Here is a Mike Shinoda preview. Warning: NSFW language.
I ranked my top 50 songs, here is 41-50 to help those of you unfamiliar with him to get some exposure:
50
Song:
Dedicated
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: LP Underground 2.0
Released: 2002
Genre: nu-metal / rap rock / alternative rock
There isn't a lot of info on this song available, since it was originally recorded as a demo in 1999 and released on a fan club LP in 2002. It is one of the earliest songs I have by LP and IMO immediately demonstrated how talented they are and foreshadowed how successful they would become in this "nu-metal" genre. I didn't have this early in my discovery of LP, but it would have led me to seeking out more of their music.
49
Song:
Heavy
Artist: Linkin Park featuring Kiiara
Album: One More Light
Released: 2017
Genre: pop / electropop / alternative pop / pop rock / R&B
Critics were very negative about this song and the One More Light album, since it was a pivot for Linkin Park to a pop-oriented sound. A lot of fans reacted the same way, and I have to admit it took me a while to warm up to it, but it highlights how diverse LP is/was.
Mike Shinoda on this song:
Mike Shinoda explained that the song is a core part of the album and described the message of the song with the proverb "when it rains it pours", talking about how "Heavy" is about the culmination of a singular, dramatic event and several smaller, less important problems. He later described a day that Chester had come in to the studio and exclaimed that he felt overwhelmed by a myriad of problems. Mike felt that the key to the song was the line "If I just let go I'd be set free", as that lyric contains the idea of personal responsibility, which solidified the song's message and theme.
48
Song:
High Road
Artist: Fort Minor featuring John Legend
Album: The Rising Tied
Released: 2005
Genre: alternative hip hop / rap rock
Fort Minor is a side project for Shinoda. He played every instrument on the album and invited a number of guests to join him in performing the songs. In this one, John Legend sings the chorus and Shinoda sings the other vocals.
Mike Shinoda on this song:
"‘High Road’ is one of those songs, that I… it just makes me happy. Like it just sounds like a good time to me, sounds like a party. I love playing it live. When we play… when Fort Minor plays shows live, we play… I put together a band of three string players, three backup singers, drummer and a DJ, and it’s me, and Styles Of Beyond on the mic, it’s just a… it’s just a good time and this is one of those songs that I love to play."
47
Song:
Shadow Of The Day
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: Minutes To Midnight
Released: 2007
Genre: alternative rock / electronic rock
The band on this song:
"The keyboard loop in “Shadow Of The Day” went through many different changes during the song’s creation. For months, the song’s place on the album remained undecided; the band agreed that it wouldn’t make the album unless the right introductory sound was discovered. Dozens of options were created on piano, acoustic guitar, marimba, xylophone, and even electric banjo before finally writing the reversed/edited keyboard version that appears here."
Chester Bennington on this song:
"There are some pretty serious musicians in Linkin Park. There are moments during a Linkin Park session where I'll say, Hey, can we change this part? On Shadow of the Day, there is a guitar part that's at the end of the song. I walked into the studio, and Brad had been there two days straight. I said, How you're doing? He said, I can't do this. I can't break the code on this one. I said, Play it for me. I want to hear what you're working on. He played it and I go, I've got an idea. I go in the other room, played the part on the piano, and I go, Play this. He played it, and that's what we kept. That's what we do. That's what being in a band is about. Brad said, Ah! Why couldn't have you been here two days ago?"
46
Song:
Guilty All The Same
Artist: Linkin Park featuring Rakim
Album: The Hunting Party
Released: 2014
Genre: heavy metal / hard rock / rap metal
Critics generally liked this song, viewing the heaviness of this song and album as a return to older LP.
About the rap in the song:
While writing the song, Shinoda knew he wanted a rap verse in the song, but felt it would be too predictable for him to do it. He jokingly asked if they could get Rakim, one of Shinoda's idols, in to do the verse, and the engineer told Shinoda that he could get in contact with Rakim. Within a week, Shinoda was on the phone with Rakim, and got him to do the verse during the bridge. Rakim drove out to LA, and was working on and perfecting his verse the entire time. He was still working on it in the studio before he went in to record it. Shinoda went on to cite the verse as an example of why Rakim is one of his favorite rappers, and that it is the "perfect mix of technicality, content, and emotional expression".
45
Song:
I'll Be Gone (Schoolboy remix)
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: Recharged
Released: 2013
Genre: electronic dance music (EDM) / hip hop
The original version of this song is from the LP album Living Things, and its genre was characterized as electronic rock / alternative rock. This remix by Schoolboy is EDM / hip hop. For the original version of this song, Brad Delson said this:
"A long time ago, we wanted to work with some young artists who have a similar style with electronics and with rock bands. Then Rick Rubin came to the studio and said to us, "Guys, listen to this guy named Owen, I work with Arcade Fire." We called Owen, he came to the studio, and the result was "I'll Be Gone", maybe one of the best songs on the album."
44
Song:
Make It Up As I Go
Artist: Mike Shinoda featuring K. Flay (i.e., Kristine Flaherty)
Album: Post Traumatic
Released: 2018
Genre: hip hop / electropop
K. Flay said this about the song:
"We were talking about how it's comforting to think that anybody knows what they’re doing but we're all inventing life moment by moment. That's a headspace I'm in frequently, and I think it was definitely connecting with Mike's headspace, too."
43
Song:
Don't Stay
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: Meteora
Released: 2003
Genre: nu metal / rap metal / alternative metal / rap rock / alternative rock
Chester Bennington said this about the song:
"We don't talk about situations, we talk about the emotions behind the situations," he said. "Mike and I are two different people, so we can't sing about the same things, but we both know about frustration and anger and loneliness and love and happiness, and we can relate on that level."
42
Song:
Remember The Name
Artist: Fort Minor featuring Styles of Beyond
Album: The Rising Tied
Released: 2005
Genre: alternative hip hop
Mike Shinoda on this song:
"That snare [sound] is like 12 tracks of sticks and clapping and snapping and tambourine [combined into one]. It probably took me a half hour just to make it. I'm lucky because I'm able to play a lot of different instruments. In the case of somebody like Kanye, he works a lot with samples. I could've gone that route too, but I figure if there's something you can do that is, like, your gift, just focus on [that]. Besides the fact that samples can be expensive!"
41
Song:
Bleed It Out
Artist: Linkin Park
Album: Minutes To Midnight
Released: 2007
Genre: rap rock
Mike Shinoda quote:
"The guitar sounds like AC/DC, the beat sounds like Motown, and there's a Stones-like groove to it. But it's got rapping and Clash-style vocals. It's so different it may take people a beat to go 'I can't believe it's the same band. But hopefully their next thought will be 'F*ckin' Cool'."
Chester Bennington quote:
"rides the line of what you might expect from us. It’s got rapping on it and a real big chorus, but it’s also got these great Motown drums and a real party vibe to it. So it’s something different too. It’s fun."
So, these 10 songs cover this broad spectrum of genres:
- nu-metal
- heavy metal
- rap metal
- alternative metal
- rap rock
- hard rock
- alternative rock
- electronic rock
- alternative pop
- pop rock
- pop
- electropop
- R&B
- hip hop
- alternative hip hop
- electronic dance music
That's a lot. It will narrow down a bit in my top 31 countdown, but this is a broad exposure to Mike's music. Hope you like something in this list!