One Step Closer

Lead singer Chester Bennington wrote this to express the anger he felt growing up. He didn't fit in well and got beat up a lot. Bennington wanted kids who hate themselves at times to know that he went through the same thing. He did not intend it as an excuse for self-pity or anger.

This was Linkin Park's debut single, which allowed the band to hear themselves on the radio for the first time. Guitarist Brad Delson told Kerrang he remembered they were driving through Arizona on their first tour bus and the song came on a local station that Bennington, a Phoenix native, used to listen to as a kid.

This song was made after the band had frustrations making "Runaway," another song on the album.