Faint (song)

Last updated
"Faint"
Linkin Park - Faint CD cover.jpg
Single by Linkin Park
from the album Meteora
B-side
ReleasedJune 9, 2003
Recorded2002
Genre
Length2:42
Label Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s) Linkin Park
Producer(s)
  • Don Gilmore
  • Linkin Park
Linkin Park singles chronology
"Somewhere I Belong"
(2003)		"Faint"
(2003)		"Numb"
(2003)
Music video
"Faint" on YouTube

"Faint" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park from their second studio album, Meteora . The song was released as the album's second single on June 9, 2003, and is the seventh track. It entered the top thirty on the majority of the charts it appeared on. On the Hot 100, it peaked at #48. The song reached #1 on the US Modern Rock Tracks, becoming the band's third number-one hit on the chart. The song would later be featured on the group's mashup EP with Jay-Z, Collision Course, where it was mashed up with lyrics of the song Nigga What from Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life .

Contents

American metalcore bands I, the Breather and Memphis May Fire recorded a cover of "Faint", as well as Japanese metalcore band Crossfaith featuring Masato Hayakawa from the post-hardcore band, Coldrain. "Faint" is considered one of Linkin Park's most iconic and most covered songs, with its intro and primary guitar riff being widely recognizable.

Overview

This song was released as two singles, "Faint 1" and "Faint 2." They differed in cover color and track listing ("Faint 1" is blue, and "Faint 2" is a brownish-green mixture). "Faint 1" was also released as a Canadian version that includes the tracks, but does not include the music video. "Faint 1" lists the length of "Lying from You" as 3:43 but is actually 3:04. "One Step Closer", on "Faint 2", is 3:43 long. A promotional sampler was given to members of the street team and some members of the LPU, the band's official fan club. A demo for the song can be found on the Underground 9.0 Fan Club release. It features Mike Shinoda rapping with different lyrics, with only some backing input from Chester Bennington. A live version of the track was featured as a b-side for "What I've Done".

The success of this single, and the success of Linkin Park's "Numb/Encore" mashup with Jay-Z, led MTV to produce a mashup of "Faint" with "Toxic" by Britney Spears. This was done by DJ Rob Boskamp and can be found on MTV's MTV Mash Up - Amazing Remixes! CD.

During the Minutes to Midnight World Tour, they extended the length of the song during live performances, playing the riff from the bridge while Delson played a solo. In some live performances during Living Things World Tour, it is played after "Tinfoil" as the opening song on the setlist.

Music video

The video, directed by Mark Romanek and shot in downtown Los Angeles, consists of the band performing in front of an audience and a floodlight. The audience consisted of members from the LPU. Almost the entire video is shot from behind the band, allowing the strong lighting to portray them in silhouettes. Therefore, the faces of the band are not shown throughout most of the video, except at the final chorus where the band is then shown from the front. They perform in front of a derelict building structure with graffiti, such as a monstrous version of the Hybrid Theory Soldier and some Linkin Park symbols.

A director's cut was made that features an extended ending where Mike Shinoda spray paints the words En Proceso (Spanish for In Process) on a garage door. [6] [7]

Commercial performance

"Faint" was officially released to US radio on July 1, 2003. The song reached the top twenty on the Hot 100 Recurrent Airplay, and the following week it debuted on the Hot 100, the official US chart. "Faint" peaked at number forty-eight in its eighth week and remained on the chart until its twentieth week. The song entered the top twenty on the majority of the Billboard charts on which it appeared. "Faint" proved popular on Modern Rock Tracks radio, attaining the number one position on that chart for six weeks (with 37 weeks on the chart), and peaked at number forty-eight on the Hot 100 Airplay format and number two for two weeks on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks.

"Faint" reached the top thirty on the Canadian Singles Chart where it peaked at 21.

The song was released in Australia, Europe and New Zealand on July 22, 2003. "Somewhere I Belong" reached the UK top ten, while "Faint" reached the top twenty. "Faint" continued the trend of lower-charting singles when it debuted and peaked at number fifteen, and remained in the chart for 8 weeks. "Faint" peaked at number twenty-five on the Australian Singles Chart and stayed at its peak for two weeks.

"Faint" reached 67 on the Japanese singles chart and 48 on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles and it would also peak at forty in seven countries and reached the top twenty in the United Kingdom and Spain. It was a moderate top ten success on the LAUNCH Music Videos Top 100.

To date, it has been less successful than its predecessor "Somewhere I Belong" and the following single "Numb" where both singles charted higher. However, it has peaked higher than "Numb" in the Belgium Singles Chart (#44) and Italian Singles Chart. Additionally, it was more successful on the Mainstream Rock Track and the Modern Rock Track chart than the other singles from Meteora. It was the 8th Best performing song of the decade on the Modern Rock Track chart, and the 13th best performing song of the decade on the Mainstream rock Track Chart. It is their second most successful single behind "In the End" on the rock charts. Moreover, the single peaked at #15 in the UK, charting for 8 weeks, being their second-most successful song from Meteora in the UK after "Somewhere I Belong".

In September 2023, for the 35th anniversary of Modern Rock Tracks (which by then had been renamed to Alternative Airplay), [8] Billboard ranked "Faint" at number 92 on its list of the 100 most successful songs in the chart's history. [9]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Linkin Park

Part 1
No.TitleLength
1."Faint"2:43
2."Lying from You" (Live)3:07
3."Somewhere I Belong" (Video) 

All tracks are written by Linkin Park

Part 2
No.TitleLength
1."Faint"2:43
2."One Step Closer" (Reanimated Live)3:43
3."Faint Live" (Video) 

All tracks are written by Linkin Park

Maxi single
No.TitleLength
1."Faint"2:43
2."Lying from You" (Live)3:06
3."One Step Closer" (Reanimated Live)3:41

All tracks are written by Linkin Park

10" vinyl picture disc
No.TitleLength
1."Faint"2:43
2."Lying from You" (Live)3:07

Personnel

Linkin Park

Additional musicians

Charts

Weekly charts

2003-2004 weekly chart performance for "Faint"
Chart (2003–2004)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [10] 25
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [11] 27
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [12] 44
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia) [13] 5
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) [14] 21
Chile (Notimex) [15] 2
Croatia (HRT) [16] 8
Ecuador (Notimex) [17] 1
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles) [18] 35
Germany (Official German Charts) [19] 40
Hungary (Single Top 40) [20] 3
Ireland (IRMA) [21] 26
Italy (FIMI) [22] 29
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [23] 40
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [24] 20
Paraguay (Notimex) [25] 2
Scotland (OCC) [26] 15
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [27] 18
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [28] 49
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [29] 32
UK Singles (OCC) [30] 15
UK Rock & Metal (OCC) [31] 3
US Billboard Hot 100 [32] 48
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [33] 1
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [34] 2
2017 weekly chart performance for "Faint"
Chart (2017)Peak
position
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100) [35] 71
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) [36] 86
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [37] 15

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Italy (FIMI) [38] Gold35,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [39] Gold30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [40] Platinum600,000‡
United States (RIAA) [41] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Meteora</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Linkin Park

Meteora is the second studio album by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released on March 25, 2003, through Warner Bros. Records, following Reanimation, a collaboration album which featured remixes of songs included on their 2000 debut studio album Hybrid Theory. The album was produced by the band alongside Don Gilmore. The title Meteora is taken from the Greek Orthodox monasteries originally bearing the name. Meteora has a similar sound to Hybrid Theory, as described by critics, and the album took almost a year to be recorded. It is the first Linkin Park studio album to feature bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell after he rejoined the band in 2000 following his temporary touring with other bands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breaking the Habit (song)</span> 2004 single by Linkin Park

"Breaking the Habit" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It is the ninth track from their second studio album, Meteora, and was released as the fifth and final single from the album. The song was a hit; it became the fifth consecutive single from Meteora to reach number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, a feat unmatched by any other artist in the history of that chart. It was also the third single from the album to reach number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song also peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified Gold by the RIAA. The song was also successful in many other countries, except in the UK where it became their first single to chart outside of the top thirty, faring only better than their previous single "From the Inside" which failed to chart. On September 4, 2012, "Breaking the Habit", "Shadow of the Day", "New Divide", and "Burn It Down" were released in the "Linkin Park Pack 02" as downloadable content for the music rhythm video game, Rock Band 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somewhere I Belong</span> 2003 single by Linkin Park

"Somewhere I Belong" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released to US radio on February 24, 2003, as the first single from their second studio album, Meteora (2003), and is the album's third track. It entered the top ten on several music charts, including the New Zealand Singles Chart, where it peaked at No. 1 in April 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Step Closer (Linkin Park song)</span> 2000 single by Linkin Park

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crawling (song)</span> 2001 single by Linkin Park

"Crawling" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It is the second single from their debut album, Hybrid Theory. Released on April 2, 2001, it won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2002. In January 2011, "Crawling" was released in a Linkin Park DLC pack for Rock Band 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In the End</span> 2001 single by Linkin Park

"In the End" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It is the eighth track on their debut album, Hybrid Theory (2000), and was released as the album's fourth and final single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Numb (Linkin Park song)</span> 2003 single by Linkin Park

"Numb" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released as the third single from their second studio album, Meteora (2003), and is the closing track on the album. One of Linkin Park's most well-known and critically acclaimed songs, "Numb" topped the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for 12 weeks in 2003 and 2004. The song also spent three weeks atop the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">From the Inside (Linkin Park song)</span> 2004 single by Linkin Park

"From the Inside" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released as the fourth single from their second album, Meteora, and appears as the tenth track on the record. It was released in Australia and the United States in 2004 as the fourth single from the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Goin' Down (X-Ecutioners song)</span> 2002 single by the X-Ecutioners featuring Mike Shinoda and Mr. Hahn

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linkin Park discography</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">What I've Done</span> 2007 single by Linkin Park

"What I've Done" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released as the first single from their third studio album, Minutes to Midnight (2007), and is the sixth track. The song was released as a radio single on April 1, 2007, as a digital download on April 2, and as a CD single on April 30. The live version of "What I've Done" from Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 52nd Grammy Awards, but did not win. It serves as the end credits track of the 2007 science fiction blockbuster film Transformers and also appears on Transformers: The Album (2007). Being certified six times platinum by the RIAA, it is the band's most commercially successful single in terms of pure sales, and reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shadow of the Day</span> Single by Linkin Park

"Shadow of the Day" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. The song was released as the third single from their third studio album, Minutes to Midnight, on October 16, 2007. The first public performance of "Shadow of the Day" was during the Projekt Revolution tour in Auburn, Washington, on July 25, 2007. On September 4, 2012, "Shadow of the Day", along with "Breaking the Habit", "New Divide", and "Burn It Down", was released in the "Linkin Park Pack 02" as downloadable content for the music rhythm video game, Rock Band 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Made It</span> 2008 single by Busta Rhymes featuring Linkin Park

"We Made It" is a single by rapper Busta Rhymes featuring American rock band Linkin Park. The song was to be on Busta Rhymes's eighth studio album, Back on My B.S., but was then cancelled off the track list because the album was released on a different label as "We Made It" was Busta Rhymes's last song on Interscope. The song was produced by Cool & Dre, with additional production by Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson. The song was released on April 29, 2008. It was Busta Rhymes's final release on Aftermath Entertainment.

"Lying from You" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park, released on March 16, 2004. It was released as an airplay-only single from their second album, Meteora, which was released on March 25, 2003.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Numb/Encore</span> 2004 single by Jay-Z and Linkin Park

"Numb/Encore" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z and rock band Linkin Park from their EP Collision Course (2004). It was released as a single on March 8, 2005, by Warner Bros., Machine Shop, Def Jam, and Roc-A-Fella Records. The song is a mash-up that fuses rock and hip hop, combining lyrics from "Numb" by Linkin Park and "Encore" by Jay-Z, both released in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burn It Down (Linkin Park song)</span> 2012 single by Linkin Park

"Burn It Down" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. The song was released to radio stations, as well as a digital download, on April 16, 2012, as the lead single and the third track from their fifth studio album, Living Things. The song was written by the band and produced by co-lead vocalist Mike Shinoda and Rick Rubin, who co-produced the band's studio albums Minutes to Midnight (2007) and A Thousand Suns (2010). A music video for the song was directed by Linkin Park turntablist Joe Hahn. As of June 24, 2022, "Burn It Down" has sold over three million copies in the United States alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Until It's Gone (Linkin Park song)</span> 2014 single by Linkin Park

"Until It's Gone" is a song written by American rock band Linkin Park. The song was originally recorded by the band for their sixth studio album, The Hunting Party, where it appears as the seventh track on the album. Produced by Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson, the track also appears on the single of the same name, which was released by Warner Bros. Records and Machine Shop on May 6, 2014. The single is the second to be released in promotion of The Hunting Party. The single is also included in the music for the action-adventure video game Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark, which was released on June 24, 2014.

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"Lost" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. Originally recorded during sessions for their second studio album, Meteora (2003), it was later officially released on February 10, 2023, as the lead single from the album's 20th-anniversary reissue.

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References

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  2. ↑ "10 Nü-Metal Songs That Don't Totally Suck". Consequence of Sound . 12 September 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  3. ↑ Weiss, Dan (April 6, 2012). "Ten Rap-Rock Songs That Are Actually Awesome". LA Weekly . Retrieved August 9, 2016.
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  5. ↑ Law, Sam (April 17, 2020). "The 20 greatest Linkin Park songs – ranked". Kerrang! . Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Faint (Original Official Video) on Youtube". YouTube . from Linkin Park's Youtube Channel
  7. ↑ "Faint (Official Duplicate Video) on Youtube". YouTube . from Linkin Park's Youtube Channel
  8. ↑ Rutherford, Kevin (September 7, 2023). "Alternative Airplay Chart's 35th Anniversary: Foo Fighters Remain No. 1 Act, 'Monsters' New Top Song". Billboard . Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Greatest of All Time Alternative Songs". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
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  11. ↑ "Linkin Park – Faint" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Linkin Park – Faint" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
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  41. ↑ "American single certifications – Linkin Park – Faint". Recording Industry Association of America.
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