One Step Closer (Linkin Park Song)

"One Step Closer" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park, released as the debut single and second track of their debut album, ''Hybrid Theory.''

A remixed version of the song entitled "1Stp Klosr", featuring Korn frontman Jonathan Davis, was featured on Linkin Park's remix album, '' Reanimation''. In 2021, Linkin Park released a new remix of the song by electronic duo 100 gecs.

The song was mashed up with another song by the band from ''Hybrid Theory'', "Points of Authority", and a collaboration of the song "99 Problems" from '' The Black Album'' by Jay-Z on the EP '' Collision Course''.

Live performances

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

Until 2007, Linkin Park closed every concert with "One Step Closer", excluding Live 8, and their live performances at Summer Sonic. In 2007, Linkin Park played "One Step Closer" toward the beginning of their live performances and sometimes at the end. The song is always played in Drop C#. In 2008, they ended some of their shows with either "One Step Closer" or " Bleed It Out". In 2009, every show they played was ended with "One Step Closer", excluding the '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' premiere.

From 2003 to 2006, performances of the song include a verse originally sung by Jonathan Davis in the ''Reanimation'' remix of the song before the "Shut up when I'm talking to you!" bridge, which can be heard on '' LP Underground 4.0''. At the end of the verse, Davis repeats the line "Blood is pouring" while the song builds up to the bridge. During the Projekt Revolution 2004 Tour, as Korn was part of the tour's line up, Davis would come out to sing his part on the song before Chester Bennington starts screaming his part.

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. The performance retained the 2017 Intro, but the extended outro was not played for the first time since 2008.

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.

Stand-in bassist Scott Koziol can be seen playing with the band. Mike Shinoda sings some of the lines, although he does not sing on the record.

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

Additional personnel

* 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

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2000 songs
2000 debut singles
Linkin Park songs
Music videos directed by Gregory Dark
Songs written by Chester Bennington
Songs written by Mike Shinoda
Warner Records singles