It was with absolute heartbreak that we learnt Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington had committed suicide, hanging himself inside a Los Angeles residence yesterday.

He was only 41 years old, and the news rocked the world of every person who had survived their teenage years by listening to him scream his heart out.

Linkin Park rose to fame in 2000 after the release of their debut album Hybrid Theory, their unique mix of rock, hip hop and electronica breaking down the boundaries of what people thought metal should be.

Their hip hop influence soon brought the likes of Jay Z to the party, and four years later they released the collaborative EP Collision Course which would mash up the two artists’ respective classics.

Luring fans from both genres, they scored a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, and would later clinch a Grammy in 2006 for best rap/song collaboration.

The collab also spawned “Numb/Encore”, arguably the best track from the album.

Take a listen:

Riddle me that…

Of course, we can’t stop there.

Here are a few more throwbacks, just in case you weren’t able to figure out how to use YouTube this morning:

Man, I listened to METEORA way too much at one point.

R.I.P. to a rock star and musical innovator.

[source: youtube&xxlmag]