In the End

Release

"In the End" was shipped to radio on September 11, 2001, and was released commercially October 9, 2001. The single CD was released as a "Part 1" single and a "Part 2" single. They differed in tracks and cover color: the "Part 1" cover is yellow and the "Part 2" cover is red. A DVD version of "In the End" was also released which includes an audio version of "In the End", "Crawling" music video and four 30 seconds interviews.

On March 27, 2002, the single was released in Japan as a 7-track CD called In the End: Live & Rare. It contains live tracks of "Papercut", "Points of Authority," "A Place for My Head", "Step Up" (originally by the early Linkin Park precursor Hybrid Theory that appeared on the Hybrid Theory EP), "My December" and "High Voltage".

Music video

The music video for "In the End" was shot at various stops along the 2001 Ozzfest tour (June – August 2001) and was directed by Nathan Cox and the band's DJ Joe Hahn, who would go on to direct many of Linkin Park's future videos (the two also directed the music video for "Papercut"). Although the background for the "In the End" video was filmed in a California desert, the band itself performed on a studio stage in Los Angeles, with prominent CGI effects and compositing being used to create the finished version. Performing on a studio stage allowed Hahn and Cox to set off water pipes above the stage near the end and drench the band.

The music video takes place in a fantasy setting and uses massive CGI animation. The band performs atop a giant statue that looks to be Egyptian, which has a "winged soldier" on top of it, which looks similar to the winged soldier on the Hybrid Theory cover art.

The portions where Mike Shinoda raps take place first in a wasteland with thorny vines sprouting out of the ground, surrounding him and turning into dust (first verse), and then grass and plants sprouting up around him (second verse). During the time Mike raps his verses, Chester stands atop a platform with gargoyles on the edges. This platform is in front of a door in the shape of a trapezoid. Near the end of the video, the skies turn dark and it begins to rain, and the band performs in the downpour until the end of the song, where the rain stops and the camera pans away from the tower, showing the wasteland where Shinoda had rapped in is now a lush green land. During the rain the statues on the tower begin to move. Mike Shinoda has mentioned that Princess Mononoke inspired the music video.

The video was co-directed by Nathan "Karma" Cox and LP's turntablist Joe Hahn (who have also directed the videos for "Pts.OF.Athrty", "Papercut", "What I've Done", "Bleed It Out", "Shadow of the Day", and "Leave Out All the Rest"). The production design was by Patrick Tatopoulos who helped design and oversee the production of the non-CGI set. It won the "Best Rock Video" and was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.

The video premiered on MTV and MuchMusic USA the week ending October 6, 2001.

In July 2020, the song became the second music video by the band to surpass one billion views, after "Numb". In April 2025, the music video became the second by the band to achieve 2 billion views on the platform.

Critical reception

"In the End" received positive reviews by contemporary rock music critics. VH1 ranked it number 84 on its list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the '00s. The song was also ranked number two by Loudwire on its list of "Top 21st century Hard Rock songs". At Stylus magazine, it was highlighted as a "nu metal classic". At Kerrang, it was included as part of "The Ultimate Nu Metal Mixtape". NME, however, was more critical of the song, calling it "...another slab of gormless MTV rap rock from the bottom of the food chain".

Accolades

In 2015, the song was named as the best rock song in *Kerrang!*s Rock 100 list followed by the band's 2014 single "Final Masquerade". In the wake of Bennington's passing in 2017, Billboard named "In the End" as the best Linkin Park song and labelled it as one of the best pop songs of the 21st century. In the same year, it was listed as the 133rd best alternative rock hit of all time by Consequence. In 2017, Billboard ranked the song number one on their list of the 15 greatest Linkin Park songs, and in 2021, Kerrang ranked the song number two on their list of the 20 greatest Linkin Park songs.

Chart performance

"In the End" is Linkin Park's highest-charting single in the US, debuting at number 78 and peaking at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in March 2002. It stayed on the chart a total of 38 weeks. It reached number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart for five weeks, starting in December 2001, becoming their first hit on this chart. It has spent 44 weeks there, becoming their longest running on that chart and it also hit number three on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart spending 40 weeks on the chart, their second longest after "One Step Closer" at 42 weeks. It also reached number one on the Pop Songs chart for five weeks also and it stayed on the chart for 27 weeks. "In the End" was the seventh best performing single on the Billboard Hot 100 during 2002, and was the second best performing rock song and alternative song of the decade on the Alternative Songs chart and the Rock Songs chart only behind Trapt's "Headstrong" and Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" respectively. As of June 2014, the single has sold 2,555,000 copies in the United States. On February 27, 2024, the single was certified Diamond in the United States by the RIAA.

"In the End" reached the top five on the Canadian BDS Airplay chart and remained in the top five for another month. "In the End" debuted higher on the Canadian Hot 100 than it did in the US and peaked at number one three weeks later for two weeks. It peaked higher in Canada than "Papercut".

The song was released in Australia, Europe and New Zealand on December 22, 2001. "One Step Closer", "Papercut" and "Crawling" reached the UK top 20, while "In the End" reached the top 10. "In the End" continued the trend of higher-charting singles when it debuted and peaked at number eight. It remained in the top 100 of the chart for 20 non-consecutive weeks.

"In the End" debuted at number 44 on December 2, 2001, on the ARIA Charts. It steadily rose to peak at number four on February 10, 2002. It is currently the second most successful song for the band in Australia, tied with "One Step Closer" and behind "New Divide". In the week starting July 30, 2017, the single re-entered the charts, at number 10, more than 15 years since the song last appeared in the top 50, following the death of lead singer Chester Bennington.

"In the End" reached the top 30 in Switzerland and the top 20 in the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Belgium and New Zealand. It is also their first single to chart in France, peaking initially at number 40 and remaining in the chart for 17 weeks. But after the suicide of Chester Bennington in July 2017, the song charted at number 23 for one week. Similarly, it also re-entered the UK chart at number 14 on week starting July 30, 2017.

Remixes

The song was remixed with "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" by hip hop artist Jay-Z on their collaborative extended play, Collision Course, and uses the sample "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" uses of the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" at the original speed of the beat.

A remix of "In the End", titled "Enth E ND", is included on their remix album Reanimation. The song features hip hop artists Motion Man and KutMasta Kurt. Opposed from the song being a remix, the song also differs with altered lyrics. The song was released as a promotional single with "FRGT/10".

The music video was directed by Jason Goldwatch. It starts off in black and white with someone picking up headphones, interrupted by an image – Mike Shinoda in a car, a flashing image with the letters "LP" written on it, and a TV screen. KutMasta Kurt is shown DJing, then Motion Man is seen in a car, rapping. The camera goes to Mike Shinoda and the video is now in color. The video zooms out to a small screen, then the video becomes black and white again. Mike Shinoda is seen driving a car with KurtMasta Kurt and Motion Man. The video shows the screen again and Mike is seen in color, then becomes black and white again. Mike Shinoda and Motion Man are seen bouncing their heads on screen, then seen driving again. Images flash and Motion Man is seen rapping once again. Random clips are played and Mike Shinoda is once again seen driving, holding a small wired camera.

The Memphis rap group Three Six Mafia sampled this song on their 2001 song "Smoke Dat Weed" and it is featured on Juicy J's 2002 album Chronicles of the Juice Man.

In 2017, producer Markus Schulz made a trance remix of "In the End" as a tribute to Chester Bennington after the latter's death, which he debuted at Tomorrowland.

In popular culture

Upon the release of the series finale of Netflix's Stranger Things on December 31, 2025, part of the episode's setting drew comparisons to that of the music video for "In the End" by fans, sparking a resurgence of the song after being used in viral Internet memes. The music video director, Nathan Cox, called the memes "hilarious" while admitting the resemblance between the two. The band themselves responded by incorporating the Stranger Things theme song prior to performing "In the End" at the Asian shows of the From Zero World Tour.

Track listing

Personnel

Linkin Park

• Chester Bennington – vocals
• Mike Shinoda – rap vocals, piano, sampler, beats programming
• Brad Delson – guitars, bass
• Joe Hahn – sampler, turntables
• Rob Bourdon – drums Production
• Produced by Don Gilmore
• Executive producer: Jeff Blue
• Mixed at Soundtrack, NYC

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

References

1. (May 17, 2017). "The 30 Best Nu-Metal Songs". [[Spin (magazine).
2. Krol, Charlotte. (June 7, 2021). "Linkin Park's 'In The End' is first nu-metal song to pass one billion streams on Spotify". [[NME]].
3. "Top 10 Essential Rap-Rock Songs". [[About.com]].
4. (July 5, 2017). "Ranking Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit from Worst to Best". [[Consequence of Sound]].
5. Graham Hartmann. (July 1, 2012). "No. 2: Linkin Park, 'In The End' – Top 21st Century Hard Rock Songs". Loudwire.com.
6. "Maxim".
7. Zaleski, Annie. (2017-05-17). "The 30 Best Nu-Metal Songs".
8. "LINKIN PARK Q&A;".
9. Rose, Anna. (October 2, 2020). "Linkin Park release 'In The End' demo ahead of 'Hybrid Theory' anniversary".
10. (September 7, 2001). "Radio & Records".
11. (2003). "Rock N Roll Gold Rush: A Singles". Algora.
12. "An interview with bassist Phoenix". Rough Edge.
13. "In the End facts". Song Facts.
14. "January 11, 2002 chat". Wayback Machine.
15. "MTV Video Music Awards History". Rock on the Net.
16. (October 6, 2001). "Video Monitor". [[Billboard (magazine).
17. Richards, Will. (July 4, 2020). "Linkin Park's 'In The End' video reaches 1 billion YouTube views".
18. Dailey, Hannah. (April 16, 2025). "Linkin Park's 'In the End' Music Video Surpasses 2 Billion Views on YouTube".
19. Anderson, Kyle. (September 29, 2011). "U2, Rihanna, Amy Winehouse, Foo Fighters fill out VH1's '100 Greatest Songs of the '00s'". Time Inc..
20. Unterberger, Andrew. (September 10, 2004). "Top Ten Nu-Metal Bands". Stylus Magazine.
21. (November 10, 2014). "The Ultimate Nu-Metal Mixtape". Kerrang!.
22. (October 2, 2001). "NME Track Reviews – Linkin Park : In The End". Nme.Com.
23. [https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153206270906788&theater "In The End" and "Final Masquerade" have made it to the top of Kerrang!'s Rock 100 list] ''Facebook'' April 15, 2015.
24. Unterberger, Andrew. (July 20, 2017). "The 15 Greatest Linkin Park Songs".
25. Unterberger, Andrew. (July 20, 2017). "The 15 Greatest Linkin Park Songs". [[Billboard (magazine).
26. Law, Sam. (April 17, 2021). "The 20 greatest Linkin Park songs – ranked". [[Kerrang!.
27. Caulfield, Keith. (July 23, 2017). "Linkin Park Streams Increase 730 Percent in Wake of Chester Bennington's Death". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
28. (February 23, 2023). "Linkin Park lands highest-charting 'Billboard' Hot 100 hit in over 10 years with "Lost"". [[KUPD]].
29. Trust, Gary. (June 24, 2014). "Ask Billboard: With Nico & Vinz, Norway Continues U.S. Chart Invasion". Prometheus Global Media.
30. (July 29, 2017). "Markus Schulz honors Chester Bennington with 'In The End' bootleg".
31. Dunworth, Liberty. (5 January 2026). "People are comparing the ‘Stranger Things’ finale to Linkin Park’s ‘In The End’ video".
32. Flores, Geca. (January 4, 2026). "Linkin Park’s Hit Song Resurfaces 25 Years Later as Fans Spot ‘Stranger Things’ Similarities".
33. Blum, Jordan. (January 4, 2026). "People Are Comparing the ‘Stranger Things’ Finale to This Linkin Park Music Video + It’s Hilarious".
34. Vanhooker, Brian. (January 7, 2026). "Does the Stranger Things finale look like a Linkin Park music video? In the End's director thinks so too".
35. Vyavahare, Renuka. (January 24, 2026). "Exclusive: You could look at Linkin Park’s comeback as the new season of your fav show, shows Mike Shinoda".
36. "Canadian Top 20 in 2002".
37. "Top Lista Hrvatskog Radija". [[Croatian Radiotelevision]].
38. (October 27, 2001). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
39. "Romanian Top 100: Editia 1, saptamina 7.01–13.01, 2002".
40. (20 October 2001). "Top 50 Airplay Chart".
41. "Linkin Park Chart History (Australia Digital Song Sales)".
42. "Linkin Park Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)".
43. "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés – SNEP (Week 30, 2017)". [[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique]].
44. "Top 20 Most Streamed International & Domestic Singles in Malaysia". [[Recording Industry Association of Malaysia]].
45. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". [[Official Charts Company]].
46. (November 20, 2024). "Official IFPI Charts − Digital Singles Chart (International) − Εβδομάδα: 46/2024". [[IFPI Greece]].
47. "CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100: Měsíc 9/2024". [[International Federation of the Phonographic Industry]].
48. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". offiziellecharts.de.
49. "Årslista Singlar, 2001". Sverigetopplistan.
50. "2001 UK Singles Chart". [[UKChartsPlus]].
51. (December 29, 2001). "The Year in Music 2001: Hot Modern Rock Tracks".
52. "ARIA End of Year Singles Chart 2002". Australian Recording Industry Association.
53. "Jaaroverzichten 2002". Ultratop.
54. (April 3, 2018). "Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 2002". [[Crowley Broadcast Analysis]].
55. "Top 100 top played radio tracks in Canada in 2002". [[Jam!]].
56. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2002". Music and Media.
57. "Top of the Music – Mix e Singoli". [[FIMI]].
58. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2002". Dutch Top 40.
59. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2002".
60. "Billboard Top 100 – 2002".
61. (December 28, 2002). "The Year in Music 2002".
62. "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard.
63. "Top 1000 Singles + EPs Digitais: Semanas 01 a 52 de 2021". [[Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa]].
64. "Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2024".
65. "Top 200 Singles YTD – Semanas 01 a 52 de 2024". [[Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa]].
66. "Ö3-Austria Top40 Single-Jahrescharts". [[Ö3 Austria Top 40]].
67. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts – Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 2025". [[GfK Entertainment]].
68. "Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2025".
69. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2025".
70. (September 7, 2001). "Going For Adds".
71. (October 6, 2001). "In-Store Next Week (from 8/10/01)/New Releases This Week: Singles".
72. (November 19, 2002). "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 19 Nov 2001". [[Australian Recording Industry Association.
73. (November 26, 2001). "The ARIA Report: ARIA New Releases Audio Visual – Week Commencing 26th November 2001". Australian Recording Industry Association.
74. (December 3, 2000). "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 3rd December 2001". Australian Recording Industry Association.
75. "リンキン・パーク {{!}} イン・ジ・エンド～ライヴ&レア". [[Oricon]].