Few songs are representative of the kind of mainstream shift that nu-metal underwent at the turn of the new millennium quite like Linkin Park’s “Crawling”. The album it stems from, Hybrid Theory, was calculated for maximum impact – its pop and electronic influences being pushed to the forefront on even some of the record’s heaviest cuts, like “One Step Closer” and “Points Of Authority”.
On megahit “Crawling”, it’s instead a heavy dose of Depeche Mode and synthpop influence that makes the song so impactful. When you realize the track is about the late Chester Bennington’s life experiences, it creates even more of an impact on the listener than its chart success might suggest.
The song actually reached a sizable milestone over the weekend, hitting 500 million streams on Spotify. One of many singles from Linkin Park to do so, even today it’s easy to see why the song connected with so many disconnected youth. There’s really something special about any musician who writes from the heart and delivers something that truly connects to the human condition.
.@linkinpark's #Crawling has surpassed 500 million streams on @Spotify.
○#LinkinPark #HybridTheory #MakeChesterProud #Spotify pic.twitter.com/ZeJl89bV7W— Linkin Park Billboard (@linkinparkbb) December 22, 2023
