One Step Closer (Linkin Park song)

Background

"One Step Closer" was inspired by the band members', particularly the lead singer Chester Bennington's, frustration with their producer Don Gilmore during the recording sessions for their debut album, Hybrid Theory. Gilmore consistently demanded lyric revisions for the song (which had a working title of "Plaster") and other tracks, pushing the band to perfect the sound and structure for a radio release. This creative tension led to intense frustration, which Bennington channeled directly into the lyrics and vocal performance.

Live performances

In 2001, Linkin Park performed "One Step Closer" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

On October 27, 2017, during the Linkin Park and Friends: Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington, Jonathan Davis performed the song again with the remaining Linkin Park members alongside Ryan Shuck and Amir Derakh of Julien-K and Dead by Sunrise.

Music video

Joe Hahn of Linkin Park and director Gregory Dark came up with the concept for the video.

Directed by Dark and shot in Los Angeles, sixty-three feet underground in the abandoned Hollywood Subway underneath Bunker Hill, the video begins with a group of teenage friends hanging out around a dark alley. Two of them follow a strange man wearing a black hooded robe into a door which leads them to a dark, misty room where the band is playing. Monk-like men are performing martial arts moves throughout the video. Midway through the song, they knock over a crate, startling the monk-like men, and then flee the tunnel. Eventually, the strange man appears at the end of the video. While Bennington screams the song's bridge, he is also upside-down.

In 2018, the staff of Metal Hammer included the video in the site's list of "the 13 best nu metal videos".

Critical reception

Billboard and Kerrang both named "One Step Closer" as the fourth-greatest Linkin Park song.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic for original release only.

Linkin Park

• Chester Bennington – vocals
• Mike Shinoda – keyboards, backing vocals, programming, samples, artwork, production
• Brad Delson – guitars
• Joe Hahn – turntables, samples, synthesizers, artwork
• Rob Bourdon – drums

Guest musicians

• Scott Koziol - bass

Production

• Don Gilmore – producer, engineering
• Steve Sisco – engineering
• John Ewing Jr. – additional engineering, Pro Tools
• Matt Griffin – engineering assistance
• Andy Wallace – mixing
• Brian Gardner – audio mastering, digital editing
• Jeff Blue – executive producer

Artwork

• Frank Maddocks – graphic design
• James Minchin III – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

References

1. Green, Chris. (25 June 2015). "Linkin Park have launched a venture capital brand, but can such a company ever be rock n' roll?". [[The Independent]].
2. Diver, Mike. (September 6, 2009). "Top Ten - Nu-Metal Anthems". [[Clash (magazine).
3. Rolli, Bryan. (July 23, 2021). "20 Teen Angst Anthems to Melt Your Icy, Black Heart".
4. (July 20, 2017). "Linkin Park: 12 Essential Songs".
5. Lipshutz, Jason. (September 17, 2024). "The 10 Best Moments of Linkin Park’s Triumphant NYC Performance".
6. [{{AllMusic
7. Blisten, Jon. (January 8, 2021). "100 Gecs Turn Linkin Park's 'One Step Closer' Into Wild Genre Collage".
8. Lipshutz, Jason. (2020-10-05). "The Story Behind Every Song on Linkin Park’s ‘Hybrid Theory’: 20th Anniversary Track-By-Track".
9. Chapstick, Kelsey. (October 24, 2019). "SEE LINKIN PARK PLAY EXPLOSIVE "ONE STEP CLOSER" ON 'CONAN' IN 2001".
10. "One Step Closer - Linkin Park | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic".
11. "One Step Closer (Official Video) on YouTube".
12. Hammerpublished, Metal. (2018-02-20). "The 13 best nu metal videos".
13. Unterberger, Andrew. (July 20, 2017). "The 15 Greatest Linkin Park Songs". [[Billboard (magazine).
14. Law, Sam. (April 17, 2021). "The 20 greatest Linkin Park songs – ranked". [[Kerrang!.
15. "Hybrid Theory - Linkin Park - Credits". [[AllMusic]].
16. "Tipparade-lijst van week 15, 2001". [[Dutch Top 40]].
17. "ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association.
18. [[Official Charts Company]]. (September 15, 2024). "They just scored their highest Singles Chart peak EVER with #TheEmptinessMachine, but what are @linkinpark’s all-time biggest songs in the UK?". [[Instagram]].
19. (August 25, 2001). "Going For Adds".
20. "Gold & Platinum".
21. (January 13, 2001). "New Releases - For Week Starting January 15, 2001".
22. (February 16, 2001). "CHR/Pop:Going For Adds".