Linkin Park’s ‘The Emptiness Machine’ Debuts on Rock & Alternative Airplay Chart From First Few Hours of Release
Despite being released with just six hours left in the Sept. 14-dated Billboard charts’ tracking week, Linkin Park’s comeback single “The Emptiness Machine” debuts at No. 24 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay list.
The song – the six-piece’s first with new vocalist Emily Armstrong, who sings with Mike Shinoda on it, and new drummer Colin Brittain – bows with 1.1 million audience impressions in the week ending Sept. 5, according to Luminate.
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That volume comes despite the song’s 6 p.m. ET release Sept. 5, coinciding with the announcement of Armstrong and Brittain joining the band and an impending six-date tour, as well as a livestream performance unveiling the band’s latest iteration.
Linkin Park’s new era follows the 2017 death of frontman Chester Bennington. Additionally, longtime drummer Rob Bourdon has not rejoined the group.
“The Emptiness Machine” is Linkin Park’s 17th entry on Rock & Alternative Airplay, which began in 2009. That count encompasses five No. 1s, including two straight prior to “The Emptiness Machine”: “Lost” in 2023 and “Friendly Fire” earlier this year. “Lost” is from the 20th anniversary reissue of Linkin Park’s 2003 album Meteora, while “Friendly Fire” is on this year’s retrospective Papercuts; both songs feature Bennington’s vocals.
Although Rock & Alternative Airplay is the only airplay-based chart “The Emptiness Machine” on which has bowed so far, the song is already bubbling under both the plays-based Alternative Airplay (195 plays) and Mainstream Rock Airplay rankings (150 plays), making its debut imminent on both surveys dated Sept. 21.
The last song to have debuted at No. 1 on Alternative Airplay? Linkin Park’s “What I’ve Done” in 2007.
“The Emptiness Machine” is the lead single from From Zero, Linkin Park’s eighth studio album, due Nov. 15. It’s the band’s first since One More Light, released two months prior to Bennington’s death. The set launched at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart in June 2017 and has earned 1 million equivalent album units to date.
All Billboard charts dated Sept. 14 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Sept. 10.
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