LINKIN PARK Honored With 'SoundExchange Hall Of Fame Award'

SoundExchange announced today that LINKIN PARK has been honored with the SoundExchange Hall Of Fame Award. The honor recognizes the innovative rock band as one of the most streamed creators in the organization’s 20-plus-year history of administering digital performance royalties.

LINKIN PARK consists of vocalist Mike Shinoda, guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave “Phoenix” Farrell and DJ Joe Hahn, alongside new co-vocalist Emily Armstrong (of critically acclaimed band DEAD SARA) and drummer Colin Brittain. In 2024, the band returned to the top of the charts with their album “From Zero”, their first new release in seven years. The critically acclaimed album features No. 1 single “The Emptiness Machine” and propelled the band to be the only rock band in 2024 to exceed two billion streams. LINKIN PARK is currently on tour in support of the album, with dates planned throughout North America, Europe, and South America. “From Zero (Deluxe Edition)” will be released on May 16.

“It would be hard to consider rock music in the context of SoundExchange‘s history without including LINKIN PARK,” said Michael Huppe, president and CEO of SoundExchange. “They’re a monster group that has had tremendous impact on popular music, blending hard rock and hip-hop, scoring lasting hits, and soundtracking the lives of millions of fans the world over. We are proud to present LINKIN PARK with the SoundExchange Hall Of Fame Award.”

“We sincerely appreciate and celebrate everything that SoundExchange does for us and all recording artists. It is a true honor to be recognized as one of the most streamed artists of the last two decades,” said LINKIN PARK vocalist Mike Shinoda. “The recognition is even more important to us now as our next chapter unfolds, honoring the past, present, and future of everything that is LINKIN PARK.”

LINKIN PARK emerged as an innovative musical force and are one of the best-selling artists of the last 20 years. Their RIAA diamond-certified full-length debut, “Hybrid Theory”, stands out as the “best-selling debut of the 21st century,” while landmark sophomore album “Meteora” bowed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 before going eight times platinum in the U.S. The band’s worldwide sales across the entire catalog eclipses 100 million, and among numerous accolades and honors, they have garnered two Grammy Awards, five American Music Awards, four MTV VMA Awards, 10 MTV Europe Music Awards, and three World Music Awards. Selling out stadiums worldwide, they’ve headlined the largest festivals globally and remain the first and only Western rock band to play a five-stadium tour in China. 2017’s “One More Light” marked their fifth No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200. In 2020, the band celebrated their groundbreaking debut album, “Hybrid Theory”, by releasing a comprehensive 20th-anniversary-edition super deluxe box set which features their RIAA diamond-certified single “In The End”. In 2023, the band released “Meteora 20th Anniversary Edition”, which topped the charts and featured the newly uncovered song “Lost”. The emotionally charged single was originally recorded during sessions for their second studio album “Meteora” (2003),and soon after its 2023 release, “Lost” hit No. 1 at both Alternative and Rock radio. 2024 marked the release of their first greatest-hits package “Papercuts”, featuring vault track “Friendly Fire” that similarly topped both the Alternative and Rock charts. In September, the band made a triumphant return to the top of the charts with “The Emptiness Machine”, which exploded as the No. 1 rock song in the country and the biggest rock song of 2024. It made a rapid climb to No. 1 on both the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart and Alternative Airplay chart. In total, the band have scored a staggering 13 No. 1 entries on the latter chart (the second-most in history) with three in the last 18 months. LINKIN PARK released their eighth studio album, “From Zero”, on November 15, 2024 on Warner, once again topping charts around the world and eclipsing a billion streams. The band have always prioritized charity and goodwill in an effort to make the world a better place, helping to raise millions over the years for victims of natural disasters. Today, LINKIN PARK‘s imprint on music and culture continues to expand and magnify.

SoundExchange is the premier music tech organization on a mission to power the future of music. It was independently formed in 2003 to build a fairer, simpler, and more efficient music industry through technology, data, and advocacy. The only organization designated by the U.S. government to administer the Section 114 sound recording license, SoundExchange collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of 700,000 music creators and growing. Through proprietary music tech solutions that turn data into accurate revenue, SoundExchange has paid more than $12 billion in distributions to date. For more information, visit soundexchange.com.

Photo above: LINKIN PARK (left to right: Colin Brittain, Joe Hahn, Mike Shinoda, Emily Armstrong, Dave Farrell) receives the SoundExchange Hall Of Fame Award backstage at Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena during a stop on the band’s “From Zero” world tour. (Photo credit: LaVan Anderson)