It was in 2002 and I was in 10th grade, I saw the “in the end” music video on mtv and I really did not get into it at first but mtv kept on repeating the music video and I started to like it. Then I decided to buy the hybrid theory cd and I became a fan ever since!
I was chillin with my brother and his friend and they played some of Hybrid Theory, I believe it was back in 01. I remember the first tracks to stand out in my mind were Cure for the Itch and Runaway. Then, I started listening to the whole record and they became my favorite band shortly thereafter.
These are all really awesome stories thanks for sharing!
Somewhere in 2001…I think it was Crawling and then My December and In The End…
It was in 2001, when I saw Crawling music video on TV…
early 2003 in a TV commerical with “Somewhere i belong”
i felt in love
This was my response to this from the Linkin Park Association website:
The first time I heard the band, I didn’t know they were Linkin Park. Technically, they weren’t Linkin Park yet. I first heard them in the summer of 1999 when they were still known as Hybrid Theory. I was in a chat room for Korn, I think, and some guy who said he was Mike sent me a link and was all “check out my band.” The music was pretty good, but it was one of those moments of 'Oh, it’s just an independant band" and I didn’t put much into it.
The first time I heard One Step Closer in early to mid summer of 2000, I fell instantly in love with the song. I remembered I kept bugging the guy at my local rock shop about when he was going to be getting in any shirts from the new band, ‘Linkin Park.’ My bugging him worked because shortly after, they got shirts in!
When Hybrid Theory came out, I remembered my narrow-minded self going “I don’t know, there is a lot of rapping going on here…” Then I caught myself being brought back to it like a piece of steel to a magnet. Soon after, Metallica was replaced as my favorite band and my favorite band hasn’t changed since.
After really researching Linkin Park’s tracks and earlier stuff, I remembered hearing the song “Carousel” from somewhere… I then put two and two together that the band that I brushed off as “Just another independant band” was actually my new favorite band. Total fangasm moment.
When my freind Oles sent me a link to Papercut, I liked it and so I downloaded Hybrid Theory from Limewire (how bad of me!) and I listened to Points of Authority on the way to school on a monday morning. That was the first LP song I listened too all the way through and I promptly went and brought the album with my pocket money at the weekend. Good times 
Does the first time listen to linkin park was in the path of the primary back to my house, went with 2 of my friends which one already liked LP, the reproduced the song of FAINT, we have heard it full and I liked your pace, that afternoon I asked, that band is that? and I answer, is LP!
LP? If Linkin Park! and I said wow they sing very well and his pace is great. Then buy the album METEORA and since March of 2006 linkin park is my favorite band and I think that it will remain for many years more.
It’s hard to remember… but was pretty sure I was in either my sophomore or junior year in high school (so 1999 to 2001 sometime). Most likely it came on the radio while I was in the car, but eventually I got the CD as a Christmas present (Hybrid Theory).
I remembered when I was little, when I was on the plane, the one next to me played this song so loudly that I heard it. I really loved the song and I asked him what is it. LOL
It was when I was like 8 or 9. My brother had “by myself” and he played it in the car. And I was like Damm that song is catchy and sounds pretty cool!!. Then I heard in the end on tv and I found out that it was the same band so then I checked my brother’s comp an he had hybrid theory!.. since that day LP was all I listen to.I grew older and I realised that LP was much more than just my fav band. 
and that the reason I like them so much is cause their music speaks for me, and they understands me more that anyone ever had.
i think my first time was when Figure.09 appeared in the movie S.W.A.T
when my older brother bought Hybrid Theory :3
mtv after skull rock. one step closer premiere ^^
2001 Crawling, on MTV = F*ING IMPRESSED
Don’t forget to check out the new LPU Chat Birthday Party Thread
In the year 2001 I heard In the End and I was 24 years old… 
@ the beginning of 2008! I think it was ‘‘Breaking the habit’’ or ‘‘Numb’’
I went to my cousin’s house and he was listening to Lying From You. I guess i was 11.
It was 2004 when I was really into watching AMVs (Anime Music Videos), and I heard Runaway as the background music to one of them. I kept on replaying the video just to listen the song, and ended up e-mailing the person who made the video to find out what the song was called and who sung it, and the rest as they say is history.