If you’re a fan of Linkin Park, check out this post over on Hometracked. It neatly dissects the structure of some popular Linkin Park songs and shows how they follow a simple but effective formula:

1. Quiet intro: Each song has a relatively quiet two-measure intro.
2. The instrumental kicker: The full band come in together on the down-beat, and play two or four high energy measures, usually instrumental.
3. Quiet verse: The song eases off for a verse or two, heightening the dynamic contrast between the song’s sections.
4. Heavy chorus: Usually the same chords established in the kicker, with Chester screaming over top for added emotion.

On one hand, you could interpret this as a criticism of Linkin Park’s music, that they’re “doing a Status Quo” and releasing the same song over and over again. Different chords and lyrics, but essentially the same idea each time.

I’ve thought about this quite a bit, and it’s hard to criticise the artist. Surely a lot of it boils down to simple musical style? The music of any band is the result of the chemistry between the players, their influences and their ability to express themselves. So, doesn’t it stand to reason that some tunes will carry a familiar musical ’signature’?

The article notes:

On one hand, the band and their producers deserve kudos for finding and exploiting a successful formula. They’re in the entertainment business, after all, and appealing to fans is any entertainer’s number one job.

Again, I disagree. Perhaps I’m too optimistic here, but I hope that Linkin Park (or any other mega-band) don’t set out to write songs based on a formula. As for the songs sounding the same, I imagine that to be more of an unconscious thing. Maybe the band aren’t even aware of the similarity, or if they are, they consider it part of their musical style.

I hope it’s not a cynical ploy on the part of the music industry to repackage the same song and sell it again and again to a remarkably loyal fanbase. The fact of the matter is, I love those Linkin Park songs, and I’m a sucker for that particular formula.