How a Moment of Spontaneous Inspiration Created a Linkin Park Masterpiece
After Hybrid Theory blew up, Linkin Park walked into the Meteora sessions with the weight of expectation on their backs. Brad Delson showed up with a slow riff, recorded at about 70 beats per minute. He left it on the bus, and when he returned, Mike Shinoda had reprogrammed it with drums at nearly double the speed—around 135. The new tempo hit with a rush that grabbed everyone’s attention. Delson wasn’t sure at first, but both agreed the faster pace was the way forward. That decision set the track in motion.
Another turning point came when Shinoda was driving to NRG Studios. An idea struck, and he ran straight inside to try it. Instead of the heavy chorus power chords, he shifted them into octaves and layered chords beneath. The higher register carved out space for Chester Bennington’s vocal line, which cut through harder than before. With bass added, the song snapped into focus. What started as a loose riff had turned into “Faint,” one of Meteora’s signature moments.
Building the Sound of “Faint”
Image via iStockphoto/Daniel Balakov
The band didn’t stop at guitars and drums. The strings on the track were recorded live and arranged by Shinoda with composer Dave Campbell. Even more interesting, the haunting loop that opens the track wasn’t written from scratch. It was sampled from the 1963 James Bond film “From Russia with Love.”
Shinoda took John Barry’s orchestral piece “Tania Meets Klebb,” reversed it, pitched it, and chopped it into the eerie sequence fans know today. That creative choice tied the song to pop culture history while giving it an instantly recognizable hook.
Lyrically, Faint speaks to being dismissed and the fight to be heard. Chester Bennington’s cry of “Don’t turn your back on me, I won’t be ignored” hit hard, especially given his openness about personal struggles. Fans who felt alienated connected to that anger and resolve. Paired with Mike Shinoda’s steadier rap verses, the contrast gave the song urgency and emotional bite.
A Video That Matched the Energy
The band did not turn to Joe Hahn, who had directed most of their early videos. Instead, they chose Mark Romanek. The shoot took place in Los Angeles with LP Underground fans as the crowd. A wall of 600 lights stood behind the band and threw their shapes into silhouette. Romanek had pulled the idea from a 1993 Alexander McQueen runway show, and it gave the video a stark, hypnotic edge. By the final chorus, the scene looked like a raw overnight performance against a city backdrop.
“Faint” never broke through as a pop single, peaking at No. 48 on the Billboard Hot 100. On rock radio, it was a different story, climbing to No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock chart and reaching the Top 40 in Australia, Austria, and Canada. MTV2 and Fuse put it in heavy rotation, which pushed U.S. sales past a million. Today, the video has more than half a billion views on YouTube, while the song itself has crossed a billion streams on Spotify.
It Still Matters
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Kristina Servant
“Meteora” went on to become Linkin Park’s first number one album, with nearly all of their later studio releases reaching the top of the charts. Within that record, “Faint” stood out as a fan favorite born from small but brave choices. Each decision layered another dimension onto the track, transforming it from a riff into one of Linkin Park’s most enduring hits.
Two decades later, “Faint” still resonates with fans who see their own struggles reflected in its urgency. More than just a song, it’s spontaneous inspiration striking at the right time and turns a simple idea into a masterpiece that continues to connect with listeners around the world.