Do your friends "know" Linkin Park?

The Underground
#1

I come from Hong Kong, and I have been a fan of Linkin Park since 2007, although I became a LPU member just a couple months ago.

There’s been a question in my mind for years:
Every time when I ask my friends or classmates (from high school) if they know Linkin Park, most of them would say yes, but when I go further and ask if they know any LP songs, they would be stumped.

I finally met some Hong Kong LP fans through a FB group in 2011, cause many people started to discuss about LP coming to HK for a concert. And before that, I had already been an alone LP fan for almost 4 years.

And when one of my friends came back from Seattle (also in 2011), she said LP was bigger than you could expect in the US. So she was really surprised when I mentioned my story.

So here’s my question:
Does my weird experience just happen in Hong Kong or actually it’s quite common?

(But to be fair, more and more HK people started to know LP now since LP did some advertising work in HK when they released Living Things.)

#2

I know what you mean. Here in Finland, LP is the band in the radio. People know them, and maybe know song or even two from them, but there’s only few ‘fans’ of them here. I’m happy that my sister likes them too so I’ve someone to talk with. My friends don’t like them at all and I think it’s because I’m such a huge fan of them! XD

But anyway, thanks to LPU, I’ve someones to talk about, and I mean all the stuff around LP. and the other things. And I don’t have to worry that the person hates LP. :smiley:

#3

Ha, at least your people know one or two songs of Linkin Park. If you have read Mike’s blog, you would know that he described Hong Kong as a place "where super-pop music rules the chart). It’s hard to be a fan of rock music in HK, let alone Linkin Park.

And u r absolutely right , big shout out to LPU, it rules.

#4

Their singles have never been big hits in the UK either (I think “Rolling in the Deep” is their higest entry).

But yeah, everyone know who Linkin Park are because they are a big band who sell a lot of albums and tour a lot, but their songs/singles aren’t well known generally. Numb is the biggest because of Jay Z I think. Most people haven’t got a clue what they sound like post-Meteora. I was playing some Living Things with some friends recently and they were all asking who it was. They all agreed it didn’t sound like Linkin Park.

Despite how big they are their songs are still quite weird, and don’t really fit in with a mainstream pop/rock audience. I wouldn’t be surprised if its the same everywhere.

#5

I’am from Germany and I guess almost everybody here knows Linkin Park. But that doesn’t mean they know LP very well or like them very much.

Although it’s a fact, that the band has a big fanbase here, none of my friends listens to Linkin Park regularly or is even a fan.

My bureau collegue is actually a country music fan, never listening to any rock music. But because of me she has to listen to Linkin Park most of the working time:) And you know what? She began to like their music and just bought Living Things. That’s awesome! I believe, if people would take some time, to discover Linkin Park, especially their last two records, many of that "ignoramus"would become a fan.

#6

Many of my friends do know Linkin Park, but most of them only like the first 2 albums and think they turned s*** post-Meteora.

#7

Most of my friends have heard of them, but i don’t know others that are hardcore fan of them like me. I think it’s mostly beacuse many of the persons i know around my age are into like pop and stuff like that, and i think it’s a bit sad that they almost don’t know any fantastic rock bands like Linkin Park, Muse, Nirvana, and i could go on and on and on… I think that has a lot of influence of why i joined LPU, because on here i can talk to other Linkin Park fans that knows how i feel about the band, that they are awesome and they create amazing music. I think LPU is a good opportunity to have, and i’m so greatfull for the guys that made it all happen. THANK YOU LPU.

#8

I’m from germany too and I agree with Shoegaze4u. Almost everybody know them, but not “really”. They are just like: there’s a band called LP and I know about two songs.
My best friend loves LP too, but not as much as I do, I guess she wouln’t join LPU. The others don’t like them very much… Maybe it’s the age. They just listen to that what everybody’s listening to, the charts

#9

In the Czech Republic everyone knows them, but just some songs, mainly from Meteora. Everyone knows Numb, Somewhere I Belong or Breaking the Habit, perhaps also In the End. But there is quite a lot of “fans” and they know all the studio albums, although they’re not hardcore fans like me and it’s just about music for them. For example, in my class in high school, there were 27 people and almost all of them would talk with me about LP as they knew I was a huge fan. And about 5 of them said that LP were their favorite band, although I was changing in those 8 years. Between 2004 - 2006 they were the most popular band here without any doubts. But I don’t know a lot of people, so I don’t really know what people here listen to now.

#10

Wow, I can’t believe some of you would have similar experience.
I always love the musical cultures in other countries, cause we Hong Kongers don’t have one anymore. I mean, at least Germany got a Rock am Ring, and some fantastic songs like Clueso’s Gewinner and Rosenstolz’s Ich bin ich (Wir sind wir) (I’ve been learning German in college).

But look to my place, what I’ve got is this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrnKlUS-blg
That’s right, they’re ripping off Waiting for the End. What sucks most is, this song is a re-write of another song.

Cantonese pop songs nowadays suck since we’re already out of good musicians and song writers. So Hong Kongers have moved on to Korean Pop and Japanese Pop (some would stay on the oldies, but that’s not the main concern here), cause none of the HK singers can dance like Korean and have pretty faces like Japanese. See, until now, I’m still talking about Pop, no one gives a shit about rock music here. I think that’s why I don’t have friends who like or really know Linkin Park, cause they’re afraid of changes, they don’t even wanna give it a try, so I’m happy for Shoegaze4u for having such a great colleague.

I’m not saying I hate Pop. In fact, I like singers like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez (Pls don’t blame me for it, as I lived my childhood through Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place, at least I’m not a fan of Bieber, right?) I always believe musical cultures determine everything, so I’m open to all sorts of music, like classical, progressive, electronica. I expanded my musical library through watching Chuck, cause the show always played great songs as background music.

Therefore, I’m really grateful to be here, discussing this sorts of things with you, since I guess there may be more LP fans like me who don’t have a place or an opportunity to tell others how awesome LP is.

#11

I’m in the US and have found shockingly few people are fans past the first couple of albums. They don’t get much radio play on the local rock station - it is mostly Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, Staind, Godsmack - you know all those other groups that are albiet good but they tend to sound the same track to track. I think that is what I love about LP - they sound different most every song - possibly why those that aren’t huge fans have a difficult time recognizing songs, especially post-Meteora. I was shocked at the number of people at the Cincinnati concert - I was wondering where they all came from LOL!

#12

my old friends definitely know linkin park
one of them even used to be a fan
but they all used to be like; LINKIN PARK WAS GOOD UNTIL MTM CAME OUT

_>

#13

It can be like like that even here in America, man. Most people in my area know of Linkin Park but they are not familiar with them or don’t like their music. And those that do like it just aren’t as into it as I am.

#14

Yeah, sometimes its quite hard to be a LP fan in a village as small as mine. I remember a situation in school last year as two of my classmates ( knowing that Im a huge LP fan ) came to me, saying that they were listening to a song of theirs for 20 sec. and " We thought our ears would have fallen off !". Just what I answered was: " After 20 sec., mostly, the intro isnt over... " Well, they stared at me like Im an alien, but you know what people are doing when words cant save em from looking like an idiot: " Though, it was terrible...", they added while walking away. Thats how people in Germany give unknown music/artists a chance to reach them :wink:

#15

I’m the only hardcore fan in my entire city. I live in a really small town in rural Massachusetts and a lot of people I know have heard of them, but no one is fan at all like me. I’ve never even seen someone wear a LP shirt or anything. I used to get made fun when I was like 13 for wearing LP clothes and my LP backpack in like 2003. Ever since MTM came out, then ATS, NO ONE liked them anymore here except me. I wear LP stuff everyday and I always drive and play it loud. Everyone knows how huge of a LP fan I am here. And a lot of people knew Burn It Down here but that was just a summer hit here. no one knows any others. haha

#16

I started to love Linkin Park when I heard Bleed it Out in MTM, so I’m not those who think LP has lamed out after MTM (No offense), in fact, I always think MTM is the album which made fans of mainstream music started to pay more attention to LP.

I have a reputation of a hardcore LP fan back in high school because I always introduced LP to anyone I met. That doesn’t mean I don’t like this label, but I always think when LP got such a big fan base, being a hardcore fan is not that big of a deal. I have some friends who had listened to Leave Out All the Rest cause they had watched Twilight before, and New Divide because of that Transformers movie. But they stopped exploring more about LP’s songs cause they don’t wanna give it a try.

The one time, my family was watching the Transformers movie on TV, when the What I’ve Done song started to play, my Dad (who is an Eagles fan) asked “So this is a song played by your favorite band?” I replied “Heck ya!” and the next day, I heard he was playing What’s I’ve Done on the computer in his room. When LP music could even attract a 50-year-old’s attention, I start to wonder, “What makes people so negative about rock music?” I blamed it on the image of rock music.

One day, after I made a presentation about rock music during my Moral Education class, talked about the awesomeness of rock music when you saw through all those tattoos and piercings, my class teacher (who is also a mom) asked me how my parents reacted to me being a rock music fan. I said they let me do whatever I wanted as long as I didn’t play the songs through speakers. She said she was surprised by the freedom my parents gave me (personally, i think her reaction is weird). And the next day, she asked me to be her son’s guitar tutor during his summer holiday.

See? What I’m trying to say is: people are used to be shallow, you have to force them to experience, to try, otherwise, they will only judge by the shallow image of things. So being a LP fan means you are smart enough to explore things yourself, so be proud,ha ha!

#17

^ that just goes to show how different culture is around the world…

#18

It’s the same here. I don’t know many LP fans in Norway. My best friend had been a LP fan since 2003, and I got to know her in 2007. I fell in love with LP after my first concert in 2010. I haven’t met many people who would really discuss LP with me after, but many knows that LP is a band… :wink:
I don’t think LP is a big thing here in Norway. They didn’t come to Norway before 2011, and haven’t been here since. They barely plays Linkin Park songs from Living Things at the radio either. When I get new friends, I’m “known” as “the girl who loves Linkin Park”. Like; I don’t think anyone could be “known” as “the girl who loves Rihanna”, because “everybody” loves Rihanna!
Even though I think we have a good fan base over the country, it feels like there’s “no one” who really knows LP that much!

#19

In Arizona here, there’s not too many fans I know. My friends only heard their big singles and thats about it. Amazing how many people show up at the shows though, for them.

#20

Oh, really? I thought because Chester is from Arizona, LP might have more fans there.