Linkin Park Are First Band To Get 1 Billion YouTube Hits

Linkin Park have become the first rock act to receive 1 billion hits on YouTube.

Thanks to their Linkin Park TV channel on YouTube, they're miles ahead of the next biggest rock acts on the channel. Red Hot Chili Peppers are in second place with 327 million hits, and Green Day follow with a relatively small 245 million.

They're not the first musical act to pass 1 billion views. In the pop world, Lady Gaga hit the milestone in 2010, and Justin Bieber soon screamed ahead with a whopping 2.8 billion. Rihanna has also passed 1 billion.

Despite some criticism of their fifth studio album "Living Things", the band have had a hugely successful year with the album selling over 500,000 units. Better yet, their breakthrough album "Hybrid Theory" made it to 10 million sales in the US last month, 12 years after its original release.

Linkin Park is currently touring with Incubus on the Honda Civic tour.

Do you spend much time streaming your favorite bands on YouTube, or do you prefer a more traditional platform? Let us know in the comments.

Comments

[TextOnTheScreen]

they're getting all those hits from people who spend all their time on facebook and youtube and that's all they can think to listen to. That's what I used to do, so I probably gave them like a million of those hits.

Now I prefer getting albums and putting them on my iphone because I can't spend all my time on Facebook anymore.

[dannydesktop]

that is a very strange deduction. their getting all their "hits" from children/teens. simple as that.

[TextOnTheScreen]

but that doesn't explain why, so it really isn't as simple as that.

[dannydesktop]

i doubt it has anything to do with you spending all your time on facebook is all i'm saying.

[Chaduah]

not really fair to say that all their fans are children/teens either. particularly since their claim to fame was a good 10 years ago when most of said kids didnt even listen to/care about music

[dannydesktop]

yeah but those people listening to them in their hayday 10 years ago were also kids/teens. That has always been the largest part of linkin park's fanbase.

[Chaduah]

Fair enough mate, cant argue with that!

[dannydesktop]

and to ammend my statement a bit, this band came out when i was in highschool, there is nobody i know from then who would go back and watch linkin park videos because they were fans 10 years ago anymore in the same way they don't really want to relive limp bizkit or something. somethings you just gotta let die.

[mallement]

I do not like the new Linkin Park, but I like their first two albums, and I think many have it the same way, thus they still get hits from people like me.

So I think its because they appeal to a vast array of people, with the combination of their old albums and their new ones.

[jamie_hough]

I'd imagine this is because the line between rock & pop is seriously blurred with bands like these. Their success is based on being mildly appealing to all rather than excelling at a certain genre so they get a greater volume of listeners/hits.

I dunno, whatever, at least it shows people listening to some sort of decent music which should hopefully lead them onto better bands.

[seventh_angel]

Exactly, I can see tons of old fans watching their old videos for nostalgia's sake and then the more pop-oriented audience watching their latest videos non-stop.

Like them or not ( I personally kind of despise them ), they were one of the tombstones of the rap-rock / nu-metal movement and they still attract a huge crowd nowadays. So yeah, yippie-kai-yay for them I guess.

[tancrackers]

That would be me...

[Nitnatsnok]

lol You don't sell 500,000 units in a year in this day and age being mildly appealing.

[crazysam23_Atax]

Yes, you do. Where have you been?

[Nitnatsnok]

I've been learning to differentiate personal opinion from fact,

you should join me.

[zn-1]

Fact is: 500,000 is still a lot of copies being sold and is more than most bands sell in a year. Especially now a days when you can always download or go to Spotify and stream the music without having to buy the actual album.

[archangels]

Welcome to Ultimate-Guitar. Where facts get downvoted and trash-talking mainstream anything gets upvoted.

[saint_berzerker]

and McDonalds sells more hamburgers than anybody and they're f**king disgusting. Not even a damn hamburger for that matter. Means nothing.

[Kueller917]

Rock and pop have always been pretty blurred to be honest. Majority of rock songs, even the old ones, have the verse-chorus-verse structure, catchy riffs, and a memorable chorus. All pop trademarks. Nothing wrong with that at all, as I'm sure everyone enjoys a catchy riff and some fun songs now and again. You don't really have to excel at a genre as some of the best songs are the simplest.
Even as not the biggest fan of Linkin Park (at least not like when I was 13), they do what they do well. They don't seem like the kind of band to do music for the sake of popularity, their style just kind of brought in fans.
I never berate someone for their success, so more power to them for making it big. I still say their new album was all right.

[Hebriqui]

Meteora was my first CD, and it got me into rock music. So yeah, seems they're doing their 'job' pretty fine.

[Logan_B]

Im a fan of all their music. The one that disappointed me the most was A Thousand Suns. We'll probably never see the Linkin Park of old. Personally, Meteora was the highlight of their musical career, I've only bought a few albums in my lifetime where every song was totally killer like that album. In fact, maybe part of my attachment comes from the fact that I was like 10 years old when I bought it and it was the first rock album I'd ever purchased.

[TombOfHorror]

I do what I call the 'Youtube crawl' 1 - 3 times a week... watching videos, about half of them music videos. Clicking on related videos, be it from the same band or not.

Discovered tons of music I love that way! Especially the symphonic metal, even on the rare occasion that the music channels play music they don't play stuff like Nightwish.

[Mr Winters]

That's how you get to the weird part of youtube...discovered some awesome music by going through related videos.

[SocksAndTrees]

You discover awesome music? Huh, whenever I do that I only discover "ZOMG 9/11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB" orientated videos.

[Mr Winters]

If you start from music videos, you'll most likely find music videos.

[link no1]

I usually end up with videos of cats of Japanese women just jumping up and down.

Like the guy said, if you spend long enough on youtube you will eventually get to the weird area.

[SocksAndTrees]

I wish I had your luck.

[ShockHazard]

I love discovering new stuff like that too. It's especially great when you for example begin from a Metallica live video, and later find a small band with 100 views. And the band is actually better than Metallica

[cyclonus]

I'd imagine Slipknot could gain a billion views too if they threw away everything that made them famous in the first place and began catering to the mainstream

[-Annihilation-]

inb4 "but they did: Vol 3"

[Kueller917]

So you mean throw away everything that put them into the mainstream... to go into the mainstream again?

[Dynamight]

You could hardly have picked a worse example.

[cyclonus]

Let's rephrase - if Slipknot stopped playing their guitars and played mostly techno music, then maybe they'd get a billion views too

[Kueller917]

Linkin Park got poplar for their original sound, which already had a shit ton of electronics in it (even the guitars were highly over-processed they were barely guitars).
I'd even dare to say Slipknot and Linkin Park pre-A Thousand Suns are more popular and have more hit songs than most techno artists. Unless you're one of those that thinks electronic=mainstream shit.

[pdec1991]

good for them, i dont like linkin park that much but at least there is 1 real band past the 1 billion mark

[ericwfagan]

oh well, 1 billion hits doesn't add inches

[GlacierMan]

Youtube = news now?

[TombOfHorror]

Youtube > MTV - music.

[GCGmember]

The way MTV is nowadays anything is better then what they are now.

[Heideck]

MTV sucks now, that's why there is way less people listening to it.

[Dmetalguitar]

whats mtv?

haha just kidding though iv never heard the music on mtv

[dannydesktop]

i really don't understand your insinuation.

[NoiseMaker97]

that's a shame

[steve987]

Linkin Park SLAMS record for youtube hits on a rock video.

[ironman316]

Good try. Sorry it didn't work for you though.

[Obama FTW]

I am just happy it wasn't Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber that reached 1 billion first.

[racertj5]

^ Someone didn't read the article. That explains the username...

[Obama FTW]

Yeah you got me. You got me good. And that remark 'that explains the username', thats good. Its so funny and so relevant too. You couldn't have come up with it yourself. Did you? Because thats just too funny. You're probably a comedian though. Ah man, thats just sooo funny.

[ironman316]

You sir are a barn of tards. A tardbarn, if you will.

[soulgrenade]

obamadude: It was funnier when Stewie Griffin did it.

[cip 123]

The irony that you stole that joke from family guy.

[Obama FTW]

Oh man you guys got me again. Holy crap you guys are good. Man, you guys deserve the medal. Man, I cant believe I was 'got' twice in one hour. Oh man the irony.

[slaveskinJACKET]

Once more, I'm not completely sure you know what irony is.

...unless you're talking about it being ironic that you stole the joke that was accusing the previous comment of being unoriginal.

You see, that is ironic, as you would assume that someone accusing someone else of being unoriginal would make an attempt at making an original comment, themselves. However, that is not the reality of it.

[Obama FTW]

Dude, i'm just being an idiot. People on here are pretty damn funny though. I think its hilarious. Pretty good entertainment if I say so myself. I like to see how people react. And I think it was pretty successful so thank you ironman316, soulgrenade, cip 123, and you slaveskinjacket. This has been fun, lets see if we can do it on another article another day. (:

[link no1]

I doubt you where trying to be an idiot. It seems more likely that you failed with your original comment, failed with being funny and now trying to make people think you where just 'playin around' because you can't stand to think people on the internet you will never actually meet will think badly of you.

[Dmetalguitar]

come on guys this isnt youtube where everyone fights over stupid comments

[steveZ86]

no its Ultimate Guitar where the news section is ruined daily by you all.

[fastfingers10]

Despite their lack of understanding the article, don't mock their political belief. I would have typed this even if their name said "Romney FTW". Keep it music related. Downvote me if you want.

[racertj5]

It was obviously a joke that was NOT, may I point out stolen from family guy.

[Vicious_Turtle]

ah!hahahahhaahaahaahahahahahaa

[The Pavelows]

.....

[dannydesktop]

don't worry kid i

[Abacus11]

Linkin Park is hardly a rock band but this is probably the closest we're going to get to reach that many Youtube hits in 2012. The only upside is that Linkin Park could be a bridge to good music for young kids.

[slaveskinJACKET]

Because shitty music leads to good music?

I would just as soon have my kids listen to decent pop/manufactured music as I would have them listen to shitty (also manufactured) pseudo-rock.

[goochmaster15]

I'm not surprised, considering all of those fan-made videos of anime clips that use "In The End"

[calger14]

1 billion people clicked the wrong link...

[6-String_Madman]

my thoughts exactly!

[thrill606]

I hardly consider Linkin Park to be rock

[RichieJovie]

I'm sure their comments are something to behold.

[Abacus11]

"Linkin Park is currently touring with Incubus on the Honda Civic tour."

LOL Honda Civic Tour... how NOT rock n' roll does that sound? When that tour is over they'll embark on the first leg of the Quaker Oatmeal Tour.

[Legend Jedicsc]

The tour has been over for a few weeks also

[jg928]

Its kinda weird, they used to tour with Metallica, Deftones, Mudvayne, slipknot...and now, they tour with incubus? kinda different stance on rock here lol

[crazysam23_Atax]

They also used to play mainly power-chord driven music with some keyboard riffage. Now, they play electronic driven music with some power-chords.

[deathdemon89]

Incubus IS still rock, though..

[KampfOrange]

"Linkin Park have become the first rock act to receive 1 billion hits on YouTube."
"Linkin Park have become the first rock act [...]"
"Linkin Park [...] rock act [...]"

Stopped reading here.

[dannydesktop]

real mature dude.

[crazysam23_Atax]

He's also correct. They're not rock anymore. At all.

[dannydesktop]

Depends on your definition. They will always be shitty NÜ METAL to me. but just because i'm not into them doesn't mean their not "rock" as if the term has credibility on it's own.

[Alcofuel]

Well, genre isn't really opinion. What you like is, but genres are what they are based on specific qualities. Similar to movie categorizations.

[6-String_Madman]

They are DUBSTEP now, I heard.

[KampfOrange]

After "A Thousand Suns", I struggle to find any rock in Linkin Park's releases. They have become much more electronic and the agression and power that was conveyed on Hybrid Theory, Meteora and Minutes to Midnight is almost absolutely gone imo. I almost tend to think that Linkin Park just want to do the stuff the label wants them to do. I know, rock is quite a big genre and it is what you want it to be, but if you consider their recent releases rock, just think of the other bands/people that are considered "rock" (i.e. Elvis Presley, Pink Floyd or AC/DC) and tell me where you see parallels.

[mat hazelwood]

*thus confirming the sad state of rock music today.

[soulgrenade]

If Elvis were alive he would have 10 trillion youtube hits, every single one by my grandma.

[ifc69]

The only explaination is that one of the band members is a programmer and has their video set to refresh nonstop.

[ne14t]

Hmmmm this would have been relevant if it was still the year 2001. I wouldn't even call Linkin Park rock, maybe Pop Rock but its far from the real deal IMO.

[iommi600]

I've been giving them a lot of those hits... nostalgia struck me hard with Meteora last week.

[Gexzilla]

Sad news everyone!

[Ibeanez]

Other You tube favorites are:

People falling down
Public fights where no one lands anything
Vehicle crashes
Little girls who are desperate to be famous

Is that a compliment to Linkin Park?

[dannydesktop]

someone sounds bitter.

[Ibeanez]

Someone has poor reading comprehension.

[dannydesktop]

because you have a vendetta against little girls who want to be famous? get real.

[Ibeanez]

It's worse than I thought. What did that even mean?

[dannydesktop]

your trying to insist youtube's popular videos all reach out to the lowest common denominator. Sounds like bitterness to me.

[Ibeanez]

What is it with you and English? I didn't "insist" anything, and if I had a "vendetta against little girls" you would be hearing about my crimes on the national news. What I did was make some observations and ask a question. Are we done now?

[dannydesktop]

You make me sick.

[hellfireshell]

When LP first came out with Hybrid theory and Meteora, they were a great gateway band to metal...not any more and it's not that I'm against a band experimenting. I'm all for it but throwing out the essence of your band and becoming complete sell-outs just doesn't sit well!

[Darth_Pietrus]

I lol'ed at the "Honda Civic Tour" xD

[JoshuaLilley98]

Green Day isn't 3rd, Muse is with 328 million and before them is Chili Peppers with 329 million

[diran94]

they deliberately missed muse out..

[m4ss3 m/]

F*** YES! Congratulations for Linkin Park. One of the best rock bands at the moment.

[crazysam23_Atax]

Hahaha. Oh, you're serious? Hahahahahaha.

[m4ss3 m/]

Umm, yes? You know, some people don't feel bad for genuinely liking LP. Although I do listen to some more unpopular music.

[rhn94]

if youtube existed in the 90's we'd see a lot of punk bands topping the views, nirvana probably being the most

[crazysam23_Atax]

Calling today's Linkin Park "rock" is like calling ambient music "metal". Linkin Park is now mostly an electronic music band.

[dannydesktop]

Yeah rock is a term only deserved for people who play cool guitars i hear ya brah.

[Alcofuel]

There is some ambient metal though.

[link no1]

Yea but metal fans insist that music can only ever be ambient when it's metal.

[Izzy-Sweet]

Really? Not even KISS could top that?
Wow, kudos to Linkin Park.

[SSaxdude]

When Hybrid Theory came out, my sister had a copy and we listened to it everyday one family vacation. Even my dad liked it! Had Youtube been around then, I probably would have watched their videos 1000s of times.

[jtallen0496]

LP DEFINITELY DESRVES IT!!

[dannydesktop]

i'm not sure they'll be getting a award or something dawg lol

[guitarist41]

Ain't gonna catch me bashing Linkin Park, brotha.

I remember when I was 12, sitting in my friends room in a little circle, all of us singing along to 'Hybrid Theory'.

[dannydesktop]

proof that no good story ever starts with "I remember when I was 12, sitting in my friends room in a little circle..."

[RC52190]

I wish this was early enough to receive the medal...

[guitarist41]

Touche, kimosabe. Haha.

Still, you know what I mean.

[KingEuphoric]

I would hardly qualify them as a rock band anymore...

[henrihell]

The new albums are crap, and it's those that prolly got the hits, unfortunately... Good that HT is still selling though!

[Tarsplitter]

I saw so many Bonos on the main page...

[Mr E Meat]

so hardcore

[Helvete]

They seem to have spelled Metallica wrong

[Josh Reubenking]

Who cares?

[Camron62\m/]

jeez didn't know they were that popular. kinda sad. but i love looking at the comments, that's why i'm here.

[N7Crazy]

And of course the title goes to a band that definatly does not deserve it - why? Because all too late we discovered that the majority of earths population has absolutely no sense of quality what so ever...

[Horsedick.MPEG]

I surprisingly enjoyed Living Things. I was hoping for A Thousand Suns 2, but this is a nice change.

[33SLASH33]

1 007 485 206 video views
Eh, that's just milliard ( )

[FlipSydde]

Linkin Park isn't that great... but at least there is still "rock" somewhat in the mainstream and still gives hope that it hasnt been all swallowed up by acts with no musicianship that just hope to make money rather than good music.

[Alcofuel]

Being a rock band doesn't mean that making money isn't your intention. Also making electronic music=/=lack of songwriting ability. It also does not mean you're just in it for the money.

[INstaNt-RocK]

Coulda been worse. Coulda been Nickelback.

[jonathanb2]

What the hell. That's a huge gap between them and 2nd place.

[thenextkirk92]

Being popular =/= Bad. You might not like them but it doesn't make them a bad band and it CERTAINLY doesn't mean that they don't deserve it. Listen to A Thousand Suns from start to finish, don't relate it to their old stuff and it's a good album.

[morbidguitar]

This is unreal, i didnt know this band even existed anymore.

[420Tool]

Truly a sad day for music.

[rockguitar314]

That's fine. In the end, it doesn't even matter

[Botti13]

aah goddammit, you had already posted that haha

[Reagar]

Linkin Park are pretty good to be honest. Remember how awesome Hybrid Theory was when it came out? It was literally the shit.

[voodoochile000]

today my s h i t sang like an angel

[Botti13]

but in the end, it doesn't even matter...

[TheEternalJew]

If you think they or the record label hasn't either paid people to click videos or did it themselves you must be stupid

[irishdragon]

can you explain this? if they have a huge fanbase then they get views on their videos. Simple as that. If they put up an ad for the video, which a lot of labels do, then the people voluntarily click on it.

[jrcsgtpeppers]

in this post il try to explain why linkin park has so many views without actually understanding basic ideas such as why the majority of music listeners listen to music and how that is different than why i listen to music, which is therefor wrong because its different than what i believe. wait, no i wont.

[SOAD94]

YouTube hits mean absolutely nothing. In general if you look up Master of puppets it will come up with at least 100000 results whether that be the studio version or a live performance, and all of them have at least 10000+ views.

[SOAD94]

And they're only counting the hits they get from Vevo.

[VMNT9]

this is kinda upsetting considering all of the other great music out there. I loved their first two albums and a few other songs here and there, but to think they have the most hits in the entire world blows my mind

[splogaton]

Youtube hits alone are meaningless. Look at Beiber and Rebeccas Black. Their like bars were so red that it makes the views the video got just people seeing whats so bad about it.

[lilypondkid2]

that's cool i guess. i've been an LP fan from the beginning, and I really liked Living Things.

[Robert Gill]

Craaaa~wling in my skin~ this orange, it will not peel

[DethAffliction]

This band was "OK" when I was ten. I'm now sixteen. Terrible.

[irishdragon]

HOOOOOLY shit people. so what if you don't like them? they do what they want. as musicians we should respect this, if they don't want to play as some say, " a specific genre" so what? they do what they do. And their very succesful. They mix genres well and have been around a long time. I don't really like their new stuff but I remember being 14 and thinking this was awesome stuff. I've kind of moved on but they still have my respect and I still go back and listen to their stuff, which is good ._.

[Northernmight]

Too bad.. And.. On the Honda Civic tour? Da ****?

[whatadrag]

Linkin Park is rock?
I agree with the usage of the word act though

[dannydesktop]

right, whatever douche.

[jsom63]

I ****ing love Hybrid Theory so, I'll just pretend most of the views came from that. Though seriously good for them and I hope RHCP and Green Day push it past that mark soon.

[mallement]

I believe that they got all their hits from a very broad audiance.

I hate the "new" linkin park, but I still like their first two albums, and I think many have it the same way. Thus they reach a vast array of people still...

[Gerbilman]

I'm still pleased with my 2 views on my latest song

[gordy420]

I didnt realize linkin park was still considered a rock band. Rock stations playing their new material should be ashamed of themselves. They might as well play justin bieber for F sakes.

[metaligeologist]

I have to respectfully disagree with you there. Yes, the genres were mish-mashed in a trend that has become the norm, but I never thought of Linkin park as mildly appealing.

I think that particular sound is very much of It's time, but I always thought they arranged and textured their songs in a classier and more restrained way than some other bands of that ilk (that relied on being overly bombastic or screamed vocals alone). The call and response style of Bennington and Shinoda really stood out I think.

That style has been derived and homogenised and therefore is hard to listen to now, but they were IMO very relevant and ground breaking back then, despite their mainstream success.

We got Creed and Nickleback and countless other shameless 'yarlers' from Pearl Jam's sound, but that does not mean that we would tar Eddie with the same brush?

[breakinslash]

No surprise, they always catered to the mainstream

[Hungry_Hameds]

that's a lot of people going "ok you want an example of an utterly terrible band? brace yourself!" *types*

[ma_tt11]

"Green Day with a relatively small 245 million views" - Psy's Gangnam Style has already surpassed 220 million on the one video alone.

[ColdHeartedHero]

who gives a shit?
Theyve been going downhill since Midnights to Midnight. Do they even play guitar anymore?

[link no1]

Do they even lift?

[jaymz88]

That is the proof that you can't judge a band by his popularity. LP is a mediocre mainstream band for years now..

[MrCheezus]

Yeah! Hitler was pretty popular too.

[biff022]

http://www.youhavebadtasteinmusic.com/li...


Definitely the first roller coaster to receive a billion hits.

[motortallica]

thank ****ing god it wasn't justin ****ing bieber

[GuiatrAgainst]

they have nothing to do with rock any more!

[NIN1993]

the Justin bieber channel has 2,882,247,149 hits