whining about stupid shit.
love the way chester n mike collaborate with each other..chester has an amazing voice n i dont think there is any one around who can sing like him
screaming n next second sing so melodiously..
their concerts are full n i love their live in texas- especially point of authourity..they are gud live performers
they are amazing n yeah they have formula ..tht is hardwork
in the end is a nice song n same as ‘new divide’ n if u listen them..both song sound diffrent..
i guess thier music was (hybid n meteora)all bout expressing the suppressive side of youth..well sometimes we all feel to shout..n scream n sometime without even a reason..n they provide a way..their music is catheraic at times
we all have mood swing n if we can …we should express it..n they provide a way..atleast to me..it is one of the reason , apart from that they are amazing..lyrics n all that
leave out all the rest is also a lovely song
n if that Dr spoke is for me then thanks for the compliment
i love the way chester n mike collaborate with each other…n chester has an amazing voice..i dont think there is any around who can scream like him n next second sing so melodiously..they are good live performers..their concerts are full..n yeah they have a formula n that is hardwork…
i love live in texas especially their song point of authority and talkiingbout same music..u can listen ”in the end’ and ”new divide” n both are diffrent songs…
they are amazing..n represent the part of us where we want to complain n scream sumtyms..n its gud way to just throw it all with music
we need all kind of music..thats all i want to say..
i love them
@ Mikey Keyz
Obviously you don’t like Linkin Park which makes your arguments biased.
This whole article is biased. In fact, if you take any successful band, 6 of their hit songs and analyse them you will get the same result.
Linkin park has made over studio 50 songs! You pick out 6 and think that’s a good argument for lack of innovation?!?!
If you can’t do simple statistics then leave it to those who can!
Get f* academic and do your work properly!
bullshit…you hear me ????
i guess my comments were not in order..sending failied at that time
sorry
so what? a lot of bands songs all look the same and similar to this. A slow and soft start then louder and louder then middle softness and loud to finish
FFS, so what? They still have some outstanding lyrics (Hands Held High), and great beats (When They Come For Me). You don’t look at the music, you listen to it. And of course, they will sound the same, when it’s the same band that’s got its own style.
This is so silly. These are the hits. They found a formula that works for them. These became singles for a reason. As a struggling artist myself, I wish I could write as many hit songs as Linkin Park has. My songs on my website are far from reaching a level comparable to Linkin Park. But mine are a bit of a different genre. But don’t hate on bands that actually understand the very difficult craft of songwriting.
Having the same structure that doesn’t mean they all sound the same. For example, Somewhere I Belong and Lying From You, yes they have the same structure, but when you listen to them you will notice that the the sonority and the “felling” that you recieve from the song is completly diferent.
Whatever you are trying to prove i dont get it…dont you know about songs like , In between, In pieces, & the songs from the album A Thousand Suns????
If they stick to their style you say they are “same”….if they change it you say “Linkin Park is not a rock band anymore it just became more of a pop band”…what the hell are they supposed to do?..
Every time they bring something new, lyrically as well as musically..
& by the way Linkin park is an Nu-Metal band so the guitar part automatically remains the same…. I can create this type of mix with many songs together with a turn table…
I dont know what you all think but, I think its a great work of Music by Linkin Park…
This is like saying to a Math Prof: “Dude you suck you keep using the same formula over and over again!” *pause* “Yea, dumbass, cause it works…”
It’s their sound. Their music. They do what works for them. Not only that, this statement is only half true. Hybrid Theory and Meteora had lots of songs with this formula. Minutes to Midnight, not so many. Thousand Suns, even less.
Also, as an artist myself… It’s hard not to use this formula… or something similar. Most of today’s music is at least derived of the formula (just like all of todays music is derived from past artists) You can’t really judge a song by the order of it’s events…
Look at the melodies, harmonies, rhythms and lyrics. Look at all that and how it works together to create pictures and change our state while we listen. Thats what music’s about. You can look at the tracks of all the top songs of today. Most of them will look like these.
Also, don’t critique music unless you’ve had the experience of writing your own album, having it sell, and then going on tour and performing that album. You’ll have no idea what it’s really all about otherwise. Also, your opinion means nothing to other artists and fans.
Finally, downloading music for free is disgusting. None of those songs sound exactly the same. They are all different songs. You can’t argue that. They’re not even all the same chord progressions.
You should pay for music that artists put so much time and work and effort and soul into. Again, you can’t begin to understand how to appreciate how much skill and how much patience and talent is required to write good songs like LP does. Don’t rip them off. Cd’s aren’t that much. You’re not going to starve. At least show appreciation to the artists.
Also, if you suddenly met your favorite artist and said “OMG I love your music so much! I downloaded every single song you wrote off of Limewire!”
Lol. They would have completely lost respect for you right then and there. Good luck getting an autograph after being cussed out.
In conclusion: You’re a prick.
Quade, from the article: “There are several reasons why this song formula works, and whether or not you record pop music, understanding the reasons will make you a better producer”
Check yer meds, dude!
When I saw the article, I couldnt believe my eyes, cuz I guess u r the first person on this planet saying that, Maybe just for makin diffrent discussion or simply doesnt like them but we should be fair,
plz dont talk nonesense and dont hurt anyone
As a lp fan im not against criticism toward my favorite band, but im completely disagreeing abt what u try to say cuz none of the things that u say seems
logical,
First of all each music band new or old should have a style for themselves, The real purpose of makin a band,to do sth new to attarct new fans. the reason that most of the new bands dont becom successful is that they keep repeating what others have done before and cycling around the same rhymes &lyrics.
So each band should have what u call formula!
linkin park had this so they could hit the music world from the beginning till now what they are doin is completly art,their music, lyrix,style everything is diffrent , ofcours if u could get this u would be big fan of them,
what makes them diffrent is that they are having one style but each song is takes u to diffrent world but infact the same, but u have to feel it nd if u cant then its not their problem
Plus each album ie having diffrent pattern,nd purpose, this is more clear abt AtS for public
This is their style this is the way they introduce themself! And yes linkin park has a formula in an unique way that could attract fans from all over the world, not like bieber fans, I mean reeeaaaal fans, their genre is not just rock, metal, or pop,as u try to say!, Thats completly LP style,they are surly one of the bands which made diffreneces with their music,
U may say this just becuz u cant get their hybrid theory, meteora, 2 none repeated album,if one could breathe in ht, meteora world they wont like AThousandSun cuz these change is more clear in it, but they made apiece of art in my idea like noone else did thats why it brought them so much criticism that means fans dont like them to change cuz they like their style,any way what i try to say is that they are followin a diffrent purpose, style, idea in each album
their music is for world, for peace and any one who believe we need a place for our head, &deserve a better world like somewhere we belong ;)
XoXo everyone(plz ignore mistakes &sry for long comment)
To start off, I honestly used to hate Linkin Park to say this comment isn’t biased to a point. But back to the main point now; dammit, of course Its gonna LOOK the same with the VISUAL aids when you SELECT CERTAIN songs. But what you’re missing when you say the songs are all the same is that Music isn’t just sound. It involves sciences and mathematics. its going to involve repetition. Lemme explain this gradually. Mathematical/Scientific formulas are repetitive but they work every time when you use the correctly. For example, F=MA, E=MC², and V=Bh all flawless formulas when used correctly. 4/4 or common time is one of the MOST common time signatures, C is one of the MOST common key signatures, and Moderato is one of the MOST common tempos, all in music and flawless when used correctly.
Im pretty sure you see the pattern, as you can SEE the pattern in Linkin Park’s music. And by the way ‘Music is sung, it is played, and it is heard. It is not watched like a movie. Light and sound are separate energies. And while light is seen with in mind, Music is felt in your soul.’
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