It Starts with One - by Jason Lipshutz (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Linkin Park is one of the 21st Century's most important--and most underrated--rock bands. When you look at album and streaming numbers, tickets sold, enduring legacy, merch sales, and the contributions that this groundbreaking band have made in all metrics of music consumption and fandom, there's no group bigger in recent memory. Despite this, there has not yet been a full, comprehensive biography of the band--until now. In "It Starts with One", "Billboard"'s executive director of music, Jason Lipshutz, chronicles the story of this legendary band, from their early childhoods to the moment their paths crossed to the genesis of their iconic first album, Hybrid Theory, and all that followed. The book features in-depth reporting and interviews with band members and their inner circle, as well as their collaborators and contemporaries. Through it all, Lipshutz explores how one band could mean so much to so many people; how they were able, in an post-grunge era of the late 90s and early 2000s to buck the trends of pop and hip hop to emerge as the only rock band that mattered; and finally, rightfully, place Linkin Park in the pantheon of American rock acts. Linkin Park helped usher in an era of artists (and fans) that are more open to discussing mental health, inclusivity, and innovation, led by their front men, Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda, who both struggled with their own mental health but chose to talk about it and write about it openly rather than suffer in silence. The philosophy of the band was to combine sounds, artistry, and talents into something that truly hadn't been heard before. And the people loved it. Ultimately, Chester succumbed to his demons and passed away in 2017, but the music endures, and the fans are primed for the real behind-the-scenes story. Beyond anything else, Linkin Park's singular power was to bring people together, but along the way they made music history and changed what we expect from musicians. "It Starts with One" is finally here to cement that legacy"--

Book Synopsis

From the executive director of music at Billboard, an extensive look inside the 20+ year career of mega-selling rock band Linkin Park, featuring new interviews, exclusive quotes, and insights from the band's associates and collaborators

Linkin Park is one of the 21st Century's biggest, and most important, rock bands. All it takes is one quick glance at the numbers-- 11 Top 40 hits on the Hot 100 and six No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, over a dozen massive tours, 27 major award wins, 100+ million records sold worldwide, over 30 million monthly Spotify listeners --to realize that when it comes to the metrics of music consumption and fandom, there's no bigger group in recent memory. And yet, despite their enduring legacy within rock, there's never been a full, comprehensive biography of Linkin Park--until now.

In IT STARTS WITH ONE: The Legend and Legacy of Linkin Park, Billboard's executive director of music, Jason Lipshutz, chronicles the innovation and influence of this legendary band, from their early childhoods to the moment their paths crossed to the genesis of their iconic first album, Hybrid Theory, and all that followed. Not only were they able to synthesize trends in pop and hip-hop amidst the post-grunge era and nu metal boom, then constantly reinvent their sound over multiple albums, Linkin Park's radically vulnerable lyrics also helped usher in a new era of artists (and fans) more open to discussing mental health and prioritizing inclusivity. Led by their front men, Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda, who balanced each other out artistically, Linkin Park never shied away from songs that put their issues front and center, for the world to see and feel. Tragically, Chester succumbed to his demons and passed away in 2017, but the music endures--and in order to truly appreciate the band's singular power to bring people together, we need to take a closer look at how exactly Linkin Park changed popular music.

Through in-depth reporting and interviews, as well as new reflections from their collaborators and contemporaries, IT STARTS WITH ONE explores how one band made such a big impact on modern music, effectively cementing Linkin Park's long overdue place in music history.

Review Quotes

"[A]n admiring history... [and] a must-have for Linkin Park fans."--Kirkus

About the Author

Jason Lipshutz is the executive director of music at Billboard, where he has written about music for over a decade and penned cover stories on Taylor Swift, U2, Blink-182, Lorde, Bon Iver, and Mumford & Sons, among others. He is formerly a deputy editor at Fuse Media and has contributed to VIBE, The Hollywood Reporter, Spinner, and Popjustice. He has appeared on Access Hollywood, Good Morning America, TODAY, Entertainment Tonight, and several other broadcast programs. He lives in New Jersey.